quote:

Originally posted by Dom'n'Vin'sDad:
Go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal...

You need the rest of the song:

If you want a car or truck, go see Cal
If you want to save a buck, go see Cal
If your tailpipe is a-draggin'and your wife she's a-naggin' Go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal!

Isn't he about 100 years old now?

I enjoy some of his shows. I've purchased a few wines based on his show and have found that my palate is somewhat in line with his on those few wines.

Maybe I'm being too literal, but anyone can be a critic. Are there conflicts of interest with Gary V as a critic? Yes, big ones. Are there conflicts of interest with other critics? Yes, some very minor, some glaring.

I've been into wine for 3 years. For me, the two things his show helped me learn about trusting your own palate and to not lock yourself into a few varietals or regions. If his over the top style draws some people in and encourages them to explore wine and other sources of information about it, I don't think it's a bad thing.

Hey guys I just wanted to say hi and say I respect all the thoughts here and am very aware of my DNA which makes me loud and excited and not for everyone, I can only hope we can all meet up one day for a glass of Cahors and get to know each other better! Indy thnx so much for your words and to those that were ribbing I just know it is because we haven't meet yet and I really hope to show you that my mom did a great job raising me and I am not a bad guy I wish you all well and Hope we do get that glass!

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Vaynerchuk:
Hey guys I just wanted to say hi and say I respect all the thoughts here and am very aware of my DNA which makes me loud and excited and not for everyone, I can only hope we can all meet up one day for a glass of Cahors and get to know each other better! Indy thnx so much for your words and to those that were ribbing I just know it is because we haven't meet yet and I really hope to show you that my mom did a great job raising me and I am not a bad guy I wish you all well and Hope we do get that glass!

Gary do you really "respect all the thoughts here"? Even a Dirtbags thoughts? and yes I want my baby back. Ribs that is.

I do man, cause I know how I come off, but I know who I am .. and I know they would be surprised at what I know, how much I love it and what respect I have for wine! I also am looking forward to meeting them!

quote:

Originally posted by Cellar_Fiend:

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Vaynerchuk:
Hey guys I just wanted to say hi and say I respect all the thoughts here and am very aware of my DNA which makes me loud and excited and not for everyone, I can only hope we can all meet up one day for a glass of Cahors and get to know each other better! Indy thnx so much for your words and to those that were ribbing I just know it is because we haven't meet yet and I really hope to show you that my mom did a great job raising me and I am not a bad guy I wish you all well and Hope we do get that glass!

Gary do you really "respect all the thoughts here"? Even a Dirtbags thoughts? and yes I want my baby back. Ribs that is.

quote:

Originally posted by wine+art:
Not really. If he was not mentioned on this forum, I would know he even still exist.

I dropped their emails of BS wines long ago.

Same here. After years of deleting emails with wines I wouldn't buy at a fraction of their cost, I unsubscribed. In the last 4 years or so, all I could find from WL to buy was the Mas d'en Gil Coma Blanca.

I don't begrudge Gary his success. His clown act has probably helped introduce some relative neophytes to wine.

quote:

Originally posted by Cellar_Fiend:


Even a Dirtbags thoughts?

Since we have you two in the same place at the same time....

Were you kicked off of that forum? If so why and how did it make you feel? (Get it all out)

Gary, anything you care to add?

B-O sorry you feel that way about the LIB, if you want to email me gary @ winelibrary dot com I would love to try really hard to make u happy! I wish u well my friend.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:

quote:

Originally posted by wine+art:
Not really. If he was not mentioned on this forum, I would know he even still exist.

I dropped their emails of BS wines long ago.

Same here. After years of deleting emails with wines I wouldn't buy at a fraction of their cost, I unsubscribed. In the last 4 years or so, all I could find from WL to buy was the Mas d'en Gil Coma Blanca.

I don't begrudge Gary his success. His clown act has probably helped introduce some relative neophytes to wine.

quote:

Originally posted by James Molesworth:
With all due respect to the NYTimes and the author of the story, the title unnerves me a bit - 'Critic'? Vaynerchuk is a retailer, not a critic. There is a big difference between the two, with advice from the latter always needing a grain of salt, for obvious reasons.

As for the 'demystifying wine' argument - wasn't Yellowtail supposed to get beer drinkers to become wine drinkers? Uh, oops...and there are many other instances like that in the history of wine.

Mr. Vayneruchk has passion and drive - good for him, I wish him continued success. IMO however, demystifying wine comes from offering a consumer hard (and unbiased) information. Any schtick, style or approach to doing so is secondary...

You act as if you're some kind of critic...



KaD

quote:

Originally posted by spo:

quote:

Originally posted by Cellar_Fiend:


Even a Dirtbags thoughts?

Since we have you two in the same place at the same time....

Were you kicked off of that forum? If so why and how did it make you feel? (Get it all out)

Gary, anything you care to add?

Oh no I'm not Dirtbag. He was just a good friend of mine.

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Vaynerchuk:
B-O sorry you feel that way about the LIB, if you want to email me gary @ winelibrary dot com I would love to try really hard to make u happy! I wish u well my friend.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm overstocked. I realize that with your large audience, any limited production wines disappear quickly. The ones you get in large enough quantities to include in emails are not ones that I normally would buy. At this point with an overflowing cellar, I'm just a cherry picker. I suspect there are numerous others on this site that find themselves in the same situation. I think your emails are helpful to people building their cellars rather than cherry pickers.

quote:

Originally posted by Seaquam:
Maybe GV could introduce a chimp as his tasting partner Corked; I think I'd like him more then.

Thanks, once again, for a good laugh Seaq.

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Vaynerchuk:
B-O sorry you feel that way about the LIB, if you want to email me gary @ winelibrary dot com I would love to try really hard to make u happy! I wish u well my friend.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:

quote:

Originally posted by wine+art:
Not really. If he was not mentioned on this forum, I would know he even still exist.

I dropped their emails of BS wines long ago.

Same here. After years of deleting emails with wines I wouldn't buy at a fraction of their cost, I unsubscribed. In the last 4 years or so, all I could find from WL to buy was the Mas d'en Gil Coma Blanca.

I don't begrudge Gary his success. His clown act has probably helped introduce some relative neophytes to wine.

quote:

Originally posted by James Molesworth:
With all due respect to the NYTimes and the author of the story, the title unnerves me a bit - 'Critic'? Vaynerchuk is a retailer, not a critic. There is a big difference between the two, with advice from the latter always needing a grain of salt, for obvious reasons.

First of all please block his advertisements and pandering here on WS. This forum is to discuss wine and not to sell it. There is an area eleswhere for buying and selling.

I had the unfortunate experience of having to watch him one evening. A clown is a good definition of GV. All he pushes is what he has for sale and IMHO that is not honest, nor should he be allowed to provide an honest review.

As for being a critic. He is not!! Maybe with my limited experience for cooking for a ski lodge, I could be a food critic. As for owning a series of German & English cars I could be an auto critic. Both of the prior statements are not valid as I have a limited scope, and not full credentials

GV’s only credentials are as a retailer that likes wine. He is not a Master of Wine. Has not from what I read and viewed that he has a broad experience with AVA’s and other wines.

I also hate other retailers taht send me their monthly ads with wine ratings. Their own ratings that do not hold water, and again only for the wines that they are pushing that month. Have compared a few of these to WS 7 WA and found ratings to be about 6 -10 points over trusted skilled critics.

Best of luck selling used cars and your overpriced wares.

We have him in our permanent SPAM listing.

So GV take this to buying and selling.

LOL

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Vaynerchuk:
Hey guys I just wanted to say hi and say I respect all the thoughts here and am very aware of my DNA which makes me loud and excited and not for everyone, I can only hope we can all meet up one day for a glass of Cahors and get to know each other better! Indy thnx so much for your words and to those that were ribbing I just know it is because we haven't meet yet and I really hope to show you that my mom did a great job raising me and I am not a bad guy I wish you all well and Hope we do get that glass!

You've obviously enjoyed tremendous success and will no doubt continue to do so in the future - you've explored new marketing channels and managed to create a new customer base in an already saturated market. It's a great marketing case study. I believe, though, that it requires a great deal of intelligence to run a successful enterprise, and you must be no exception - so, your loud and over the top technique is working, but I wonder if that's really you or if that's just you being the brand for the love of growing your business.

Is he a wine critic? Yes, unless "wine critic" is some term of art that must include the modifiers "expert" and "independent," he tastes and criticizes wine. As such, he is a critic.

He's not independent, and whether he is a wine expert is another question. The conflicts of interest, lack of accreditation, age, tastes, experience, etc., all go to the strength you give his opinions.

The lines between wine drinker and wine critic have been blurred such that I rarely try to think "is this guy a wine critic?" but instead "do that person's reviews seem reliable and accurate to me?

Personally, I'm more likely to rely on the text of his reviews and overall buy/pass conclusion over WE, Wine & Spirits, Jay Miller, and some other "critics" out there. In general, I think he has developed an acute palate, and he seems to pan a lot of wines I assume he sells.

My reservations would be that I have yet to be able to peg the regions he is best at (and really no one should attempt to be an expert at every style and type of wine out there), and I think his palate is very much evolving and, combined with his stream of consciousness style, his reviews can be unreliable.

This is all notwithstanding that I find his schtick to be over the top. I enjoy reading the notes on CT, but rarely watch the video blog. Sheer energy and obvious charisma tend to make me skeptical. Further, the whole us vs. the old guard thing starts to sound like class warfare, which is really missing the point.

At the end of the day, while it might be because of our common age, his notes often more vividly trigger my sense memory than others. Sometimes not. Either way, I do prefer "bring the thunder" to a "tour de force in winemaking."

***

As a final unrelated note, if YT, along with oddly named CA red blends and other Aussie shiraz, was supposed to convert all beer drinkers to $8 wine drinkers, it failed. But I don't think anyone has made that claim, and I think I rememer seeing study after study tell me the number wine drinkers here has increased dramatically, especially among young, middle class males. Neither Sutter Home nor Chateau Latour are behind that shift. I've never been a fan of most such wines (some of the odd CA blends are ok), but they definitely sell.

Say what you want about him argue if he's a critic or not, or has any credentials, but he sells a lot of wine.

I don't send wine to WS anymore, I'm sure the interns enjoyed it, but why bother. Gary, I'd fly to NJ in a second to do his show.

quote:

Originally posted by Stefania Wine:
Gary, I'd fly to NJ in a second to do his show.

C'mon Gary! tlily knows the Santa Cruz Mt. area well, makes killer juice, and would be good on camera. Hook him up. . .

Full disclosure, I'm a regualar WLTV guy.....so I know that gives me negative credibility to start.....but just want to provide some factual data.

Of the 2070 wines that Gary has tasted on WLTV, he has "PASSED" (meaning it's his recommendation to NOT buy this particular wine) on just over 900 of those wines (44%). So, while clearly there is a conflict of interest with him being a retailer.....the data suggest that he is being honest in his reviews......good or bad.

On a personal note, WLTV is what really introduced me to wine. My knowledge, while no where near almost all on either this forum or the WLTV forum, has increased significantly....and wine has now become part of my life. More importantly, I have met many great people via this process -- including some that I consider very close friends at this point. And I've probably been to 30+ offlines over the last couple of years. So, I know he's not for everyone (we all have to trust our own palates...right?), but I thank Gary some great experiencs and I think there are many who would have similar stories. Nothing wrong with that...

KaD

quote:

Originally posted by indybob:

quote:

Originally posted by Stefania Wine:
Gary, I'd fly to NJ in a second to do his show.

C'mon Gary! tlily knows the Santa Cruz Mt. area well, makes killer juice, and would be good on camera. Hook him up. . .

Agree!!! love to see Paul on the show!!

KaD

I'm seeing a lot of strongly worded criticism from people who obviously don't watch Wine Library TV and who obviously have incorrect assumptions about what the content is.

If you're going to throw stones, at least look where you're throwing. You come off as posturing jerks.

It's one thing not to like his style. It's another to slander him for the sake of showing what side you're on.

And I don't agree that he's not a wine critic. He's not a Wine Spectator styled critic, but who says he has to be? He doesn't hide his affiliations. He embraces the fact that he's a salesman first. In his words, he's expanding palates... How would he do that without being critical about his subject matter? That would be boring.

And I also applaud him for having unending patience with his own critics.

Just to add to SS Chris' comment on him negatively rating so many wines... A significant percentage of the wines he tries on the show aren't available from Wine Library.

quote:

Originally posted by SS Chris:

quote:

Originally posted by indybob:

quote:

Originally posted by Stefania Wine:
Gary, I'd fly to NJ in a second to do his show.

C'mon Gary! tlily knows the Santa Cruz Mt. area well, makes killer juice, and would be good on camera. Hook him up. . .

Agree!!! love to see Paul on the show!!

I have never seen one of his shows, except for a small clip of the episode with Janice, but I would definitely watch an episode with Paul.

Lentini: Thanks for the comments - I too prefer to keep the critiques on a more even keel. As noted, I'm happy the guy moves a lot of wine, hope people realize he's a salesman first and foremost, and have no comment on his persona or schtick...

I'm curious for your (and others) thoughts on this one point you bring up:

By discussing wines he doesn't sell, he could be having a negative impact on a competitor's sales, correct? Is that a conflict for a salesman who purports to be a 'critic'?

quote:

Originally posted by James Molesworth:
By discussing wines he doesn't sell, he could be having a negative impact on a competitor's sales, correct? Is that a conflict for a salesman who purports to be a 'critic'?

I've seen him pan his and others' wines, as well as wax poetic about both sets, but it's purely anecdotal. SS Chris, has anybody crunched data that would speak to this?

Interesting question.

I wouldn't respect him as much if I thought that's what he was doing.

(Unscientifically, I don't see a difference in score distribution between in-store and out-of-store wines he's tasting.)

I definitely think that Wine Spectator's avoidance of wine sales (let's not get into Ad sales) is a good thing. And what Wine Spectator is selling is that unbiased point of view.

It's similar to the blind vs not blind argument. Sure, blind is more pure.

Not being in sales is a lot more pure.

But then you get to the content... Gary's enthusiasm is contagious, but I don't remember having ever gone and bought a bottle of wine that he raved about on his show... Not that I wouldn't. I've definitely gone and opened a bottle because watching his show put me in the mood for a good wine. I take WS scores much more seriously (I've bought based on WS scores, I admit).

I pay more attention to his descriptions than his scores... And I pay more attention to WS scores than descriptions (I feel I have a decent feel for the tastes of the WS reviewers compared to mine). I can relate to how enthusiastic a person is about a wine more easily seeing their reactions live than just seeing a score and reading a couple of sentences. I really enjoy the longer single topic multiple wine articles on the WS website.

So I'm babbling, but my point is that although Gary V scores have to be taken with a grain of salt more so than WS scores, especially during Jets football season, both styles of review/critique are valuable to me as a consumer.

quote:

Originally posted by Stefania Wine:
Gary, I'd fly to NJ in a second to do his show.

Oh boy, I can picture it already. Paul and Gary V. in a hot tub, with a few nice, um, interns helping pour the wine.