Apr 5 – Wine aging and storing

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Guy

This week I’ll be chatting with Mathew Cock, a WSET Diploma, Advanced Sommelier certified vinicultural expert about “does wines can go bad.” We will talk about storing wine and the changes that occur during the aging process.

Does Wine Go Bad?
The good news is that wine does not spoil, but it does degrade over time. The air starts this process, and heat controls the speed. You can’t stop it from happening, but you can slow it down. The most important factor is temperature. Not all wines will transform at the same rate. Interestingly, the less you want to share a wine, the longer it seems to last. If you remember nothing else, remember these things: keep it sealed and keep it cool.

Is Wine Safe to Drink as It Ages?
As a beverage, wine is naturally acidic and alcoholic, which makes it inhospitable to harmful bacteria. Potentially dangerous organisms cannot survive in the levels of acid and alcohol found in wine. Additionally, many wines, especially those shipped in bulk containers or made with residual sugar, undergo filtration that removes microbes. As a result, wine always remains safe to drink, no matter how long it has been stored.

However, wine does not always remain enjoyable to drink because it is a perishable product with a life cycle. Wine moves irreversibly through the stages of youth, maturity, old age, and decay with the passage of time. This transformation initially offers the drinker more charm, then progressively less, and eventually none.

Matthew Cocks, DipWSET, is a vinicultural expert with the “VinoVoss AI Sommelier” smartphone app and web-based semantic wine search and recommendation system, developed by BetterAI. VinoVoss picks the perfect wine for any occasion, courtesy of a highly advanced artificial intelligence architecture. Matthew, as an educator, international judge, and consultant, uses a data-informed approach to help HORECA companies hone their operations and procurement processes, and private clients optimize their wine cellar for enjoyment and investment. Matthew also holds the Advanced Sommelier Certificate from The Court of Master Sommeliers. Reach him and more at www.vinovoss.com.

Later in the program I’ll be sharing some of the technical and chemical faults that can occur in wine regardless of age.  🙂

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2020 Roger Goulart Gran Reserva Cava
Pale yellow color with light greenish reflections, clean and bright. Appearance of very fine bubbles and a slight formation of a crown on the surface. Intense fruity notes reminiscent of fresh white fruit and citrus, and light notes of fine lees from the aging. A fresh cava with medium-long intensity. On the palate, lively and fresh acidity with a slight sweetness, making it very pleasant due to its balance and elegance. Fruity aromas, fleshy, long and persistent. Persistent finish with a very elegant bouquet with delicate notes of aging and creaminess. ABV12% Blend: 50% Macabeo, 30% Parellada, 20% Xarel·lo  James Suckling 91 – Wine Spectator 90

Learn more about this wine!
Grab a bottle or 6 at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road here in Wichita

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Mar 29 – Spain & Sherry

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Guy

Today, It’s just you and me talking about one of my favorite wines from Spain. Sherry brings to mind all the great things about this very unique fortified wine from Southern Spain.  It also evokes great memories of Jerez in Andalucía, the Sherry Triangle.  The warm climate, the Mediterranean sea breezes, the snow white soil and the captivating aromas of Sherry in barrels.  Join me and I’ll take you to Spain, and tell you all about and why you should try some tonight.

What is Sherry?
Unique agricultural product
Geography
Climate
Grape variety
Soil and Vineyard methods
Vinification and aging by Solera
The art of blending

Where it’s from and why it’s unique?
Andalucia – the home of the “Sherry Triangle”
One of Spain’s first Denominacion’s
Jerez de la Fronterra
Santa Maria
Sanlucar de Barrameda
The Snow White Albariza Soil is the key to water retention and sun light reflection!

Sherry can be intimidating or even off-putting at first, conjuring up visions of dusty bar cart bottles filled with sticky-sweet brown liquid. But this southern Spanish treat is actually one of the most interesting beverages around, with complex flavors that are unlike any other wine.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
NV Lustau Oloroso Don Nuño WA94 $31
This Oloroso wine has an intense, concentrated aftertaste, lightened by a tangy acidity. Aged following an oxidative aging for 12 years in Bodega La Campana in Jerez de la Frontera. Dark bronze in color with a pronounced golden rim. Intense aromas of nuts and smoked wood, with spicy notes on the nose. On the palate, it’s reminiscent of walnuts and dark chocolate. Long, intense finish, perfectly balanced with light acidity. Learn more about Lustau and this wine.

Foor & Wine Pairing – Perfect with aged cheeses or red meats. It pairs well with dishes such as oxtail, Iberian pork cheeks, or grilled bluefin tuna. A simple cheese and charcuterie plate with roasted walnuts, is another great pairing. Try this wine with  Chicken sherry mushrooms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get this book to learn even more.

Sherry Feb 2025 WSU Power Point lecture

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Mar 22 – Mother Sauce!

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Guy

My guest this week is Lucinda Scala Quinn with her amazing new book “Mother Sauce: Italian American Family Recipes and the Story of the Women Who Created Them.”

In America today, everyone loves nonna’s cooking—think spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza. Italian families arrived in the U.S at the beginning of the twentieth century, and mammas brought with them the skills and ingredient know-how to fashion a whole new cuisine in spite of living in poverty and ostracization from their new country. Their fathers, husbands, and sons then monetized these dishes outside the home in the form of Red sauce joints. Rarely are these women actually credited as the true founders of the Italian-American cuisine.

In her latest book, Lucinda Scala Quinn cooks classic Italian-American recipes, and along the way shares their origin and gives credit to the incredible women who developed our cherished Italian dishes. Home cooks and food lovers alike will delight in this masterful collection of America’s favorite comfort foods, from Baked Ziti and Sausage and Pepper Hoagies to Chicken Marsala and Cannolis. With gorgeous recipe shots, archival photos, ingredient sidebars, and cultural essays, Mother Sauce brings nonna’s cooking to kitchens everywhere. Order  a copy  NOW!

If you have never made or enjoyed Sunday Sauce (or Sunday Gravy) you haven’t lived, or at least not lived as good as you should!  This sauce is slow cooked most all day and fills the house with splendid aromas.  It’s perfect over pasta.  This is authentic Italian, OK…with an American twist.  Here is the Sunday Sauce recipe

About the Author 
Lucinda Scala Quinn is the author of eight cookbooks, including the best-selling Mad Hungry trilogy. Her mantra is, “cook for the ones you love, teach them to cook for themselves and they will pass it on.” Her passion for cooking took root growing up in an Italian American family, which inspired her to begin cooking professionally at age sixteen. As a late-blooming entrepreneur, she founded the Mad Hungry kitchenware brand which makes multi-use tools for the home cook. For over a decade she oversaw all food content for Martha Stewart Living OmniMedia. She was the host of the television show Mad Hungry: Bringing Back the Family Meal and cohost of Everyday Food on PBS. Her radio show EatDrink on Sirius FM was an innovative precursor to podcasts. She lives in New York City and can be followed @madhungry.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Something Italian for sure…

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Mar 15 – Delano Paddy Day Parade

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Guy

Always a FUN time in Delano!  I’ll be broadcasting LIVE from InSite Real Estate Group near the Clock Tower Circle.  The Parade starts at noon, and starting at 10:00 a.m. a food truck rally, kids corner,  street party, Drink Truck zone and from 1:30-5:30 p.m. it’s music with DJ Dugger.

The 2025 parade will take place in the heart of historic Delano. The official parade route will go West on Douglas from McLean Blvd to Walnut St, then north on Walnut St to Pacific St.

The following streets will be CLOSED during staging and the parade:

  • Douglas from Waco to Seneca
  • McLean from Maple/Waterman to 1st/2nd Street
  • Walnut from Douglas to 2nd Street
  • Handley from Douglas to Pacific

Street closures will be in effect starting at 7:00am and removed as soon as it is safe after the parade, approximately 5:00pm. No parking on Douglas from McClean to Walnut: 7:00am-5:00pm. Open parking will include surrounding public lots and side streets.

Special thanks to Dan Unruh and the InSite Real Estate Group for making Delano one of Wichita’s premier business districts and for being a part of the parade history.  Come join the fun this Saturday!

Make it a great family day and come support the many local businesses and restaurants:
The Monarch, Hatman Jacks, Wichita Brewing Company, Delano Bakery, Egg Roll, Shamrock Lounge, La Galette Bakery & Deli, Fusin Restaurant, Leslie Coffee Co. All things BBQ, Rubens Mexican Grill, McDonalds and more…

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
How about a Whiskey from Ireland, let’s go  GREEN 🙂
Tullamore D.E.W. is the original triple blend Irish whiskey known the world over for its smooth and gentle complexity. Our whiskey, made in Ireland, is the perfect balance of both fruit and spice. A blend of three spirits, you won’t find another whiskey like Tullamore D.E.W.

Taste: Three spirits blend together to give a balance of flavor like no other. Grain whiskey gives sweet flavors. Malt whiskey gives fruit flavors. And pot still whiskey gives spice flavors.

How it’s made: The complex yet approachable flavors in the whiskey are derived from – three types of grain, triple distillation and the blend of all three Irish whiskeys.

Cask Finish: Triple cask-matured for depth and balance. Over a period of several years, Tullamore D.E.W. Original is aged in traditional refill barrels, ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry butts.

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Mar 8 – Party On!

Posted on March 5, 2025 by Guy

How could you not love a book titled “Party On!  My guest this week if Carrie Shapley the author of this interesting book that offers pescatarian finger food feasts from around the world.

This easy-to-follow book takes pescatarian party planning to the next level! More than just recipes, every chapter contains all the tips, tricks, and guidance you need to host a variety of bite-sized gatherings for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, game days, bridal and baby showers, graduations, movie nights, and more! Renowned cook Carrie Shapley provides us with 125 original, mouth-watering, high-protein seafood and vegetarian recipes. Best of all, recipes are organized so that each chapter makes a complete party and can be prepared by a single host cook, or prepared as a potluck by a variety of cooks.

The most interesting part of this book is the idea of “10 chapters, 10 Countries, 10 Finger-Food Parties!  While the recipes are often seafood centered, they are just a bunch of fine entertaining ideas. The variety is great and many are new and different recipes that will as to your party fun, no matter what the occasion.

Get a copy now!

About the Author
Carrie grew up a farmgirl in the Midwest, steeped in rural traditions around food, cooking, community, and hard work. Classically trained as an artist, Carrie treats her kitchen as studio, combining her creative passions with her love of great food.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Something fun to make your party a big hit!

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