lummi island wine tasting jan 19 ’23
Hours this weekend: Open 3:30- 5:30 pm Friday Only
Our current plan is to be open Fridays only for the rest of January.
Covid is still around, more contagious than ever, but far less threatening for the vaccinated.
We all have our own comfort zones; these days we all have to manage the space around us in our own way.
Friday Bread This Week
Buckwheat Rye – Fresh milled buckwheat and rye flours are soaked for several hours without any yeast in a method known as an autolyse. As buckwheat has no gluten and rye doesn’t have much. The autolyse allows the grain to start the fermenting process and really gets the enzymes going before the final mix – which is then fermented overnight in the refrigerator. The buckwheat, rye soaker is mixed with bread flour, salt and yeast and a bit of honey. Goes well with all sorts of meats and cheese – $5/loaf
Whole Grain Spelt Sweet Levain – Similar to a bread I sampled in Latvia it is made with a levain, also known as sourdough, freshly milled whole wheat and whole spelt before mixing with bread flour as well as a nice combination of dried apricots, golden raisins, slivered almonds and both sunflower and flax seeds. Chock full of flavor! – $5/loaf
and pastry this week…
Bear Claws!! – Made with a danish pastry dough rich in cream, eggs, sugar and butter. The dough is rolled out and spread with a filing made with almond paste, powdered sugar, egg whites and just a bit of cinnamon to round out the flavor. Then, because bears love honey, topped with a honey glaze after baking. As always, quantities are limited, be sure to get your order in before you miss out- 2/$5
Wine of the Week: Marchetti Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi Classico ’21 Italy $14
The Marche wine region reaches from the mountainous spine of Italy to the Adriatic. This week’s low-yield Verdicchio is a hallmark of the varietal, with refreshing citrus fruits, playful acidity, and complex minerality. Made only with juice from a gentle half-press, it is precise and engaging.
Established in 1968 as a DOC of 18 hilly communes, the Verdicchio Classico, or Castelli di Jesi, region, is located some 35 kilometers inland from Ancona, an unusual wine region near the Adriatic coast where red grapes are grown close to the sea, and white grapes prefer to be slightly inland. The distinction of being “Classico” is a recognition that “this is what wine from this grape is meant to taste like!”
Wine history of the region dates back to the Romans and before, with some clay artifacts such as amphorae dating the region’s wine production back to the Iron Age. These days, the verdicchios from the region have developed a consistent quality and tasting profile that sets them apart.
Economics of the Heart: Fairer Ferry Fares, cont’d
Drama continues to unfold on ferry fares. As we write tonight the County Council is meeting to discuss (and likely approve) a proposal from County Public Works to raise ferry fares significantly during the coming year. The draconian proposal first became public just two months ago. At our advisory committee meeting lasrt week I proposed the Council put a hold on the proposal until a number of serious questions about the necessity, advisability, and even the legality of the proposed increases could be reviewed and discussed.
That proposal was soundly defeated after a spirited discussion had been abruptly cut off for a vote. The experience was disappointing but also painfully illuminating, making it perfectly clear once and for all that we (and perhaps even most County Advisory Committees…?) exist merely to be informed of County plans, to ask questions, and to make recommendations and suggestions— just as is every other citizen. But at the end of the day such committees have no political authority or influence. Such influence can only come from, metaphorically speaking, a large number of citizens wielding torches and pitchforks. That is, directly lobbying our elected Council members.
I suspect that lots of people figure this out early in life, while some of us spend decades tilting at the windmills of injustice like Don Quixote, outraged by the hypocrisy, heartened by belief in and longing for fairness, justice, and truth— you know, the futile quaintness of “principle.”
At issue with the proposed fare increase is the actual meaning and intent of the state and county laws governing ferry rates. And ironically, while the current debate is clearly laid out in the way these laws are written, at this very moment the County is engaged in a project that has been ( I am not making this up!) used by the State Dept of Transportation as an example of a capital expenditure and why is it NOT an operations or maintenance expenditure.
Seriously, the reason ferry service for much of this and next week will end with the 9:20pm run (don’t be late getting back from town or you will be stuck on the mainland!) is for major repair ($400,000) to one of the landing dolphins at the Island dock. Such repairs can be legally counted as “operating expenses” only to the extent that they add neither value nor longevity to the structure. If they do either, then those expenditures are by definition capital expenditures which yield service and depreciate in value over time and cannot legally be classified as either “operating expenses” or “repairs.” On the contrary they are capital assets which cannot legally be charged against fare box revenues.
Sooo…stay tuned, this could get interesting…!
This Week’s $10 Wine Tasting
Marchetti Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico ’21 Italy $14
Verdicchio/ Malvasia blend using only free-run juice; pale straw color with green overtones; intense bouquet of citrus, lemon zest, and floral notes,with complex fruity character, and crisp, well-balanced palate.
Cala Civetta Sangiovese di Toscana ’21 Italy $13
Earthy nose of red plum accompanies a vibrant yet mildly tannic palate of tart cherry with a hint of smoke and ocean brine – a true expression of Scansano, nestled halfway between the Tyrrhenian Sea and Mt. Amiata.
Tre Donne D’Arc Langhe Rosso ’18 Italy $20
Blend of oak-aged Barbera, and Pinot Nero with unoaked Dolcetto and Freisa that makes for a lively, fresh wine with rich, moody fruit, bracing purity, and fascinating depth.
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2072 Granger Way
