lummi island wine tasting oct 11-12 ’24
Hours, October 11-12, ’24
Friday 4-6 pm Saturday 3-5 pm
voting sign refracted through a beer..!
Friday Bread This Week
French Country Bread – A levain bread made with bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat and and a bit of toasted wheat germ in a sourdough culture with a long cool overnight ferment for a rustic loaf that you would find in the countryside. – $5/loaf
Multi Grain English Muffin Loaf – English muffin dough made into a loaf, with nice mix of bread flour, spelt, whole wheat and oatmeal for a lot of flavor, plus buttermilk and butter and get a nice light, tender crumb. Delicious for toast or sandwiches! – $5/loaf
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls – A rich sweet roll dough that is full of eggs, butter, sugar and pumpkin. The dough is rolled out, sprinkled with all the fall spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice. Then rolled up and sliced into rolls for baking. And boy are they delicious!! – 2/$5
Island Bakery has developed a rotation cycle of several dozen breads and pastries. Each Sunday the Bakery emails the week’s bread offering to the mailing list. Orders received before 5 pm Tuesday (and not already claimed) will be available for pickup at the wine shop Friday from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. Contact us at least two weeks before your visit to get on the bread list .
This week’s Wine Tasting:
Chapoutier Belleruche Blanc ’21 France $14
Delicious blend of grenache blanc and roussanne; fragrant and perfumed with a light, grilled-lemon note over ripe melon,with a lingering palate of rich white peach.
Natura Carmenere ’22 Chile $14
Attractive bouquet with cherry aromas and hints of chocolate and spice. Big volume taste on the palate with soft round tannins and a firm, well-balanced structure. Good balance between fruit and oak with a long, juicy finish. 100% organically grown grapes.
Decoy Red ’21 California
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, with splashes of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cab; aromas of blackberry, dark plum, baking spice and savory herbs; fresh, rich, and savory on the palate with rich,
silky tannins and bright acidity that carries the flavors to a long, lush finish.
Carmenere: Lost and Found <– (click to read more)
In the mid-1800’s, the tiny phylloxera bug almost wiped all of France’s Bordeaux varietals (including Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Carménère (which had been used mainly for the persistent crimson color it added to any other red wines). It was not replanted in France, and for over a century it was thought extinct.
However, a few decades before the epidemic, several strains of Carménère had been carried to Chile around 1850 and planted among Merlot and Cabernet starts and and forgotten as a distinct varietal.
But quite recently (1991) the French ampelographer Claude Vallat discovered that a supposed clone of Merlot produced in Chile was definitely not Merlot at all. Two years later, his student Jean Michel Boursiquot concluded that the random vine in question was Carménère, the French varietal long considered extinct, and which was thriving in Chile! Since then Chileans winemakers have been producing it very successfully, winning prizes in Asia, Australia, and the United States.
We have become big fans of the varietal, and it is always exciting to find another one. This week we are pouring one from Natura, a Chilean winery that specializes in carefully managed natural, organic vineyards, and is, btw, a subsidiary of the Banfi collection of wineries which started in Tuscany decades ago and has branched world-wide.
It’s a great story that will make you smile every time you taste one!
Economics of the Heart: Two Kinds of “Con” Locker
outcome for Everyone Else who mishandles highly classified documents
A substantial percentage of Americans have worked for the United States government in some capacity at some time in their lives. Many have spent full careers in the military, in civil service, in elected positions, and/or as consultants, suppliers, contractors, analysts, advisors, and more. Most of them, including the Tweetster, took an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Among those many tens of millions of people, some substantial subset at some point has had to handle, store, protect and/or maintain custody of sensitive or classified materials. In preparation for those responsibilities they had to learn very specific protocols for safeguarding those materials, vow to carry them out, and acknowledge the penalties of failing to do so.
Higher levels of classification imply higher levels of consequence from compromise. A chain of custody is maintained to track each copy of each document, with serious legal consequences for compromise. Almost everybody who has handled such materials learns this and takes their responsibility seriously, not just because of potential penalties, but because our national security and the lives and welfare of our fellow citizens are at stake. In that sense it is a measure of duty, honor, and loyalty, and the Tweetster fails on every count.
The Lie Count: The Washington Post fact-checked everything he said publicly while in office and documented 30,573 Outright Lies which grew over time from 6 claims/day in 2017 to 39 claims/day in 2020.
The Mueller Report: We all remember how the Tweetster’s AG William Barr shut down the investigation without substantive analysis, letting the Tweetster off the hook completely. (except for Kamala’s persistent questions of Barr…)
The Ukraine Extortion: In July of 2017, the Tweetster made his infamous extortion attempt against Ukraine by withholding $250 million in arms aid unless and until Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced an investigation of President Biden and his son Hunter. This triggered a set of investigations that led to Congressional hearings and the Tweetster’s first impeachment trial in the House.
Impeachment #1: The impeachment trial was precipitated by the Ukraine extortion investigation in Congress, and was heavily manipulated by Republican Senate Majority leader McConnell for an acquittal.
There is, of course, a mountain of history we could quote to demonstrate that the Tweetster Never follows the Law, Never tells the Truth, and is incapable of feeling compassion for another human being. He does not care about our country, or its people, or our planet.
What we also now know is that he is a Traitor to our country, as displayed in all the of the above recent history. He sees the Presidency as a Crown, not a responsibility. He sees political power mainly for the leverage it gives him to acquire personal wealth and power. He has been completely willing to sell out our country, his family, friends, employees, lenders, creditors…Anyone…for more wealth or public adulation. Being the center of attention is the only Nourishment he can ingest, and like the Hungry Ghost, his throat is too tiny to take any of it in.
Anyone else would already be locked up for a very long time for stealing our national secrets, failing to secure them against our adversaries, and very likely selling them to our enemies (Russia, China, Saudi Arabia).
Btw, since he is losing his mind faster and faster, should again power, he is unlikely to last longer than a few months in office before his VP would take over briefly until Heritage puts in who they really want to run the post-democracy dictatorship they have designed to destroy all life on Earth just to be the last creature standing…a Pyrrhic victory if ever there was one.
Btw… a “con locker” is A) a lockable safe where confidential materials are stored; and B) a lockable prison cell where people who steal/sell/share confidential materials are stored…
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lummi island wine tasting oct 4-5, ’24
Hours, October 4-5, ’24
Friday 4-6 pm Saturday 3-5 pm
Friday Bread This Week
Kamut Levain – Kamut, also known as khorasan wheat, is an ancient grain that has more protein than conventional wheat. Some people who can’t tolerate wheat find kamut to be more digestible. The bread is made with a levain that is fermented overnight before being mixed with with bread flour and fresh milled whole kamut flour. It has a nutty, rich flavor and makes a golden color loaf. A great all around bread – $5/loaf – $5/loaf
Egg Bread w/ apples & honey – A delicious enriched bread full of eggs, honey, milk, butter, and dried apples, braided into a round loaf ready to slice for breakfast toast or…yum…as French toast!– $5/loaf
Chocolate Babka Rolls – A sweet pastry dough full of eggs, butter and sugar, rolled and spread with a chocolate filling, rolled up and cut into individual rolls that are placed in baking forms for baking and then brushed with sugar syrup after baking. (some people hide these to keep them all to themselves. Be sure and get your order in early as quantities are limited – 2/$5
Island Bakery has developed a rotation cycle of several dozen breads and pastries. Each Sunday the Bakery emails the week’s bread offering to the mailing list. Orders received before 5 pm Tuesday (and not already claimed) will be available for pickup at the wine shop Friday from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. Contact us at least two weeks before your visit to get on the bread list .
This week’s Wine Tasting:
McManis Chardonnay ’22 CA $14
Lush and inviting with pure fruit flavors, voluptuous palate of peach, apricot, vibrant citrus, and melon and an easy, creamy texture with hints of vanilla and a smooth, lingering finish.
Townshend Cellars T3 Red Washington $18
Bordeaux style blend of cab, merlot and cab franc; fruit forward with hints of black currant and vanilla, with layers of complexity and depth through extensive oak aging in French and American barrels.
Ciffre St. Chinian ’20 France $20
60% grenache, 40% syrah; aromas and flavors of plum, cherry, raspberry jam and cassis coat the palate with hints of clove and cinnamon that add intensity and length.
Saint Chinian
courtesy languedoc-visit.com
The Saint Chinian wine region has a lengthy history of viticulture and winemaking that dates back to 794 AD, when Benedictine monks first planted vines around the abbey. The wines made an impression on aristocrats, royals, and wine connoisseurs as early as the 14th century. In the 1300s, as in many other locations, conflict erupted between monks and vintners because the monasteries refused to share their production with locals. The war lasted 200 years and was eventually won by quality-conscious vintners. The region was also the victim of the phylloxera infestation during the 19th century. The wine growers overcame this epidemic and maintained the regional reputation for producing wines of consistent quality.
This 3300 hectares appellation is part of the Languedoc region north of Bezier. It is the fourth most productive Languedoc appellation, and has long benefited from the geological and climatic diversities which maintain the predictable character of grapes grown in its schist soils with sand/loam soil over deep clay. These soils consistently retain water, providing consistent growing conditions even in drier periods. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Cinsault are the traditional red grapes of the region, while whites are mostly made from Grenache blanc, Marsanne, and Roussanne–all long-time personal favorites!
Economics of the Heart: Five Weeks and Counting….
JD, Sorcerer’s Apprentice
This week’s campaign highlight has been the VP candidates’ debate on Tuesday. Some 40 million people watched it. From a broad perspective, it was generally regarded as cordial and low-key. At the same time, there were statements that made our ears perk up and our BS alarms to go off.
A few months ago the news broke that the Tweetster had hosted a fund-raising dinner at Mar a Lago for oil executives. He promised to fast-track drilling permits, eliminate tailpipe emission standards, unfreeze permitting for liquefied natural gas terminals, and in general weaken emission standards and reduce climate change restrictions on oil and gas production. In return he wanted a $1 billion donation to his campaign, mere pocket change to these global companies. The result was the recent and now-notorious chopped-steak dinner for oil executives at Mar-a-Lago during which the Deal was explored; he would get his $1 billion bribe and they would gain $$110 billion in perks. The deal has attracted a great deal of attention from Congress and the press.
On at least two occasions during Tuesday’s debate, Vance digressed from answering the moderator’s question and interjected long, unfounded claims that the solution to the nonexistent “economic problems” caused by the best American economy since Dubya’s Wall Street Crash of 2008 is to stimulate fossil fuel production by reducing emission standards and increasing Big Energy profits.
It is particularly ironic that these straight-faced lies were spoken within hours of one of the worst climate-change induced disasters in our nation’s history from Hurricane Helene’s rampage from Florida through Southern Appalachia. Those same executives and their like-minded predecessors have known these disasters were coming for over fifty years, and yet spent billions in PR to convince a gullible public that climate change was a hoax. Tell that to the victims in the Southeast and all around the planet for these fifty years whose lands can become deserts in one season and underwater in the next.
Analysis of Tuesday’s “debate” also yielded, in response to the moderator’s correction, Vance’s somewhat head-slapping complaint/admission “I thought there was to be no fact-checking!” That statement was pretty much an admission that he felt completely entitled to a) make up any story he wanted as he went along, and b) claim it was true. These stories included his refusal to admit that the Tweetster had lost the 2020 election, that the Biden administration had rebuilt, realigned, and repaired the national economy, organized a concerted and effective effort to overcome the Covid pandemic, strengthened our global alliances, led an international coalition to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty against Putin’s invasion, and is rebuilding our national infrastructure.
And even now our news broadcasts are filled 24/7 with right-wing media liars brain-washing the uneducated, the gullible, the herdable, the leader-needers, and the self-righteous. Trumpism is the Brave New World, the 1984, the Hitler, the Mussolini, the Stalin, the Putin, the Nazi, and the guys in suits who look at any impoverished, hopeless place and think. as they have since the industrial revolution, of ways to make even more money from their misery.
Everything that matters is at stake in this coming election. Your vote matters!
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lummi island wine tasting sept 27-28 ’24
Hours, September 27-28 ’24
Friday 4-6 pm Saturday 3-5 pm
Vaguely threatening mushroom at Otto Farm…
Friday Bread This Week
Whole Wheat Levain – Begins with a sourdouinal mixing of the dough- which is then fermented overnight in the refrigerator. This long slow process allows the fermentation process to start and the gluten to start developing. About 25% fresh milled whole wheat, a ‘toothy’ crumb, great texture and flavor and a nice crisp crust. – $5/loaf
Semolina Levain – Semolina is made from durum wheat, which is a hard wheat and often used in pasta. The flour has a lovely golden color that comes through in the bread. Uses a sourdough starter/levain that ferments overnight before mixing the final dough with bread flour, semolina and fresh milled whole wheat and little butter for a soft crumb. Makes great toast! – $5/loaf
Gibassiers – A traditional french pastry recipe from southern France. Made with a delicious sweet dough full of milk, butter, eggs and olive oil, with orange flower water, candied orange peel and anise seed. After baking they are brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with more sugar. – 2/$5
Island Bakery has developed a rotation cycle of several dozen breads and pastries. Each Sunday the Bakery emails the week’s bread offering to the mailing list. Orders received before 5 pm Tuesday (and not already claimed) will be available for pickup at the wine shop Friday from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. Contact us at least two weeks before your visit to get on the bread list .
This week’s Wine Tasting:
Maryhill Winemaker’s White ’21 Washington $14
Sauv blanc, viognier, semillon, albarino, pinot gris; careful early morning harvest, slow press cycle, limited oak, and blended to keep each varietal’s profile in both aromas and flavors– a complex, versatile, and tasty white blend!
Domaine Chibaou Surnaturel Merlot ’22 France $25
Complex nose of black fruits, candied strawberries, and caramel; round, rich and concentrated, balanced, with good length in the mouth. No sulfites.
Greenwing Columbia Valley Cab Sauv ’21 WA $19
Alluring aromas of Bing cherry, rooibos tea, loamy earth with hints of cinnamon, clove, and wild herbs; palate of red currant, raspberry and wild strawberry, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity.
Economics of the Heart: Six Weeks and Counting…
Tweetster in the Fall
There’s an old saying: “If you want to live like a Republican, you should vote for Democrats.” This philosophy follows logically from the actions of Republican Administrations over the last 40 years. Reagan came in with the support of the Heritage Foundation, which had put together a legislative plan for his term to shift costs from big business onto consumers while doing away with spending on social safety nets for the old, the sick, the hungry, the poor, and the mentally ill.
The poor were blamed for being lazy and conning the system by having too many babies, drinking too much alcohol, not looking for work, and being a drain on society. Reaganites called them “welfare queens” and Reagan actively cut back social support for the needy of all stripes while giving massive tax cuts that transferred some $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 1%.
“For well over a decade economists and other social scientists have documented strong advantages in economic performance during Democratic administrations. A new Economic Policy Institute report updates this work to the latest data available and confirms that this Democratic advantage has persisted since 1949. Positive indicators like growth in gross domestic product (GDP), income, and wages grew faster, while negative indicators like unemployment, inflation, and interest rates have been lower. Further, the fruits of economic growth are distributed substantially more equally under Democratic presidents.” (Economic Policy Institute)
Indeed, EPI reports that since 1949 Democratic administrations have been very much better at managing the economy than Republicans, with:
- 1.2% higher growth;
- 1.5% higher annual job growth;
- Twice the private job growth and business investment;
- Lower rates of inflation;
- Nearly 200% faster income growth among the poorest 20%.
The Maga movement largely consists of less-educated people who bear a sense of grievance that they are somehow victims of those with less than they have. Curiously, many Democrats have a sense of grievance, too, but ours is against the billionaires that buy politicians and judges to bend the rules in their favor.
Which brings us to this particular moment in this particularly unique election season. Over the past two months, Democratic hopes have risen behind the Harris-Walz ticket. Large numbers of younger voters, including many first-time voters, right-to-choose voters, gender explorers, and young women in red states have been registering to vote by the hundreds of thousands.
Meanwhile the world sees the Tweetster melting down, stumbling through his endless mantra of grievances as one by one his loyal fans leave his rallies early. These are all promising signs for a post-Tweetster world.
But in a very real sense, this election increasingly has less and less to do with him, and everything to do with with Heritage Project 2025 and its smug self-assurance that regardless of actual voting outcomes, they have enough control over enough election apparatus in enough places to tear our country to pieces by force and perhaps with the blessings of the Supreme Court.
So…keep an eye to weather, mates, yer powder dry and near to hand, and keep rowin’ steady till the tide turns! Arrgh!
lummi island wine tasting sept 20 ’24
Hours, September 20-21 ’24
Friday 4-6 pm Saturday 3-5 pm
Note: Special tasting on Friday, see below!
Friday Bread This Week
Heidebrot – Translated as “bread of the heath,” after a region in central Germany known for fields of red heather. This is a farmhouse bread from an aromatic, lighter sourdough made with whole grain rye. a rye-fed sourdough starter, fresh milled whole grain rye flour, and regular bread flour as well – $5/loaf
Sweet Corn & Dried Cranberry– Made with polenta and bread flour, then enriched with milk, butter and honey for a soft and tender crumb and loaded up with dried cranberries for great corn flavor… A delicious bread that makes great toast!– $5/loaf
Chocolate Croissants! – The traditional laminated french pastry made with sourdough and another pre-ferment to create the traditional honeycomb interior, rolled out and shaped with delicious dark chocolate in the center. – 2/$5
Island Bakery has developed a rotation cycle of several dozen breads and pastries. Each Sunday the Bakery emails the week’s bread offering to the mailing list. Orders received before 5 pm Tuesday (and not already claimed) will be available for pickup at the wine shop Friday from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. Contact us at least two weeks before your visit to get on the bread list .
Another Fall Equinox
Here is a Sunset from our place on a past Autumnal Equinox. Equinoxes being what they are, corresponding Sunsets appear more or less in the same direction near the horizon every year on a given date. At the Moment of Equinox someone at one particular place on the Equator can experience looking straight up at the Sun at Local Noon. An instant later the Sun is over a spot below the Equator. That’s right…the Equinox happens in a Single Moment over a Single Spot on Equator.
For those non-Navigators our there, “local noon” is the moment on any day when the Sun is directly South of you in the Northern Hemisphere, or directly North of you in the SH. One Very Cool thing about this “Local Apparent Noon” (LAN) is that at Sea you can always tell your Latitude by observing the angular elevation of the Sun over a period near noon. You can observe it increasing to a maximum and then start decreasing. The maximum elevation always occurs when the Sun is on the same North-South Meridian as you are and it is a relatively easy matter to compute your Latitude from this One Observation. That also explains how, by the way, Joshua Slocum (author of the Classic “Sailing Alone Around the World”) was able to navigate Around the World back in 1898 using a wind-up clock that had lost its minute hand…!
This week’s Wine Tasting: Kasari Cellars
On Friday we will host Marty Kmiecik, owner/winemaked at Kasari Cellars. Marty has deep connections to Lummi Island. His Dad is Mike Kmiecik, a familiar island resident and prominent member of Funny Side Farm on Granger Way, with its well-kept gardens and landscape of fruit trees and a broad array of whimsical artistic structures. Marty lives in Skagit County, but also owns a two-acre parcel almost across the street from us on Granger Way.
Marty is just releasing his first commercial vintage, and we are delighted to provide this venue for you to meet, greet, and taste the new wines! Grapes for these wines come from several well-established Washington vineyards.
Kasari Sauvignon Blanc ’22 WA $22
100% sauv blanc; aromas of citrus, melon, and herbs leading to primary flavors of lime, cantaloupe, and lemongrass, complimented by a refreshing minerality on the clean finish.
Kasari Roussane ’22 WA $24
Aromas of honeysuckle, baked apple, and beeswax lead to a palate poached pear, floral notes,honey and white pepper with refreshing acidity, supple mouthfeel, and lingering finish.
Kasari Malbec ’22 WA $34
90% malbec, 10% cab sauv; vibrant garnet color; opens with abundant aromas of fresh blueberry, dark cherry and vanilla bean; palate of berry compote, baking spices, and earthy, well balanced tannins.
Economics of the Heart: Polling and the Sword of Damocles
en.wikipedia.org
An ancient Greek story tells of a tyrannical King (Dionysius) who was feared and obeyed but also hated. His inability to imagine another way of ruling made him quite paranoid (although in his case they probably were out to get him!) and caused him to take extraordinary measures to protect himself from treachery, and which made his wealth and position a great burden.
When Damocles, one of his loyal followers, complimented him on how happy and contented his wealth, power, and position must make him, he grew irritated, because he was neither. To give Damocles a sense of the King’s everyday burden, he indulged him in luxuries of food, drink, and comfort, which young Damocles very much enjoyed…until he became aware that above his head dangled a great sword, hanging by a single horsehair which might break at any moment to kill or maim him. Thus did he understand how the King’s burden of living under constant threat of injury or death takes an emotional toll Damocles was happy to give up.
The November 5 Presidential election is unlike any in our nation’s history, with one party embracing a platform of doing away with our Constitution entirely and replacing it with the Fascist tyranny of Project 2025 led by the muddled, brain-impaired, aging Tweetster who cannot finish a single thought, grasp a single concept, or perform even the most simple kind of reasoning.
This has been increasingly clear in all of his recent appearances, whether in court, at the Debate, at his Convention, or at his rallies. To make matters worse, his VP pick also has no qualifying public executive experience and is not any more qualified by temperament, education, or experience to be President than the Tweetster– putting the whole world under a Sword of Damocles.
Our country and to some degree the entire world are at present divided into irreconcilable political camps of Authoritarians vs. Humanists. Authoritarians believe the natural order of human society is for One Tough Guy and his loyal lieutenants to control how power and wealth are allocated, and that objective Truth is whatever the Leader pronounces it to be. Humanists believe that: 1) all human beings share the same needs for safety, affection, attention, approval, and equal opportunity to live healthy and satisfying lives, and 2) that Truth is based on observable facts which can be verified by observation, repetition, and analysis.
For 250 years our nation has struggled toward inclusion, fairness, justice, and equal opportunities for all citizens to share in both common responsibility and prosperity. But over the past 50 years, would-be authoritarians have been at work sabotaging this fundamental American principle with their own goal of white male supremacy and its associated rascist, sexist, patriarchal religions. In today’s world it has become perfectly clear that Republicans have abandoned democracy in favor of an authoritarian government that specifically promises (in Project 2025) to do away with our Constitution entirely.
We see behind us in our nation a stained tapestry of deals, trades, treachery, lies, murders, ambition, and the unbridled vanity we call “politics,” which we have survived as a nation. We see in front of us a particularly virulent form of the political disease, wherein a massive subculture has been created over the past forty years which is completely unwilling or unable to distinguish fact from fiction or truth from lies, and which sees the Constitution as a constraint, not a sacred commitment.
So: the coming election is the Sword dangling by a thread over Civilization itself. At this moment we, like Damocles, are enjoying a bit of luxury as hopes rise, young people flock to support Harris/Walz in many swing states, and we really want to be Optimistic, but we are worn down by a legal system that has let the Tweetster skate on legal case after case, and a Supreme Court that has replaced the constraints of Constitutional law with political and religious overreach.
At the moment Truth, Justice, and guarded optimism seem to have a little edge thanks to growing numbers of advocates for women’s rights, the pride and commitment of service vets, and young voters registering en masse to vote against the tyranny of Project 2025. Not to mention, you know, Taylor Swift...
Even though that Sword still looms over us, each day seems to add a comforting (and tentative) thread or two of hope…
2072 Granger Way