The 5min Blog

James Joyce once asked, “What is better than to sit at the end of the day and drink wine with friends, or substitutes for friends?”

Well, after watching many an episode from Wine Library TV, I have to say that the only thing better would be drinking with Gary Vaynerchuk, and you can pretty much bet your best bottle of vino on that!

While to many of us, wine – or rather a deep knowledge and familiarity with wine – may seem like a stuffy, over-sophisticated alcoholic accessory meant for those of impeccable class, honorable breeding and copious amounts of cash, Gary has done us all a solid by making wine approachable, interesting and most of all, fun. Gary’s unique approach to wine and spirits has not only made him a bona-fide celebrity amongst 5min’s recreational drinking fans, but a true internet star. Manning a daily video wine review under the Wine Library TV brand since February 2006, Gary invites us all to join him in braving new wines, sampling spirits and above all, making wine into something so wonderfully fun, you won’t be able to resist exploring the spirits aisle next time you’re grocery shopping.

Affectionately dubbed “The Thunder Show”, Gary’s wine review is guaranteed to rock your world with the power of wine. But Gary’s not your run-of-the-mill wine expert – he’s also big on the web 2.0 scene, sharing his gusto with anyone he interacts with – in fact, this social media sommelier is one of my favorite Twitterers, and I follow him regularly. When he’s not pouring quality wine into the world of web, Gary can be found dishing out love to the New York Jets, cool little gadgets and web services, and of course, bringing thunder to everyone around him, Gary can be found answering piles upon piles of emails full of questions from his many fans.

So what – other than the free online crash-course in wine country – makes Gary stand out so much in the scene? His down-to-earth manner, his approachable presentation, and uber-friendly disposition are just the top of my list. Above all, I think Gary and the amazing vision he’s turned into a thriving, infectious reality represent the ability to just get out there and do it, no matter what your dream is – all you need is a webcam and your own pinch of personal thunder.

In the meantime, sit back and have a sip with Gary, as he boldly goes where no wine wizard has gone before, and samples TruBlood just in time for HBO’s premiere.

Tags: drinking, Gary Vaynerchuk, social media, spirits, superstar, The Thunder Show, vino, Wine Library TV, wine review, wine tasting, WLTV