lummi island wine tasting jan 6, ’17
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads
Sonnenblumenbrot (aka Sunflower Seed Bread) – a hearty bread made with bread flour and fresh milled rye, a bit of malt syrup for sweetness and loaded up with sunflower seeds for flavor and crunch. A great all around bread that would be great with soup or stew for the cold weather this week -$5/loaf
Honey Wheat w/ Poppy Seeds & Lemon – made with a mix of bread and fresh milled whole wheat flours, some honey, poppy seeds and lemon zest make for a flavorful loaf. Some of you may remember that I made these as dinner rolls for the Heritage Trust dinner – $5/loaf
And for this week’s pastry…
Rum Raisin Brioche – A delicious rich brioche made with lots of eggs and butter and filled with bits of almond paste, raisins that are soaked in rum overnight, and topped with a delicious chocolate glaze. One of my favorites. These are delicious be sure to order early as quantities are limited – 2/$5
Wine Club Reminder
After several trial iterations in the last few years, we have settled on a pretty simple set of Wine Club principles: you pay us $35 per calendar year, and in return we will give you $5 off on your wine tastings through the year AND we will pay sales tax (8.7%! ) on all your wine purchases for the year.
As we are now entering a new Calendar Year, that means that you must renew your membership to continue these benefits in 2017, when, as nearly as we can tell at this point, your need for wine is likely to increase, and any economist can tell you that your marginal benefit from membership is increasing all the time. Any way you look at it, Wine Club membership may be one of the Last Best Bargains before, you know, the Collapse of Civilization As We Know It!
January Schedule
Old-timers will recall that we are usually closed much of January and February, and this year is no different. However, Bread Fridays continue on their own schedule, and if we are around, we will do a tasting as usual on Friday evenings from 4-7 pm. If we are not here, on some Fridays Janice will be delivering bread, and a sort of impromptu, customer-funded tasting might ensue.
What we can tell you now is that there will be both bread and wine tasting This Friday January 6, and next Friday, January 13.
Then there will be neither bread or wine tasting on January 20.
Mark your calendars, and stay tuned!
New Year’s Eve in Review
Magnuminity: Occurs when Various Elements of the Wine Trade say, “okay, if you buy three cases of This, we will throw in a Big Bottle of That to sweeten the deal.” Such was the case this past year when we bought one case of Tarima Hill Monastrell and got a magnum ( equal to two regular bottles– at left in photo); and, for buying three cases of Bogle Essential Red, we got a Jeroboam ( Three Liters!) of Phantom, their pretty tasty red blend of zin, syrah, and mourvedre (the Big Bottle in the photo). And these large-format bottles definitely added to the Festivity!
Best Finger Food Ever!
Every year our guests seem to try harder to Outdo each other. This year in particular seemed to bring out the best in our Foodie Community, with nearly every little “snack” inviting eye-rolling moans of pleasure. Yummy in Every Direction! So heartfelt Thanks to all of you for sharing your delicious Creations; can there be any greater Pleasure than Good Friends, Good Food, and Good Wine? Ahhhhh…!
Mary Jane’s Stuffed Jalapenos: Spicy, Toasty, Savory, and Rich, not to mention as Lovely as Salmon Swimming Upstream!
Michelle’s Chocolate-Dipped Gibraltar-shaped Macaroons: both Eye-Catching and Delicious!
Mary Beth’s two kinds of Potsticker/Steam Buns with Soy Dip: Fastest Disappearing Dish!
Barbara’s Baked Brie in Puff Pastry: Hot, Gooey, and Addictive!
Ann’s Pepper Bread with Camembert: moist, dense bread with a peppery kick and lots of Umami to accompany your glass of wine!
The Revelers
Principal Active Principle
This week has brought Coopie as close to Normal as we have seen for a couple of months. He is often feisty, energetic and playful, and has had a great appetite. Part of that is due to Pat’s commitment to feeding him along the guidelines of an anti-cancer diet, which as nearly as I can tell was written by dogs. As you might expect, it basically says that dogs should eat what WE eat: a blend of meat, veggies, rice, and even some kibbles (but all Kibbles are Not created Equal!). Both dogs have better appetites and silkier coats, whatever that might mean. And after his post-chemo week of Zero Appetite, his new enthusiasm for food is comforting, as are all the moment to moment manifestations of his particular Aliveness and our collective Companionship.
Tomorrow we take him in for a few tests to see if we need to tweak his treatment plan. For now he is a pretty happy dog, and that is a Wonderful Thing!
This week’s Wine Tasting
Jardin Unoaked Chardonnay ’13 South Africa $15
Alluring aromas of ripe pears and honey lead to a bright, crisp palate of fresh lemon, honey, and a touch of quinine. Delicious!
Steele Outkaste Red ’11 Mendocino $16
53% zinfandel, with syrah, tempranillo, petite sirah, and petit verdot; aromas of black pepper, raspberry, and cobbler, with palate of brambly blackberry, cassis, and spices.
Portteus Bistro Red ’13 Washington $10
54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. A food friendly wine with delicate, elegant texture. Notes of blackberry, pomegranate, cocoa, honey and licorice, with a creamy finish. Over-delivers for the $.
Tomas Cusine Lliebre ’14 Spain $12
Tempranillo, Merlot, Cab, Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan make for a full-bodied, spiced, currant-like wine reminiscent of old school California Cabernet Sauvignon, with nuances of tobacco, baking chocolate, and fennel.
Chateau Les Croisille Cahors Malbec “Croizillon” ’15 France $15
100% malbec organically farmed by hand; aromas and flavors of black cherry, saddle leather, blackberry, cocoa and spice.
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2072 Granger Way