lummi island wine tasting july 18 ’15
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads (sign up for preorder list! )
Pain au Levain – Think of it as French sourdough; mostly bread flour with fresh milled whole wheat and rye for a nice, chewy bread with a great crust. – $5/loaf.
– $5/loaf.
Breton Bread – Buckwheat flour and sel gris (gray salt) with a bit of rye for added flavor. Great with cheese or meats – $5/loaf.
Brioche- Buttery, delicious rolls filled with rum soaked raisins and almond paste, then topped with a chocolate glaze and sliced almonds. Ah, mais oui! — 2/$5.
Corsica E Prove
High in the foothills of Monte Grossu mountain in Corsica lies the granite plateau and Corsican micro-climate that produces U Vinu di E Prove – “the wine of the Prove.” It location close to the sea provides hot, dry days and cool nights; these wide daily temperature variations and the granite, clay, and sand soils, coupled with winemaker Camille-Anaïs Raoust’s practice of giving the wine at least two years in large oak casks, makes for a unique and delicious Mediterranean food wine.
Wine has been produced on Corsica for at least 2500 years, enjoyed long ago by the Phoenicians, then the Greeks, then the Romans…and now us! In recent years Corsican winemaking has been reinvigorated, and demand for the wines has been increasing rapidly. Come in and try it!
The Local
Following up on last week’s discussion of Washington State’s leadership role in producing hops for America and the World, tonight we visited The Local Public House on Railroad Ave. in Bellingham. Capitalizing on the plethora of great local microbrews, the Local offers a wide and ever-changing selection– tonight there were 16 beers or ales on tap, PLUS it was Cask Night, with five special “cask brews:” Menace Brewing Summer Wheat w/ cucumber & mint; Machine House English Mild, Wander Brewing Uncommon Cali Common w/ grapefruit rind, North Sound Hopsolute IPA w/ mango, Fremont Summer Ale w/ orange zest, ginger and mint.
We found the Machine House English Mild much like a very smooth and soft stout, very malty and flavorful. We are also fans of Wander Brewing, and found their Uncommon Cali Common w/ grapefruit to be very refreshing, tasty, and unusual. In addition, the Local has a great menu of delicious pub food, including the best Reuben sandwich we have ever had, with huge slabs of corned beef, delicious sauce, well-behaved kraut that knows to stay out of the spotlight, and beautiful dark bread. Yes, folks, this is an endorsement! check it out!
This week’s wine tasting
Marchetti Tenuta de Cavaliere Verdicchio ’14 Italy $16
Full-bodied, with lush pear, melon, and a touch of honey; a little off-dry, with an extra month on the vine to develop greater body, structure, and fruit essence; deftly made, with beautiful acidity. Lovely!
Tintero Elvio Rosato ’14 Italy $10
Mostly Barbera; lurid pink. Lively red berries and floral cherry on the nose; fleshy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors pick up a hint of anise with air. Can stand up to o strong cheeses and spicy charcuterie.
Renegade Red ’12 Washington $11
Nicely crafted blend of Cab, Merlot, and Cab Franc; shows lots of red and black fruits, scents of loamy minerality, and fine grained tannins that are matched with balanced acidity.
Maestracci Corse Calvi Rouge “E Prove” ’10 Corsica $18
Blend of hand-picked Niellucciu, Grenache, Sciacarellu, and Syrah, slowly fermented over several weeks and aged in neutral barrels, yielding lush black fruit with a beguiling tarry, earthy tang, structured with minerality, acidity and just enough tannin.
La Quercia Montepulciano riserva ’11 Italy $18
100% organic montepulciano from low-yield vines; rich, port-like nose of candied cherries that carry through on the expressive, rich, earthy palate; nice balance of fruit and acidity.
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