Lummi Island Wine Tasting May 14 ’11

Posted at May 12, 2011

Wine Classes beginning next Sunday!
Beginning May 22, we will be collaborating with sommelier (and new Island resident) Ryan Wildstar, who will present a series of four wine-tasting classes every other week beginning Sunday afternoon, May 22, from 2-4. The first workshop will be:

Introduction to Wine: The Five S’s of Wine Tasting   Sunday, May 22nd, 2-4pm $20
We will discuss the principles of wine history and culture with a focus on the basic principles of wine tasting and analysis. An introduction to wine terminology, wine-pairing, and how to buy great inexpensive wine based on reading the label and knowing the region. Enjoyed with: 1 Sparkling Wine, 2 White Wines, 3 Red Wines. Paired with Artisan Cheeses and Charcuterie. (That’s six wines, tasty bites, good company, and wine education, all for 20 bucks! We must be crazy!). Please call 360.758.2959 to reserve your place–space is limited!

Ryan will also be our featured artist for the artists’ studio tour on Memorial Day weekend…he does constructions with found objects that I think you will find interesting. That also means you only have two more weekends to come by and see Mary Beth’s photos of “French Doors.” And no, in this case they are not “French doors”as in the movies or how you get from the living room to the garden. No, they are actual doors in Lyon, chosen for their character. All YOU need to know is that all of them had more character a hundred years ago than probably any door you (any of us) has ever used regularly in this country since then.

Which is interesting, because there is an important lesson in this, about who we are, what we value, and in some sense the shallowness of our national roots. And lately I have had the impression that there are huge corporate interests working diligently at keeping our roots shallow, keeping us, like some kind of cultural tumbleweeds, today grasping at this idea, tomorrow at that new product. Why build a door that will last for hundreds of years when you can deliberately build doors (any everything else) so poorly that they will either fall apart or bore you into replacing it as often as possible so they can keep selling you new ones and landfilling the old ones. So yes, try to come in this weekend or next to see the “door show.” Hopefully we will put it up again during the summer.

We recently spent a few days in Oregon, and visited one of our favorite wineries, Anne Amie. The first wine we tasted is the first one on this weekend’s list, a lovely white blend of Chardonnay 32%, Viogner 38%,
Pinot Blanc 29%, and a hint of Riesling 1%. Trust me, folks, it’s a knockout, and I wasn’t able to get much. So some early this weekend, or it will certainly be gone!

“you won’t believe this, but I manage all of Alaska’s fisheries from right here on Lummi Island!”

This week’s wines:

Anne Amie Amrita white blend  ’10 Oregon     $13
Sense-filling aromas of quince, grassy, passion fruit, gooseberry, and white flowers leads to rich flavors of kiwi, white peach, coriander, and key lime that taper into a dry, minerally finish. Pair with oysters, shellfish, Thai food, crab cakes; delicious, but don’t wait– VERY limited supply!

Venta Morales tempranillo ’09          Spain            $8
100% Tempranillo raised in stainless steel. Deep crimson-colored, it emits aromas of spice box and fragrant black cherry. On the palate licorice and other black fruits emerge leading to a finish with no hard edges.

Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 09 Argentina $10 WA88pts
This fleshy, round red offers spicy black cherry, cocoa, plum and raspberry notes laced with a modest touch of roasted vanilla and balanced, long, ripe tannins; a solid crowd-pleaser.

Isenhower Purple Paintbrush ’08      Washington         $25
A blend from a long-time favorite Walla Walla winemaker, Brett Isenhower, made up of 62% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, each varietal from a single vineyard. It was aged in seasoned French oak for 13 months. Medium ruby-colored, it proffers a nose of sage, thyme, olives, crushed blackberries, bing cherries, black plums, and black currant.

Wine Tasting

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