Gary Vaynerchuk's 101 Wines

Gary Vaynerchuk's 101 Wines really gives everyone a chance to enjoy wine. I was a little worried Gary would have a tough time translating the energy of his [...] show into a book...But he did it, and he did it well.Take part of Gary's description of the $44 a bottle Mas de la Barben, Les Calices, 2003: "...I'm listening to my glass and instead of 'snap, crackle, pop,' I hear these lusciously plump berries whispering, 'Gary, you know you want me.' All that fruit is mixed with this taffy-toffee thing and some sticky cough syrup." Ever hear any other wine expert talk about wine like that? In language you can relate to? That's Gary.I also like two other components of the book: First, Gary has little side bars where he tells you about the particular grapes in each wine, and gives you the down low on the regions they're from. Make no mistake about it, Gary knows his shizzle. The second feature of the book that's worth the price itself is Gary's easy to see and scan break down of different wines. Gary has a Top 5 list for Top-Ranked Merlot, Most Expensive Reds, Top-Ranked Dessert Wines, Top-Ranked Fruit Bombs (my wife loves these), many more, and even Best For The Beach.There's a wine for everyone in this book - meaning type and price. Gary's biggest contribution to the wine world is making it fun, and prodding people in a fun way to expand and trust their palate - not any wine critics, including himself. If you're a pretty sharp wine person already, you'll appreciate Gary's amazing list of 101 Wines. If your a novice (like me), you'll appreciate Gary teaching you about wine, making it fun, and never making you feel like you don't belong.There's so much to Gary's spectacular first book than this review can tell you. You can tell how much effort he put into it.And as a final note, for anyone who's crossed paths with Gary, he's one of the nicest people you would ever expect to meet. And maybe that doesn't mean anything to some people, but I have a feeling that many people like to know they're going on fun little journey with someone who genuinely cares about them. I think in the end, Gary's love for people trumps his love for wine. And maybe that's what makes Gary's book so smooth, so easy, so friendly, and yet so complex on the palate. Enjoy!Mark Fitzpatrick

I'll have to admit something. Until recently, I've never heard of Gary Vaynerchuk before. I had no idea what Wine Library TV was. Then a couple months ago, I decided to finally join this little website called Twitter. It all went downhill from there! (haha) To make a short story long, when I first saw mention of this internet wine show, I was thinking - oh, sure - THAT sounds like a blast; probably some snobby, obnoxious old fart who waxes philosophical about wine and thinks his opinion is more sacred than Mother Teresa. (Have you met a "serious" wine critic before? I have. I'd rather be poked in the eye.) Well, you should never judge a book by it cover (no pun intended) and I bit the bullet and saw a few episodes of Gary's little wine show called Wine Library TV.I was hooked. I don't think I've ever run across anyone more sincere and passionate about wine before, who is more anxious to teach the world not about wine technique and history lessons, but to teach people to have fun with wine. To remove all the stereotypical stigmas associated with drinking wine. That it's ok to pop open a bottle for a football game. If you want a glass of Napa Cab with your cheeseburger - why not?It's this passion that really shines in Gary's book. He makes it perfectly clear that the book is not a "wine guide". It's not. Yes, at the end of the day, its just another man's opinion on wine - 101, to be exact. But trust me, you will learn a thing or two. And, like me, you'll want to run out and buy wine you've never tasted or heard of before. The way Gary writes here - "bringing the thunder", the "oak monster", "obnoxious silkiness" - or a wine can taste like Cinnamon Toast Crunch or smells like poop (poop? Yes, poop) - it's just downright fun. The book is just filled with great stuff and little "fun facts" run rampant throughout.So Gary - I sincerely thank you. To the world - buy this book and hopefully you'll get as much as I did.

Gary Vaynerchuk's book on "101 Wines Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight and Bring Thunder to Your World" generally succeeds. His positive, experimental, idiosyncratic, passionate attitude seeps through every page of the book. Each wine is a like a newly discovered vista, a favorite cafe or a potential "best friend". Possibility lurks in every bottle, no matter the maker, vintage, region or label. His expressive use of the English language and all ever experienced smells ("smells like poop"), certainly adds to the book's charms. After reading this book, you'll be more open to new adventures, You'll enjoy each new bottle better. You'll experiment and search for some of his highest rated gems. The author is addictive. His youtube videos provide yet another dimension of the Vaynerchuk experience. My only quibble is that a modest share of the wines are too expensive or produced in too small quantities to be accessible.

As a wine newbie, I have not been able to experience very many different wines so I really did not know what to look for when I started tasting wine. After watching Gary and breezing through this book I think I am beginning to develop an understanding of the complexities of wine, and the fun associated with trying different wine/food pairings and different "weird" wines in general. Growing up I always thought wine to be gross, my thought was why drink fermented Welch's grape juice? Anyways Gary has done a magnificent job making wine accessible to the average person while breaking me of my fermented Welch's belief. I especially like the inclusion of inexpensive wines as I am a college student on a tight budget. Great job Gary, keep bringing the THUNDER!

These are great wines, and candid reviews. It's not timeless however. The wines come and go. The value is in perspective, Gary gives your a good perspective on what he looks for in great wine, maybe you agree. You have to search for that though; it's not apparent; and not directional on how to approach the future.

Brand New Quality - Great book for fans of GV, worth considering for anyone remotely interested in wine.

The book is outdated I didn't realize I wouldn't even be able to purchase the wines suggested at an LCBO