lummi island wine tasting april 7 ’17
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Bread this week
Barley, Whole Wheat & Rye Levain – A great multi-grain bread made with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat and rye as well as barley. Full of whole grain goodness – you’ll feel healthier just having some -$5/loaf
Pain de Beaucaire – From the southeastern region of France that was very popular until people started to prefer the lighter and crunchier baguette. Made with bread flour and fresh milled white whole wheat, it also has a strip of wheat bran that runs down the middle. A great all around bread- $5/loaf
And for a bit of pastry:
Rum Raisin Brioche: A delicious brioche dough that is full of eggs, butter and sugar. Filled with golden raisins and chunks of almond paste and topped with a chocolate glaze before baking. Ooh la la! – 2/$5.
Cahors
The French wine region known somewhat vaguely as the “Sud-ouest” (Southwest) includes a number of very old appelations, a number of varietals found elsewhere in France, and a number of varietals found nowhere else, often dating back to Roman times.
To the west of the very old city of Cahors lie most of he vineyards of the Cahors appelation, where the dominant grape is malbec. Yes it is the same varietal found in Bordeaux, and more recently made world-famous and extremely popular in wines from Argentina and Chile. But the same grape takes on different characteristics depending on the soil and climate where it grows. One winery we visited while visiting Cahors in September was Clos de Coutale, and we will be pouring their blend of malbec and merlot for you this weekend. Wines from this area have a certain rustic strength of character that we find very appealing; our goal is to taste more of them with you in the coming months.
Rats
from Daily Kos 04/05/17
Many a time I have called up the image of rats leaving a ship as a Harbinger of Doom. But in those images I always imagined the rats knew Something Bad was going to happen aboard and they would rather take their chances with Davy Jones. Like maybe the ship were Cursed somehow. You know, like the Unfocused Dread we have all been feeling for the last few months.
Thus this cartoon caught my eye, but the accompanying article sees the rats more as Ship’s Personnel being Thrown Overboard than as Voluntary Abandoners. So a few weeks ago we had the resignation of Mikhail Flynn, and more recently Darth Bannon was dismembered from the National Security Council, and Devil Nunes slunk away from the House investigation of Trump ties to Russia. A Lot of Rat Activity.
A long time ago I owned an old wooden sailboat, and asked an experienced boat builder to look it over and tell me what it needed. He was waiting for me in the cockpit when I came aboard. He had not been down below. He said, “You know what’s holding this boat together?”
“No,” I said. “What?”
“Habit,” he said.
From a broad metaphysical standpoint it doesn’t matter if these rats were pushed, or jumped, or fell, or even if they find another lair on board. It’s really about the state of the Ship, and while it’s getting painful to watch as this particular ship continues to Founder, wouldn’t we all breathe a Sigh of Relief to see its stern rail drop Quietly and Finally below the surface…?
Fundamentals and Hungry Ghosts
www.dylanvermeul.com
“Any economic system requires a set of rules, an ideology to justify them, and conscience in the individual to carry they out. .” Joan Robinson, Economic Philosophy
For all the railing they have done about “Entitlements” as a Bad Thing, Republicans in general and Dissembler-in-Chief McConnell in particular today declared their Own Entitlement to Have Everything Their Way, that the Rules and Ideology of our Constitution will no longer apply to them, and that there will be, literally, No Further Discussion.
Because since the Reagan years Republicans have felt Entitled to control Government, they spent the Clinton Years and the Obama Years on a Mission of Obstruction against Every policy, every nomination however inconsequential, and every piece of legislation advanced by their Democratic counterparts. They are like Hungry Ghosts, with Insatiable Appetites but Pea-sized Throats. They can never have Enough Power or Enough Wealth. Their only satisfaction seems to be in denying satisfaction to others, however modest their needs. They have Much of Hubris, and Little of Kindness. Aye, lads, these be Dark Times, abound with Orcs, Goblins, and Wraiths without a Shred of Conscience. Arrrr, a good time to gather by the Hearth with yer mates and a bit of wine…!
This week’s wine tasting
Legoe Bay Pinot Gris ’12 Washington $11
Slightly off-dry; fruity and full-bodied with aromas of pear, apple, and melon. Nice balance of fruit and acidity with hints of spice and sweetness.
Mas des Bressades Rosé ’15 France $12
Spicy aromas and flavors of ripe red berries, orange, and pungent flowers; Nicely concentrated and supple, gaining weight with air, picking up bitter cherry and melon notes and a lingering red fruit liqueur quality.
Monte Antico Rosso ’12 Italy $10
A blend of sangiovese, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Medium to full body with dried cherry, milk chocolate and light chili aromas and flavors. Long and delicious. Caressing mouthfeel. Bright acidity.
Clos La Coutale ’14 France $16
From Cahors, 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot, creating an intense wine that juggles elegant rusticity with everyday drinkability.
Tomas Cusine Geol Italy $14
Elegant notes of cedar, eucalyptus, chocolate, and black currants with elegant and sweet wood on the nose. A wide and silky entrance, with rounded tannins; powerful, deep and persistent finish.
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