Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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ChatGPT image description: A nervous man in a liquor store awkwardly hides a wine bottle in his pants while glancing sideways. Shelves of alcohol line the aisle. A security mirror reflects him from above, and bright store lighting emphasizes the tense yet slightly comical moment of attempted theft.

924. Drinking a Bottle of Wine That Has Been Stuffed in a Thiefโ€™s Trousers

May 06, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking a bottle of wine that has been stuffed in a thiefโ€™s trousers.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Pierre-Joseph Proudhon - Wikipedia
  • Post by @gregorykoch.bsky.social โ€” Bluesky
  • Un-wine-ding The Crime
  • Beastie Boys โ€“ Johnny Ryall Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
924. Drinking a Bottle of Wine That Has Been Stuffed in a Thiefโ€™s Trousers
Risky or Not
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May 06, 2026 /Don Schaffner
Wine, Cross-contamination

ChatGPT image description: A herd of goats stands on hind legs in a lush vineyard, eagerly eating clusters of ripe wine grapes from the vines. Some goats forage on fallen grapes below. In the background, a rustic stone winery with tiled roofs sits under a clear blue sky, framed by rolling hills.

899. Wine From Grapes Grazed by Goats

March 09, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking wine from grapes grazed by goats.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Goats Do Roam Red - Fairview Marketplace
  • What is Cรดtes du Rhรดne? | Wine Enthusiast Magazine
  • Mississippi Pot Roast {The BEST Pot Roast EVER} - Belle of the Kitchen
  • Cryptosporidium, an important enteric pathogen in goats โ€“ A review - ScienceDirect
  • A Simple Alcohol-based Method of Oocyst Inactivation for Use in the Development of Detection Assays for Cryptosporidium - ScienceDirect
  • Effect of Organic Acids and Hydrogen Peroxide on Cryptosporidium parvum Viability in Fruit Juices - ScienceDirect
  • The Cryptosporidium Problem in Water and Food Supplies - ScienceDirect
899. Wine From Grapes Grazed by Goats
Risky or Not
Download
March 09, 2026 /Don Schaffner
Goats, Wine, Cross-contamination, Ethanol

ChatGPT image description: A dusty, upright wine bottle with a faded, stained label marked โ€œ1979โ€ stands on a wooden surface. The wine inside appears pale and brownish, suggesting oxidation from age and light exposure. The cork and glass look worn, giving the bottle a tired, washed-out appearance.

880. Improperly Stored 44 Year Old Wine

January 23, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming 44 year old wine stored upright.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Compounds causing cork taint and the factors affecting their transfer from natural cork closures to wine โ€“ a review - SEFTON - 2005 - Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research - Wiley Online Library
  • Should I be concerned about wine bottles stored upright in a wine shop or restaurant?
  • Chambord (liqueur) - Wikipedia
  • Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cork Taint | Wine Enthusiast Magazine
  • 1979 Jim Beam Snow Goose AND Blue Goose Decanters Set C. Miller - EMPTY
  • Does Plastic Wrap Rescue a Corky Wine?
  • Betteridge's law of headlines - Wikipedia
880. Improperly Stored 44 Year Old Wine
Risky or Not
Download
January 23, 2026 /Don Schaffner
Wine, Cork, Shelf-life

A blonde Canadian man sits in a bathtub, spitting out red wine after discovering a fly in his glass. He grips a video game controller in his other hand, looking shocked and disgusted. A Canadian flag hangs behind him, emphasizing his nationality amid the tiled bathroom backdrop.

821. Consuming a Fly in Wine, Twice

September 08, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of Consuming a fly in wine, on two different occasions.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Food Safety Talk 327: You Got It In Two (Live from AFDO 2025) โ€” Food Safety Talk
  • Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann
  • Wines - 19 Crimes
  • 159. Food, Once a Fly Has Landed on It โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Task Management Software Built For Pros - OmniFocus - The Omni Group
  • 201. Bug in Your Margarita โ€” Risky or Not?
  • 513. 12 Flies in a Soda Dispenser โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Epidemiology Protective Effect of Alcoholic Beverages...
  • A systematic review of human pathogens carried by the housefly (Musca domestica L.) - PMC
821. Consuming a Fly in Wine, Twice
Risky or Not
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September 08, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Wine, Fly, Cross-contamination

466. Drinking From a Wine Spit Bucket

June 02, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drink wine from a spit bucket like in the movie Sideways.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Sideways (2004) - IMDb
  • Thomas Haden Church - Wikipedia
  • Detection of Norovirus in Saliva Samples from Acute Gastroenteritis Cases and Asymptomatic Subjects: Association with Age and Higher Shedding in Stool - PMC
466. Drinking From a Wine Spit Bucket
Risky or Not
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June 02, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Wine, Spit, Norovirus
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183. Wine Bottles From Flooded Areas

August 11, 2021 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking wine submerged in flood waters.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Randal Oulton on Twitter: Are these wines safe?
  • Ahr (wine region) - Wikipedia)
  • Food safety before and after a flood - Safe Food & Water
  • Floods: Key Tips for Consumers About Food and Water Safety | FDA
  • The Pros & Cons of Different Wine Closures | Wine Enthusiast Magazine
183. Wine Bottles From Flooded Areas
Risky or Not
Download
August 11, 2021 /Don Schaffner
Flood, Wine, Bottles

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