lummi island wine tasting september 15 ’17
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Bread this week
Buckwheat Walnut & Honey – a nice flavorful artisan bread. Made with a poolish which takes some of the flour, water and yeast and ferments it overnight before mixing the final dough with fresh milled buckwheat and bread flour. A little honey to balance the earthiness of the buckwheat and some toasted walnuts for a nice crunch. This bread goes well with meats and cheeses – $5/loaf
Sweet Corn & Dried Cranberry – Made with polenta and bread flour, then enriched with milk, butter and honey before being loaded up with dried cranberries. Has great corn flavor but is not a traditional quick cornbread. A delicious bread that makes great toast – $5/loaf
And for pastry this week…
Brioche Tarts au Sucre – aka Brioche Sugar Tarts. A rich brioche dough full of eggs and butter is rolled into a round tart and topped with more eggs, cream, butter and sugar. – 2/$5.
Tator Talk
Today was a big milestone for Tator. Just within the last hour or two she managed to get herself up from the floor, from lying to standing, the first time she has been able to do that in almost a month! Mes amis, it would be hard to overstate what a Big Deal that is for us, especially since I made a special trip into town today to pick up a Rx for some pain meds for her. We are hoping this marks the Turning of a Corner on her Road to Recovery.
At this point we still have No Idea what is going on with her beyond her bout with Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia ( IMHA).. Her ultra sound exam last week showed no likely candidates for causing her condition, so it is all a Puzzle. All the more Reason why these little steps Forward are So Encouraging. Which leads us to Wonder on behalf of our Four-Footed Friends…is Progress measured in One Step At a Time…? Or Two, Three, or Four…? All you need to know is that Yes, she Got an Extra Greenie for standing up on her Own Four Feet tonight! Yay!!
Getting Off-Of Track
It probably comes as a Surprise to Those Who Labeled Us that It Isn’t Easy being Coastal Elites, at least by current standards. That is, I always thought of Elites, Coastal or Otherwise, as being characterized mainly by their Wealth, not by their Liberal Views or penchants to sip Lattes. Of course No One likes a Snob, or to be thought of as a Snob. Which brings us Right to Today’s Point: is it Elitism to expect today’s Communications Professionals to use Proper Grammar? To wit, in the past week I have heard numerous Otherwise Reputable Reporters commit the Same Grammatical Error: using “Off of” (a double preposition) when the rules of English grammar dictate using simply “Off.” It’s pretty simple. As in “we’re getting Off Of track,” say…the “of” simply adds confusion.
I imagine that my High School classmates (oh yes, from a Very Long, Long Time Ago) would still agree that our English Teacher Miss Fraser (a weird part of the Old Days was that unmarried women of all ages were burdened with the Title “Miss,” which in retrospect conveyed a vague but ongoing Under-the-Breath and Eyebrows-Raised sense of Shame that a Normal Adult Woman could somehow remain Unmarried) was Very Particular about the Rules of English Grammar, and did her Best to Instill that concern in us as well. The Big Takeaway was that if Language is allowed to be Imprecise, Meaning Itself falls into Question…which is Really Scary! And Since we are now Living in a Time when Proven Facts are constantly weighed against Uninformed and Manipulated Public Opinion, Linguistic Precision looms as a Critical Bastion to be Defended.
So the Question arises: Who Are Today’s “Elite?” And how does One Become One of Them?
Mar a Lago Update: The Tweetster, Chuck, and Nancy
It is possible the term “Strange Bedfellows” was coined in reference to this Very Situation. Here we are, eight months At Sea, yet to Set a Course, Gale Force Winds, No One on the Bridge, and the Captain in Steerage watching Fox News to see Where the Ship is Going. And Lots of Rats are Abandoning the Ship Every Day…Republican Rats for the most part.
So it seems Natural and Inevitable in a way that the Tweetster would Hook Up with Chuck and Nancy. After all, Paul and Mitch have been Dissing him Something Awful, and he’s a Sensitive Guy, right? Right? Am I Right? Of course I’m Right.
It is possible that Stranger Things have happened, somewhere, sometime, when the Party’s Candidate had no Real Loyalty to Anyone but His Public, and was Therefore Always Available for a Better Offer. So it is in some Sense Refreshing that the Tweetster has found Common Ground with Chuck and Nancy. And in the Longer Term, unlikely as it may seem now, it is Conceivable that, in exchange for the Adulation he Craves, the Tweetster would Support things like Dreamer Protection, tax cuts for the Middle Class, and even Single-Payer Health Care. You know, like Only Nixon Could Go to China…!
This week’s wine tasting
Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino 201 Italy $13
Pale golden-tinged straw color; Botanical herbs and white stone fruit on the nose and palate, with good length and freshness;, finishing clean and medium-long.
Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese ’16 Washington
Mouthwatering raspberry, orange and pomegranate flavors are balanced by the perfect amount of juicy
acidity. Dry, tangy and vibrant! Just a touch of lime and mineral notes checks in on the long finish.
Quinta des Aves Noctua Syrah ’14 Spain
Bright cherry red with purple hints. Deep and long-lasting aroma of red fruits and crisp, spicy strawberry; soft and fruity, silky and long on the finish.
Orowines Bluegray Priorat ’14 Spain $17
Named for the licorella slate of Priorat, which yields intense, terroir-specific wines from the harsh soils that challenge local varieties like Grenache and Mazuelo to the utmost, yielding tobacco and spice notes to the raspberry jam flavors. Rustic, earthy, spicy, and wildly aromatic.
Syncline Subduction Red ’15 Washington $18
Syrah dominant Rhone blend; perfumed aromas of fresh blue and purple fruit, spice, and herbs lead to rich fruit flavors and a plush texture that persists effortlessly through the finish. Delightful!
lummi island wine tasting september 8 ’17
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Bread this week
Multi Grain Levain – Made with a sourdough culture and using a flavorful mix of bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat and rye. A nice mixture of flax, sesame sunflower and pumpkin seeds and some polenta add great flavor and crunch. And just a little honey for some sweetness. A great all around bread that is full of flavor – $5/loaf
Braided Challah – a delightful soft loaf made with bread flour, lots of eggs, sugar and vegetable oil, with no butter or milk. Makes great toast and even better french toast- $5/loaf
And for pastry this week…
Individual Cinnamon Rolls – Made with a rich sweet roll dough that is full of eggs, butter and sugar. The dough is rolled out, spread with pastry cream and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, rolled up and sliced into individual rolls for baking. And boy are they delicious!! – 2/$5.
Tator Talk
We spent much of the early part of the week waiting in the Post-Labor Day Weekend/ Pre-Ferry-Drydock Exit Extravaganza…several days of two-hour waiting lines getting on or off the Island. Tator went to our regular Vet two of those days, and yesterday went to the Ultrasound Vet for a very detailed internal exam. The Good News is that no major abnormalities or growths were discovered. The Less Good news is that, tests being what they are, there is still no definitive explanation for her condition.
Today delivered more Good News, though, because through the day today she has shown more energy and focus than for several weeks. One hopeful interpretation is that indeed her weakness and muscle wasting the last several weeks have been artifacts of the high doses of prednisone she started with. Now that we have tapered off the prednisone to small doses, while her red cell count has climbed into the “low normal” range, the changes we are seeing might be the “bouncing back” we have been looking for as her red cell count has been increasing.
We are keeping all our paws crossed. In the meantime, keep those Healing Vibes headed her way…!
Comparing Pleasures
Culture is Multidimensional. Many of us got a Good Taste of that in Ryan’s presentation series at the wine shop several years ago on The Art of Wine. The format was to pick a region, and then to explore the wines, the food, the art, and the literature. Each component of the exploration yielded a Dimension of the Region.
In this week’s tasting we offer two seductive red wines, one from Italy and one from Spain. The Tommasi Poggio Al Tufo Rompicollo is a Tuscan blend of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon. Tuscany enjoys an archetypal Mediterranean climate, with rolling hills, seasonal rains, and hot, dry summers. The Maremma region of Tuscany extends toward the sea on the west, and allows both Italian and French Bordeaux varietals in regional wines. Look for a richness typical of the volcanic limestone soil and climate and a relaxing raisiny softness that wafts through your senses.
Contrast this with our comparably-priced offering from the Priorat region of Spain; the Esplugen blend of Garnacha, carinena, cab sauv represents a somewhat similar volcanic soil in a more austere micro-climate. In Priorat the vines must dig very deep (30 feet or more) into the dry layers of rocks and sand to find enough water to survive. This results, especially in the case of Old Vine Carinena (my One Wine Weakness…!), in Dark Wines of Depth and Subtlety. In comparison to the rich and seductive Super-Tuscan sangio-cab blends, the Priorat blends show the Austerity of their Roots as Deeper and Darker Shades of Red. Musically, if the Rompicollo is Rich and Opulent, the Priorat is Complex and Profound, Deep and Resonant. And Both are Delightful!
Mar a Lago Update: Hurricane Season
The Big News this week is (sort of) about Hurricanes. Last week Harvey smashed into the Texas Coast and liked it so much it stayed around for a few days to keep sucking up water from the Gulf and dropping it onto Houston and the Gulf Coast. This week Florida prepares for Hurricane Irma, with the Highest Winds Ever Recorded for an Atlantic Hurricane, on the order of Two Hundred Miles Per Hour. All you need to know is that the Force of Wind is proportional the the Square of the Velocity. That is, each time you double the wind velocity, you quadruple the destructive power of the wind. So a two-hundred mph wind has 100 times the destructive power of a 20-mph wind, not “just”10 times!
These Hurricanes seem to have made for Strange Bedfellows yesterday, when the Tweetster Made a Deal (OMD, he really Can Make Deals…?) with the Democratic Leadership that was pretty much of a Major Eff-Yu to McConnell and Ryan, judging from the Steam billowing from their ears.
Then today, the Tweetster sent a Special Tweet at the request of Speaker Pelosi (it’s almost Romantic!) and has been Delighted with the Great Publicity all this has gleaned for him. So he is Pleased. Let us hope All the Dems will be taking note: Public Approval is now The Coin of the Realm for Policy because he is Addicted to it! Watch out, Republicans…once the Tweetster Gets It that the Accolades of the Many are Much More Satisfying than the Condescending Tolerance of the Powerful Few, he might actually Get Liberal Religion. Remember…you heard it here First!
This week’s wine tasting
Cloudlift Updraft ’13 Washington $18
Bordeaux-style blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon; aromas of apple blossom, mango, papaya, and lime; flavors of Bosc pear and juicy tropical fruit leading to a palate-cleansing rush of citrus acidity.
Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé Cuvée ’16 France $12
Pale brilliant orange. Bright, energetic and focused nose of fresh red berry, orange zest and honeysuckle. Juicy raspberry and cherry flavors with a core of tangy acidity; silky and perfumed on the refreshing finish.
Crios Malbec ’15 Argentina $14
Bright, dark red. Redcurrant, black cherry, ripe strawberry and spices on the nose; sweet red fruit flavors are complicated by earth, licorice and menthol; creamy fruit is firmed by smooth tannins…a terrific value.
Esplugen Priorat ’14 Spain $17
Garnacha, carinyena, cab sauv; Priorat’s famous slate soil and arid climate give this wine great intensity and structure, with deep and complex aromas of rich ripe fruit, toast, and a long pleasing finish .
Tommasi Poggio Al Tufo Rompicollo ’12 Italy 93pts $17
Opulent, with an Amarone-like raisiny nuance to the ripe, soft red cherry, sweet spice, and herb aromas and flavors. Velvety, opulent, well balanced and smooth, with long, lush, smooth tannins. Terrific buy!
lummi island wine tasting labor day weekend sept 1-3 ’17 artists studio tour
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Bread this week
Spelt Levain –Spelt is an ancient grain similar to wheat and has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. It has gluten but it isn’t as strong as the gluten in traditional wheat. This bread is made with a levain, or sourdough, traditional bread flour and about 1/3 spelt flour and fresh milled whole spelt. Makes a great all around bread – $5/loaf
Buttermilk Currant – A really flavorful loaf made with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat, and a little honey, lots of currants and just a little rosemary to round out the flavors. Makes great toast and even better french toast- $5/loaf
And for pastry this week, a Labor Day tradition…
Hamburger Buns – bread flour and freshly milled whole wheat, some milk and butter for a tender crumb and topped with a flavorful onion topping. Great with any kind of sandwich – not just hamburgers! – 4/$5
Doors of Lyon
Our Studio Tour artist this weekend is Mary Beth Watkins, our neighbor across the road and down a short path through the woods. This is a reprise of her show of the same title back in May of 2011. Since then we have also been in Lyon, famous for all kinds of things, but particularly the food and, in our small circle, the doors as well!
A brief search online for information about these beautifully made, richly carved and heavy front doors did not reveal a history or explanation. However, it did reveal a website with lots of photos of these doors. Curiously, the very first one is the same door we featured in this blog for Mary Beth’s first show of these photos six years ago!
We welcome comments and links to more information about the Lyonnaise penchant for putting such effort into their entrances. In the meantime, we hope you stop by and take a look at the whole collection this weekend.
Tristan Returns!
A couple of years ago we had a great run with our friend Tristan, for several years a wine rep from our favorite importer Small Vineyards who developed their portfolio of French and Spanish wines. Tristan came to the wine shop of several Studio Tour occasions to pour some of the wines he represented over the weekend. He has been scarce the past two years because he started his own wine importing/distributing company, Vinea Imports, specializing in Spanish and French wines.
Tristan will be here pouring wines from his portfolio on Saturday and possibly on Sunday. As with Small Vineyards, these are terrific wines at bargain prices, so we encourage you to come by and taste through some interesting wines!
Tator Talk
Earlier this year we chronicled the illness and loss of our younger dog Cooper. And how our grief led us to adopt a new puppy from the same breeder, Ulee. And even about the evolving relationship between Tator and Ulee.
Well, about a month ago our senior dog Tator (aka ‘Stole my Heart in the First Minute”) started slowing down and losing energy. And getting a lot less tolerant of Ulee. Seemed too fast a decline for chalking up to “Age,” so we took her in for some tests. A blood count revealed the strong likelihood she had a nasty autoimmune blood condition, Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia or IMHA: her immune system was destroying her own red blood cells.
The Protocol for this condition is to suppress the immune system with steroids, including prednisone. Within a week of starting heavy doses, she began losing the ability to stand up or walk. She has had a hearty appetite, drinks lots of water, relieves herself regularly (with a little support), and a chest x-ray today revealed no abnormalities in heart or lungs, definitely Good News! So…over the next few days we will be tapering her off the prednisone and monitoring her muscular function along with her red cell count. Best case scenario is that she regains her strength and muscular control (she has always been very athletic and graceful) and her red cell counts continue toward normal. All healing thoughts, prayers, and wishes are welcome. Stay tuned.
Mar a Lago Update
There’s a New Feeling in the Air. A Prelude to Fall, perhaps…? We feel it as a sort of Burden, a psychic Weight on the Shoulders, a tendency toward Despair on one level. But on another, it is a Glass Growing toward Overflowing with Insults to All we Hold Most Dear. We grow Weary of this Strange World in which wherever we go, whatever we do, Fifty or a Hundred or a Thousand times a day we are Bombarded with the Latest Outrage from the Tweetster. Like a Burlesque Magician pulling rabbits from a hat, or cards from his sleeve, or a coin from behind your ear, the Spotlight is Ever Fixed Upon Him.
And a lot of little voices are rising within us, telling us this is Not Entertainment, it isn’t Fun, and it isn’t Productive. The feeling is becoming a gut-level Need to see this Entire Circus torn down, and all the Freaks and Clowns and Fake-Reality Acrobats put back on the Carnival Train and sent back to The Twilight Zone where they belong.
The Tweetster is a Media Creation, a product we consume every day, and we have been willing geese force-fed for the eventual harvesting of our engorged livers. We are all Addicted. We need to start saying “No.”
This week’s wine tasting
Friday’s tasting list is undecided. Think of it as a Surprise. Saturday and Sunday we will pour the following wines from Vinea Imports:
Jane Ventura Blanc Seleccio ’15 Spain
Aromas of white fruits, citrus, white flowers and aromatic herbs; intense, unctuous and very fresh and crisp. Long, persistent finish.
Chateau de Carguilhes Corbierres Rose
Nose of zesty fresh redcurrant and strawberry sherbet and mineral notes, echoed in a round, smooth and ripe mouth of raspberries and strawberries, and zingy gooseberries.
Bodegas Ayuso Estola Reserva ’15 Spain
Warm aroma of spices and ripe fruit; wide and round palate, great buy!
Chateau Les Croisille Cahors Malbec “Croizillon” ’15 France
100% malbec organically farmed by hand; aromas and flavors of black cherry, saddle leather, blackberry, cocoa and spice.
Pardas Negre Franc ’14 Spain
Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Sumoll aged for one year in oak; intense herbaceous nose with notes of bell pepper and raspberry leaf and aromas of wild berries; medium-bodied, with a fine texture, round tannins and moderate acidity.
lummi island wine tasting august 25 ’17
Bread this week
Cinnamon Raisin – Made with a nice mix of bread flour and freshly milled whole wheat as well as rolled oats. Some honey for sweetness, a little milk for a tender crumb and loaded with raisins and a healthy dose of cinnamon. This is not a rich sweet bread with a swirl of cinnamon sugar, the cinnamon is mixed in to flavor the entire bread and it is a hearty rustic loaf. Great for breakfast toast, even better for french toast – $5/loaf
Seeded Country Hearth- Also made with a mix of bread flour and some fresh milled whole wheat. Then loaded up with pumpkin, sunflower and poppy seeds. A nice rustic bread that is a great all around loaf – $5/loaf
And for pastry this week:
Kouign Aman – Made with croissant dough layers laminated with a butter and sugar mix. The baking form is then brushed with more butter and sprinkled with more sugar. I don’t make these often, and Di says they are her favorites so get you order in early or they might all be gone! – 2/$5
Wine tasting this weekend
The wine shop will be open the usual hours on Friday and Saturday this week. Since on Friday we will still be making our way home from our Eclipse Trip to Oregon (more on that below), with uncertain arrival time, Friday’s tasting will be conducted under Janice’s buy-share program, which works pretty well, and with which most of you are familiar.
On Saturday we will have our usual five-wine tasting format, though tasting menu will not be selected till Saturday (after we get home!).
Yes, Totality Matters!
After widespread Expectations of Clogged Highways as Countless People made the Pilgrimage to see the Solar Eclipse this past Monday, we were relieved to find the going Quite Easy on our trip to Oregon. We camped at Memaloose State Park on the Oregon side of the Columbia at The Dalles. Nice park, but sandwiched between I-84 on one side and RR tracks along the Columbia side, it was way too noisy for Ulee, kinda freaked him out.
At a wine tasting (of course!) on Sunday afternoon we got a tip from a local and early Monday morning drove to the Warm Springs Reservation, which had just experienced a forest fire a few days before. We found a perfect viewing spot where the firefighters had made camp, complete with sani-cans and handwash stations!
It is now late Thursday night, and limited internet access…to be continued, and hope to,see you all this weekend!
2072 Granger Way