July 7 – Nature Nate’s & “The Count of Buena Vista”

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Guy

We begin this week with a LIVE update from Jacob Liquor Exchange about the in-store tasting and wine education available today and the rest of the week.  With the recent liquor law changes, in-store tastings provide a unique opportunity to taste and learn about new vintages and products.  Saturday tastings begin at Noon, hope to see you there.  www.jacobliquor.com   This Saturday one of the wines you can taste is The Good Life Wine of the Week; 2008 Buena Vista “The Count” Founder’s Red Wine.

Then it’s all about Nature Nate’s 100% Pure Raw & Unfiltered Honey with my guest Nathan Sheets.  Nate is the President and Owner of the North Dallas Honey Company…now known as Nature Nates.

No one could have possibly predicted that a completely random T.V. commercial featuring a woman in a bee suit would permanently change the face of North Dallas Honey. The year was 1996. Newlyweds: Nathan and Patty Sheets, eager to begin their new lives together, decided they needed a hobby. Running out of ideas, Nathan, late one night, found what he thought to be the perfect solution. A Lady in a bee suite appeared on the T.V. screen and boldly stated that you could literally find anything on the internet. Fascinated with curiosity and accepting the lady’s challenge, Nathan made a beeline for the computer.   “So I googled bee keeping dallas”, says Nathan, and up popped North Dallas Honey Company.”  Completely enthralled, Nathan contacted Fred Richardson (the founder and owner of NDH at the time), bought a hive, and placed the hive in his parents backyard in Plano, Texas.  And so the story continues…We’ll tell you all about Nature Nates and his first class honey from Texas.   www.naturenates.com

"The Count" with Mr & Mrs Good Life

In the second half I’ll introduce you to George Webber AKA “The Count” of Buena Vista Winery.  We’ll explore the interesting history of Buena Vista and the role George plays today in promoting this colorful producer of great wines from California.

Buena Vista Winery has a rich, delicious heritage as the first premium-and certainly the most colorful-of all of the wineries in California. And its founder, the self-proclaimed “Count of Buena Vista,” Agoston Haraszthy, was a vivacious and eccentric pioneer with a veritable love and unending commitment to California wine.

Surrounded by his own tales of intrigue and political exile, The Count immigrated from Europe in 1840 in pursuit of opportunity and freedom in the burgeoning American West. Following the forty-niners in search of gold in the hills of Northern California, Haraszthy sought “purple gold”-the perfect ‘terroir’ for exceptional wine. He ultimately settled in Sonoma, birthplace of California and capital of the short-lived California Republic, where he founded Buena Vista Winery in 1857.

A committed farmer, an experimental innovator and vintner, a respected author, a shrewd businessman-and a brilliant and incredibly zealous promoter, The Count is considered California’s most acclaimed and flamboyant vinicultural pioneer and evangelist.  Today, George Webber portrays “The Count” – not only because of his striking resemblance to Haraszthy, but as a consummate enthusiast for the history and heritage of Buena Vista and the wine that bears his likeness!   www.buenavistawinery.com

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2008 Buena Vista “The Count” Founder’s Red Wine

From prestigious vineyards across Sonoma, The Count’s intriging varietals intermingle seamlessly to produce an elegant and complex wine. Individual lots were fermented separately and aged for 16 months in American, Hungarian, and French oak barrels before final assemblage.  The wine’s bouquet opens beautifully with rich aromas of black currant, cherries and just a hint of espresso.  Smooth on the palate, the wine o offers flavors of plum and blackberry that give way to cardamom on the long, silky finish.

“All of the charms of this Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel blend are on the surface, but what a pretty surface it is. Polished raspberry and cherry fruit, bacon, cream and a splendid array of flashy spices characterize the flavors.” – Wine Enthusiast

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June 30 – The Wines of Doña Paula

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Guy

Today’s program is all about one of Argentina’s best wineries Doña Paula.  While in Aspen for the Food & Wine Classic I had the opportunity to enjoy a breakfast chat with Edgardo “Edy” Del Pópolo the Vineyard and Winemaking Director at Doña Paula.

Edy has been involved with the winery from the begining and shares some great incite on the growth and development of this first class producer.  We’ll tell you all about the growing region and vineyards, products produced in the three tiers, and then do a tasting of a few of the wines from the Los Cardos label.

Edy was born into a family with European roots (Italian-French-Spanish-German) and has lived surrounded by the world of wine since he was a child, as his family was his first school.  He is a veteran of Argentina’s winemaking industry and one of the most respected and consulted agronomists in this country, where he has been working since 1992. He first studied Enology and then Agronomy at Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina.

Edy & Guy in Aspen

He is Doña Paula’s Vineyard & Winemaking Director since the very beginning. His chief virtue is his ability to identify which terroir is ideal to elaborate each of Doña Paula’s wines so that they can offer the unique and unmistakable style of each varietal.  Edgardo has traveled around the old and new winemaking world in order to constantly improve his own expertise.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of The Week:
The Los Cardos Wines from Doña Paula 

 

Pick up some Los Cardos wines from Jacob Liquor Exchange and join us!

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Jun 23 – Plancha Cooking & EVO Grills

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Guy

My first guest is Danielle McCumber-McLimore, editor and translator for a great book called “Plancha – 150 Great Recipes for Spanish-Style Grilling” by Spanish Author Liliane Otal.

“Plancha” is a Spanish word that literally translates as “plate,” and refers to both a style and a method of cooking, using a metal slab heated over a gas flame. In Spain, planchas are widely used in tapas bars and restaurants to cook an incredible assortment of foods, from mussels to mushrooms and even desserts. In private homes, planchas are often installed in the middle of round tables, so that both the hosts and their guests can share in the cooking experience and no one is stuck in the kitchen. Prepared both indoors and out, plancha cooking is as delicious and suitable on a warm sunny day as it is on a chilly night.

The popularity of plancha has even crossed the Spanish border into France, where many noted chefs, such as Alain Ducasse and Paul Bocuse, have adopted this way of cooking in their Paris restaurants. It’s not just for the gourmet restaurants, however: planchas are incredibly easy to use over grills and stoves, with little mess. And–unlike with other methods of grilling–there is no chance of watching your meal go up in flames.

In Plancha, Liliane Otal shows how to buy and maintain a plancha as well has how to make more than 150 delicious recipes that are so simple and fast anyone can do them. The cooking time for nearly all of these recipes is under 20 minutes. Her recipes will show you how to prepare delicious and flavorful meals that are also low in fat.

If you want the ultimate in high tech Plancha style flat-plate grilling…you need an EVO!

In the second half I’ll be talking to Bob Shingler, president of EVO America  www.evoamerica.com

The EVO Professional Classic

Evo products are found in the homes of foodie consumers who enjoy healthy cooking with family and friends, and with professional chefs at leading hotels, resorts and clubs where live-action display cooking is used to serve and entertain a dining audience. Evo manufacturers a full line of residential and commercial cooking appliances in both gas and electric for indoor and outdoor use. Evo appliances are recognized for their cooking versatility, their design and construction, and above all else, for creating a social space around fresh prepared food.

I have an EVO and it is the most versatile, well designed and constructed cooking device I own…I love this thing!

Learn more about EVO at The Kitchen Place
Piccadilly Square at Rock Road and Central 

Good Life Guy’s Wine of The Week:
A Killer Rioja Red Wine from Spain – 2007 Viña Eguía Reserva

This wine is a bright, ruby red color, with brick red hints. The aromas are intense and complex, with vanilla, spiced and aromatic herbs perfectly blended with mature red fruit. The mouth shows very balanced, fine, elegant and rounded structure. It has a long, very pleasing finish.  Ideal for all types of grilled and roasted meats, especially Spanish style food prepared on an EVO or Plancha.

“A sensational deal can be had with this wine, which opens with crusty berry aromas before shifting to cola, lemon peel and licorice. Tight and structured on the palate, with cherry, plum, vanilla and spice flavors. Harmonious and smooth; integrated and just rich enough. Drink now through 2013. Editors’ Choice”

92 Points – Wine Enthusiast  

Pickup a bottle at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road!

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June 16 – LIVE from The Aspen Food & Wine Classic

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Guy

LIVE from Aspen and the 30th Anniversary of the Food & Wine Classic!

I haven’t missed this great event for the past 25 years and look forward to telling you all about this big Anniversary year event.  Without a doubt the most prestigious wine event in the country featuring stellar wines, exceptional food and a list of some of the biggest names in the food and wine business.

I’ll be talking to one of my favorite California family winemakers and good friend Gina Gallo.  Gina followed the footsteps of her grandfather Julio Gallo to find her calling as winemaker for Gallo Family Vineyards Sonoma Reserve. Today she creates award-winning wines from grapes grown by her brother Matt Gallo.

Gina & Good Life Guy

For Gina, a career in winemaking was inevitable. During high school she worked summers at E. & J. Gallo Winery, and after college she joined the company full time in the sales department.  She was drawn to the creative process of making wine, and years later she began studying at the acclaimed Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California, Davis. At the Winery, she apprenticed under 30-year veteran Marcello Monticelli.

In September of 2009 Gina married Jean-Charles Boisset.   Gallo and Boisset are powerful figures in two of the most dynamic wine families in the world.   18 months after this momentous union, Gina and Jean-Charles celebrated the birth of twin baby girls.

We’ll be talking about the many innovations, new products and wineries added to the portfolio including the recent addition of Washington’s Covey Run and Columbia winery.

Jean Charles Boisset, wife Gina Gallo and Good Life Guy...LIVE broad cast from Aspen Food & Wine Classic

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Gina Gallo’s Signature Series 

Gina's Signature Series Wines

“In our vineyards around Sonoma County, we have these little ‘jewels’, small blocks of vines of different varieties that give us exceptional results. We don’t have enough to make wine for broad release, so we call those “Winemaker’s Signature” wines because they are more personal, what you might call hand-made wines. The signature is our way of expressing that personal touch.” – Gina Gallo

These great wines aren’t here yet but you can be sure we will have some at Jacob Liquor Exchange very soon! – Guy

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Jun 9 – The Wines of BNA Wine Group

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Guy

My guest today is BNA Wine Group winemaker Tony Leonardini.
Tony is partners with Fourth-generation wine and spirits distributor John Hooper and industry sales veteran Gary Carr.

www.bnawinegroup.com 

Led by a trio with roots that stretch from California to Tennessee and through several generations, BNA Wine Group is creating what consumers want today – great wine for a better price.

Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. and adopting our name from the city’s BNA airport moniker, our company has hands-on experience and a keen understanding of both sides of the wine business, and the capital and passion to help our wines take flight.

We bring a fresh approach to the wine industry through an arm’s length perspective. This comes from being headquartered in Tennessee, while maintaining an office and a physical presence in St. Helena, Calif., where we do business and have good relationships with various vineyards and wineries.

“I LOVE FINDING A NEW VINEYARD, CREATING A NEW BLEND AND THEN TAKING IT TO MEET NEW PEOPLE.” -TONY LEONARDINI, WINEMAKER

Tony Leonardini

Tony has built a solid reputation as a winemaker and works with various vineyards to source grapes and then craft our wines.  Like John, Tony also grew up in and worked his way through the industry. His first job was breaking down boxes for a nickel a piece in his family’s San Francisco wine shop. At his family’s winery just north of Oakville, Calif., Tony worked and learned the process from the crush to the bottling line. He made his first bottle of wine in 2000, and his first commercial wine in 2005 — one barrel of Cabernet made with grapes sourced from his backyard. A year later, Tony produced the noteworthy Volunteer Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, named for his other role as a St. Helena volunteer firefighter.

Good Life Guy’s Wines of the Week:
The Killer Portfolio from BNA Wine Group

Head to Jacob Liquor Exchange on Rock Road and get some today!

The Wines of BNA Group

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