lummi island wine tasting march 6-7 ’20
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Friday Breads This Week
Barley, Whole Wheat, & Rye Levain – made with a levain also known as sourdough which is built over several days and allowed to ferment before the final dough is mixed. Made with bread flour and freshly milled whole wheat, barley and rye flours. – $5/loaf
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
and pastry this week…
Morning Buns – Made popular by Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, and this is my interpretation. Made with the same laminated dough as croissants. The dough is rolled out, spread with a filling of brown sugar, orange zest, butter and cinnamon. Rolled up and sliced before baking. – 2/$5
(breads must be pre-ordered by Wednesday for pickup here at the wine shop at our Friday wine tasting, 4-6pm. Planning a visit to the Island? Email us to get on the mailing list!)
Corona Virus
Technically speaking, viruses are not living organisms. Since they cannot replicate on their own they must invade and hijack the cells of living organisms to reproduce. They are more like Zombies than living beings, half-alive and half-chemical, invading actual living organisms and using their reproductive systems to survive and reproduce. (You know, like Alien.) Since viruses can’t perpetuate on their own, they can only reproduce by commandeering cellular machinery from another organism’s genome. Btw, the word “virus” derives from Latin for “poison.”
Viruses are made of DNA/RNA enclosed in a protein coat that can shelter the viral proteins that cause infection, making a virus more like a chemistry set than an organism. But when a virus enters a cell (called a host after infection), it uses the cell’s own replication machinery to reproduce its own DNA or RNA and make more of itself.
The upshot is that the Corona Virus is more like a spill from Dow Chemical than a disease like the Measles: if you don’t get any on you, it won’t hurt you. So the Big Takeaway here is Let’s Not Get Any On Us!
To that end, we invite our faithful members to attend our Open Hours this weekend (4-7 Friday, 2-6 Saturday) as long as you feel Healthy and are not running a temperature, coughing, sneezing, or sniffling. Let’s take care of ourselves and each other by erring on the side of Prudence and staying home if we are feeling at all unwell. Let’s support each other in getting through this thing in good health!
Mar a Lago Update: The Comfort Factor
The world of Presidential Nominating Politics has had quite a week, huh? For nearly a year some two dozen hopeful candidates have thrown themselves into crowded and turbulent political waters. Over the last few months the field has continued to narrow as one by one has exhausted their resources and bowed out. A week ago we were all still fretting over How to Decide from the surviving (and mostly appealing) group of Sanders, Warren, Buttigieg, Biden, Klobuchar, Steyer, and that other guy, you know, the one from New York City with Bottomless Bank Account.
Then, beginning Saturday, in the space of a few days the field narrowed to Only Two. Something coalesced in the Group Unconscious beginning with the South Carolina Primary stunning victory to former VP Joe Biden. Three days later on “Super Tuesday,” a Domino-like wave of support rippled forth for Biden as if a long-constipated Political Lake Missoula had suddenly broken through its surrounding glacier and burst forth like a Tidal Wave across an up-till-then Quiet Palouse. No One predicted That!
Though Biden was broadly presumed to be the Safest candidate (most likely to beat the Tweetster), he entered the race later, raised far less money, and until about a week ago performed with less energy and charisma during the debates than many of the other candidates. He also had a series of disappointing finishes in Iowa, NH, and Nevada, and looked like a Goner. So it was quite amazing how he Crushed the South Carolina Primary, so Decisively that on Super Tuesday he swept five of the remaining six opposing candidates out of the race Just Like That! Which leaves us with Bernie and Joe.
As a good friend put it, Biden is like a comfy old easy chair. You shop around for something newer and better, but when you get really tired of shopping, it’s just such a Relief to let it all go and relax into that old familiar chair with a nice glass of wine…Ahhhhhhh. At the same time, we have great respect and affection for Bernie’s commitment to advancing the Progressive cause. IOHO, his one little Mistake has been incorrectly calling himself a Democratic Socialist, when the correct term for his values is “Social Democrat.” And that semantic difference, at a time when so much is at stake in selecting the Tweetster’s Rival, is likely to make all the difference.
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date : 16,241 as of 01/24/20
This week’s tasting
La Bella Prosecco NV Italy $11
Italy’s refreshing, festive and crisp sparkling wine; aromatic, fresh and lively with a distinctive taste; fine, persistent perlage, good minerality and notes of apple and peach.
Folie a Deux Pinot Gris ’18 Calif $14
Guava, pineapple and lemon-lime flavors make for a fleshy, brightly layered expression of the varietal, both soft on the palate and crisp on the palate.
Tenute Rubino Oltremé Susumaniello ’17 Italy $14
Fresh, fragrant notes of cherries, pomegranate, raspberries and hints of ripe plum; fruity, minerally, and round on the palate with soft, pleasant tannins, a versatile and seductive pairing with richer dishes.
Oregon Solidarity Pinot Noir ’18 Oregon $25
Rich and intense fruit flavors that reflect the warm and dry growing season. Aromas and flavors of cherry, blackberry and spice. Excellent balance, with solid structure, concentration and firm tannins.
Seven Hills Walla Walla Red ’14 Washington $20
85% Cab, 10% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot; green herb, black fruit, coffee and anise aromas give way to beautifully balanced red- and black-fruit flavors. The acidity brings a sense of vibrancy, while the tannins provide plenty of structure.
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2072 Granger Way