Mar 1 – Veggie & Wine pairing

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Guy

My guest this week is Sylvia Ba, a Vinicultural Expert with a master’s degree in Wine Business and much more!  She was my guest back in August of 2024 talking about wine cellars and VinoVoss, a virtual sommelier app.  This Saturday we will give an overview of VinoVoss and then it’s about When “Garden meets Grape – Elevating Vegetable Dishes with perfect Wine Pairings.”

The art of wine pairing, once thought to be reserved for meat and seafood dishes, has evolved to embrace vegetable-forward cuisine. Understanding how to pair wine with vegetarian dishes  or vegetable sides is an art that can elevate your dining experience to new heights. We will be talking about what to consider when it comes to ingredients, cooking methods, and seasoning. Whether you are hosting a dinner party or enjoying a quiet meal at home, We’ll give you tips and examples that will help you choose the perfect wine to complement your veggies.

We will be discussing specific vegetables and the wines that go with them.  It’s also important to realize that cooking methods can have a great impact on how wine interacts and can be enhanced by how you cook them.  Another important element for solid pairing is what seasoning and sauces you incorporate.

Pairing wine with vegetarian dishes is a rewarding endeavor that opens up a world of flavors. By considering the ingredients, cooking methods, and seasonings, you can create harmonious pairings that elevate your meals. Whether you’re enjoying a simple weeknight dinner or hosting a lavish gathering, these wine and vegetarian food pairings will impress and satisfy you.

Wine consultant Sylvia Ba is a vinicultural expert.  With a master’s degree in wine business from Burgundy School of Business, as well as diverse background and experiences in Europe and Asia, she currently offers expertise in marketing, research, purchasing, and copywriting for clients in the wine industry all over the world. Sylvia’s experience includes working as a junior editor for a leading Chinese wine media outlet and as a fine wine salesperson for ASC Fine Wines, the largest fine wine importer in China. She also served as Export Manager for Vinum Hadrianum, an artisanal winery in Abruzzo, Italy.

Good Life Guy’s wines of the week:
2022 Laville Pavillon Bordeaux BLANC AND ROUGE

BLANC: Classic aromas of white flowers, fine herbs, golden apples, toasted honey, and citrus pour from the glass. The palate is fresh and invigorating but has an admirable amount of body giving complexity and citrus fruit flavors. The perfect aperitif, especially in the spring or summer. Think light seafood; mussels in a white wine sauce, grilled shrimp, Charcuterie, grilled veggies or salads.  100% Sauvignon Blanc, ABV12.5%

ROUGE  The wine is a bit young so it will need some time to open up before it reveals its true characters so give it about a half an hour. Aromas of black cherry, raspberry and a hint of oak couple with blackberry, spice and a hint of cherry on the palate. Pair this with grilled meats, beef, lamb even roast chicken with herbs. Typical Bordeaux Blend, ABV14%

These two inexpensive wines from Bordeaux will go great with some of  vegetables and more!  Grab a case of this one at Jacob Liquor Exchange and enjoy it over the next 2-5 years!

Check out VinoVoss, the AI driven virtual sommelier   Here’s some great food & wine pairing ideas from Sylvia

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Feb 22 – Argot Wines

Posted on February 17, 2025 by Guy

My guests this week are husband and wife wine making team Justin & Beth Harmon from Argot (R – Go) Argot \ ˈärgō \ : a shared language associated with tight-knit groups, borne from, and reinforcing said group’s intimacy wines. These two were in Wichita not long ago to showcase the great wines they are producing.  They have an interesting story and it’s great to have their limited production, top shelf wines here in the flat lands. Follow Argot on Facebook

Some things are simply meant to be….

It was September 2011, and harvest was in full swing at a garagiste winery located in Sonoma County. Three tons of grapes had just arrived for processing. An eager-to-learn intern took her place at the sorting table, awaiting clusters to begin speeding by.

Before long, the winemaker arrived at the table and grapes began flying … along with playful banter and the usual mix of instructional and irreverent conversation. Subsequent days working together in the winery led to further interactions, deeper conversations and an exchanging of phone numbers. A dinner date was set.

Justin & Beth Harmon & Good Life Guy

Over the course of the evening, they shared a bottle of red wine, a pizza and each other’s stories. The winemaker, Justin Harmon, had left behind his life in Chicago to pursue his dream of starting a wine brand. The intern, Beth Thompson, was no stranger to pursuing dreams herself having grown up in small-town East Texas, believing from an early age that there were brighter lights and bigger skies out West.

A whirlwind romance followed, filled with more beautiful memories than this short story can contain, and in November 2015 they married. Beth continued to pursue her successful career in sales and marketing for multiple wineries, and Justin continued to grow Argot’s production and notoriety. Over the ensuing years, Beth began contributing more and more of her time to Argot before they officially joined forces in running the winery together full-time.

Today Justin and Beth oversee every aspect of Argot—from the vineyard, to the winery, to the bottle and all things in between. They are proud to be a first-generation winery, making a name for their family by producing some of the greatest wines in California, and beyond.
visit argotwines.com to learn more!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Argot – Kanzler Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2021
94 points | $105 | Only 225 cases made.

 

Alluring, with a mix of gently mulled red and black cherry and mulberry fruit melding steadily with black tea, singed wood spice, chaparral and savory notes as this moves along, all while maintaining definition and understated energy. Drink now through 2029. 225 cases made. ABV15.6

This was just one of the wines tasted with Justin and Beth here in Wichita.  We’ll be talking about several of their wines that are available at Jacob Liquor Exchange.

 

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Feb 15 – Exploration Place, Death by Chocolate

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Guy

My guest is Laura Roddy VP for Advancement at Exploration Place.
Laura joined Exploration Place in 2021 after five years in a similar role at Mark Arts. She is also a former president of the Junior League of Wichita and has worked as a contributing editor for The Journal of the Kansas Leadership Center, copy editor for the Dallas Morning News and public information officer for the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature.

Laura earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in communication from Wichita State University. She has been an Exploration Place member since 2006, spending countless hours enjoying the exhibits. Once, as a Girl Scout leader, she and her troop even camped out overnight in the Where Kids Rule exhibit.

Laura and I will be talking about the history, exabits, expansion plans, and the upcoming “Death by Chocolate” event March 1st.

The State’s Premier Science Center
Exploration Place, The Sedgwick County Science and Discovery Center, is Kansas’ premier science center, inspiring a deeper interest in science and technology through creative and fun experiences for all. Exploration Place is a mission-driven 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution supported by admissions, membership dues, public support, and voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations.

In Partnership With Sedgwick County
Through a partnership with Sedgwick County, Exploration Place currently receives support and is recognized as the Sedgwick County Science and Discovery Center. The County’s mission is to cultivate a healthy, safe and welcoming community through exceptional public services, effective partnerships and dedicated employees.

World-class Shark Exhibit Makes One of Its Debut U.S. Stops at Exploration Place
WICHITA, Kansas – After traveling halfway around the world, a spectacular new exhibit will
bring Exploration Place visitors face to face with Earth’s most formidable ocean predators.
The Australian Museum’s acclaimed Sharks exhibit brings an immersive ocean experience to
Wichita during its exclusive regional appearance Feb. 7 through May 4.

Requiring seven semi-trucks to transport, Sharks is one of the largest traveling exhibits ever
staged at Exploration Place. It includes 10 life-sized, scientifically precise shark models,
including the legendary Great White, the peculiar Hammerhead and the extinct
Helicoprion – a 270-million-year-old creature whose spiral-toothed jaw earned it the
nickname “Buzzsaw Shark.”

Celebrating 25 Years of Exploration
Join us for Exploration Place’s 25th Silver Anniversary,
a celebration honoring 25 years of inspiring curiosity
and fostering discovery in our community. Enjoy over
two dozen tasting stations featuring Wichita’s best food
and drink as we commemorate this milestone. As we
celebrate our achievements, we also look forward to the
next 25 years of exploration and innovation. Let’s make
lasting memories while toasting to the incredible
journey of Exploration Place and the exciting future ahead!

Tickets are on sale now!  Get Tickets 300 N McLean Blvd, Wichita, KS 67203
Come to the event and stop by The American Institute of Wine and Food booth,
we’ll have some fine wines and Bourbon to sample!

Later in the show I’ll be offering some fun cooking ideas for cold weather and
complimentary wines that pair nicely. Guy’s NOT Chili – Chili

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2021 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles CA
With attractive aromas of black fruit and spice, this smooth,
ready-to-drink Cabernet Sauvignon is made in Paso Robles
with the same care as the highest quality, traditionally
crafted Bordeaux-style wines. Our grapes are hand-picked
and sorted by-the-berry for consistent quality and flavor.
JUSTIN Cabernet Sauvignon then spends fourteen months
in traditional small oak barrels to impart depth and
complexity, highlighting the exceptional balance of flavors
and textures that the unique climate and soils of Paso
Robles add to the classic Cabernet.

Warmly aromatic with ripe red and black cherry notes,
cigar box, and toasted oak with savory elements of vanilla
and caramel with fresh sage, and hints of cocoa.

 

95 points, Gold Medal, London International Wine Competition

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Feb 8 – Air Fryers and more!

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Guy

My guest this week is Cathy Yoder with her latest book “Air Fryer Recipes – 150+ Yummy Air Fryer Recipes”  If you are looking for quick, easy things to make for Super Bowl Sunday, look no further.

We will be talking about Air Fryers in general and how to entertain your football fans with ease!

Widely regarded as the “Queen of Air Fryers,” Cathy Yoder—a mother of eight—wanted to prove that air fryers could do more than reheat frozen foods and leftovers. So, she documented her journey on YouTube. Today she boasts over 742,000 YouTube followers and yet more across other socials, over 6 million video views and tens of thousands of cookbooks sold. At Yoder’s EmpoweredCooks.com multimedia platform, users have access to numerous resources: her “Air Fryer Recipes” cookbook filled with over 150 recipes; an array of specialized digital download air fryer recipe e-cookbooks; an air fryer cooking catalog with over 300 video recipes; cooking accessories; a transformative video course; and interactive “Cooking with Cathy” class sessions that happen live, in real time. Yoder also offers a curated selection of budget-friendly tools and resources through her online store, PineandPepper.co that provides an array of video instruction and other resources specific to the joy of air fryer cooking. Her FabulesslyFrugal.com platform is rife with recipes and tips on how to live a healthy, wealthy, wise life full of independence and confidence.

Here’s some of Cathy’s most popular SUPER BOWL  Game Day Air Fryer Recipes Sure to Score

Guy’s NOT Chili – Chili

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week: Force and Grace Paso Robles Cabernet
This Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is dense yet delicately textured. In the glass, it offers concentrated ripe black cherry, raspberry fruit leather, cassis, and velvety tannins that complement the rich fruit beautifully. The finish is persistent yet wonderfully harmonious, with layers of berries, caramel, and notes of lingering blonde tobacco. 14.2% ABV.

Decanter 93 Points!
A really lovely, restrained effort from Paso Robles by Jean Hoefliger. Not to say the wine isn’t powerful, full-bodied, or richly layered with a tapestry of inky dark black and blue fruit. It is all that, but immense structure and building tannins also create freshness and energy. Most fruit sources are from east Paso. Hoefliger had to pick specific sites earlier to avoid overripe flavors, and he left a good portion on the skins for almost 35 days to build a tannin structure.
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Jan 25 & Feb 1 – Two great shows from the past

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Guy

Good Life Guy is escaping the cold weather and on a well deserved vacation.

I’ll be back live on Feb 8th.  🙂

 

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