lummi island wine tasting november 7 ’15
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads (email us to get on the preorder mailing list! )
Whole Wheat – Made with about equal amounts of bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat and just a little honey to balance the grain this is a great all around artisan bread – $5/loaf.
Multi-Grain – Made with bread flour as well as fresh milled whole wheat and rye flours and a mix of flax, sunflower and sesame seeds. This bread is packed with flavor and has a nice chewy crust and crumb. A great rustic bread that goes well with all sorts of meats and cheeses – $5/loaf
Croissants – Plain and Chocolate, what more can I say. Made with a little sourdough for a nice tang and using european butter to create the laminated layers these are truly a delight. I’ve heard some say that they didn’t have croissants this good even in Paris! A delicious treat! -2/$5
The Big Seven-Zero
On the occasion this week of having enjoyed my 70th (OMD!) birthday, I am of course moved to try to make sense of this experience we call “Life.” But, So Sorry, I am pretty much drawing a Blank! I can tell you that my current fantasy about the Meaning of Meaning* leads me to “String Theory” for some illumination. Unfortunately, the Physics I studied in some depth fifty years ago has almost nothing to do with the Profound Esotericism of Modern Physics, or the Nature of Reality which it seems to imply. Although I know practically Nothing about Modern Physics, I find that I am, at my Advanced Age, completely comfortable with making up my own Current Fantasy of Reality.
Briefly, the Ten-Dimensional Model seems to suggest that every moment in the Time-Space Continuum continually splits into an Infinite Number of Contingent Universes, and Yes, that is Really Hard to get your Head Around. Scary, even. But the Somewhat Comforting Fantasy of the Moment (remember, I am officially an Old Guy now!) is that one Take-away from that is that we all live an Infinite Infinity of lives. There’s the infinite number of lives you have lived if the Nazis and the Japanese had won WWII, the ones you lived if you hadn’t told So-and-So to F*#k Off, the ones where you actually Died Quite Young for whatever reason, and so On and On and On…you know, it’s kind of Heavy, huh…?
SO, given that we are All Here Together in This One, Tidy, seemingly Linear Existence/Experience, I wish to place my palms together and bow to each and every one of you in Gratitude for having shared this one Very Particular Reality with you. Each moment shared with all of you in all of these Infinities is a Treasure for which I am Deeply Grateful. See video!
Marlborough Pinot Noir
photo credit: Jessica Jones Photography, NZ
Pinot noir– you know, the starring grape varietal in the movie Sideways, is fairly picky about where it wants to grow. It likes hot days, cool nights, and a relatively dry climate. It does well, most famously, in the Burgundy region of France, which is inland along the Rhone River, relatively far north, where soils vary wildly among parcels, and growing seasons can be short. It also does well in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where it is a bit hotter and wetter, and the wines tend to be a little bigger. Head to California, with more sun and cool coastal nights, and pinot really thrives, getting rich in both flavor and texture.
Another place where pinot noir does very well is New Zealand. In particular, it does well on the north end of the South Island, in Marlborough. The South Island is very mountainous, and pinot seems to take a shine to the combination of northern sun exposure (it IS the Southern Hemisphere!) and the cooling effect of the ocean and the mountains. In each location pinot takes on a regional personality, as this weekend’s NZ pinot demonstrates– it’s definitely pinot noir, and definitely not from any of those other places mentioned above, but it’s good! Come by and check it out!
This week’s wine tasting
La Staffa Verdicchio Classico ’13 Italy $18
Subdued aromas of stone fruits and herbs; rounder and more intense in the mouth, with marzipan and orchard fruit flavors and length, finishing with a peppery note and fresh acidity.
Coopers Creek Marlborough Pinot Noir ’10 NZ $17
Mid-red, going slightly brick on the edge. Dark cherry and strawberry on the nose, but with definite savoury, earthy, forest floor complexities showing. Medium bodied, with tannins still very much there, but beautifully velvety.
Chateau Montfaucon Baron Louis ’11 France $18
A co-fermented blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvedre. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by sumptuous
notes of raspberries, kirsch, spring flowers and loamy, earthy soil.
Altarocca Librato Rosso ’13 Italy $18
Unoaked blend of canniolo and cab franc from volcanic soil; zesty, spicy, dark, and smooth, with a hint of eucalyptus on the finish. Terrific!
Lost River Walla Walla Syrah ’11 Washington $25
Dense and peppery, with rich texture to the purple plum, currant and floral flavors, coming together against crinkly tannins on the expressive finish.
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