EP 994 Tasting with Tim and Carrisa Mondavi from Continuum Part 2

The concluding part, including the tasting of the 2006 and 2008 Continuum with Tim and Carissa Mondavi. Gary, Tim, and Carissa speak more about the California wine business, vineyards, and winemaking.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Continuum
2008 Continuum

Links mentioned in todays episode.

Latest Comment:

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luca bercelli

80/100

Sorry, but this guest was without doubt the most boring person ever to appear on WLTV. A huge figure in the wine world but god, he could bore me to death, and all of the good information that he had was lost in his drab and domineering delivery. His daughter might well have been more entertaining and approachable, but unfortunately daddy didn’t let her say a word. Even GV tried to have his say half way through but pretty much gave up when Tim started droning on again and drowning him out. I didn’t think it would be possible to make such a great product sound so boring – but I was wrong. if he mentioned ‘stirring the lees’ once more I would’ve thrown my laptop out the window. Thank god this guest wasn’t on one of the early episodes because he would surely have put me off from watching and commenting on every single one, thus denying me hours and hours of tip top entertainment.

Tags: cabernet, california, napa, red, review, Video, wine, wines

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  • Anonymous

    As I slowly ascend from my seat. Bravo! Clap-Clap-Clap Bravo! Clap-Clap-Clap More! 🙂
    I totally enjoyed this two episode installment. Well worth the 61 minutes of pleasure.

    Tim, thank you for your insight into the CA history in wine, family history, your story telling, and your sense of place. I also get that “Pritchard Hill is above the clouds”. 😉

    Carissa, thank you for your presences and am sorry we didn’t get to hear more from you on the next generations vision for Continuum.

    Massive “THUNDER” Gary! You definitely brought it and then some. I just wish there towards the end you and Tim wouldn’t of been stepping all over each other.

  • Anonymous

    Matt, Mr. QPR! LOL 😉

  • Anonymous

    Well done Dino! 😉

  • Anonymous

    Gary V you knocked it out of the park with both parts 1 and 2!!!
    However, you need to learn to let your guests, especially of the quality and lineage of Tim Mondavi, finish their replies to the questions you ask.
    Your a.d.d. really shone through in these interviews. Go back through and watch for yourself. I found myself saying please Gary let him finish his sentence before you talk again.

  • Anonymous

    I’ll bring the cheese!

    Or is it I throw the cheese, no that’s baseball! I know I can go one more way, but I won’t go there. 😉

  • Anonymous

    I wasn’t “enthralles” either, maybe enthralled, but definitely not “enthralles”, Your Eminence (as I bow respectfully).

  • Anonymous

    Dislike 🙁

  • Anonymous

    I understand that the peasants are not privy to the technology of the
    Royals. They would not be aware of the wondrous invention called the
    KEYBOARD. Within this magical device the ‘s’ and ‘d’ keys are next to one
    another and therefore occasionally get interchanged. Perhaps the simpler
    life does have it’s advantages. One would never interchange those two
    letters with his/her quill. You may now stand, but, remember to back out of
    the chamber.

  • Thank you Gary, Carissa and Tim for sharing time with us all. QOTD: I am intrigued by the single estate and the opportunity to value and set apart a special and unique wine experience. Thank you

  • I agree Clay_Painter, but a lot of places source from, say, the Bien Nacido block in SB county and each wine is unique–I think the second part of the question is equally, if not more important about a solid team being put in place to create the wine. A good site is great to have but the assembled collective with a solid know-how is better, making the most out of the single vineyard, or any area.

  • Anonymous

    Like Ep 1, more of the same unwatchableness. In honor of this two-episode turd, I wrote a haiku.

    Girl with mouth sewn shut
    Male egos too big for room
    Female wallflower

  • That is why you buy three bottles. ; ) To drink the first and take notes, understanding how long you have with the other two, then coming back to the wines with large intervals of time between the next two tastings without losing the vibrancy or the character. It is an art.
    That is what I was learned, but in this price point, I definitely could not execute that strategy. Good luck to you Lawrence.

  • I think not scoring the wines was appropriate and respectful; I might go so far as to conjecture that Gary was not too crazy about the wine as he alluded to the hulking qualities of the first site.

  • QOTD: The sensory perceptions one experiences when drinking a wine (nose, in mouth, & finish) are paramount. Next in importance is the wine’s QPR. If a wine meets those criteria, then the more it establishes a clear identity in other ways, the more interesting it can be. Single Estate is just one way for a wine to establish a clear identity (for me, a European Co-op with an interesting story can achieve the same level of unique identity as a single estate, and I’ll admit a memorable label can do so as well). Still, if the wine doesn’t please my palette at an appropriate price point it doesn’t much matter whether it’s single estate. In fact, if someone talks much more about the land than the way the wine tastes, my “Wine Snob Sensor” begins too ring.

  • Anonymous

    Great show! Its fascinating to me to hear about the history of Mondavi especially because of all they have done to transform the wine world. My first visit to Napa started at Robert Mondavi and I will never forget it! The whole experience ignited a passion inside of me for wine and they will always be special to me. Tim and Carissa what integrity and class you both possess. Your passion resonates through loud and clear. Tim I never thought of wine as art but you have given me a new perspective which to look at wine.
    QOTD: I don’t necessarily feel a 100% estate grown wine is better or worse or significant or not significant. If a wine is good and I like the terroir it really doesn’t matter. Keep up the great work with Continuum and wish you guys the best of luck!

  • Anonymous

    I can’t believe You had these ego maniac, lame juice making, over priced, hucksters on the show. I suggest all watch the wonderful documentary “MONDO VINO” that nicely calls out Robert Parker, and the Mondavis, and all the other people responsible for damn near turning all wine into a punch bowl of overly oaked, overly sweet, to high alcohol, weird science, purple, fruit bomb mess.

  • Love the show’s and these were fantastic interviews..learned a lot. A humble suggestion – you prompted great discussion and guided the interview , but let the guest finish their thoughts…

    QOTD: single estates are a lot of fun – the skill of the winemaker and the specifics of the estate come through. Even more interesting in challenging years.

  • Anonymous

    Agreed, Gary was trying to bring her into the conversation, but her father just kept cutting her off. If she is anything like my daughter, he heard about it afterwards!

  • Anonymous

    Carrisa and Tim are such a wealth of knowledge. I met Carrisa when she hosted the wines for a Macy’s DeGustibus cooking school a couple of years ago. It was clear she had such a love and knowledge of wine and is so genuine in conveying her family’s committment to wine. It is clearly a family trait. RE: QOTD: single estates are a romantic and exciting way to experience the sense of place and the vision of the people and wine maker. It is like experiencing a Master Class, a performance or a wonderful trip. By the way I have been drinking.

  • DaveAll

    Awesome show, obviously. Pretty funny watching the poor lady just sit and look on as you two power-ego’d the conversation. but that’s life. there are talkers and then there are others. haha.
    Micro-wineries from estate or single vineyards are pretty fun to explore and experience, which is why so many pour so much into doing them. That is why local vineyards and wineries do so well, even if you live in NC, or other non-California places. smile. Agreed that selling direct is the best approach to keep single vineyards and micro-wineries viable in money to continue to invest. I try to not buy from distributors – sorry, Gary. smile. But I do about 40% of the time.
    Her QotD part 2 – a team is the only way to show off the estate or micro-winery, no one person can do it all, so why pretend? Do we need one rooster in the hen house or show it is a social interactive team – each with their own contribution? good question!
    Recommendation – have her back without dad’o. Just to give us a hint of her personality. We’d love her, I”m sure! ah, Go there and let her do a barrel tasting for you! 2010!

  • Anonymous

    That’s nice, but he should have said “For my sister Marcia and me”, not “for my sister Marcia and I”. I’m kind of disappointed.

  • Anonymous

    Totally right! Love Gary V. but damn, he sure can disrupt his own show.

  • Dude, lighten up on you ‘Side Ways’ wine knowledge…I’m just curious how many bottles of wine you’ve produced. I thought the guests were very gracious and I learned a lot about the history of Napa. And oh by the way, had a great deal of influence in it’s greatness–meanwhile you and your snot filled high school principle ascot did not.

  • Mondavi vs Gary V wow, just wow. Fascinating show and so close to 1k. Wow. Gary wow.

    QOTD: A wine of this category and pedigree absolutely should be estate. Just has to be. Not sure there has to be a single wine second would definitely be an interesting route. I know I think second can give you an idea of what the effort is all about.

  • Thanks Bret, gotta say you have to respect the history and tradition. I didn’t love everything about the show but you have to bring respect.

  • Anonymous

    Obviously, You didn’t learn enough. Now go get the movie. (That would be Mondo Vino, Not Sideways.)

  • Anonymous

    I want to know what wines Tim and Carissa bought to bring to their family’s for dinner..

  • Youre right boulcut. Mondo Vino was great and the Mondavis need to be held to task. Tim talked way too much and very little of what he had to say was interesting. The one time Gary needed to cut someone off, he didnt.
    Gary you take pride in keeping it real and I dont think you lived up to that this time.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks. And Yeah, I was kinda bummed about that myself. Politeness ruled the day for sure. But I could see Gary was fighting back the urge to do the( AHHHHHH!!) Oak Monster with
    every fiber in His body. So hats off to him for that epic display of self control at least.

  • Anonymous

    GREAT show!!! Thanks you Tim and Carissa for all the great information and history, the full hour had my fascinated.

    QOTD: I feel that with single estate wines you really get to share something special. The moment in time, the people, the vineyard and the particular part of this great world all coming together to create truly unique.

    Thank you all for your passion!

  • Anonymous

    Wine geeks don’t have to be snotty! Some just are!!! and as a result they make the world of wine a pretentious and stuck up place. I hate those that are snobs as they limit themselves and give us all a bad name.

  • Anonymous

    Dear friends in Napa… on my next visit please take me to this miraculous place where I can instantly turn into a wine expert after just a single visit. I keep meeting people who have experienced this and realized that I have wasted almost an entire decade studying this subject when I should have just visited this secret location!

  • Anonymous

    Or after watching a video like MONDO VINO, Sideways, or Bottleshock

  • Anonymous

    Or after watching a video like MONDO VINO, Sideways, or Bottleshock

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for leading me on to this amazing education. It really works! I live in Denmaaaarrrghh so this is really a convenient way to learn everything about american wine culture. Are there more infomercials like this?

  • Anonymous

    This infomercial is no good.

  • Anonymous

    This was a very inspiring show. Thanks Gary!

  • Anonymous

    This was truly a great two-parter that touched upon many of the important issues of the domestic wine world, including a showcase for a family winery continuing with their passion even after a…interesting ownership shift.
    QOTD: “Estate” wines still resonate positively with me, especially when I know how much personal attention goes into the production of the wine from vineyard to bottle. When we have terms like “reserva” and “old vine” that require no justification in this country, I do appreciate and gravitate towards “Estate” labeled wines when they are affordable.

    Solid guests, rowdy comments, lots of passion in reaction to this two-parter. Overall, STRONG responses and this WLTV gig is still kicking with tons of energy! LOVE IT! CHEERS!

  • Anonymous

    Guess it’s hard to get much more pretentious than trying to sell a bottle of juice for $140.00 a pop, based solely on the name. Huh?

  • I get chatty I am so sorry 🙁

  • really? I am sorry, I guess I was trying to be nice, I didnt think I was fake 🙁

  • Sorry if u felt I was too polite 🙁

  • Sorry u felt my ego was too much 🙁

  • no editing hurts 🙁 u know ..I didnt want it to run to 2 hrs, I dont have the luxury of TV editing ..bU ti get it

  • no editing hurts 🙁 u know ..I didnt want it to run to 2 hrs, I dont have the luxury of TV editing ..bU ti get it

  • no editing hurts 🙁 u know ..I didnt want it to run to 2 hrs, I dont have the luxury of TV editing ..bU ti get it… I was trying to wrap it up

  • WOW — What a label.

  • really? DAMN I hope not 🙁 i was really pushing the “is this over priced tone” 🙁

  • really?

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