Meet Steven Spurrier: The Man who Changed Wine Forever

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
  • In this episode of Munchies Presents, we introduce you to Steven Spurrier, possibly the single most influential living figure in the world of wine. If it weren’t for him, the industry would still be run by French aristocrats and none of us would ever have heard of the Napa Valley. From his personal cellar, to a tasting of Spain’s greatest wine, to the Dorset vineyard where he’s making English bubbly that shows up Champagne, we’ll find what exactly it means to be a world-class wine expert and hear the story of how he changed wine forever on one day in 1976.
    More MUNCHIES Al-Kee-Hol:
    Craft Beer in Japan - bit.ly/Craft-Beer-Japan
    Getting to Know Golden - bit.ly/Getting-Golden
    Exploding Sake For Breakfast - bit.ly/Exploding-Sake
    Subscribe to Munchies here: bit.ly/Subscribe-to-MUNCHIES
    Check out munchies.tv for more!
    Follow Munchies here:
    Facebook: / munchies
    Twitter: / munchies
    Tumblr: / munchies
    Instagram: / munchiesvice
    Pinterest: / munchies
    Foursquare: foursquare.com/munchies
    More videos from the VICE network: www. vicevideos
  • Zábava

Komentáře • 386

  • @mouszangeorge8927
    @mouszangeorge8927 Před 3 lety +306

    Sadly Steve passed away this week. California wine makers should have a statue built for him in his honour. Rest in peace

    • @geraldsentences7729
      @geraldsentences7729 Před 2 lety +2

      may he rest in wine heaven

    • @hulagu3068
      @hulagu3068 Před 2 lety +4

      I'm guessing from how much wine he drank everyday (50) cirrhosis.

    • @hilohahoma1547
      @hilohahoma1547 Před 2 lety

      I think that is a very fitting idea.

    • @lauracanna2201
      @lauracanna2201 Před rokem +1

      ​@@hulagu3068he was tasting >50 wines a day, not drinking! 😏

  • @Henrik.O
    @Henrik.O Před 8 lety +1051

    I think we all remember that moment when the butler poured us our first glass of port. Ah..Memories. Sweet memories.

    • @1080LT
      @1080LT Před 4 lety +55

      Especially a $4-5k bottle, brings a tear to my eye

    • @MsJavaWolf
      @MsJavaWolf Před 4 lety +98

      @@1080LT I personally wouldn't drink such cheap wine, but it's fine for the kid.

    • @BeastingOutShorts
      @BeastingOutShorts Před 4 lety +9

      what a life as a kid

    • @johnkristian
      @johnkristian Před 4 lety +35

      Ah, yes. I always have my butler prepare my wine.

    • @gregbrightwell662
      @gregbrightwell662 Před 4 lety +13

      Im looking for a '71 Sandemans port for my 50th next year...hard to find

  • @ahpadt
    @ahpadt Před 9 lety +610

    I was pleasantly surprised to hear he doesn't buy bottles more expensive than £50. Was just waiting to hear he had several ultra rare, ultra expensive bottles, but no.

    • @MartoKFTW
      @MartoKFTW Před 9 lety +31

      ahpadt Wanted to write exactly the same. I like it a lot he buys it to drink and share as he says!

    • @roblobster10
      @roblobster10 Před 9 lety +64

      ahpadt I think though that he buys many bottles well before they've hit their prime because he has a cellar, and probably the knowledge of what years might end up being good vintages. So he might have purchased many of them for ~50 at the time, but I'm sure many are worth much more after about 5+ years. At least for the reds.

    • @arjiecustoms1946
      @arjiecustoms1946 Před 8 lety +3

      Yea leaves a good chance for the most of us to learn and get a small collection

    • @Bouchon211
      @Bouchon211 Před 8 lety +14

      +ahpadt At around the 10 minute mark he seems to have many ultra rare ultra expensive bottles. Many may have been gifts or were worth £50 at one time, but today are extremely rare bottles.

    • @445CR
      @445CR Před 6 lety +9

      Unfortunately, and I hate to break this to you, the 3 bottles displayed before he said that were all well over £50

  • @wilsoncastleman656
    @wilsoncastleman656 Před 3 lety +61

    And he won 4 consecutive SEC championships. What a legend.

  • @DKC623
    @DKC623 Před 3 lety +83

    Rest in peace. He was a legend.

  • @chickens00p
    @chickens00p Před 9 lety +163

    The prestige of Napa Valley is all due to this man

    • @carlaprice1586
      @carlaprice1586 Před 5 lety +5

      @Chicken Soup. True, but there is more to the story than that. Spurrier was friends with Andre Tchelistcheff, the Godfather of California wines. A great movie to watch (if you enjoyed this short), is André - The Voice of Wine. BTW Andre can be seen in this video @ 5:56. He is the gentleman to the right.

    • @jackstraw3934
      @jackstraw3934 Před 4 lety +1

      Carla Price Check out the film based on the Judgement in Paris competition.
      en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottle_Shock

    • @RicardoTroutman
      @RicardoTroutman Před 4 lety

      @@jackstraw3934 thanks for sharing!

    • @zwimipo1828
      @zwimipo1828 Před 2 lety

      good shill for bad wine im sure he made a fortune out of it

  • @ZachVisentin
    @ZachVisentin Před 9 lety +447

    *Spits out wine*, "That is fantastic my dear"

    • @taskerpro944
      @taskerpro944 Před 6 lety +19

      Zach Visentin; This guy's a walking "Party Foul". Spitting out wine wherever he goes. Even in his own winery. "We make wonderful wine. Excuse me while I spit it on the floor".

    • @MaggieSunseri
      @MaggieSunseri Před 5 lety +23

      @Zachary Dupont It is what you are supposed to do! I still can't wrap my head around the concept of trying not to get drunk tho lol

    • @nofurtherwest3474
      @nofurtherwest3474 Před 5 lety +33

      @@taskerpro944 he tastes so much that if he drank it he'd be walking around drunk all day. professional tasters never swallow and that goes for coffee tasters too

    • @Exclusivesociety
      @Exclusivesociety Před 5 lety +3

      Not sure about the specifics, but i also heard you can experience the flavor more if you spit it out rather than swallowing.

    • @McShag420
      @McShag420 Před 5 lety

      yeah nice and crunchy like a good corn flake

  • @pala7233
    @pala7233 Před 3 lety +18

    I met him when I was buying wines at the Caves de la Madeleine in Paris. I was very young, but I could afford great wines at a time when they were still affordable. Mouton Rothschild 1982 at 650 french francs in 1985/86. A little fortune at the time, but unreachable now, at least for me. The Académie du Vin next door organized great tastings. I have fond memories of one where we tasted great wines, ending with Chateau Margaux 1985 and La Turque 1985, all that for a very modest price. RIP Steven Spurrier, you will be missed a lot!

  • @Stickmanvan2
    @Stickmanvan2 Před 9 lety +172

    Munchies should do more videos like this! Success stories about interesting people who are super passionate about their not-too-often explored trade are always super cool to hear.

    • @rainerwinkler6140
      @rainerwinkler6140 Před 4 lety +5

      It's not because he's super passionate it's because he's super rich

    • @rainerwinkler6140
      @rainerwinkler6140 Před 3 lety +4

      @Seth Belfort that's so cool because that just doesn't matter at all thanks for your terrible input though 👍👍

    • @TheRedfull
      @TheRedfull Před 2 lety

      It is not a "not-too-often explored trade", There is a huge community in the wine industry

    • @diodelvino3048
      @diodelvino3048 Před rokem

      @@rainerwinkler6140 Thats actually completely wrong, it's because of this man that American wine was put on the global stage and opened up a huge market. California alone would be the 5th largest wine economy because of a single even he put together

  • @lexismith8206
    @lexismith8206 Před 3 lety +16

    Rest in peace Steven. Cheers to you for sharing your wine expertise with us, you are a legend. 🍷

  • @mouija1450
    @mouija1450 Před 5 lety +52

    My grandfather also had the butler pour me my first glass of wine, which was also a 1908 port. It was jolly good don't you know my boy?

  • @3RacoonsInATrenchCoat
    @3RacoonsInATrenchCoat Před 5 lety +331

    *drinks liquid*
    "I like the crunch"

    • @ericpullen3717
      @ericpullen3717 Před 5 lety +25

      You must taste 40 year old port to understand ..........my boy

    • @MG-jd6kt
      @MG-jd6kt Před 4 lety +11

      That crunchy texture is referring to the snap of acidity, particularly relevant to young white wines. Or maybe not.

    • @dwongst
      @dwongst Před 4 lety +10

      I believe the “crunchy“ descriptor refers to the vibrant acidity that brings to mind the flavor of not yet fully-ripe fruits, e.g. crunchy blackberries or crunchy black currants.

    • @CalamariSauce
      @CalamariSauce Před 4 lety +4

      This had me dying lmfao

    • @mok6802
      @mok6802 Před 4 lety

      M G you sounded so confident and then end it with that lmfaoo

  • @boyinjuly1
    @boyinjuly1 Před 9 lety +455

    "He had the butler pour me out a glass of port"..... -___-

    • @AureaPersona
      @AureaPersona Před 9 lety +205

      Bertie Thorpe You didn't have a butler as a child?..
      Were your family turnip farmers or something?

    • @quixutica
      @quixutica Před 9 lety +3

      AureaPersona Not sure if joking...

    • @stanleyc2978
      @stanleyc2978 Před 9 lety +53

      Hoopdey Dooped Are you really not sure? Are you suuurrreeee you're not sure?

    • @escope1959
      @escope1959 Před 9 lety +6

      Bertie Thorpe I was thinking about that the whole video

    • @psiklops71
      @psiklops71 Před 9 lety +5

      AureaPersona no mine were the one's who picked up the turnips when the trucks crashed and ran with them

  • @maysunh
    @maysunh Před 9 lety +64

    hahahah 13:46 when he spat the wine on the floor, i dont think he was expecting that!

    • @markt2609
      @markt2609 Před 3 lety +1

      Not at all my boy! X’D

  • @geordiewineguide
    @geordiewineguide Před 6 lety +9

    I'm always star struck when I see Steven at tastings! He changed the wine world for the better. He allowed Californian wines to share the same space with the great classic french wines.

  • @gratefultube
    @gratefultube Před 4 lety +3

    Thank you, Steven, for all you are and all you do for truth, beauty, and goodness. First bought a cork-finished wine in 1973 and have been entranced with this lovely beverage ever since.

  • @sihamulan68
    @sihamulan68 Před 9 lety +51

    Great video. Love people who are passionate and successful in their trade.

  • @europeanbourgeois8223
    @europeanbourgeois8223 Před 6 lety +54

    I fucking love this guy. A true Englishman that went to France to give them a good beating on their own soil.
    Av'it.

    • @schechter01
      @schechter01 Před 6 lety

      Henry V of England Heir of France Old rivalries never entirely die, eh? 😏 Perhaps one day Britain will send in the army to take Alsace-Lorraine...again.

    • @florenceandthemakeup
      @florenceandthemakeup Před 5 lety

      Can tell by your comment and the videos you liked that you probably voted Remain!

  • @SCForAll
    @SCForAll Před 9 lety +9

    This video was fun to watch. Thanks for making it.
    Also, thanks to Steven Spurrier for his contribution(s) to the wine industry.

  • @soonerboy09
    @soonerboy09 Před 9 lety +61

    He's a helluva football coach as well.

  • @daebakcouragelifestyle9078

    Yes, the late Steven Spurrier is a legend. I had the occasion to meet him in person several times. I offered to write a book for our late Mr Broadbent once upon a time. Both legends and true gentlemen- DC

  • @giornogillespie5755
    @giornogillespie5755 Před 9 lety +20

    Finally got someone to talk about Al Kee Hol, that actually has a vast amount of knowledge and Is highly regarded in the industry.

  • @BigT5535
    @BigT5535 Před 7 lety +127

    I'm disappointed that this isn't the Old Ball Coach slamming bottles of Yellow Tail.

  • @nestorgonzalez8021
    @nestorgonzalez8021 Před 3 lety +1

    The man who got me into the world wine... forever grateful on his influence!!!

  • @23Robusto
    @23Robusto Před 3 lety +2

    Excellent video and Steve said not one disparaging word about FSU (Free Shoes University)

  • @AJ-ei3ke
    @AJ-ei3ke Před 5 lety

    Beautiful! Thank you for this video!

  • @Ayodhyatourandtravel
    @Ayodhyatourandtravel Před 8 lety +2

    I was wondering about napa wine limo tours and I must say that you guys are really compel me to visit..excellent work guys

  • @alethefreerider
    @alethefreerider Před 9 lety

    Brilliant, thank you munchies!

  • @lipstickonmyglass3297
    @lipstickonmyglass3297 Před 3 lety +1

    Nice story, much appreciated this video

  • @firassaado3971
    @firassaado3971 Před 5 lety

    its a great video about wine!!
    hope to have more of them to watch.

  • @danf321
    @danf321 Před 4 lety +3

    As much as I like French wine, I’m so happy to live in California to have tasted many Cabs and Cab blends that I’d love to compare next to the Bordeaux wines. Bring ‘em on!

  • @gregoryschell313
    @gregoryschell313 Před 5 lety +1

    a wonderful history! enjoyed this video immensely (over a glass of wine, of course)

  • @IndecisiveConclusion
    @IndecisiveConclusion Před 3 lety +4

    RIP Steven. Great man, and a great inspiration.

  • @systematicinsomniac
    @systematicinsomniac Před 9 lety +4

    Something I can day drink to :)
    "That's when I had my moustache.." gorgeous haha

  • @WineScribble
    @WineScribble Před 4 lety +1

    Fascinating video! Love this

  • @shaquejones4119
    @shaquejones4119 Před 3 lety

    It’s amazing to know how serious the wine 🍷 industry. So many varieties to choose.

  • @mueezadam8438
    @mueezadam8438 Před 4 lety +10

    3:05 _“And the taste just confirmed what you’ve actually seen and tasted”_

  • @Pebbs800
    @Pebbs800 Před 9 lety +2

    Very interesting and great documentary!

  • @TheDesertWineGuy
    @TheDesertWineGuy Před 7 lety +1

    Very interesting video , I really enjoyed it.

  • @thetwowinewomen6128
    @thetwowinewomen6128 Před 9 lety +4

    Such a great video. We so want to meet him and soak up some knowledge from him someday. I wonder how many people owe their love of wine to him, since he did so much for California, and that's where so many of us start.

  • @josephgschwartz
    @josephgschwartz Před 9 lety +6

    Definitely read the as Steve Spurrier also know as "The Old Ball Coach"

  • @hdrider2146
    @hdrider2146 Před 5 lety +3

    I aspire to the level of this man's greatness

  • @DomBill1
    @DomBill1 Před 3 lety +1

    The legend that is... Steven Spurrier! 🙏🏻😍

  • @PeterFritzWalter
    @PeterFritzWalter Před 6 lety

    Thank you so much for this video that teaches me a lot for I am also a wine lover since I was an adolescent and had hardly any money to buy wine and cigars, my other love.

  • @TigesTheWinemaker
    @TigesTheWinemaker Před 5 lety +1

    Really looking forward to checking out some English Sparkling wines

  • @DrewPBalls
    @DrewPBalls Před 9 lety +35

    i was at a wine tasting with him and he tasted some trash wine and just said "nigga, this shit is trash". true story.

  • @booxwee3804
    @booxwee3804 Před 4 lety +2

    Although im only 18, my story is quite similar to his, my grandfather who was a wine collector introduced me to wine. He bought a case of year 2000 wine which I later was given. I dont see myself becoming a wine writer, but its really interesting!

  • @damnchill2688
    @damnchill2688 Před 3 lety

    Extremely educational.

  • @FrankQ777
    @FrankQ777 Před 2 lety

    Great work 👏

  • @elgroomez
    @elgroomez Před 9 lety +1

    the ol' ball coach is cleans up nicely.

  • @edwardwayne5824
    @edwardwayne5824 Před 2 lety +1

    still can't not believe he already left us

  • @hedduyou
    @hedduyou Před 2 lety +1

    @3:35 I love the freshness and the.... crunch??>>!!!>??? Dude is supposed to be head of his field using words like crunch? I had a wine last night, it was crunchy and damp.

  • @thewinemaker3356
    @thewinemaker3356 Před 7 lety

    Good to know, thanks

  • @claystar9valor
    @claystar9valor Před 4 lety +6

    "I don't like paying more than 50 pounds a bottle." Good to know I should never have to spend more for quality.

  • @riseagan
    @riseagan Před 3 lety +1

    RIP and thank you for everything did.

  • @TheWineDecoder
    @TheWineDecoder Před 4 lety

    Steven Spurrier is a true wine legend!

  • @lauracanna2201
    @lauracanna2201 Před rokem

    I loved when he said that he never pays more than £50 for a bottle of wine ❤❤❤❤ I thought people at that level were only drinking REALLY expensive wines, I'm glad he proved me wrong ❤

  • @GetOutsideYourself
    @GetOutsideYourself Před 6 lety +57

    The great Alan Rickman portrayed him so well in Bottle Shock.

    • @vinblack85
      @vinblack85 Před 4 lety +3

      Great film too

    • @geoffn1530
      @geoffn1530 Před 4 lety +1

      Jonathan Stewart I knew it! I figured this was the guy that inspired the bottle shock character. That was one of the best movies I’ve seen

    • @mariahcarey9470
      @mariahcarey9470 Před 3 lety +1

      Now they have both passed on. Steven Spurrier didnt like Bottle Shock because he thought Alan was too old plus he had already signed up to advise Sideways the movie. Funnily enough,Alan had met Steven in South Africa many years ago

  • @andrewattenboroughtwothumb4697

    he and oz Clarke have the best refined palates in the world and Steve is hard to beat not on just reviews as a critic myself I look up to guys like this

  • @palaceSC2
    @palaceSC2 Před 3 lety +1

    Mad that he lives in the same flats as me

  • @paulargier
    @paulargier Před 3 lety +6

    If Alan Rickman played you in a movie, you know you were a badass. RIP - Steven Spurrier 🍷

  • @chriscontact5857
    @chriscontact5857 Před 5 lety

    I came here because of the youtube channel Today I Found Out just covered this in the episiod The Wine Lover Meltdown.

  • @winewithluigi
    @winewithluigi Před 4 lety +3

    imagine he had a sour, low-quality petit-chablis instead of the sweet port in his childhood, will he still do this profession??

  • @AnthonyHernandez-yo1xr
    @AnthonyHernandez-yo1xr Před 11 měsíci

    Dude spits like a master.

  • @sinqros
    @sinqros Před 4 lety

    I wonder what his fave wine is? Mine so far is Bordeaux left & right, & Gamay, Also Sauternes White from Bordeaux

  • @stephanleo
    @stephanleo Před 4 lety +2

    I want to have all the wines at 6:22 !!!

  • @ingak.4865
    @ingak.4865 Před 2 lety

    Wine is all a out sharing. So true

  • @NickPanSG
    @NickPanSG Před 3 lety +4

    RIP Mr Steven Spurrier. 1941 - 2021. You will always be my hero.

  • @globtrotter1976
    @globtrotter1976 Před 4 lety +5

    If I have a vega sicilia in My glass, I am not Spitting it...

  • @m1garandisthebest
    @m1garandisthebest Před 8 lety +1

    homies got the right attitude

  • @Stratigic_Cheese_Reserve

    His wine maker's face when he says pretty good is nonchalant, I'd be like f**k yeah!

  • @doomtrigger
    @doomtrigger Před 9 lety

    Lol at the end he spits out the wine and the guys was um OK had the most confused look on his face

  • @sjohnston4272
    @sjohnston4272 Před 4 lety +2

    Imagine working for this guy...

  • @brokenrecord3523
    @brokenrecord3523 Před 4 lety +4

    not more than 50 pounds...right... I checked what his Bride Valley goes for - about 50 pounds. That makes him pretty cool in my book.

  • @baewuf
    @baewuf Před 9 lety +13

    1:40 K this guy is rich.

  • @lukeelliott6328
    @lukeelliott6328 Před 9 lety +6

    Everyone deserves the pleasure of Virginia wine... You seriously have to try it!

    • @1999_born
      @1999_born Před 3 lety

      highly underrated, some of the best wine in North America and no one gives it a glance
      Williamsburg native here, we love our wine and hope others do to

  • @alexmarrast6905
    @alexmarrast6905 Před 2 lety

    I hope one day Modern Vintage wines from grenada reach to the pallets of the wine tasting masters. I hope most of them are still alive and would like to taste Exotic Fruit Wines.

  • @ahmedsgallery3507
    @ahmedsgallery3507 Před 2 lety +1

    RIP man

  • @HistoryRocksMuse
    @HistoryRocksMuse Před 3 lety

    Rest in Power sir. Thank you for all you've done over the decades to help people better understand and appreciate wines in all their complexity and nuance.

  • @truthbknown4957
    @truthbknown4957 Před 3 lety +2

    Nothing you can drink in an hour is worth hundreds of dollars a bottle. Expensive wines are for people with more dollars than sense. But there are worse ways to piss your money away.

  • @HaiNguyen-sx9ek
    @HaiNguyen-sx9ek Před 5 lety +2

    he uses a dell laptop, not a macbook which make me happy

  • @Spartacus547
    @Spartacus547 Před 4 lety +1

    Not all the wines from California from Napa Valley the oldest wines used to come from the Antelope Valley, go back as far as 1860s

  • @bosskoala7
    @bosskoala7 Před 5 lety +1

    Haha how the guy re-writes history about his intention behind the Paris testing.

  • @scotday
    @scotday Před 4 lety +1

    the former qb of the niners and football coach also changed wine

  • @THEGREENHELIUM
    @THEGREENHELIUM Před 4 lety +11

    3:36 T H E C R Ö N C H

  • @TCWG87
    @TCWG87 Před 3 lety +1

    RIP Steven

  • @gregbrightwell662
    @gregbrightwell662 Před 4 lety +1

    Crazy ass old Micheal Broadbent!

  • @elliothm8370
    @elliothm8370 Před 2 lety

    Rest in Peace, Sir!

  • @shig3n
    @shig3n Před 4 lety +1

    Vega sicila Unico wines are not made 100% tempranillo grape. There's cabernet, malbec and even syrah sometimes

  • @OvenBakedCookie
    @OvenBakedCookie Před 2 lety

    Who the heck did the English captions for this video?
    From 8:16, it should be "Stag's Leap Wine Cellar", "Mouton Rothschild", and "Haut Brion"

  • @samuela9245
    @samuela9245 Před 3 lety

    My type of man

  • @Miketrt
    @Miketrt Před 4 lety +1

    Was that Milo at 4:32 LOL?

  • @rodneypratt4324
    @rodneypratt4324 Před 4 lety +1

    The late great Alan Rickman played mr. Spurrier and Bottle Shock, they didn't even mention that

  • @StefuScherf
    @StefuScherf Před 7 lety

    Great personality. Funny that he says he doesn't like to spend more than 50pounds on wine and then he shows Ruchottes Chambertin or a Cornas from A. Clape, wines you cannot buy for a bargain en primeur...

  • @alexbrown4908
    @alexbrown4908 Před 3 lety +1

    “1908 my boy!”

  • @carlosarceo7873
    @carlosarceo7873 Před 9 lety +3

    Great, you need to produce a Reality show about this guy.

  • @chungnah7329
    @chungnah7329 Před 2 lety

    2:25: "Tasting is intelligent drinking. Tasting is paying attention."

  • @Carlos-lz7il
    @Carlos-lz7il Před 3 lety +2

    Man where's Steve Spurrier

  • @theartesana
    @theartesana Před 4 lety +4

    Wine is to share? I’m sorry sir my wine is mine! 😚🍷

  • @markyochoa
    @markyochoa Před 2 lety

    RIP what a fucking legend.