lummi island wine tasting april 19-20 ’19
note: some photos may link to larger formats when clicked…
Friday Breads This Week
Pan de Chocolate – Not a typical enriched sweet pastry dough made with lots of eggs, butter and sugar. Made with a levain it is a rich chocolate bread made with bread flour and fresh milled rye flour, honey for sweetness, vanilla and plenty of dark chocolate. Makes fabulous toast, even better french toast! – $5/loaf.
Brioche Loaves – Definitely not a poor man’s brioche– loaded with eggs and butter, a little milk and some sugar for a tender crumb and luscious flavor. Fermented in the refrigerator overnight, then formed into loaves and put into loaf pans for baking, this bread will make great French Toast! – $5/loaf
and pastry this week…
Colomba di Pasqua (“Easter Dove”) – A traditional Italian Easter bread similar to Christmas panettone. Made with a sweet italian levain as well as flour and plenty eggs, sugar, honey and butter plus vanilla bean and candied orange peel. Topped with a crunchy almond and hazelnut glaze and pearl sugar before baking in a dove-shaped baking form as a symbol of the Easter dove. $5/loaf
Saturday Concert April 20!
Make your plans now! Our Annual Spring Concert with singer-songwriter-minstrel Robert Sarazin Blake! This year’s concert will be from 2-4pm this Saturday, April 20 in the wine shop!
As Robert’s many local followers know, he is a modern-day troubadour who travels widely (mostly here in the Pacific Northwest , Germany, and Ireland) to share his craft, very often in pub atmospheres like our dear wine shop. And to all venues he brings his sonorous voice, open heart, wry humor, and engaging songs to weave a web of well-being around you. For those of you who have not attended any of our concerts, know that our little shop is a great venue for Robert’s style, which is is always engaging and energizing. Learn more about Robert’s music here.
Suggested performance donation is a modest $20 per person, and a selection of wines will be available by the glass. And since space is very limited, please confirm reservations soon!
Please note our regular Saturday wine tasting will follow the concert, from 4-6pm.
This Year’s Robin, cont’d
The robin’s nest above our entry over the last few weeks has brought to mind the classic image of the expectant father pacing in the hospital waiting room while the mom is in labor. In this case, there has been no sign of hatchlings since we saw three eggs in the nest when we got home three weeks ago, and we have been, well, Worried. Why is it taking so long? Maybe she is instinctively going through the motions but the eggs are not going to hatch…?
So today I couldn’t stand the suspense any longer and when Mama Robin was away I brought a stepstool onto the porch, climbed up and peered over. It was a Huge Relief to see two (at least) tiny chicks deep in the nest, craws open, waiting for Food. They are tiny, not more than a couple of days old ( photo at left is from two years ago, another robin entirely, whose chicks were close to fledging in this photo).
We also noticed the appearance of a male robin, who is participating in providing food for the babies and distracting intruders. In these challenging times, this simple scene is surprisingly Reassuring. Yes, we think to ourselves, there is still Magic all around us…!
Mar a Lago Update: Mr. Rock and the Pointless Forest
Today’s release to the Public and the ensuing All Day Punditry regarding– finally!– the release of most of the Mueller Report– has been both Compelling and Exhausting in its endless cycle of Spin and Counterspin. “Enough, Enough, I Can’t Take Any More!” we find ourselves ready to shriek, and the very next moment we tune in again…maybe This Time there will be a Point we can all Agree upon. Sadly, so far, no, not so much.
At this late hour it has reminded us of a Sweet Little Animated Feature from some decades ago called The Point, written and performed by the Legendary Harry Nilsson. You can listen to the entire sound track here. You can see a brief trailer here.
The basic story is that in a land of Pointy-headed people a little boy is born with a Round head. Being Pointless, he and his dog Arrow are Banished to the Pointless Forest where they encounter many Teaching Moments. In particular, in light of today’s events, we are reminded of his exchange with the wise and Very Hip Mr. Rock, who, from his perspective of having been around nearly Forever and, like, Seen It All, tries to teach Oblio that it is perfectly okay not to have a point, and that he should “Be Cool…be Steady as a Rock.”
All day today we have all been wandering in the Pointless Forest, where no one’s opinion about Very Essential Truths seems to have changed in light of the Established Facts from a lengthy and conscientious Investigation. As Mr. Rock said to Oblio and Arrow, “you see what you want to see, and you hear what you want to hear…all you gotta do is open yo’ mind along with yo’ eyes…”
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date: 9,451 as of 4/1/19\
This week’s wine tasting
Excelsior Chardonnay ’17 South Africa $10
The nose shows hints of peach, lemons and orange blossom backed up by a touch of oak. The palate is fresh and creamy with great lengthand lingering acidity.
Campuget Tradition Rose ’17 France $11
Pale brilliant pink. Nervy, mineral-tinged aromas of orange zest and strawberry; Silky and light on its feet, offering zesty, light-bodied red berry and blood orange flavors and a bracing touch of bitter quinine.
Clone 7 Merlot Washington $10
Ruby black color. Toasty aromas and flavors of dark chocolate, creme brulee crust, and dried berries with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity body and smooth, breezy notes of earthy mocha with soft, dusty tannins.
Morgan Cotes du Crows Syrah ’16 California $17
Aromas of fresh berries, baking spices and chocolate get this wine going; full bodied yet balanced, with toasty black fruit flavors with grip and intensity.
Lopez Heredia Vina Cubillo Crianza ’09 Spain/Rioja $22
Juicy and soft; fermented with natural yeasts and matured 3 yrs in neutral barriques; aromas of leather, cherries, spices and smoke. On the palate deep, full-bodied, and balanced, with a long, classy, vibrant finish.
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2072 Granger Way