Last Tuesday, August 23, 2011 many “Vayniacs” watched Gary Vaynerchuk bring to his audience his final goodbye.

Gary came onto the wine scene through Wine Library TV in February 21, 2006 and from there he held us captive. This was a significant and controversial time in wine journalism as we watched, not only Gary come onto the scene, but many wine bloggers, as well. After 1,000 episodes of Wine Library TV, the show was retired in March 2011 and we followed him to his new video project called “The Daily Grape” for 89 episodes.He was his own human infomercial with his strong enthusiastic New Jersey accent as he shrieked at his audience like a used car salesman or a mattress king, and those of us who were fortunate enough to meet Gary in person we found him to be soft-spoken, sweet and rather humble. He left us with the impression that he truly did care about his fans – - his “Vayniacs.”

Gary had the ability to break those “snooty” wine barriers for novices and younger generations of wine lovers like no other wine critic could do. The proof that he really cared about wine and his fans was when he told his audience, with conviction that there was always going to be a wine bully and he wanted to “punch them in the face.”

“The one person who did read the Wine Spectator, who tells you what to drink and why the ’97 is better than the ’98. I want to punch the wine bully in the face,” he says. “I want to make sure this generation of wine drinkers isn’t élitist and snotty. I want it to be about family and bringing people together.”

Gary taught us a new set of wine vocabulary such as: sniffy-sniff, oak monster, and pop-pop-pop. He improvised wine tasting as we were introduced to non-traditional sensory and flavor profile names such as: sheep butt, road kill (dead deer on road …cut off flesh), old dirty socks, sweat, rocks, dirt, Nerd candy and Big League Chew gum. He even went as far as to sniff armpits, lick rocks and eat dirt to get his point across.

Those of us who didn’t know a thing about football, would soon be kept up on the scores and schedules of the New York Jets as, not only would he wear the Jet jerseys, but even his spit bucket was adorned with hunter green and white decals of his beloved football team.

“Gary Vay! Ner! Chuk!,” as he often introduced himself at the beginning of his videos, inspired many of us wine geeks to film our own talking head videos, to author books, grasp social media and to seize the opportunity to become entrepreneurs. In August 06, 2008, I was thrilled to be able to interview Gary in Four Wine Questions For: Gary Vaynerchuk

We watched Gary on main stream TV such as “Ellen” and also “Conan.” We kept up on his new books and we all awaited the birth of his first child in 2009 – a girl. His audience followed him around the world and he never forgot about Washington State Wine Country and even reminded his audience in one video with a handwritten poster behind him that said “Wash St. is REAL”.

In one of the many videos he would eventually do about Washington State, Gary even filmed in front of the Qwest Field in Seattle in a smack down of Washington State vs New York Riesling (you’ll have to watch to find out who the winner was).

Gary once said, “Walla Walla, Washington is the most exciting thing happening to wine in the country.”

And Gary proved it with his many videos about Walla Walla wines, in particular Finding Walla Walla, Walla Walla College Cellars in Five Colleges Battle it Out and A Very Cool Winemaker – our very own Charles Smith.

Thank you Gary for blazing a trail for many of us wine bloggers, vloggers and pod casters. Thank you for giving wine lovers, and especially new wine lovers, the confidence to learn, to enjoy and the ability to express themselves about wine. No doubt, we will see you again. Best wishes in the next chapter of your life.

In Walla Walla, for the last 29-years, the first weekend in November has long been known as the Walla Walla Wine Auction Weekend. Then in the last nine years, the weekend had an added dimension as it became the “Cayuse Vineyards Release Weekend.” Basically it’s this – - unless you know about “the list” or on the “waiting list to get on the list” or on “the list,” this Cayuse list didn’t mean anything to you.

When you are invited to an Inaugural Release and first Open House event for a wine by a former All-Star NFL quarterback in your minds eye there are visions of fans crowding a locker room, but this wasn’t the case. The sunny afternoon in June was a friendly and casual atmosphere that allowed all of the guests time with the stars of the day and of course, all eyes were on the Doubleback Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007.

Drew Bledsoe is a ”hometown boy” that many of us in the Walla Walla Valley have kept an eye on. We watched him play football at Walla Walla High School and we continued to watch him during his three-year football career at Washington State University before he was drafted in 1993 by the New England Patriots.  As if we all had ownership in him, I can remember how the draft became a big discussion even in the local coffee shops, “Should our hometown star quarterback have continued to stay in college to get his education or was being drafted by the NFL the best choice for him?”  

Like many students in Eastern Washington, especially those attending WSU at Pullman, Drew’s drink of choice wasn’t wine, but that golden beverage that is often fermented with malted barley instead of grapes. It was in later years, after college, when Drew and his wife, Maura started ordering wine with dinner and discovered the fascinating  qualities in wine and even toured Napa Valley visiting with winemakers.  His passion for wine grew and at the same time he became fascinated by the tremendous growth of the wine industry back “home” – home being Walla Walla, of course.

In true Walla Walla fashion, we natives never seem to have a problem reconnecting with each other no matter where we live or what we are doing.  Kevin Bacon has nothing on us with his seven degrees of separation, because if you are from Walla Walla, we can connect within three degrees.  And that is exactly what happened with Drew Bledsoe and Chris Figgins, winemaker of Leonetti Cellar and  consultant/owner of Figgins Enological.  The two had grown up a “stones throw” away from each other and from their point of reconnection, it became a collaboration from dirt to bottle to form Doubleback.

In 2008, the McQueen Vineyard was planted in cabernet and merlot. The 52-acre partially planted vineyard is on top of a hill in the SeVien Vineyard project southwest of Milton-Freewater in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.  It was truly a family project as the Bledsoe children helped plant some of the vines. Compost tea and water practices are followed under the growing practices of VINEA, the Walla Walla Valley’s wine grower’s sustainable trust.  Doubleback is currently being made at Artifex Wine Company (a custom crush facility) in Walla Walla under the direction of Chris, with plans to build a winery on the McQueen Vineyard site in the near future, as well as completion of the vineyard. 

Inside of the high shouldered dark bottle of wine, with its elegant logo of silver and gold arches signifying the monogram of Doubleback, is a Walla Walla wine in true character – the finest character, as the 2007 vintage is a blend of older Cabernet Sauvingon vines from the Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge Vineyards. Only 600 cases were produced and each bottle is numbered. 

So, as I refer back to the topic that had the locals buzzing about Drew leaving WSU at Pullman to latch onto a dream, that very few young men will ever realize.  I think Drew took the right path – and now with the realization of Doubleback, it is a path well taken.  I will be looking forward to future releases.