A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle Wine Podcast

GNGNB Ep 41: Bennett Lane Winery

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:48:00 -0800

In this episode of a guy, a girl, and a bottle we visit the Bennett Lane winery (www.bennettlane.com), which is located on the north end of Napa Valley off Hwy 128, just past Hwy 29 in Calistoga. The property of this winery is incredible, and the view of the surrounding mountains is amazing, there is also a few picnic tables for you to grab a bottle and kick back and enjoy the view of the vineyard. On our visit we did something that was quite unique, we were able to blend our own bottle of wine! (This occurred under guidance of Rob Hunter, Bennett Lanes' resident winemaker) and this is an experience that is available to the public in small groups, check their website for the Bennett Lane Custom Blend Experience. It was a lot of fun, but since we are not wine makers, only wine drinkers, we were worried that we would blend up some kind of swill. Check out the podcast to hear what happens, and to see if we are going to drop the podcasting gig and become wine makers ourselves.

In addition to our wine blending experience we tasted some amazing wines, two of which are their signature wines. The Maximus and the Primus Reserve Cabernet, both were amazing wines. Randy Lynch not only is the owner of a great winery, but he also is the only winery in Napa Valley to own a NASCAR race team. You can check out more about the team and follow them as they compete on the NASCAR West Circuit.

The song for this episode is by Natalie Gelman and the song is Never Had You. Don’t forget, if you like this song drop the artist a line and let them know what you think and tell them you heard them on A Guy, A Girl, and a Bottle wine podcast!

Lastly, we'd like to say a special thanks to our sponsors for this episode Hamilton Beach. Check out the latest line of electric mixers, just in time for the holidays!

3340 Hwy 128 Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-6684
View Larger Map

Cheers!
Joe and Pam

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GNGNB: Video Promo

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:48:12 -0700

Hey there Guys and Girls! After a long summer break, we are happy to let you know that we are back behind the microphone, and in the vineyards! We really apologize for the long delay, but work was getting quite hectic, and The Guy thought that he lost a bunch of already recorded episodes. As it turns out, The Guy secured himself a new job with less hours, which means more podcasting coming your way! In addition, the recordings that we thought we lost have been found safe and sound. Woot!

Upcoming from these 'Lost Episodes' are interviews from the Benzinger Winery, an Eco-tour from the Kunde Estate, a trip to Clear Lake to visit Shannon Ridge (recently voted one of the top 10 hottest small brands in wines), and so much more. We'll even be throwing in some videos for you in the coming weeks and months ahead. Keep those headphones on and your subscriptions up to date cuz The Guy and The Girl are back! Cheers! The Guy and Girl

GNGNB40 - Wine Blogging Wednesday #31 - Alternative Wine Packaging

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 02:44:45 -0700

Hey there guys and girls, here we go again! Wine Blogging Wednesday! This month's contest is alternative wine packaging. For most people that means boxed wine. In fact, the Boxed-Wine-Guy is hosting this months' event (Thanks Roger!) but Pam & I are not your average wine drinkers. Nope, not us. We have to be different. We went out and found some wine in a can. With a straw. The horror! Although it is wine, technically speaking it is sparkling wine in a can, and comes to us from Francis Ford Coppola and the wine is his daughter's namesake, Sofia. The Sofia Mini comes in a package of four cans, neatly packaged in a hexagonal box, and retails for about $12.99. Following the hip trendy set, you can also find the cans for purchase at your local disco. We wonder out loud if Karen and Karla from the Rumor Girls are listening as this seems like a product right up their alley. Listen now as we give you are impressions of this marketers dream product. Have you tried Sofia? Let us know! Give us your thoughts on the wine-in-a-can concept.

Music by Bloom - Falling.

A Guy and a Girl
Comment Line - 408-627-7796
Skype - Aguyandgirl

SPONSORS: Sponsorship provided by Folgers. Get your free gourmet samples at www.folgers.com/podshow

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GNGNB EP39: ZAPPed again!

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 02:10:11 -0800

Viva Zinfandel!

A few weeks ago we attended the ZAP Festival (www.zinfandel.org), a.k.a the Zinfadel Advocates & Producers Festival in San Francisco, this festival is completely out of control. To give you an idea of how big this event is, there were approximately 9,000 attendees, 273 wineries, and 550 wines featured, if you were to hit every single one, and even if you didn't actually consume the wine but only swirled the wine in your mouth they still would have to haul you out on a wheel barrow. Oh, yeah, did I mention the 1,500 pounds of cheese?

We really enjoy going the ZAP festival, but it can be a bit overwhelming which is why
it is a good idea to look in the program pick the producers that your intrested in trying and
just go for it (it also helps make the decision process easier if there is a sexy beautiful girl
pouring the wine). If you are planning a trip out to wine country next year and Zinfadel
is a favorite of yours I think you should definatly consider planning it around this 4-day extravaganza
event in late January, you will not be disappointed!

Well, because there was no way Joe and I was able to taste all the wines and talk about it, we decided to change things up a bit on this show and we simply recorded random bits and pieces from the show floor. We hope that you like it, we will return to the regular format for the next show. Of the wines we tried, we picked some of our favorites, such as:

Brown Estate Vineyards - www.brownestate.com (a favorite from last year
Barefoot Cellers - www.barefootwine.com (another favorite from last year and has become a
regular at meal times at the guy and girl family dinners). I love these guys because their
booth was fun, and they knew how to draw a crowd, believe it or not Elvis is apparently
not dead.
Javalina Leap Vineyard & Winery www.javelinaleapwinery.com here is where they
had the beautiful girl pouring the wine but this wine was not just a pretty face it was
down right amazing. If you can get your hands on a bottle, check it out for sure.
Frank Family Vineyards - www.frankfamilyvineyards.com We don't want to say too much
about these guys because they are going to be featured in an upcoming episode, so stay
tuned!

Our Artist featured this week is Black Lab, and the song is Ectasy. You can find more music from
along with other great artists on the Podsafe Music Network http://music.podshow.com.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this episode - special thanks to John from the CorkDork blog (http://corkdork.typepad.com) for spotting some of the great wines and sharing those with us. Check out his blog for full details (he even liked the Adobe Road Zin that we raved about!)

Cheers!

A Guy and a Girl
Comment Line - 408-627-7796
Skype - Aguyandgirl

GNGNB EP38: Wine Blogging Wednesday #30 New World Syrah

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 03:00:19 -0800

We are getting back in the swing of things and after the ZAP festival in San Francisco, we caught with an old friend, Tim Elliot of Winecast who coincidentally is hosting this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday. This month's challenge is much easier than the last time Tim hosted a WBW, and the theme this time around is New World Syrahs. (New World refers to areas that are relatively new to the wine making world. This includes the Americas, as well as New Zeland and Australia.) Our choice is the 2005 Little Penguin Shiraz.

Listen to our podcast, and find out why we disagree on this bottle of wine. If you like the show (or not) take a moment to review our show on iTunes, we'd appreciate it. Sponsorship provided by Folgers. Get your free gourmet samples at www.folgers.com/podshow

The song for this episode is by Matthew Ebel and the song is Drive Away, from the CD Beer and Coffee. Don’t forget, if you like this song drop the artist a line and let them know what you think and tell them you heard them on A Guy, A Girl, and a Bottle wine podcast!

Cheers! -A Guy & a Girl
Check us out at PodShow at www.wine.podshow.com Subscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo!

A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle - EP37: Kaz Winery

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:08:19 -0800

In today’s wine podcast we visit the eclectic and eccentric KAZ winery in Kenwood, California. Kaz is the smallest winery open to the public in all of Sonoma county, and is known, at least in wine circles, for the extremely tasty ports that they produce. Kaz also loves to experiment with blends, so the wine lineup changes quite frequently. Only 2000 cases produced each year, spread out over 12 or so different styles, so you certainly won't be finding these bottles on your friends (or your grocer's) shelf.

Pam and I have enjoyed coming to KAZ over the last few years. If you are looking for a very formal wine experience, please pass KAZ up, cuz you are certainly in the wrong place. If you truly enjoy a wine adventure, don't miss this winery. There is something always going on at KAZ, tour groups, picnics, and of on occasion, the random light saber battle in the tasting room. Richard Kasmier, "Kaz", has been making wine since 1985 and the winery was bonded in 1994. Formally a professional commercial photographer, you can find many of his images adorning the labels of the wines, as well as the food items that Kaz puts together as well. Kaz's wife Sandi hand colors all the photos, and his son Ryan, passes the time photoshopping his father into, well, interesting situations. Check out their website for a sample of the tomfoolery that goes on at this winery.

Don't let the fun stuff distract from the wines, as while the KAZ family enjoys having fun, the wines are top-notch. Ever tasted a white port? Made from Chardonnay, it is one of the more unusual ports that is made for the Bodega Bay Port Works label under which Kaz bottles his all his ports. Very delectable, and even reminds one of cookie dough, if you can believe that. Dog friendly, and just down the street from Sugarloaf state park, bring the whole family for a true California experience. If you are coming in from out of town, and are looking for a place to stay, ask about The Little House located on the Kaz property, kinda gives you an excuse to sample all of the different varieties Kaz has to offer.

Tasting Room is open Fri-Mon, 11am-5pm (or by appointment)
Contact info: Kaz Vineyard & Winery
233 Adobe Canyon Rd. Kenwood, CA 95452
Phone: (877) 833-2536
Fax: (707) 833-1244 w.
http://kazwinery.com/

Google Map

SPECIAL OFFER - Tell them that you heard about the winery on a Podcast and your tasting is FREE (and you might even get a special surprise!)

The song for this episode is by Alden and the song is Snapshot, from the CD of the same name. Don’t forget, if you like this song drop the artist a line and let them know what you think and tell them you heard them on A Guy, A Girl, and a Bottle wine podcast! Buy it here:

We hope that you enjoyed our show, and hope that you listened as we are giving away a signed bottle of their Red Port! You have to listen to the show to find out how to enter the contest, of course.

Let us know what you think. Simply call 408-627-7796 and let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or simply want to provide some comments. If you prefer email, you can drop us a line at guyandgirl ~AT~ gmail.com.
Cheers! -A Guy & a Girl

Check us out at PodShow at www.wine.podshow.com Subscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo! Don't forget!, here are a few codes to save you some wine money next time you have to order some domains:

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GNGNB Ep36: What goes with Wine? Chocolate!

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:39:11 -0800

In today’s podcast we deviate from wine once again, and visited Ariella Toeman at Cocoa Designs . Actually, the pairing of wine and chocolate has been a constant favorite of many, although some claim that not all chocolate pairs well with wine, but in our opinion just like our attitude towards wine, if you like it then go ahead and do it anyway.

Ariella was born in Brazil, raised in Montreal, and is a professional pastry chef who has worked in France, New York, and her former hometown of Montreal. It wasn’t until she met her husband and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she came up with the idea for Cocoa Designs. Her first product, Cocoa Nuts, just like all her other products are all hand made in her one woman commercial kitchen in Burlingame, CA. These little hand made addictive nuts are praline almonds dipped in Venezuelan chocolate covered in cocoa powder and spices. My favorite was the Azteque , which also happens to be one of her best sellers. These praline almonds are roasted dark on the inside and crisp caramel on the outside, then they are covered in dark chocolate and dusted with freshly ground cinnamon, New Mexican chile, and cocoa powder. Eating these reminded me of the Mexican hot chocolate my abuela used to make for me when I was a kid.

Ariella’s products don’t just stop at just Cocoa nuts as she also makes chocolate bars that are filled with Cocoa Nuts, we made a couple of these during our podcast with a little help with our daughter Madison. I took one of the bars to work and I have to say it didn’t last long because my coworkers said that it was amazing and they kept coming back for more pieces of MY bar. She also makes handmade caramels infused with Thai tea, Jasmine, and Earl Grey tea, I haven’t tried these yet but my mouth is watering just thinking about them.

So join us on our little chocolate making adventure with Ariella and our little Oompa Loompa Madison, as we learn a thing or two about making chocolate and those delicious Cocoa Nuts.

Contact info:
Ariella at Coca Designs:
10am-5pm PST, Monday-Friday.
t. 415.407.8268
f. 501.641.0451
e. info /'AT/' cocoadesigns.com
w. http://www.cocoadesigns.com

SPECIAL OFFER - Use coupon code “guyandgirl” and get a free gift with every order of $50 or more.

The song for this episode is by Pennyshaker and the song is Candy. Don’t forget, if you like this song drop the artist a line and let them know what you think and tell them you heard them on A Guy, A Girl, and a Bottle wine podcast! Buy it here:

PS - I know we diverted away from wine again but really who can say no to chocolate? We hope that you enjoyed our little diversion, let us know what you think. Simply call 408-627-7796 and let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or simply want to provide some comments. If you prefer email, you can drop us a line at guyandgirl@gmail.com .

PSS - Oh yeah, we/'re back in the saddle. Thanks for being patient and stay tuned for more, much, much more!

Cheers!
-A Guy & a Girl

Check us out at PodShow at www.wine.podshow.com
Subscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo!

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GNGNB Ep35: So you think you know Gin?

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 03:05:46 -0700

In today's wine podcast, we stumble down a slightly different path and explore the intracacies of an alcohol that we know very little about - Gin. Through an invitation by Debbie at Folsom and Associates, we had an opportunity to meet with Master Mixologist Jacques Bezuidenhout. Jacques is an internationally known mixologist, and when he is in San Francisco, he can be found behind the bar at his restaraunt - Tres Agaves, or at Harry Denton's Starlight room pouring some of the most expensive drinks around, collectively known as the Million Dollar Cocktails.

This event was held in June of 2006 at the W in San Francisco and was an incredible way to learn about the 3 different styles of Gin. Those three styles are: Dutch Style, London Dry Style, and Plymouth. This event was sponsored by Plymouth Gin, and Plymouth's gin receipe dates back to the one originally used in the 18th Century. Plymouth's mixture of seven botanicals: Junipers berries, angelica root, orange peel, lemon peel, cardamom pods, orris root, and coriander seeds; give Plymouth a very smooth taste when compared with other gins.

Gin has a fascinating history, which is primarily English in nature. The word 'Gin' is derived from the French word from Juiper - Genievere. Although production was very small in the early 17th century, by 1743 London produced almost 20 millions gallons of Gin - the equivalent of nearly 20 gallons for every adult. By the early 18th century, Milk and water had become unsanitary and Gin became the primary means to quench a thirst. In fact, the taxes on Gin were only 2-pence, compared with 4-pence for beer. This lead to the famous 'Mothers Ruin' phrase as mothers of the time would get drunk and forget about everything, leading them to ruin. Gin is still entrenched in British history, even today every new ship of the Royal Navy still recieves a 'Commissioning kit' from Plymouth gin that consists a pennant, glasses, a gurgling fish jug and a bottle of Plymouth Gin.

Join us as we sit down with Jacques and learn about not only the history of the drink, but also how it is made, and most importantly - how to taste it.

For you faithful listeners, here is Jacques' receipe that he mentions for his favorite drink, the Negroni.
Negroni Cocktail - Named after Count Camillo Negroni from Florence who wanted an Americano with a kick.
1 oz. Plymouth Gin
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
1 oz. Campari
Splash of soda (optional)

Build ingredients over ice into a lowball glass and garnish orange zest.

The song for this episode is by Delphinium Blue and the song is California. Show some love for these artists won't you? Tell them that you heard their song on a podcast.
We hope that you enjoyed our little diversion, let us know what you think. Simply call 408-627-7796 and let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or simply want to provide some comments. If you prefer email, you can drop us a line at guyandgirl@gmail.com.
Cheers!
-A Guy & a Girl
Check us out at PodShow at www.wine.podshow.com Subscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo!
Don't forget!, here are a few codes to save you some wine money next time you have to order some domains:

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GNGNB Ep34: Where have we been?

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:21:32 -0700

Hello, fellow wine lovers! We have to sincerely apologize for not posting a new episode for about a month and a half. We would love to say that we were busy jetting off to the wine regions of Chile, Argentina, Italy, and Australia but alas we were just plain busy working at our day jobs and spending the warm California summer having fun with our daughter before the school year starts.
We are so excited about the launch of Podshow+, and we're sure we have quite a few new listeners out there, so first of all we would like to say welcome to our podcast and we hope you like what your hear, and if you don't please don't hesitate to send us an email and give us your suggestions and comments. (Bad comments send directly to Joe, all gushing wonderful comments can be sent straight to Pam.

Also, we want to let you know that we have a barrel full of exciting new and different things coming up that we think you are going really enjoy. A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle were invited to participate in a gin tasting in San Francisco, and although we bet you thought this was just a wine podcast, we figured what the heck, gin just so happens to come in a bottle too! While we were out doing decidedly non-wine things, we set up a quite a decadent podcast with Ariella Toeman with Cocoa Designs, and of course nothing goes better with wine than chocolate. We make a few wonderfully delicious chocolate bars and you get to come along with us. (As an extra special treat, look for our first steps into video podcasting on this one!)

Again, to our loyal listeners thank you for your patience, and for our new listeners we hope you enjoy our podcast because our intent is to reach out to the average everyday wine drinker. If you want pretentious, you are looking in the wrong place! Lastly, if you happen to be at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo in September, just look for a Guy, a Girl and there is a good chance we might have a Bottle, so just stop by and say hello, we might even share some with you!Leave us some feedback! Simply call 408-627-7796 and let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or simply want to provide some feedback. If you prefer email, you can drop us a line at guyandgirl@gmail.com.

Cheers!
-A Guy & a Girl

Check us out at PodShow at www.wine.podshow.com
Subscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo!

Don't forget!, here are a few codes to save you some wine money next time you have to order some domains:

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GNGNB Ep33: (Fixed) Wine Blogging Wednesday

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 09:12:36 -0700

GNGNB Ep32: Wine Music #3 (or music to drink to)

Sat, 10 Jun 2006 10:50:00 -0700

Well, we have been away from the podcasting scene for a couple of weeks, but we are here and raring to go. We have lots of really great stuff coming up in the next couple of months, and hope you join us. If you haven/'t already done so, click on the link to subscribe to the show using your favorite podcatcher, which ensures you get the show delivered directly to you as soon as it is released. Feel free to burn a copy of these songs, or better yet, support the artists by purchasing some of their music by clicking on the links below. Sponsorship Information; Special thanks to Uncle Bens Whole Grain Brown Rice for providing sponsorship for /'A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle/'. As mentioned before in our wine podcast, Uncle Bens is sponsoring a receipe contest using their whole grain rice products - enter your receipe at www.unclebens.com/recipecontest . The contest ends June 16th soon so hurry! Kermit Lynch /"Awake for the Count/" featured on the CD Quicksand Blues Bari Koral - Aspiring Angel LoveSpirals - Love Survives Butterfly Catchers - Morning Black Lab - Remember (Sir Alex Kemp Mix) Bloody Irish Boys - (Get) Drunk Tonight And lastly, here are a few codes to save you some wine money next time you have to order some domains:

Bottle1

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What did you think of this episode? Leave us some feedback! Simply call 408-627-7796 and let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or simply want to provide some feedback. If you prefer email, you can drop us a line at guyandgirl@gmail.com . Cheers! -A Guy & a Girl Subscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo!

GNGNB Ep31: Wine Blogging Wednesday#21

Fri, 19 May 2006 11:20:00 -0700

This month/'s Wine Podcast - Wine Blogging Wednesday #21

It/'s that time of the month again for another installment of Wine Blogging Wednesday . For installment #21 of WBW, we are joining forces with Is My Blog Burning #26 and are having both a meal and a great bottle of wine!Here were the rules for this installment:

1. Pick a favorite bottle of wine from your cellar and create/cook a dish that goes with it.

2. Pick a favorite dish in your culinary repertoire and seek out a wine that will pair will it.

The Girl (and my lovely wife Pam) has cooked a delicious meal, and I chose the 2004 J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay as detailed below. Our daughter, who also joins us on this show, has the 2006 Leche de Safeway , which also comes highly recommended. WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS The 2004 J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay is a youthful yellow in color, with aromas of white flowers, lime custard, citrus and baked pear. The Burgundian winemaking techniques including alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrel with lees stirring and extended aging contribute a complex bouquet of honey and vanilla and amplify an already intensely viscous wine. This is a substantial wine with a silky texture on the palate with layers of complexity and richness making it well-suited to roasted chicken or pork.- The Guy

The Girl: For dinner I prepared Cornish game hens, I usually cook these little midget chickens whole, but to save on time I butterflied them so that they would cook faster. To split them you cut them along their backbone, flip them over breast side up and using the heal of your palm press down to flatten. These guys are so easy to make and what I find is that they are great basted in butter, with some dried herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven till the liquid runs clear when pricked in the leg.Some of you might be curious where these miniature chickens came from, well in 1965 chicken mogul Donald John Tyson created these little hens by cross-breeding White Rock hens and Cornish hens. His intent was to create a specialty item at a higher price to appeal to foodies. They look like miniature chickens, and you guessed it…they taste just like chicken.I also prepared some Uncle Ben’s whole grain rice and added a few things to the rice. I love Uncle Ben’s brown rice because it cooks faster then regular brown rice and tastes the same. I soaked a few porcini mushrooms and sundried tomatoes in hot water until they were soft, reserved the liquid and chopped up the mushrooms and tomato and set them aside. I followed the directions on the box for 1 cup of rice but instead of adding 2 cups of water I used chicken broth for flavor and I held back the ¼ cup of water and added the liquid from the mushrooms and tomatoes. Boil the liquid and throw in the rice, mushrooms, and tomatoes then reduce the heat and simmer. For the veggies, I just boiled some fresh green beans in salted water until tender yet crisp. Information; Special thanks to Uncle Bens Whole Grain Brown Rice for providing sponsorship for /'A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle/'. As mentioned before in our wine podcast, Uncle Bens is sponsoring a receipe contest using their whole grain rice products - enter your receipe at www.unclebens.com/recipecontest . Don/'t forget to share your receipe with us!

Music this episode:Artist: Lee CoulterSong: Booty VooDooWhat did you think of this episode? Leave us some feedback! Simply call 408-627-7796 and let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or simply disagree completely with everything we said. If you prefer email, you can drop us a line at guyandgirl@gmail.com .

Cheers!-A Guy & a GirlSubscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo!

GNGNB Ep30: Loxton Winery

Mon, 01 May 2006 00:36:48 -0700

Hey there Guys and Girls, welcome to episode 30 of 'A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle' wine podcast. This is a special episode for us in a number of ways, but first and foremost, we get to go to Australia! Woo-hoo! (well, at least for about 35 minutes or so) See in this wine podcast we visit Chris Loxton, Owner and Winemaker at Loxton Winery (www.loxtonwinery.com) in Sonoma, and being Australian and all, well, visiting his winery is a little bit like going down under, without the really, really, really long plane flight. More on Chris and his winery in just a moment.

The other really cool thing about today's episode is that we are the first Podcast (aside from Adam Curry of course) to deploy the 'Golden Ticket' as part of this Podcast. What is this Golden Ticket ? Well, the Golden Ticket allows us to run contests and giveaway prizes to a predetermined number of people, in a random fashion. For example, in today's episode 3 lucky people will hear a special audio clip alerting them that they have won. See? Simple as that. Pretty neat-o, doncha think? We do. Why? Well, we want to give away lots of things to you dear listener, and we have been struggling with the fairest way to do that, with as little pain as possible on our end. This I think (forgive the upcoming pun) is the ticket that we needed. So if everything works right, hopefully we will be able to give away stuff on a more routine basis and reward you for spending some of your precious time with us. nnToday's giveaway is an autographed copy of Scott Sigler's first print book - Earthcore . Not only is this book one hell of a fine read (and listen if you want to download it), but this book is special to a lot of podcasters as it is the first podiobook that was successful enough to make it to print. Pretty cool, and 'nuff said. Good luck and let us know what you think of this contest and the way we are going about it. We'd really like to hear from you on this! (our info is at the bottom of this post)nnLoxton Cellars is located in the heart of Sonoma, just off highway 12. (Looks sharp for the signs, being a small winery it is easy to miss if you are daydreaming!) Loxton wines are the epitome of small wineries in this area. Heaps of talent, great wine, small name and cozy atmosphere. You can almost always find Chris hard at work when you stop by, but he loves showing guests around and explaining everything about wine and the Loxton philosophy. Curious to know the difference between a Shiraz and a Sirah? Chris will steer you in the right direction, and always with a touch of the Austrailian humor. A recommended diversion if you are heading out to Napa, and well worth the trip. Don't forget to tell the folks over at Loxton that Joe & Pam from "A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle" wine podcast sent you over, they'll even give you a small discount!nnwine term this week - Dry DRYDry/Off Dry: Little or no sugar = "dry", slightly sweeter = "off dry". http://www.vino.com Our nnArtist this week is Black Lab , and the song is Learn to Crawl . Purchase this track now at iTunes! rnnn Loxton Winery nTel/Fax 707.935.7221nchris@loxtonwines.comnPost Office Box 70nGlen Ellen, California 95442-0070n Google Map nThe tasting room at Loxton Winery is open by appointment 7 days a week, 11 am to 5 pm.Cheers!-A Guy and a GirlnEmail guyandgirl 'AT' gmail.com nPhone mail: 408-627-7796nSKYPE aguyandgirl nSubscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo!

GNGNB Ep29: Merlot Madness

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 22:57:31 -0700

In this installment of 'A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle' Joe visits San Francisco to attend a seminar on Merlot and an attempt to restore the good character and decent name of this intriguing varietal after the damage that the movie 'Sideways' has inflicted upon the much maligned merlot. Chris Phelps and Stu Harrison of Swanson vineyards present their case on merlot and why this wine deserves more respect. Music "Taste It" by Casey Desmond
For more information on Merlot, visit www.merlotfightsback.com. Sponsors for this Episode: Don't forget to enter your recipe in the Uncle Ben's Contest! ! ! And here's this week's GoDaddy Promo codes:

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We hope you enjoy it. Tune in on April 30th, when we release our 30th episode and give 3 lucky listeners a chance to win a signed copy of Scott Sigler's first podcast novel - EARTHCORE Joe & Pam guyandgirl@gmail.com Subscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo!

GNGNB Ep28: Wine Blogging Wednesday #20 Wrapup

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 11:30:00 -0700

El gusto del vino, es como delicada poesia A Guy and a Girl/'s pick for Wine Blogging Wednesday #20 - Casamaro Verdejo Rueda ($10.99)
The goal of this month/'s installment of WBW was to find and sample a white wine. Easy you say? Pah-shaw. The twist? Well, fellow podcaster and wino Bill from Wine for Newbies insisted on No blends . and oh yeah, it can/'t be a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or a Riesling. Now what are you left with? Sure, we can here you saying, /"but c/'mon you two, even we fellow novice oenophiles (Definition - A Lover or connoisseur of wine) know that you can still find Chenin Blanc, or the super-duper yummy Semillion/". We still say Pah-shaw. First off - Chenin blanc, well, yeah, we coulda/woulda/shoulda, but we wanted to let some of our fellow bloggers and podcasters pick the easy ones. Semillion? Truth be told, we did pick up a bottle of wine made from 100% semillion grapes, but decided to save that for another day. (BTW - it isn/'t all that easy to find a bottle made from 100% semillion, most are blended with Sauvignon Blanc). What did we settle on? We went all out and went to Spain, and found a bottle of Casamaro Verdejo Rueda ($10.99) wine made by the Garciarevalo family owned winery, created entirely from the Verdejo grape. Verdejo grape: White. Very high quality and one of the best white varieties in Spain. It makes very aromatic, glyceric, soft wines with body. It is plentiful in Valladolid (69%), Segovia and Ávila. It is considered a main variety of Rueda Denomination of Origin (D.O.)Other Merchant Reviews
87 Pts - Robert Parker /"An excellent value that has never seen a day in oak, the 2004 Casamaro Blanco, a 100% Verdelho from 50-130-year old ungrafted vines, is a soft, delicious white exhibiting plenty of honeyed apricot, peach, and floral-like characteristics. It is a medium-bodied, crisp, lively effort to drink over the next year./"

2004 Garciarevalo Casamaro Rueda - Rueda is a region of Spain best known for fresh whites with zinging acidity and fresh citrusy notes. This stainless steel treated offering is no exception. Fresh lemon zest notes and long finishing, this wine made 100% from the Verdejo grape is best matched with shellfish, sushi and chicken.-- Chris Cree, 56 Degree Wines , January 8, 2006

Supporting information: Garciarevalo Winery Garciarevalo is a family owned winery established in 1991 in Matapozuelos in the heart of Rueda. They specialize in Verdejo with additional plantings of Viura. They have 40 hectares of over-100 year old vines including Verdejo vines that are up to 130 years old. The unique qualities of this site are evident in the soils that differ from most other areas of Rueda. The soil is sand here and it allows for excellent drainage and greater difference between day and night temperatures. Long winters with late frosts combine with hot and dry summers create the ideal situation to cultivate grapes with the perfect balance of sugar and acidity.
Believing that the key to a good wine is in the raw materials, Garciarevalo strive to to make a wine as true to the fruit as possible. The utmost care and latest technologies are used to extract a juice that reflects the hard work and special attention given in the fields. The wines are then put through temperature controlled fermentation to create a final product of the highest quality. Rueda Denomination of Origin (D.O.) Located approximately 170 km northwest of Madrid and just southwest of the mythical Ribera del Duero red wine region, lies the hugely successful wine appellation of Rueda. Wine has been produced in the Rueda region commercially since the 11th century during the reign of Alfonso XI who was the ruler of the kingdom of Castilla y Leon (the castle and the lion). Rueda was destroyed by the Moors in the 10th century during the ongoing battles and the area was depopulated until Alfonso XI, as a last effort to save the region from complete destruction, declared that anyone working the land would gain ownership of it. In came the monastic orders and wine production was begun in earnest. Sherry style wines (oxidised) were made in Rueda for centuries from the native Verdejo grape. Rueda wines came to be particularly adored by the Royal Courts. When Felipe III was resident in Valladolid, for example, he requisitioned half the wine produced in Medina del Campo, as this area was then known.Like many other wine regions in Europe, Rueda suffered in the first half of the 20th century. The Spanish civil war and the dictatorship under Franco did nothing to benefit the local wine industry. It wasn�??t until Marques de Riscal, the famed Rioja winery, arrived to Rueda in 1971 that the region came back into relevance for wine lovers. The region was revolutionized with the new ideas and technology Marques de Riscal brought, and has become famous for producing delightful, fresh and fruity white wines from the Verdejo grape (as opposed to unfashionable, Sherry style wines). Riscal also introduced Sauvignon Blanc to the Rueda wine region, which they discovered blended sublimely with Verdejo. These days, Rueda is wildly successful and producing amazingly good value for money fruity wines that are regularly compared to French Sancerres and New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.In the 18th century the vineyard area was larger than today and planted exclusively with Verdejo. The wine/'s success was due in part to clarifying through local clay, which made it very clean and long-keeping. Rueda wines continued to be commercially successful until phylloxera disrupted production, destroying two-thirds of the vineyards between 1909 and 1922. Vines for replanting were chosen for yield rather than quality and Palomino replaced Verdejo, the main grape, although young wines made from it were sold locally in bulk.Technical InformationThe Rueda DO is flat, but high meseta land with wide horizons and gently rolling hills. The vineyards are divided between three provinces: the majority are in Valladolid, but others are in Avila and Segovia. The River Duero flows from east to west across the northern part of the growing area. Close to it there are limy alluvial soils with a limestone content rising to 24%. In the south the topsoil is brown and sandy with a subsoil of sandstone and clay. Drainage is good, the soil is reasonably rich in iron and it is generally easy to work. Altitudes vary between 600 and 780 metres.There are three types of young white wine: minimum 75% varietal Verdejos, which are called Rueda Superior; 100% varietal Sauvignon Blanc; and Rueda Blanco, which must be made with a minimum of 40% Verdejo or Sauvignon. Verdejo wines are characterised by their very aromatic, citric grassiness and good structure. (sources: http://www.in-spain.info/top20/spanish-white-wine-rueda.htm http://www.dorueda.com http://www.winesfromspain.com Lastly, the music on tonights show is brought to us by Irene. Check her out here

Bonus! -Map of the Wine regions of Spain - HERE
What did you think of this episode? Leave us some feedback! Simply call 408-627-7796 and let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or simply disagree completely with everything we said. If you prefer email, you can drop us a line at guyandgirl@gmail.com .
Cheers!
A Guy & a Girl
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GNGNB Ep27: Martin Ranch

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 22:58:29 -0700

Episode 27 - Martin Ranch Winery
Hey there Guys & Girls, we are travelling south to Gilroy for this episode and visit Therese and Dan of the
Martin Ranch Winery (www.martinranchwinery.com). Martin Ranch is a small winery located on the very southern end of the Santa Cruz Appellation, approximately 36 miles from downtown San Jose. Here/'s a great tip - the winery is located just right down the road from Gilroy/'s theme park - Bonfante Gardens - so you might want to work out a stop to pick up some great wines the next time you take the kiddies to the Gardens. Be sure to call ahead though, as the tasting room is only open by appointment, and on special occasions, like the upcoming Passport day on April 22, 2006. Martin Ranch Winery sits on 17 acres in the southern tip of the Santa Cruz Mountains and resides in the
perfect microclimate for growing Cabernet Sauvignon - warm days and cool nights. Therese and Dan started commercial winemaking in 1997 and in 2002, their first commercial crush of consisted of 625 cases. By 2004, the production was at 3500 cases. We talk at length with Dan about the farming process and we learn a new wine term this week - Cordon

Cordon - horizontal branches of a grapevine trained along the trellis; also called the arms. The
canes left after pruning which will produce fruiting shoots and new canes. -
http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/mg/manual/glossary.htm

Therese and Dan are not only winemakers, but also excellent cooks and one of their goals is to make great wines that pair nicely with great food. Visit their website for some excellent recipes. We have included a yummy one at the end of this post, just to whet your appetite! We also have a sponsor for this episode and it is GoDaddy! Use these promo codes to save a ton of cash on your next purchase:
Bottle1 - Save 10%, Bottle2 - Save $5 off $30, Bottle3 - .com domains for just $6.95.

00:00 Opening and Intro to Gilroy
01:44 Love Spirals Promo
01:55 GoDaddy promotion
02:37 Martin Ranch Background
13:46 Uncle Jack Story
15:31 Sauvignon Blanc
23:11 2002 Niebbielo
29:20 2003 Therese Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
34:59 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
35:00 Filtration Discussion
45:10 Wrap-up
46:02 I do by Rob Costlow

Our Artist this week is Rob Costlow , and the song is I do . You can find more
music from Rob Costlow along with other great artists on the Podsafe
Music Network (http://music.podshow.com). Purchase this track now at iTunes!

Martin Ranch Winery
6675 Redwood Retreat Road
Gilroy, CA 95020
Google Map

T: 408.842.9197 F: 408.842.8193
TASTING — BY APPOINTMENT
(M-F 9AM to 5PM Pacific Time)

As always, please let us know what is on your mind. We have several ways for you to get in touch with us:Email guyandgirl@gmail.com , Phone mail: 408-627-7796 or SKYPE at aguyandgirl

Cheers!
-A Guy & a Girl

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The Food - Thérèse’ s Braised Short Ribs
The Wine - Martin Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Santa Cruz Mountains.

THE RECIPES (Serves 6-8, Created by Thérèse Martin)

INGREDIENTS
Beef short ribs (6-8)
1 gold onion
3 tblsp. good olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Flour for dredging short ribs for browning
Kosher salt and pepper for seasoning
2 cups beef broth
2 cups red wine
32 oz. jar Thérèse’s canned tomatoes (or any available canned tomatoes)

DIRECTIONS:
Put olive oil in a cast iron, 5-quart Dutch oven.
Caramelize onions and garlic on low to medium heat, about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350, change to 325 when putting short ribs in. Remove onions and garlic from pot and brown short ribs on all sides, about 15 minutes. Take short ribs out and set aside. Deglaze pat with 1-cup wine. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes and just a little of the juice. Place short ribs in the pot and add rest of wine and beef broth. Season with salt and pepper and lay 1 rosemary sprig across the top. Cover and put in preheated oven for 2 hours. Check after it has been in oven for 1 hour. Make sure there is plenty of juice and, if needed, add a little bit more wine. After 2 hours take out to cool while finishing the rest of meal.

GNGNB Ep26: Concannon Vineyards (part 2)

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 01:38:00 -0800

Ep25 - Concannon Vineyards: 1963 Petit Syrah Originally uploaded by GuyandGirl.

Episode 26 - Concannon Vineyards (part 2)

Podshow PDN {podshow-424d3ad8c6ba1aab631bc20b1a391e11} This episode of A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle wine podcast has us visiting the Concannon Vineyard in Livermore, California. This is part 2 of our interview with Jim Concannon. In case you missed the first episode, Jim Concannon's grandfather James Concannon started the winery, in 1883. Not only is the Concannon winery known as 'America's First Irish Winery' but the founder James Concannon was actually born on St. Patrick's Day in 1847. Pretty cool. Listen as Jim talks about the early days, when the Concannon Winery used to ship wine directly to Vatican city. Concannon has also been very proactive in the community and has struggled (much as their vines do in the rocky soil) to ensure that the property has been set aside in a trust to preserve it for future generations. The Concannon family is also starting a wine museum, and we will return later this year when the construction is complete and the museum is open. Until then, however, we hope you enjoy the second installment of our interview.

Our musical guest today is Joseph K, and the song is Out of Time. When we first heard this song, it reminded us of Jack Johnson, yet Joseph has a style that is all his own. (It doesn't hurt that he is originally from Santa Cruz, just down the road from us) We hope you like it, and if so, check out his website and drop him a line. www.jkmusic.us

Concannon Vineyard
23000 Congress Springs Road
Saratoga, CA 95070
(408) 741-5858
Google Map

Leave us some feedback! We now have voicemail, simply call 408-627-7796 and let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or would like us to review a particular winery. If you prefer email, you can drop us a line at guyandgirl@gmail.com.

Cheers!
-A Guy & a Girl

Subscribe to our Wine Podcast at iTunes or Yahoo!