lummi island wine tasting november 21 ’15
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads (email us to get on the preorder mailing list! )
Ciabatta with Whole Wheat – A rustic ciabatta with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat with two pre-ferments– a poolish and an italian biga, yielding such high hydration dough that is simply cut into pieces before baking. – $5/piece.
Cranberry Walnut – This is a yeast bread loaded with eggs, butter, buttermilk and a bit of sugar, and stuffed with dried cranberries and walnuts and a little lemon to enhance the flavor. A great bread for Thanksgiving- $5/loaf.
Individual Brioche Tart au Sucre – Made with a rich, buttery brioche dough that is loaded with butter, eggs and sugar, rolled into individual tart pans then topped with a mixture of demerara sugar, eggs, cream and butter. Yum!- 2/$5
Round the County Race 2015
For some reason it is always a surprise that the second weekend of November brings the annual Round the County (San Juan County, that is) sailing race. Each year about eighty boats gather to begin the race in West Sound near the Orcas Island Yacht Club on Saturday morning, in turn rounding Orcas, Clark, Sucia, and Patos before stopping for the night at Roche Harbor. On Sunday they set out again on the completion leg down the west side of San Juan Island, east of Lopez, Decatur, and Blakely Islands to finish again at Lydia Shoal near Obstruction Island, a total of some 76 miles. In November. Rain or shine. (on a personal note, 50 years ago a similarly seasoned all-night race in Chesapeake Bay convinced me ever after to Devoutly Eschew hours and days on end of being Wet, Cold, and Tired…!) So hats off, lads, to these stalwart sailors, misguided yes, but in their own tragic way Heroic as well!
What all this means to us on Lummi with a view toward Orcas is an unexpected annual spectacle in the deepening autumn gloom. More often than not the weather is bright and breezy when sometime in late morning the second Saturday of November a long line of sailboats, colorful spinnakers flying, threads up Haro Strait between us and Clark Island. This year was by far the worst weather in many years, with strong winds from the South gusting over 40 kts under brooding, rain-laden clouds, making the boats fly by in Demon-Driven Droves…
Fall Color
We pass this little tree each day on the noontime dog walk. Today it seems to have something on its mind…something about Bold Color, something about its Turkey-like geometry…
On the Mend
Both of you regular readers of this blog will recall that two months ago our sweet little sailboat Dream Time had rather a Bad Day. Blown onto rocks by an unseasonable gale, she sustained major hull damage, not to mention serious flooding, repeatedly over several days.
So it is with a sense of Relief and, indeed, Affection for this little boat that we can report that she is Almost Ready to come out of the Shop after several weeks of serious Rehab. True, there is still much to do cosmetically, but in the World of Boats, Seaworthy is perhaps the first and Most Enduring Desirable Quality. Stay tuned!
Second Reminder: Closed for Thanksgiving
photo credit: “Wild Turkey,” by Rodney Campbell: “A male wild turkey begins to turn blue(!) as it becomes agitated.” (…we can all SO relate!)
Over the years we have come to realize that Winter unofficially begins around here on Thanksgiving weekend. Though we have variously tried opening the wine shop the Wednesday before, or the day or weekend after, or even for a few hours on Turkey Day itself for the odd Wine Emergency, history has taught us that it’s a good time just to step back and take some Time Off, cuz most of you folks have Other Plans, usually with Family. Well, this year…so do we!
Therefore, please note that we will be open as usual this weekend (Nov 20-21), and then closed Thanksgiving Weekend (November 26-29). We will be open the first three weekends in December as usual. Also you Old-Timers should note that we ARE planning to continue our traditional “East Coast” New Year’s Eve Party from 7-9 on December 31. More on that later!
This week’s wine tasting
San Martino Prosecco Italy $11
Pale straw yellow in colour, aromatic and elegant nose (unusual in prosecco), with notes of apple and banana; pleasantly full and harmonious on the palate.
D’Orschwihr Gewurztraminer Bollenberg ’12 Alsace $18
Shows its intensity through its golden yellow color. The mouth shows aromas of peach, passion fruit with cooked fruits. Very delicate, the sweetness can hardly be felt behind the liveliness of the wine.
Airfield Estates Merlot ’13 Washington $14
Slightly muted nose with dill, red cherry and raspberry. There are flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, dill and milk chocolate. Silky texture with good balance.
Le Rote Chianti Colli Senesi ’11 Italy $14
Rich, chewy, dark fruit evolves into a smooth palate with notes of black cherry and sweet tobacco.
Betz Besoleil ’11 Washington 92+pts $45
Grenache-dominant Rhone blend; Sexy aromas of red berries, cherry, lavender and rose petal; suave and weightless in the mouth, with bright red fruit and floral flavors with thyme, lavender and pepper nuances. Lovely and juicy with excellent intensity and saline grip.
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2072 Granger Way