July 16 – WTSO & Great Vodka

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Guy

Like Wine?  Have you heard of Wines Till Sold Out or WTSO?  You need to!  Tune in this Saturday, I’ll be talking to WTSO CEO Joe Arking and we will tell you everything you need to know about this nifty wine buying web site.  It’s easy, it’s fun, there are some great deals and they ship to Kansas.

WTSO.com is an online store that focuses on selling wine at 30%-70% off store and internet site prices. It started as an in-store department of the parent company that will remain nameless so we can continue to get these great wines at ridiculous prices and pass them on to you!  One wine at a time, Fine Wines, Great Prices…

www.winestillsoldout.com

In the second half I’ll be talking to Kevin Egan, Brand Manager for Blue Ice Vodka about this stellar product and what you can do with it to beat the heat of summer!  www.blueicevodka.com

21st Century Spirits started its first offering with the creation  of Blue Ice Vodka, America’s finest potato vodka from–Idaho–home to the luscious Russet Burbank Potato. Idaho is the  true birthplace of Blue Ice Vodka; it is where the people  behind the brand come from and live, where the natural  ingredients are sourced and where the product is made.

Since then, 21st Century Spirits mission has been to create  a family of spirits that are carefully selected to represent the  best offering available in its category. Bolstering a consistent  stream of innovative products such as Blue Ice Organic  Wheat vodka, 21st Century Spirits is sure to continue as one  of America’s premier spirits providers for centuries to come.

Also talking to Kevin Egan from Make-A-Wish about a cool event on Saturday July 30th from 6-9p.m. at Grace Hill Winery.  www.gracehillwinery.com/uncorkawish

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2009 Napa Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay  www.napacellars.com

The fruit for our 2009 Napa Cellars Chardonnay was sourced from select vineyards in prime Chardonnay locations including South Napa, Oakville and Atlas Peak. The cool weather influences in the southern part of the valley enabled an extended growing season resulting in wonderful bright fruit flavors and crisp acidity while the milder climate of Oakville allowed the fruit to develop rich, ripe, classic Chardonnay characteristics.  Tantalizing aromas of vanilla, white peach and shortbread integrate seamlessly into luscious flavors of crème brulèe, pear cobbler and toasted marshmallow. This creamy Chardonnay is soft up-front while nuances of green apple and lemon custard linger on the balanced finish.

Pick up a bottle at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road and join us…

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July 9 – Four Roses: The Return of a Whiskey Legend

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Guy

My guest is Four Roses Brand Ambassador Al Young, we’ll be talking about “Four Roses: The Return of a Whiskey Legend.”

As with the story of just about any American icon, the legendary story of the highly acclaimed, award-winning Four Roses brand is filled with folklore and adventure, family feuds and romance, with a cast of colorful characters any fiction writer would die for. A father and son enamored of the Southern cause during the American Civil War; another son, a Confederate Colonel, who dies defending Atlanta; and his sons who would successfully turn the family business into one of the last family-owned whiskey brands in the United States; a whiskey magnate from Canada who would alter the brand’s composition within the United States and drive it to be a “bottom shelf” brand; and, finally, a passionate and determined master distiller who would never give in until Four Roses regained the prominence it once had with the American public.

Historian and Four Roses brand ambassador Al Young puts his storytelling talents to good use in this masterfully told history of what was once the most popular and best-selling bourbon in America, a brand so revered that it took its rightful place at the top of Times Square in New York, along with other beloved brands such as Coke and General Electric.

It is a story of this international brand’s humble beginnings, and perhaps the startling truth behind how the brand actually got its name — contrary to legend; how the label was almost driven out of existence in the United States just a few decades ago; and how it rose from the ashes to its current place and stature in the world, which includes such countries as Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and, of course, once again the United States.

If the Four Roses story is familiar to you, you will find this book a fascinating and long overdue journey with a trusted old friend. But if this is your first taste of the brand and its history, you might want to pour yourself a sip or two, relax and get ready to savor every moment.

Join us as we taste and talk about some of the great Blourbons from Four Roses, including the Yellow Label available at Jocob Liquor Exchange.

 

 

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July 2 – Homemade Ice Cream, Starmont Chardonnay

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Guy

So, today is my birthday!  With that in mind, we are going to talk about one of my favorite major food groups…ICE CREAM

My guest is Jeni Britton Bauer with her new book “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home – More than 100 Addictively good artisanal Recipes.”
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home is the essential resource for making smooth, scoopable ice creams, yogurts, and sorbets in your own kitchen. The cookbook includes more than 100 of Jeni’s signature recipes — from Salty Caramel to Queen City Cayenne — along with color photographs and helpful tips on ingredients and techniques. Jeni tested every recipe in the book with a Cuisinart ice cream maker to ensure that they are foolproof for the average cook and home kitchen.

Check out www.jenisicecreams.com Click here to get a copy!

ABOUT JENI BRITTON BAUER

Jeni Britton Bauer and her husband, Charly Bauer, founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002. There are currently seven stores in Columbus, Ohio, and one scheduled to open in Cleveland in 2011. The ice cream is also available in fine restaurants and stores throughout the country, and via mail order. Devotees who scan Jeni’s Web site, blog, Facebook, and Twitter feed daily cause a veritable run on new flavors. Jeni and her ice cream have been featured in The New York Times, Bon Appetit, The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Departures, and The Atlantic, among others.

Starmont winemaker Sean Foster joins us in the second half to talk about the winery, vineyards and the stunning 2009 Starmont Chardonnay…this week’s featured wine.  Pick up a bottle at Jacob liquor Exchange and join us for a live tasting with the winemaker 🙂

 

The Good Life Guy Wine of the Week:
2009 Starmont Chardonnay
The fruit for Starmont Chardonnay is grown in our favorite cooler areas of the Napa Valley, including Oak Knoll District and Carneros, where the maritime influence keeps the focus on crisp, vibrant fruit. The fruit was carefully sorted and whole cluster pressed to preserve freshness. The light oak treatment gives a round mouth feel and improved complexity, while highlighting the fruit driven focus of the wine.  The wine shows intense aromas of mandarin orange, fresh pear, melon, apple butter, spice and honey. The mouthfeel is soft, round and fleshy with a long layered finish.

BEST NEW WORLD CHARDONNAY / BEST OF VARIETAL / BEST OF CLASS / PLATINUM MEDAL – Jerry Mead New World International Wine Competition 2011

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June 25 – Jill Hough “Perfect Pairings – Main Dishes”

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Guy

First, I’ll be talking to Jill Silverman Hough about her latest book in the 100 Perfect Pairings series “Main dishes to enjoy with wines you love.”

100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes to Enjoy with Wines You Love helps you prepare main dishes that will perfectly complement the wines of your choice. An ideal resource for both casual dinners and special occasions, this handy book presents 100 main dish recipes that pair deliciously with favorites like Chardonnay (Roast Chicken with Potatoes) and Merlot (Mixed Mushroom Pappardelle), as well as new varietals like Viognier (Lobster Tails with Vanilla Drawn Butter), and Syrah (Rib Eye Steaks with Green Olive Butter).

Organized into 12 chapters (six for white, six for red) and illustrated with 40 lush color photos, 100 Perfect Pairings makes it easy to match a variety of main dishes with your favorite wines.

  • Features 100 tempting recipes to suit many occasions from weekday dinners to celebration brunches.
  • Offers simple pairing guidelines for white wines from Sauvignon Blanc to Gewürztraminer and red wines from Rosé to Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • Packaged in a small format that’s great for gift-giving and for taking with you when you shop for food and wine

Whether pairing with a white or red wine, these 100 delicious recipes offer exciting options that will make every meal an occasion to remember.

Then I’ll be talking to Andy Titus from Mid-Western Meat Processing and Equipment Supplies about a great line of seasonings that I had the chance to taste at Johnsons’s Garden Center on West 13th.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of The Week:
2009 STRUB Riesling Kabinett Niersteiner Bruckchen

The name of this wine is a mouthful but don’t let that stop you from enjoying this excellent Terry Theise selection. The Niersteiner Brückchen vineyard is part of the Rheinhessen region located at the crook of the Rhine River between the Nahe and the Pfalz. While the Rheinhessen used to be known primarily for Liebfraumilch, Terry Theise is now calling it “Germany’s most interesting wine region.” Strub’s 2009 Riesling Kabinett is a well balanced wine with a pleasantly mild sweetness. It has notes of apricots, citrus, herbs and a distinct minerality which is true to the Rheinhessen. It pairs perfectly with Thai food (my favorite is Thai Green Curry) because the refreshing sweetness and acidity cut through the spice. The 2009 Strub Riesling Kabinett Niersteiner Brückchen is delicious, and I think you’ll love it, even if it is a mouthful to say. – “The Living Grape”

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June 18 – LIVE from Aspen

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Guy

For 28 years, the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen has been the premier culinary and wine event of its kind. Each June, FOOD & WINE magazine hosts 5,000 highly targeted consumers, members of the restaurant industry and press in Aspen. The three-day weekend brings FOOD & WINE to life with cooking demonstrations and wine tastings. Seminars led by wine and food superstars such as Mario Batali, José Andrés, Jacques Pépin, Gail Simmons, and Joshua Wesson provide a world-class experience. 

I’ll be chatting with  Viña Carmen head winemaker Sebastian Labbe.
Carmen, the oldest of the Chilean wine brands, was founded in 1850 by Christian Lanz, who named it in honor of his wife. The Claro family acquired the brand in 1985 and began the process of transforming it into a world-class winery. A new winery was completed in 1992, located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, just one hour from Chile’s capital city of Santiago. Today, the winery seamlessly blends state-of-the-art technology with traditional winemaking processes.

The Carmen team firmly believes in terroir and is continually reevaluating regions and plantings in a quest to produce super premium wines that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s finest. Carmen’s vineyards are located throughout Chile’s prestigious Central Valley in the premium growing regions of Maipo, Casablanca, Apalta, Rapel and Maule.

Carmen takes pride in its pioneering history. Carmen was the first winery in Chile to cultivate grapes organically (released under the Nativa label) and the first winery to identify and cultivate Carmenère, a variety that originated in Bordeaux but is no longer largely cultivated in France.

Plastics Make it PossibleIn the second half I’ll be talking to Steve Russell about some of the new and innovative plastic items to make indoor or outdoor entertaining great fun.   From wine stemware, food storage containers, even plastic wine bottles, there are some great products that are eco-friendly, durable and of course; recycleable!
Learn more at www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com

Don’t forget…Jeff Bramwell’s new book VinoBurger is available at Jacob Liquor Exchange and you can try one of his burgers (thanks to Chef Jamie Stratton) when you buy a book from the Cigar Chateau at Jacob’s on N. Rock Road this Saturday June 18.  VinoBurger is also available at Watermark books. 

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2005 Carmen Reserve Syrah
Carmen Reserve Syrah 2005Dark red cherry color. Stony, minerality, full of jammy black cherries. Ripe fruit notes blended with eucalyptus. Very rich, concentrated, soft and velvety. You can feel the smoky and tobacco notes along with black cherry fruits, prunes and dark chocolate aromas that opens to violets. All of this framed by mocha and spicy aromas. Live acidity and nice tannins.

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