Wine Library: Ready for Primetime

If Gary Vaynerchuk were a bottle of wine, he’d be 2003 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

: dark flavor, very dry, tastes of pepper mixed with cherry mixed with a hint of plum and grape soda, and a taste of chocolate on the finish.  It’s delicious today, but in a few years this wine is gonna explode. (This is Gary’s description, and I’m paraphrasing.)

But in Gary’s case it’ll be less than a few years. 

The family-owned-and–operated Wine Library went from a little shop in Springfield, New Jersey called Shoppers Discount Liquors to an acclaimed new media success when Director of Operations Gary Vaynerchuk decided to begin shipping their huge selection of wines all over America, shifting from a clientele of bargain hunters to one of aficionados.  By February 2006, Gary felt his prominent newsletter was too limiting, and launched the site’s Internet TV Show (Tilzy.TV Page) for all wine lovers, customers or not.  As of June, the show saw roughly twenty-five-thousand viewers per episode, and his numbers keep growing.

I’ve got a soft-spot for Gary and not just because he mentioned us in Episode 225.  It is uncommon–even in the world of internet-TV– to find a personality as authentic and engaging.  His instinctive wit matches his energy with an uncanny ability to articulate flavor, and his show offers some of the best entertainment on the Internet.  He’s been featured on CNBC, Time Magazine, Slate, and, most recently, Late Night with Conan O’Brien. 

So what’s next for Gary? “I know I could be the host of SportsCenter in two years if I changed my show today to sports.”  Of course he could, but I doubt he will.  This guy is passionate about his job.  Plus, where would we go to find good wine?

More on Gary’s plans in an upcoming interview.  In the meantime, for those signature over-the-top descriptions that you can taste, check out Wine Library TV.