lummi island wine tasting july 10 ’15
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads (sign up for preorder list! )
Buckwheat Rye – This bread is made with about half bread flour and half a mix of whole buckwheat and fresh milled rye flour. The buckwheat lends a great earthy flavor to this artisan bread with a little honey added for sweetness. This is a bread that would be great with cheese – $5/loaf.
Pain Meunier – Also known as miller’s bread, developed to honor the miller by using all parts of the wheat berry, plus bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat & cracked wheat, and some wheat germ as well. A local favorite! – $5/loaf.
Palmiers- These delightful treats are made with puff pastry dough, loaded with butter, then covered with sugar, folded and baked. Di says these are her favorites! — 4/$5
Washington Hops
For many years now the story has been that a new winery has been opening in Washington every two weeks since the nineties. That would be about twenty-five a year, 250 in ten years, or something over 600 since 1990, for a current total of about 750 state-wide. All those wineries either grow their own grapes or buy them from the many large vineyards in the State. There is a pecking order based on seniority of contracts, and fruit from the best vineyards is tough for newcomers to get. These are things we all know about Washington wine.
What you may not know is that not only is Eastern Washington a great place to grow grapes; it also produces about 75% of all the hops used to make beer across the entire nation. The Yakima Valley is one of the most important hop growing regions in the world, exporting two-thirds of its total hops production to other countries.
There are two general types of hops, “bittering” and “aroma,” each with many individual subtypes. Bittering hops are high in alpha acids (about 10 percent by weight). Aroma hops are usually lower in alpha acid ( around 5 percent), and are used to impart desirable aromas and flavors to the beer. Many hop varieties can be used for either purpose. read more …and even more…
This Just In: Walking in Nature relieves the blues
Okay, to anyone with an actual Brain this “recent scientific finding” is so not surprising as to evoke a “well, Duh!” However, the fact that someone actually decided to study it, gather data, and make conclusions, as reported here, is kind of interesting. Some researchers at Stanford recently did a study exploring the effects of nature walks on “rumination,” i.e., the process of “self-referential thought” (see?? it IS all about me!). Or as they put it, “Rumination shows up as increased activity in a brain region called the subgenual prefrontal cortex, a narrow band in the lower part of the brain that regulates (or doesn’t!) negative emotions.”
The upshot of all of this is that there is something about walking in natural surroundings that restores balance, quiets internal dialogue, creating a “soft fascination,” a “sense of belonging,” or a “sense of being away.” Those of us who live here on the Island are fortunate to get lots of exposure to the many soothing balms of Nature…ahhh, it’s a wonderful thing! Read more
The Italians are back!
Yes, friends, it’s time for our semi-annual shipment of Italian wines from Seattle importer Small Vineyards. Each August and March we attend a low-key, sit-down tasting with a SV representative, who guides us through about 20 wines we can order for delivery in three months or so. The wines we ordered in March have arrived, and we will be pouring two of them this weekend. Tonight we previewed the Brunelli Apricale, a blend of sangiovese with a little merlot and cab franc, and it makes us remember why we ordered it! During the sampling the sun shone through the wine glass, staining my hand with Bacchan light…it is a Miracle? Or is it just the everyday wonder of how the sun makes life possible?
Or, as Benjamin Franklin put it, “Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy!”
This week’s wine tasting
Perazzeta Rosado di Montalcino ’14 Italy $14
It’s back! From the same grape as Brunello (sangiovese grosso), this beautiful rosado has it all: rich, bold, flinty, and summery.
Caymus Conundrum White ’13 California $16
Blend of Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc, Viognier, and Muscat Canelli. Nose of citrus orchard in bloom. Tastes sweet without being cloying, showing fig, apricot, exotic spice and melon flavors. Ends clean and pure.
Domaine La Croix Belle Caringole ’12 France $10
Syrah, Carignan and Merlot blend from Languedoc’s Cotes de Thongue region; fresh and supple with flavours of cherry, and black olive, and herbs.
Portteus Bistro Red ’13 Washington $10
54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. A food friendly wine with delicate yet elegant mouthfeel. Notes of blackberry, pomegranate, cocoa, honey and licorice, with a creamy finish.
Brunelli Apricale ’14 Italy $14
Sangiovese grosso with a little Merlot and Cab Franc; Fragrance is fruity and persistent with scents of wild berries and slight traces of spice. Soft and balanced and appropriately tannic, this Sant’Antimo Rosso ideally accompanies the entire meal.
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