Lummi Island Library Benefit Wine Tasting Valentine Week ’13
Getting Serious About Our Library Fund
As most of you now know, the Island Library is long overdue for upgrading. The original home that was purchased by FOIL (Friends of the Island Library –– essentially all of us) back in the mid-nineties took several years to pay off. Lots of necessary upgrades were postponed to an indefinite future. Fifteen years later, a remodel design has painstakingly evolved that incorporates building code and access issues, needs for a more functional children’s space and “teen room,” necessary electrical upgrades to support modern information technology, and public meeting facilities for island organizations. Construction can begin when the target budget of $200,000 has been raised, and we are close enough that one final push can make it possible!!! And You can help!!!
Take The Pledge and “Wine” a Prize !
Being “joined at the hip” to a long-time member of FOIL, I can tell you that for the past year your little committee of bookophiles has put in many hundreds of hours (I am not exaggerating even a little bit) struggling to raise the funds to make your new Library a reality. Thanks to their tireless efforts and many generous donors, the project is now within $40,000 of reaching its target...Huzzah! Well done, both volunteers and donors!!
At this point my personal thought after seeing how hard a few people have worked for us all, and how generously a few people have donated for us all, is that it would be really nice if the rest of the funds could be pledged right now, without FOIL members’ having to invent, plan, organize, and realize yet another event. Non, non, non, mes amis, I think it’s time for the rest of us to dig deep and get this thing over the top! Right? Are ya with me? The Really Simple way to make this happen is for ALL OF US to pledge a small, painless Monthly Donation for just the next four months (through May). Come on, people, let’s just DO this!
Here’s all you have to do:
- Go to the FOIL Website;
- Click on “Donate” at the top of the page;
- Select one of the “monthly donation options” from the dropdown list (dig deep, my friends, dig deep!);
- Hit the Subscribe button and complete the form
- Print out your receipt (Important for what happens next)!
- Bring your receipt to Artisan Wine Gallery to collect a Token of Appreciation! (see below)
Valentine’s Day Week at Artisan Wine Gallery
If YOU make a pledge, WE will thank you! Along with many of you, we have committed ourselves to bringing the library renovation to fruition, and we are actively recruiting everyone who has an interest in our community, in books, in reading, or in literacy to join in this community effort. In gratitude for your support, we are happy to offer you a small “merci” to acknowledge your generosity. Just bring in your receipt from your online donation by Feb 16, and get a little credit for it:
| Your monthly donation |
Your credit at the wine shop! |
| $10 | $3 |
| $25 | $5 |
| $50 | $10 |
| $100 | $20 |
Our Own Chocolate Mendiants: another way to enjoy giving!
Curiously, the French term mendiant means “beggar.” So it seems entirely appropriate to offer Pat’s handmade Artisan Wine Gallery chocolate mendiants as part of our fundraising effort. Each mendiant is made in the traditional style, a disc of intense French chocolate dotted with a different combination of cashews, pecans, raisins, cranberries, pineapple, papaya, and ginger, and Oh, My, are they good! And all proceeds go to, you guessed it, the Library Fund!
$10 per individually wrapped pack of two
Masquerade Wine Company
This afternoon I was in Bellingham for errands (amazing how rarely I go to town anymore!) and found myself in the neighborhood of Masquerade Wine Company on Iowa Street. You may recall that the owners, Bill and Jennifer Kimmerly, did a tasting of their wines with us last June when we hosted a leg of the Schooner Zodiac’s Wine Tour of the San Juans. It was great fun! So today I tasted through many of their new releases, and I have brought home to you a case of their just barely released 2009 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.
I mean, this is so freshly bottled that I had to put the labels on myself (kinda fun, actually!). Their 2005 cab was a big hit with me– a very alluring, feminine style; and the 2007 cab was popular with almost everyone…we sold out rather quickly. This one, the 2009, has the soft complexity of the 2005 along with the staying power of the 2007, and I’m thinking this may be their best wine so far! So in honor of this new arrival, we will be featuring several of the Masquerade wines in this weekend’s tastings!
This Week’s Wines
Masquerade Viognier ’11 Washington $16
A luscious and full bodied wine, off-dry with slightly less than 1% residual sugar. Aromas and flavors of white peach, apple, and Asian pear, balanced with a hint of grassiness and an enticing aroma of lavender.
Masquerade Syrah ’07 Washington $22
From Burgess Vineyard in Pasco, this syrah is substantial, fruity, and crisp, a great accompaniment to winter fare.
Masquerade Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain ’09 Washington $28
This just-released cab combines the best elements of their soft, alluring, somewhat feminine ’05 cab (which I preferred) and the more structured, robust, and popular ’07; like an orchestra with every instrument in its place, this lovely wine will seduce you with its harmony of flavor, texture, balance, and length. Very, very nice.
Masquerade Gewürztraminer ’11 Washington $13
This floral, fragrant dry wine exhibits flavors reminiscent of pineapple and passion fruit, with a seductive aroma of spice, clove, and rosewater. Great match with Thai or Indian food!
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2072 Granger Way