Dec 10 – On Champagne!

Posted on December 5, 2022 by Guy

My guest this week is Susan Keevil, LIVE from the UK with her new book On Champagne: A tapestry of tales to celebrate the greatest sparkling wine of all. This great book is from the Academie du Vin Library, (https://academieduvinlibrary.com) a great source for exceptional wine writing! 

In On Champagne the thoughts, opinions and conclusions of the world’s finest champagne writers gather to reveal this wine’s action-packed trajectory from the myth of its accidental discovery – not in France, we find, but in the cider cellars of England – to the development of a high-tech champagne fit for space travel. It’s a journey that starts and ends with capturing that sparkle in a bottle and along the way beguiles us with the nuances of its chalky terrain, the determination of rebels from Ambonnay to Avize, and the mystery of a champagne cellar under the sea. We meet the pioneers who created the great champagnes of the past and the personalities who are ‘greening’ this landscape, nurturing it through climate change to shape the exquisite champagnes of the future.

  • Get set, go! The revolutionary growers who stood up to the grandes marques and won!
  • A Menace to Society… the hazards of serving this most explosive of drinks
  • With or without bubbles? Champagne physicist Gérard Liger-Belair explains how bubbles make this wine better
  • Flutes or Coupes? Magnums or Jeroboams? The perfect glass and the best bottle size revealed
  • Champagne and the future: which vintages and styles will we drink next?
  • Homage to the Widow: we meet the women (past and present) who transform champagne
  • Includes: Moët & Chandon, Krug, Bollinger’s ‘Vieilles Vignes Françaises’, Pol Roger, Dom Pérignon, Domaine Ruinart, Roederer, Veuve Clicquot and more…
  • Contributions from top champagne writers: Tom Stevenson, Essi Avellan MW, Hugh Johnson, Serena Sutcliffe MW, Peter Liem, Tyson Stelzer and Robert Walters – with the ‘modern era’ welcomed in by Evelyn Waugh

Get a copy NOW!

Champagne is never a simple glass of fizz… As soon as the cork flies, the first sip reveals a wine of fascinating complexity. For even the most modest non-vintage cuvée, a bevy of blending decisions, multi layers of history and the incalculable climate of this northern corner of France all come into play.

Susan Keevil started her life in wine as a ‘cellar rat’ cooling Chardonnays in Australia’s Hunter Valley, none of which prepared her for the world of book publishing back in the UK where she honed her wine knowledge working with Hugh Johnson on six editions of his international best-seller, the Pocket Wine Book. Susan then landed her dream job as editor of Decanter magazine (the path to many worldwide wine adventures) and later became author of the Which? Guide to Wine as well as a regular magazine columnist and contributor. The launch of the Académie du Vin Library in 2019 saw a return to specialist wine books for which Susan is a writer and editor-in-chief.

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Wine of the Week: NV Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut
Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut epitomizes the heritage of Maison Perrier-Jouët. Perpetuating the House’s tradition of brut champagnes, it is a vibrant, stylish cuvée in which the elegance of Chardonnay (20%) is perfectly complemented by Champagne’s two red grape varieties, Pinot Noir (40%) and Meunier (40%). Though crisp and light, it combines freshness with a lingeringly rich, generous finish, preserving its distinctive balance and harmony to the very end.

The Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut is delicate, elegant, and balanced. The striking freshness and vivacity of the floral and fruity fragrances (yellow fruits and fresh fruits) take root, before giving way to subtle notes of vanilla and butter, lending the wine a fruity and consistent character.

The notes of cherry plum, lemon, and bergamot orange emerge first, then make way for the flowers of fruit trees, such as lime and honeysuckle. These are followed by notes of butter, madeleine cakes, and vanilla sugar. Lingering notes of grapefruit, white peaches, green pears, apple trees, and green hazelnuts round off the taste. ABV12%

WS90 Wine Spectator
Lemon oil, smoke and thyme aromatics lace the poached pear, toasted brioche and dried apricot flavors in this balanced Champagne, with crunchy mousse and a creamy finish. Drink now.
WE90 Wine Enthusiast
With a high proportion of the two Pinots in the blend, this cuvée is a ripe and floral Champagne. This bottling has some age which has produced a touch of toast to add to the crisp, dry texture. It’s an attractive, fruity and mature Champagne, ready to drink now.
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Dec 3 – Beef…it’s what’s for Dinner

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Guy

This show is all about BEEF, it is after all “What’s for Dinner!”  

First up is Flint Hills cattle rancher Arlan Stackley and his son David.  The Stackley’s have been raising cattle for many years and have been innovators who are dedicated to sending the finest cattle to market.  While the independent rancher numbers are fewer than in the past, here in Kansas it’s still great to find family farmers raising the bar on raising cattle.

I had the pleasure of meeting Arlan at the Butler Community College Donors Dinner last month and we probably should have been scolded for talking so much during the presentations.  Mr. Stackly is an interesting man with some great stories and I look forward to sharing his story with you.

Later in the show we’ll keep the BEEF theme and talk to Justin Everhart of Sig’s Gourmet Meats in Derby.  I met Justin’s Dad, Sig, in the early 90’s at Picadilly Market and Grill where he was the master of the Gourmet meat counter.  Always with a smile and always helpful, I learned a lot from Sig Everhart!  He was more than a talented butcher, he always had recipe suggestions and tips on seasoning and preparing the top quality meats he sold.

After leaving Piccadilly Sig opened Sig’s Gourmet Meat in Derby in the former Pizza Hut building at the South end of town off K-15 at 300 South Baltimore Avenue. Family owned and operated for over four generations, they proudly provide farm fresh quality pork and poultry, premium choice Angus beef, and more. At Sig’s, their choice Angus beef is aged to perfection. They allow their beef to age longer, providing a richer more satisfying taste and tenderness.

The meat from Sig’s is leaner, has less waste and healthier for your family. Your dollar goes further at Sig’s because you’re paying only for quality cut meat, not the undesirables. You can also get helpful advice on everything from preparation, special rubs and sauces, to the correct way to achieve a rich and smoky flavor. Follow Sig’s on Facebook.

A family owned & operated Old Fashion Butcher Shop offering a great selection of premium meats hand cut and ready for your kitchen or grill.  For special orders and requests call 316 788-9494.  Open Monday thru Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Justin and wife Ann continue Sig’s legacy!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week: Something Fun and tasty to go with BEEF 🙂
2018 Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Rich aromas of ripe black cherry, Mission fig, and dark chocolate mingle with a spice box of clove and nutmeg. The palate is filled with flavors of juicy blackberry and boysenberry that are enveloped in silky tannins, showing complexity beyond its years. Enticing flavors of fresh vanilla bean and hazelnut carry through a velvety richness that lingers on the finish. Enjoy now after decanting for 45 minutes or cellar through 2038.  Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec ABV13.6%

Critical Acclaim
WW92  Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2018 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon is focused, stylish, and lovely from start to finish. The wine’s soft yet persistent tannins give it a good elevation on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of red and blue fruits. Its berry nuances are balanced nicely with suggestions of subtle oak. Pair it with slow-roasted garlic and rosemary-infused leg of lamb. (Tasted; September 3, 2022, San Francisco, CA)

WE90 Wine Enthusiast
Blending in 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, this elegant wine displays the great conditions of the vintage, allowing blackberry fruit, fig, cedar and a note of dark chocolate to mingle over a medium-bodied palate of refined tannin and oak.
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Nov 28 – David Coors & Five Trail Whiskey

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Guy

My guest this week is David Coors…yes, that Coors!  We won’t be talking about beer that much, but we will talk about the family history, the brewery but more importantly the latest venture; “The Coors Whiskey Company.” Had a chance to meet David Coors here in Wichita a few weeks ago and to taste Five Trail Whiskey, their new Blended American Whiskey.

An Intentional Blend — Purposefully made and intentionally sourced, Five Trail is a perfectly balanced and elegant blended American whiskey.

Coors gathered a uniquely talented team of whiskey experts, distillers, and brewers with the intent to craft an exceptional and unprecedented blend of four distinct whiskies, proofed with pure Rocky Mountain water. The result is a true American blended whiskey, proving the adage that the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts.

From utilizing Coors malt made in Golden, Colorado from local barley, to partnering with the renowned Bardstown Bourbon Company, to
meticulously perfecting every aspect of our blending process, we’ve honed each step of the production of Five Trail. We believe that quality is determined in the details, which is why we’ve pulled out all the stops to ensure the whiskey that you pour into your glass meets our high expectations and is exactly as we intended it to be.

Gallery Grid bafckground

Five Trail is a blended whiskey, meaning that because Coors does not have its own distillery, the company purchased several already-made liquors that it mixed together to create an original flavor profile. The blend is 45% wheated bourbon from Indiana; 35% four-grain bourbon from Kentucky; 15% Colorado single malt distilled from Coors’ own barley; and 5% 13-year-old bourbon from Kentucky.

There are four Five Trail blends; Flagship Blend (featured below), Barrel Proof, Cask Finished, and Small Batch.

Five Trail Flagship Blend
This whiskey has a wonderful nose with caramel, vanilla toasted oak.  It’s soft and semi-sweet on the palate with toffee, brown sugar and a balanced barrel tinged lingering finish with hints of maple syrup warmth.

Relatively new to Kansas but available to any retail spirits store!
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Learn more about Five Trail Whiskey here!
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Nov 19 – Chef Tom talkin’ Turkey

Posted on November 13, 2022 by Guy

Another FUN and informative show this week…

First up is Mary Beth Jarvis to talk about a splendid Bourbon NXTUS auction for a collecint of 19 primo bottles of Bourbon.  This entrepreneurship support organization, called NXTUS, is currently running a nationwide raffle as a fundraiser for our programs serving innovators and entrepreneurs trying to grow new companies in Wichita and around the state. We scoured the country for rare bottles and hard-to-complete collections, and ticket sales are starting to get hot. It’s $100 per chance to win the 19-bottle collection, worth $15,000. (See: nxtus.io/bourbon) We can take someone from bourbon-curious to legit collector in one fell swoop! Or, they could become a gifting hero to the whiskey lovers in their life, for this holiday season and beyond! 😊

Then it’s all about your Thanksgiving Turkey and the many ways you can be a real “Turkey Hero!”  Chef Tom Jackson from All Things Barbeque joins us to talk about the many different ways you can bring an award winning turkey to the holiday table.  Brining, Smoking, spatchcocking, grilling and the many accessories, seasonings and special products available at www.atbbq.com

Chef Tom Jackson is a Kansas native, born and raised in Wichita. In 2008 he and his wife moved to Portland, Oregon where he attended Oregon Culinary Institute. Tom studied both general culinary skills as well as baking and pastry while working as a cook in a variety of restaurants. After graduating from Oregon Culinary Institute he began working as a bread baker and pastry chef at the renowned Ken’s Artisan Bakery in Northwest Portland. He spent more than four years honing his skills under James Beard Award-winning chef and owner Ken Forkish.

In that time he and his wife had their first child, and the draw of home and family grew stronger. Longtime friends of the Cary family, owners of All Things Barbecue, they returned to Kansas to help All Things Barbecue continue to excel in their cooking classes. Tom has been further developing and building cooking classes and private events at All Things Barbecue since March 2014.

Time permitting, Chef and Cookbook Author Mareya Ibrahim joins us to talk about her new book and the many healthy ways to add PUMPKIN to your holiday entertaining menu. 

Fall is here and with it, the return of the mighty pumpkin. Pumpkin is known to have many health benefits, such as being rich in fiber, low in calories, full of antioxidants and helps to regulate blood sugar.  What you cook with it however, can make all the difference! Gone are the days when pumpkin pie was the only food you could make with pumpkin.

Mareya Ibrahim, the Fit Foodie, a TV chef, nutrition coach and author of “Eat Like You Give a Fork: The Real Dish on Eating to Thrive,” prefers a ‘clean’ approach to cooking with pumpkin – recipes that avoid refined and processed foods, artificial ingredients, as well as being dairy and gluten free.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut
Created from more than 100 different wines of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meniere grapes, fermented and then finished in the traditional method of Champagne.  Vibrant and generous with a sparkling nose; and the tangy intensity of green apple and citrus fruit. It has the freshness of mineral nuances and white flowers; in addition to the elegance of blond mature notes: brioche, cereals, and fresh nuts. A palate combining generosity and subtlety. The delicious generosity of white fruits (pear, peach, apple). The alluring caress of fine bubbles. The soft vivacity of citrus fruit and gooseberry nuances. ABV11% SJ93 WS90 WE90

 

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Nov 12 – Rodney Strong Wines

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Guy

This will be FUN!  It’s all about Rodney Strong Vineyards with two good friends; Chris O’Gorman, Director of Communications and Justin Seidenfeld, Senior VP of Winemaker.

Chris O’Gorman and I go way back, we have judged at several wine competitions together and I have visited him at the many other wineries where his made an impact. He has really made a difference at Rodney Strong and continues to lead in every aspect of media relations, public relations and communications.  Chris and I will be talking all about the history and success of Rodney Strong Vineyards, the other labels that are part of the portfolio, the legacy Mr. Strong left behind and what the future holds for this dynamic premium winery in Sonoma.

Justin Seidenfeld serves as Winemaker for Rodney Strong Vineyards, the iconic Sonoma County Winery that was founded in 1959 by namesake Rod Strong. Justin’s winemaking career began in Sebastopol, California, where he was an intern at Iron Horse winery in 2005. He quickly rose from cellar hand to taking on winemaking responsibilities which led to a position in 2006 at the venerable Robert Mondavi Winery in the Napa Valley.

As a harvest enologist at Mondavi, Seidenfeld walked some of California’s premiere vineyards and gained a comprehensive understanding of quality land and viticulture. Continuing on to become an enologist, he took that experience into winemaking and supervised the winemaking of Estancia, Clos du Bois, Simi, and others within the Constellation portfolio. Additional responsibilities included overseeing small lot Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir winemaking. Justin graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2006 with a B.S. in Viticulture & Enology.

It will be great FUN talking about the vineyards and wines of Rodney Strong.  The portfolio covers most every range and exceptional growing regions where grapes are sourced.

We’ll also be given you info about the American Institute of Wine & Food, Wichita Chapter’s Holiday Dinner where you will have the opportunity to meet Chris and Justin as our guest hosts for the Rodney Strong dinner celebration December 2nd. The event is at the recently opened Hilton Garden Inn at 401 E Douglas Ave, Wichita.  Details posted soon at www.aiwfwichita.org

Good Life Guy’s Wines of the week:
The 2019 Rodney Strong Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
This Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon is rich with dark cherry, plum and baking spices. The delicious fruit is accompanied by black pepper notes, crushed violet and cassis. The palate has medium tannins, lingering spicy oak flavors with a velvety lush finish. Enjoy this Cabernet Sauvignon now with a grilled steak, rack of lamb or grilled winter vegetables. 100% Cabernet aged 16 months in French and American oak (20% new). ABV14.5%

Also have a couple of surprise wines too!  🙂

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