Lummi Island Wine Tasting January 28 ’12

Posted at January 26, 2012

2012    2012     2012

Okay, we’re BACK! We count ourselves fortunate to have hit the road heading south before the weather turned, well, ugly around here. We spent a few days with friends on the Oregon Coast at Yachats (“yah- hats”), where we enjoyed sunny days, walks along the water, and endless pounding surf…not to mention this amazing blowhole about a five minute walk from our rental (or as we learned many years ago in Mexico, “la Bufadora!” (click on photo for larger version)

After that we had a lovely drive from the coast along the Umpqua river into the Umpqua Valley wine region. We were so impressed with the scenery and the wines that we are going to work on setting up a little wine tour there, possibly also including the Rogue River appellation near and around Medford, where we also had some surprisingly good wines. Stay tuned, more on that down the road!

We also spent several days in Napa Valley, enjoying the sun, food, wine, and family. Even there it was freezing in the morning, but warmed up to the mid-fifties by afternoon…ahhhh! Tasted some wine here and there, and I did order a bunch from one of my favorite winemakers, David Coffaro, which should arrive next week sometime. When it comes in we will have a special event to let you try them. David is sometimes called the “Mad Mixmaster” because he grows a wide selection of varietals, some quite unusual, and blends them together in unusual combinations. Trust me, this is real winemaking, and you are gonna love these wines. Warning: they are a little more expensive than most of us drink daily, but you won’t be able to resist. Below is a photo of the winery; yes, that is a big screen and big speakers, more often the winery is cluttered with barrels, the latest high-tech wine equipment, hoses, a forklift, and activity. Watch the blog for more on this, and don’t miss it! (click on photo for larger version)

 

FRIDAY      FRIDAY      FRIDAY
We WILL be open Friday evening this week (today, January 27) from 4-7. Ryan will be pouring a couple of nice wines, and there will be munchies. Come on by!

 

TASTING WORKSHOP    TASTING WORKSHOP    TASTING WORKSHOP   
Ryan is kicking off the New Year with a new series of tasting workshops. This series will be modeled after the last workshop in the summer series, in which he explored the cultural influences of the region along with the wine. So you taste the wine, experience the literature, see the art, learn about the land the the climate, and at some level make connections that link them together. It’s fun, it’s interesting, it’s amazing, and we are really looking forward to it! It puts wine into the broader context of human culture to show how this wine could only come from this place. See flyer for details, and call soon to reserve your place! And I can’t resist posting this photo I took of Ryan at our New Year’s party…

Looking forward to seeing you all again soon!

This week’s wines:

Altarocca Arcosesto Orvieto ’10 Italy     $14
A crisp, clean, fragrant white wine (grechetto, procanico, malvasia), bright and sunny with minerally notes of flowers, citrus, and dried fruits.

Portteus Bistro Red 09   Washington      $10
58% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc, aged in small French oak barrels; medium body with flavors of blueberry, chocolate, cola, cigar, plum and a nice creamy finish.

Bodegas Ateca Atteca ’09     Spain    $14    90pts
Displays aromas of cedar, an earthy minerality, black cherry, and lavender leading to a savory, deep, well-balanced red with succulent fruit and a lengthy, seamless finish.

Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero   ‘05    Spain       WA92pts     $21
Purple-colored with a complex bouquet of wood smoke, toast, crushed stone, and blackberry. Supple, ripe, and forward, this tasty wine can be enjoyed now through 2015.

Wine Tasting

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