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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June 2 – Coppola Winemaker Corey Beck

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Guy

This week it’s all about Francis Ford Coppola’s journey in wine and some of the great products being produced.  Who better to talk about the winery than winemaker Corey Beck.  www.franciscoppolawinery.com

“Harvest is not only about turning grapes into wine, but it’s a reflection of Mother nature’s work throughout the growing season.” –Corey Beck

Corey Beck

Corey Beck began his career in viticulture quite by accident as a teen, tagging alongside his grandfather who was, in those years, the vineyard manager for Napa Valley’s renowned Chateau Montelena. Born and raised in Calistoga, Corey spent summer vacations working in the vineyards learning how to cultivate grapes.

Upon earning his degree in Fermentation Science from the University of California at Davis, Corey returned to Napa Valley to work at Chateau Montelena as their Cabernet Sauvignon Cellar Master, working with grapes his grandfather had planted two decades earlier. Wanting to broaden his repertoire and work with other varietals as well, Corey joined Rubicon Estate (formerly Niebaum-Coppola) in 1998 as their assistant winemaker.

In 2006, the Coppola family purchased property in Sonoma and made Corey Director of Winemaking and General Manager of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Corey now oversees seven wine brands including Diamond Collection, Rosso & Bianco, Sofia, FC Reserve, Votre Santé, plus Director’s and Director’s Cut, which are the two brands that express Corey’s own personal vision for Sonoma County wines.

We’ll be talking about Corey’s Journey in wine, all there is to do at this show-place winery, the vineyards, the many products produced and then focus on the Diamond Collection.

Good Life Guy’s Wines of The Week:
The Coppola Diamond Collection  

The wines of the Diamond Collection are made from grapes grown in vineyards across California, from coastal regions to inland valleys. By carefully combining fruit selections with precise winemaking techniques, we are able to capture pure expressions of each varietal.

With twelve single varietals and two distinctive blends, the Francis Coppola Diamond Collection wines are so beautifully diverse, there is one to fit any setting and every wine-drinking occasion.

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May 26 – Confectioner’s Art, Apothic White Wine

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Guy

One of the most amazing books ever published about using sugar to make amazing art.  The Art of The Confectioner – Sugarwork and Pastillage by my guest Ewald Notter.  This is a gorgeous professional-level guide to the most challenging form of the confectioner’s art

A showpiece created entirely from sugar is truly a work of art, and it takes an eye for design and strong pastry skills to work with this delicate medium. The Art of the Confectioner is the ultimate guide to working with sugar to create beautiful sugar and pastillage shapes, flowers, figurines, and breathtaking full-scale showpieces. Author and award-winning pastry chef Ewald Notter shares wisdom gained from more than 35 years in the pastry kitchen, and combines straightforward advice and step-by-step instructions with lessons on developing artistry and design skills.

The book begins with a basic overview of sugar, including information on the equipment and ingredients needed to work with sugar and Isomalt. Subsequent chapters cover Pastillage, Sugar Casting, Sugar Pulling, Sugar Blowing, and New Trends in Sugarwork, and include detailed instructions on how to make everything from delicate flowers to whimsical blown sugar figurines. And the final chapter shows how readers can bring together all the skills learned throughout the book to create award-winning sugar and pastillage showpieces. From working with shapes and color and choosing a focus point to developing a sculpture based on a particular theme, Notter provides insights into all the tricks of the trade and expert advice on preparing for competitions.

Throughout the book, techniques are explained with simple, step-by-step instructions and illustrated with clear how-to photos, while stunning showpiece beauty shots provide inspiration. The book includes hundreds of color photos as well as beautiful hand-painted watercolor illustrations by the author, and an Appendix of templates is provided to help readers replicate the showpieces shown throughout the book. For pastry students, aspiring confectioners, and professional pastry chefs looking to improve their skills for restaurant work or competition, The Art of the Confectioner is a must-have guide from one of the field’s most well-known experts.

Chef Damian Lehman

Joining me in the second half is local Chef Damian Lehman from the Wichita Country Club.  Damian is not only one of Wichita’s finest Chefs, his email address “sirsugarman” says more than you might think.  If you have seen any of his sugar work, you know what I mean.  He is an artist and is able to turn sugar in to some amazing forms.

I’ll be talking to Damian about his Sugarwork and giving you some insight in to this guy who has been a big part of the Wichita food scene for many years now.
Lance Chastain joins us for a brief chat about magic blueberries from his Chautauqua Hills Farm in Southeastern Kansas.   The early spring has ripe fruit ready for market well ahead of schedule. 🙂  Learn more at: www.chautauquahillsfarm.com


Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
201 Apothic White Wine 

This latest release brings tropical aromas and flavors together with hints of spice, creating an enchanting white blend.  Apothic White is an approachable blend that combines Chardonnay, Riesling and Moscato to create a luscious, vibrant wine in the bold style of Apothic. Intense flavors of peach, pineapple, honey and vanilla spice make this smooth white blend unforgettable.

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The Global Kitchen & Splendid Chinon

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Guy

Recipes Without Borders is the topic, my guest is Jeffrey Saad with his new book Global Kitchen!

FLAVORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. NO PASSPORT REQUIRED 

Cilantro and chili peppers are Mexican royalty. Oregano and basil have defined Italian foods for centuries. And nothing recalls the tastes of India more than cumin and coriander. Anything from a plain chicken breast to a fresh-from-the-ocean fillet can be transformed into dozens of different ethnic dishes, and chef Jeffrey Saad is just the person to show you how.

In his cookbook debut, Saad—restaurateur and star of the Cooking Channel’s United Tastes of America—takes you on an international tour to celebrate and savor the flavors of the globe without ever leaving your kitchen.  Journeying through popular culinary hotspots from France, Italy, and Spain to India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, Saad breaks down the core spices that define each region’s cuisine and showcases scrumptious recipes inspired by these global palates.

Written with Saad’s showstopping passion for food and seasoned with helpful sidebars and cooking essentials, this easy-to-use recipe guide is a melting pot of culinary wisdom. Whether you like savory or sweet, keeping it mild or kicking up the heat, Jeffrey Saad’s Global Kitchen shows you how to eat globally and cook locally with gourmet-quality results. Learn about Jeffery at www.jeffreysaad.com

Watch this video of Jeffery talking about Global Kitchen – Recipes Without Borders

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2008 Les Pensées de Pallus – Chinon
Image 1100% Cabernet Franc; Chinon Pensées de Pallus – the estate’s second wine – smells of fresh blackberry and mulberry, raw walnut, incense, wild fennel, and smoked meat. Like a dense yet vibrant and refreshing mingling of fresh dark berry juices, burley tobacco, and savory fennel seed- and black pepper-laced sausage, this fills and invigorates the palate, finishing with tart notes of berry skin and faintly bitter hints of nut husk and artichoke.

WA89

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