lummi island wine tasting october 16 ’15
(note: some photos may enlarge on clicking)
Nope, no bread this Friday either!
We had some hope for the Return of the Loaves this week, but it appears that our Baker is still away, with strong indications she will be back soon. Hopefully those of you on the mailing list will be receiving info on next week’s selections early next week.
In the meantime this is your chance to find out if Man and Woman can live on Wine alone…!
This one moment
Tonight, finishing dinner
Out the window
Profound Autumn sunset…
Rosé on the Edge
As mentioned last week, we just returned from Winthrop with a carload of Lost River wines, and we are pouring two of them this weekend; their latest pinot gris and rosé offerings. The Lost River pinot gris is by far their most popular wine overall, so much so that they have recently acquired additional vineyards to accommodate the demand.
Here at the Gallery it has been a different story. Here, although all of the wines have been appreciated over the years, the Lost River Rosé has been our best seller, to the point that it is the one rosé we often carry well into the fall and early winter, mainly for one particular fan of the wine, but also for die-hard all-season rosé aficionados. Typically a well-crafted blend of merlot and cab franc, it usually has the heft of a Tavel, the bright, crisp palate of Provence, and a hint of sweetness that adds comfort on those cool fall afternoons.
This year it’s very different; by accident or serendipity, a serious quantity of Barbera, a red Italian grape, was inadvertently added to the blend, resulting in a most unusual rosé. Generally speaking, if you drink a rosé in the dark, it is easily mistaken for a flavorful white wine. This one, I think, in the dark could be easily mistaken for a flavorful red wine. Be sure to stop by this weekend; we are looking forward to your reactions!
Debate Stages
Well, let’s see. On the Republican side, the three current front-runners (Trump, Carson, Fiorina) have never held an elected political office. And every time they open their mouths, we can understand why. What is most puzzling is that they have any constituencies at all! I mean, can you imagine any of these people actually holding their Fingers over the Button? Now That is Scary!
But, seriously, we should take a moment to recognize that they are indeed different kinds of Idiots from the other several dozen Contenders for the position, and probably that deserves some exploration into, you know, the many kinds of Stupid that drive Human Politics. On the one hand it’s all Subtle…on the other, it is Quite Profound. Somehow the bizarre things going on on both Right and Left (isn’t it fun to be able to say ” on on”…?), though different, are driven by the same forces.
On the Democratic side, the recent Candidates’ Debate revealed the intensified Polarity that is just lately crystallizing in the Public Eye between the Corporate Right and the Progressive Left. The former is being increasingly exposed as the Charlatan Wizard behind both the Republican and Democratic Curtains, and the latter is emerging as an unlikely and probably hopeless coalition of Tin Man, Lion, Scarecrow, and Refugee Girl (and Toto, too!) just trying to make good their desperate Escape from Kansas.
The surprising result is that, especially with the addition of Bernie Sanders into the debate mix, the entire Democratic discussion is being pushed (for the first time in about fifty years!) to the Left, while the Tea Party Republicans and their Corporate Puppet-masters keep scrambling to get furthest to the Right of each other and finding new ways to wage war on Just About Everyone for Just About Everything.
The emerging Sense of the Moment seems to be that even Big Money can only push the Pendulum so far to the Extreme Right before the sheer weight of its unlikely and untenable position reaches a Maximum, pauses, teeters, and then inevitably begins to accelerate back to the Left, searching for some kind of balance, some kind of Equilibrium. Oh, and, by the way, in a lot of ways the Future of Our Species is On the Line here, and Bernie is right when he keeps emphasizing that Nothing is going to Change unless we all get Mad as Hell and Make them Stop.
Or, as some people say, “May you live in Interesting Times…!”
In times like these, isn’t it a Comfort to have an Understanding Wine Shop where you can hang out with your friends, taste great wines, and postpone thinking about when is the right time to speculate on oceanfront property in Kansas…??
This week’s wine tasting
Lost River Pinot Gris ’14 Washington $14
Aromas of citrus, pear and tropical fruits. Their most popular wine, the crisp acidity is balanced with a small amount of residual sugar.
Lost River Rosé ’14 Washington $14
A long-time favorite here…blended from merlot and cabernet franc, harvested early to preserve crisp acidity and bright notes of strawberry and cherry.
Estezargues Cuvee des Galets ’14 France $10
Grenache, Syrah and Carignan from organic and biodynamic vines, fermented with natural yeast, and bottled without filtration. Explodes with plump juicy berry fruit, liquorice and spice, showing appealing character and freshness.
Marchetti Rosso Conero ’13 Italy $10
All from “free run juice,” yielding enticing notes of exotic spice, vanilla, dried cranberry, and bitter dark chocolate.
Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha ’13 Spain 92pts $15
Fresh cherry, blackberry and incense on the highly perfumed nose. Lush, sweet and broad on the palate, offering fleshy blueberry and floral pastille flavors that turn spicier with air. Closes on a sweet note of spicy oak, with supple tannins and a touch of fruitcake.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
2072 Granger Way