lummi island wine tasting april 5 ’19
note: some photos may link to larger formats when clicked…
Friday Breads This Week
Semolina w/ Fennel & Raisins – Using a levain, also known as sourdough, and made with bread flour, semolina and some fresh milled whole wheat. A little butter for a tender crumb and fennel seeds and golden raisins round out the flavors. Judy A. says this is her favorite! These flavors go really well with meats and cheese, but it also makes pretty darn good toast – $5/loaf
Spelt Levain – Spelt is an ancient wheat grain with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and less gluten than modern wheat. This bread is made with a levain, or sourdough, traditional bread flour and about 1/3 spelt flour, fresh milled whole spelt and fresh milled whole rye. It is a great all around bread – $5/loaf
Note: Pastry this week goes to fortify those who participate in Annual Island cleanup on Saturday morning, starting from the Grange at 9:45.
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 on 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.
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!
Note our regular Saturday wine tasting will follow the concert, from 4-6pm. Learn more about Robert’s music here.
This Year’s Robin
We returned home last week to find a new robin’s nest in the eaves over the entryway. Unlike last year’s nest, which was high above the seldom used back deck, this one is right over the entry, where there is the highest traffic.
We saw the nest the day after we got home, but saw neither mama bird nor signs of young. I climbed up and found three eggs, but supposed they were abandoned. Not until today did we see mama leaving the nest and chirping to distract us as she flew onto a nearby limb. She stayed in the vicinity and after twenty minutes or so worked her way back toward the nest. We worry that if she takes off every time we or one of the dogs comes onto the deck the eggs might not incubate enough to hatch.
So, we are monitoring. If necessary we may have to find another way in and out for a few days. Hopefully all eggs will hatch into healthy fledglings. Stay tuned!
Mar a Lago Update: Standing Up to Existential Grief
We mentioned last week that our March road trip was hard to relax into. Having been home for a week now, a new perspective and accompanying resolve seems to be forming. Most of us have been in a kind of trance since the 2016 election, waking up every day somehow expecting that Today the Horrible Mistake would somehow be set right. However, since the mid-term election and even more since the too-little-too-late Mueller Report, the Intense Grief of seeing our once-proud Country turned into an ongoing Media Cartoon Soap Opera Circus seems to be undergoing a Catharsis.
Perhaps the Grim Realization that we are stuck with at least another two years of the Mitch and Tweetie Lie-Fest that keeps our planet accelerating toward Mass Extinction is creating an Urgency that no longer allows the Luxury of Hopelessness. Rather, it has become manifestly clear that Republican Reality in this Congress and this White House is none other than the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, where Nothing Makes Sense, and Nothing Ever Will.
So the first thing we have to do is stop paying attention to these Bozos. It is a waste of time and energy to try to dialogue with people who assert the logical equality of Established Science and “Alternative Facts,” as if the established laws of physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics were just another Opinion we can safely ignore. We have spent two years now leaning our heads against tree trunks and whimpering Charlie Brown’s Default Mantra: “I Can’t Stand It!”
Turning all this around at this late date in the growing Climate Crisis is by no means a slam-dunk, even if everyone on Earth joined together wholeheartedly. The best we can do in our country is to do everything we can to replace Mitch and Tweetie with bright, sane, kind, wise leaders who will commit to the long-term goal of a Better World for Fewer People.
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date: 9,451 as of 4/1/19\
This week’s wine tasting
Treana White ’16 California $16
Seductive blend of viognier, marsanne, and roussanne. Aromas and flavors of pineapple, dried apricot, peach and Clementine orange with floral notes of honeysuckle and elder flower and sweet notes of marzipan, honey, graham cracker and cinnamon.
Oregon Solidarity Pinot Noir Rose ’18 Oregon $16
When a California winery canceled huge contracts for pinot noir grapes two days before harvest, area wineries united to buy the fruit, make the wines, and save the vintners’ bacon. This is the rose, to be followed by a chardonnay in May and a pinot noir in August.
Airfield Cabernet Sauvignon ’17 Washington $14
Bramble fruit aromatics from blackberry to ripe raspberry; A hint of strawberry preserves leads into an intriguing layer of exotic spice. The palate is round and displays rich secondary flavors of boysenberry and pomegranate that exits with a silky, lingering finish and a lively burst of fresh fruits.
Altarocca Rosso Librato ’15 Italy $14
Unoaked blend of canaiolo and cab franc from volcanic soils in Umbria, Zesty, spicy, lush, and smooth.
La Rocaliere Lirac Classique Rouge ’15 France $16
Grenache, mourvedre, syrah from sandy and pebbled soils; floral and spicy bouquet reminiscent of garrigue scrubland. Powerful and full-bodied, it finishes crisp and rich, matching perfectly with the spirit of contemporary cuisine.
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2072 Granger Way