Lummi Island Wine Tasting Presidents’ Day Weekend February 16 ’13
Library Fundraising Drive Continues!
We have heard from many of you that our blog last week was helpful in raising awareness about the challenge and opportunity the library remodel project represents to our community. While no one took us up (yet!) on our offer of purchase credit to anyone committing to four months of online donations, we DID sell about $75 worth of Pat’s special chocolate mendiants (SO delicious!) and helped stimulate numerous cash donations. In addition, thanks to those who stepped up to sponsor about $1000 of individual doors, windows, and bookcases with targeted pledges (each with commemorative plaque!) Btw, there are still lots of opportunities for “adopt-a-furnishing;” ranging from children’s stools @$75 each to solar (skylight) tubes @$750 each…stop by the shop this weekend and check out the options!
In case you missed it, let us reiterate our offer from last week: you donate, we give you a treat!
- Go to the FOIL Website;
- Click on “Donate” at the top of the page;
- Select one of the “monthly donation options” from the dropdown list (dig deep, my friends, dig deep!);
- Hit the Subscribe button and complete the form
- Print out your receipt (Important for what happens next)!
- Bring your receipt to Artisan Wine Gallery this weekend and enjoy a Token of Appreciation:
| Your monthly donation |
Your credit at the wine shop |
| $10 | $3 |
| $25 | $5 |
| $50 | $10 |
| $100 | $20 |
Presidents’ Day
The celebration of Washington’s Birthday (February 22, 1732–nearly 300 years ago) began during Washington’s last year in office as the nation’s first President, 1796. It became an occasion for celebratory events that has continued since, becoming an official national holiday in 1880. Lincoln’s Birthday was February 12, and was first honored nationally the year after his assassination in 1865, but was never anointed as an actual National Holiday. In 1968, however, the observance of Washington’s Birthday was decreed as the third Monday in February, beginning in 1971. This new holiday, now floating arbitrarily between February 15 and February 21, has also become known more generically as “Presidents’ Day,” maybe because it never falls exactly on either the 12th or the 22nd, but constantly oscillates between them. To make matters even more confusing, by the standards of the calendars in use during Washington’s life, his actual birthday was February 11! In any case it isn’t every day that a bunch of dudes get together and, like, start a new country, so it is probably fitting that at least one of them should have a commemorative holiday, and posterity (ours truly) is annually grateful for a three-day holiday in February. Read more
Valentine’s Day Origins
While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Now THIS sounds more like it; after all, most long-established holidays date back to the seasonal rituals of our agrarian
ancestors thousands of years ago. Supposedly in some places, young women would place their names in a big urn; to be picked by and paired with local bachelors for the coming year. Oh, those pagans!
Now, however, instead of rutting in fields or sacrificing goats, all of that has been replace with an estimated 1 billion printed Valentine’s Day cards sent each year. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that somewhere, somehow, something important to our human nature went terribly, terribly wrong…! Read more
This Week’s Wines: Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina!
Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes ’11 Argentina $14
Enticing aromas of peach, melon, floral, and tropical fruit. Medium-bodied, dry, savory, and nicely proportioned, this lengthy effort
Manos Negras pinot noir ’09 Argentina $14
From Patagonia; Native fermented in 20% new barrels, showing toasty oak, earthy mineral, rose petal, cherry, and raspberry aromas and an elegant, smooth-textured, varietally correct Pinot with good balance and length.
Baguala Malbec ’08 Argentina $8
Rich, elegant, and full-bodied, with ripasso-like notes of raisins, cassis, and a dash of bitters.
Colome Amalaya ‘09 Argentina $14
From one of the highest and most remote vineyards in the world (8000 ft). Cherry liqueur, menthol, violet and spicy oak on the nose and palate. Suave, supple and energetic, with a sugar/acid balance giving the mid-palate insidious intensity and good definition. Nicely rising, fine-grained finish shows good length and a light touch. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tannat.
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2072 Granger Way