lummi island wine tasting june 28-29 ’19
Friday Breads
Fig Anise – One of the more popular breads in the rotation. Made with a sponge that is fermented overnight, then the final dough is mixed with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat. Honey, dried figs and anise bring in all the flavors of the mediterranean. A great flavorful bread – $5/loaf
Buckwheat Rye – First, fresh milled buckwheat and rye flours are soaked for 8 hours without yeast in a method known as an autolyse. This allows what little gluten these grains contain to start developing enzymes 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
Brioche Almond Buns – Delicious brioche dough full of eggs, butter and sugar. Rolled out and spread with an almond cream filling. The almond cream is not made from pre-made almond paste, but rather is a delicious creamy filling made with lots more butter, sugar and eggs as well as almond flour. Yum! – 2/$5
Trebbiano di Lugana Revisited
As we mentioned last summer, Italy produces more distinct grape varietals than any other country, with about 350 officially authorized in at least one region, and another 500 that exist but remain pretty obscure, and sorting out genetic relationships among them can be a full time job.
Trebbiano accounts for about a third of all white wine made in Italy but has many faces, names, and characteristics. A recent DNA study concluded that at least seven grapes known as “trebbiano” are actually genetically distinct and do not share a common ancestor. It also found that Trebbiano di Lugana has a 97% DNA matchup to verdicchio. Which is to say you can expect the Trebbiano di Lugana (aka Turbiana) we are pouring this weekend to taste a lot like Verdicchio: clean, crisp, and minerally with notes of citrus and white peach. Most important, this wine has been a hit every time we have poured it in the last few years…so let’s keep our fingers crossed for a warm summer weekend!
Generations
Tonight an Island contingent crossed the moat for another epic dinner at Ciao Thyme in Bellingham; as usual everything was Delicious! I was fortunate to sit next to a young man on summer vacation from college who was doing an internship at a nearby Industry.
It turns out we share the point of view that slowing Climate Change should be our #1 Global Priority. For that reason he was a strong supporter of our Governor, Jay Inslee, who has built his campaign on fighting Climate Change. However, he confessed some disappointment in Inslee’s performance, primarily because of Inslee’s response to a particular question, something to do with fast food workers.
Apparently the Governor used the term “slinging Hash” when referring to McDonald’s workers, a reference that all of us older citizens instantly picture: a 1950’s Diner, maybe with little juke boxes at every table, and a plate of corned beef hash with potatoes and onions. And lots of ketchup. And a cup of coffee.
But for the younger generation these words connote images of drug dealing, and our young friend was unable to make sense of the Governor’s metaphor. Wow…who knew?
Mar a Lago Update: Now, You Take the Tweetster…PLEASE!
Back in October 2016, shortly after the Access Hollywood video in which the Tweetster was taped boasting about how his fame allowed him to take invasive liberties with women as he pleased, sixteen women came forward to confirm that he in fact had taken such liberties with them. The number has since increased to twenty-four.
Despite his denials, by December 2017 50% of voters — 59% of women and 41% of men — surveyed in a Quinnipiac poll believed the Tweetster should resign because of the sexual misconduct allegations against him. Several Democratic lawmakers also called on Trump to resign over the accusations: Sanders, Merkley, Booker, Wyden, Gillibrand, and Hirono.
Last week we talked about Malignant Normality, the twisted world view which results from resigned acceptance of the ongoing unacceptable behavior of others after long enough exposure to their consistent, destructive, and pathological behavior. It’s a Hellish kind of Normality where all the usual Boundaries are consistently Violated, again and again and again. It’s the “Normality” which we have all inhabited since the collective social trauma of the 2016 “Election.”
In recent weeks, E Jean Carroll, one of those 16 women who had come forward in late 2016, published a book elaborating on a sexual assault on her by the Tweetster some 20 years ago. The press at first responded with lukewarm attention, but after a few days, some media outlets awakened long enough to question their collective failure to cover the story. We should consider…is this delay is a telltale symptom of a Malignant Normality where the Press has become inured to Outrage?
We are all living in a kind of cultural Exhaustion from the Ten Thousand Lies (and counting), the Incessant Tweets for Attention and the Media’s Addiction to them; and most important, from the Daily Erosion of the Values most of us grew up with: Fairness, Justice, and Kindness to name a few.
Speaker Pelosi said recently she doesn’t see a role for Congress in investigating the many allegations of sexual misconduct against the Tweetster. For our part here at the Wine Gallery, we believe High Crimes and Misdemeanors Must Include: 1) The many many allegations of obstruction and Misconduct outlined in the Mueller Report; 2) the Ten Thousand Offhand Lies of The Day; and 3) countless allegations of the Tweetster’s social, sexual, financial, and political Misconduct over many years; not to mention 4) his Missing Tax Returns. Given the precarious state of our Planet, no effort is Too Great to assure there is No (shudder) Second Term!
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date: 10,000 as of 5/1/19
This week’s wine tasting
Ottella Lugana Bianco ’16 Italy $15
Trebbiano di Lugano (Turbiana). Intense straw yellow color with green tinges. Exotic notes of candied fruit and citrus, warm and very deep on the nose. Widespread expressive finesse, with rich and persistent texture.
Elicio Rosé ’18 France $12
Syrah-grenache blend; bright vibrant pink; fruit-forward notes of fresh raspberries and summer flowers.
Atalaya Laya ’17 Spain $11
70% Garnacha and 30% Monastrell; Cassis, blueberry, pungent herbs and mocha aromas lead to an open-knit palateof fresh cherry, dark berry, and a hint of black pepper and a subtle floral note.
Coupe Roses La Bastide ’17 France $12
Carignan-Grenache blend; aromas and flavors of the garrigue underbrush of the high Minervois, laced with notes of blueberry and Carignan’s tarry black notes.
Seghesio Zinfandel Angela’s Garden ’17 $19
Nose has ripe bing cherries with a bit of leather that expand on the palate to ripe maraschino and Rainiers. Youthful and bright with a surprising depth of flavor and a youthful finish.
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2072 Granger Way