lummi island wine tasting april 8 ’16
http://www.pahaque.com/(note: some photos may enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads (contact us to get on the pre-order list!)
Multigrain w/ PFD – Made with a portion of dough pre-fermented overnight, then mixed with fresh milled whole wheat and rye flours plus flax, sunflower and sesame seeds; goes well with meats and cheese – $5/loaf.
Rosemary Olive Oil – also made with a portion of the flour pre-fermented, then mixed with some whole wheat flour, with olive oil added to make the crumb tender and rosemary for great flavor. – $5/loaf.
And, for a bit of sweet…with a catch!
Berry Kuchen, Banana Walnut Muffins, Danish Braid with sweet cheese filling and Dried Fruit Spice Buns BUT only available if you come to the island clean up and give our island a bit of spring cleaning spruce up and help pick up from the winter winds. Clean-up sign in starts at 9:45, come early and get a treat and have a cup of coffee.
Silver Falls
We just got home this evening from a brief trailer trip to Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park, a few miles south of the charming town of Silverton. Both are located about 25 miles east of Salem in the foothills of the Cascades. This is an area of sometimes steeply rolling landscapes, evergreen and deciduous forests, open farmland (Christmas tree farms abound), and an all-around peaceful and nourishing feeling. Rumor has it that a few modern pioneers are experimenting with developing vineyards in the area. Hmm. If we were twenty years younger, it would be mighty alluring to find a few acres and make some wine there!
Silver Falls is justifiably billed as the “Crown Jewel” of Oregon State Parks. With miles of moderate hiking trails, rocky forested canyons, ten breathtaking waterfalls (some nearly 200 feet tall), several campgrounds, a conference center…it is all in all a very alluring area. Click website for more info…
The Sun did break through there as here, leading to temperatures in the mid-70’s, almost Unbearably Hot to our perpetually-perfect-wine-temperature Lummi Island. The unexpected Warmth invited a comforting sense of Nourishment and Lack of Concern that is the Hallmark of Well-being…a rare and Wonderful Gift! Ahhhhh!
The Visor
As we have reported in these pages, three years ago we bought our little “T@da” trailer, a retro update of the “breadbox” trailers of a bygone era, and have been enjoying occasional road trips ever since. And while the “curvy breadbox” look has a warm and cozy ambience, it also has a drawback or two. In particular, the rounded ends render Impractical the roll-out awning featured on the much more Ubiquitous “White Boxes with Bold Swirly Graphics” trailers that dominate today’s RV market and campgrounds both public and private. Given that there is actually a Grain of Truth to the notion that so-called Free Enterprise can under certain circumstances allocate resources efficiently (a complicated economic concept reduced to meaningless gibberish by a generation of Republican “Jaba-the-Hut” Wanna-Be’s), it is reassuring that a little company has found an Opportunity in these little trailers.
Although the shape of the trailer precludes the installation of a standard roll-out awning, for unknown reasons its design Does include an odd little Track where the outside wall meets the rounded roof. Seeing an Opportunity, some folks at “Pahaque” came up with “the Visor.” On one edge is a ropy track that slides into the aforesaid Track, and then, supported by a couple of guy lines, it keeps both Sun and Rain at Bay. We have sent it back twice for adjustment (long story). The latest correction arrived recently and performed admirably the last few days. And, of course, it Does look like a Ball Cap Visor, doesn’t it? The difficulty is in getting the metal rod that shapes the visor curve to be just the right tension. Too much (we have been there!) and it curves way too sharply upward; too little (we have been there, too!) and it just flops down with the first breeze or rain shower.
The current version worked pretty well the last few days, and will be even better when a couple of newly designed reinforcement poles arrive. Folks…we are a Species of Tinkerers. No more, no Less. Just sayin’…!
This week’s wine tasting
Domaine Girard Chardonnay ’14 France $13
Medium- bodied with fleshy notes of fresh-picked apples and pears; no oak, but spends time on the lees to give it richness; clay soils at a higher elevation impart a delightful freshness.
Coopers Creek Marlborough Pinot Noir ’10 NZ $17
Mid-red, going slightly brick on the edge. Dark cherry and strawberry on the nose, but with definite savoury, earthy, forest floor complexities showing. Medium bodied, with tannins still very much there, but beautifully velvety.
Lagone Aia Vecchio ’12 Italy $14
“Super-Tuscan”blend of Merlot, Cab Sauv, and Cab Franc. Rich and expressive, with aromas of cherry, vanilla, raw beef, and herbs; structured palate of plum, wild berries, and hints of spice, with a long finish that begs for food.
Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec ’13 Argentina 89pts $14
Aromatic and fresh, with notes of violets, ripe plums and a touch of brown sugar, quite showy, with the profile of a cool vintage, the sweet tannins of the Malbec, some sweet spicy flavors, and good length.
Lost River Nebbiolo ’12 Washington $22
Lighter than its famous Italian counterparts barolo and barbaresco, yet showing classic nebbiolo notes of violets and tar on a smooth frame of cherry and strawberry…absolutely delightful!
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2072 Granger Way