lummi island wine tasting sept 30 ’16
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Friday Breads
Pain Meunier- “Miller’s Bread;” uses all parts of the wheat berry to make a flavorful and hearty artisan bread. A portion dough is fermented overnight before adding fresh milled whole wheat, cracked wheat and wheat germ. – $5/loaf.
Italian Walnut, Golden Raisin & Honey – Uses an italian “biga” pre-ferment overnight before adding more bread and fresh milled whole wheat as well as a healthy portion of toasted walnuts, golden raisins and honey. – $5/loaf.
Pastry this week – Brioche au Chocolat – A rich brioche dough full of butter and eggs, spread with pastry cream, and loaded with chocolate before being folded up and sliced. Ooh la la! – 2/$5
Ripasso
The wine known as valpolicella is made from a blend of the Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes grown around the city of Verona. The grapes are harvested, crushed, fermented, and made directly into a tasty, medium bodied, dry red wine with good acidity and a soft fruitiness that goes well with the local cuisine.
Back in Roman times the region produced a sweet wine the Romans prized and called Retia– likely the ancestor of a modern sweet wine called Recioto. Until recently it was hit-or-miss to try to make a sweet wine, because it was difficult to stop fermentation and leave “residual” sugar in the wine. One old technique for making sweet wine is to let the grapes raisin before pressing, concentrating the sugar. Such is the case with the modern dry wine Amarone, in which the best grapes are left to ripen into winter, then picked, dried, pressed and fermented dry. The resulting much-prized wine is rich but not sweet. There is some suggestion that amarone was first made by mistake due to secondary fermentation in what was intended to be a sweet wine.
Ripasso is a process in which dry valpolicella wine is “passed over” the raisin-must from their first pressing (to make amarone), adding to the “simple” valpolicella hints of the rich texture and flavor of amarone, and therefore sometimes called “poor man’s Amarone.”
The Wealth Horizon
Maybe this is the place where economics meets Relativity. Or maybe it’s the place where Reality itself meets Relativity. We are talking, of course, about an Event Horizon at which the ordinary laws of economics are turned upside down. We all grew up with the Common Wisdom that anyone who works hard, plans ahead, and Follows the Rules will achieve Economic Success. Okay, so let’s look at that. Since 1980 on average everyone whose primary source of income was their own labor has seen the purchasing power of their income fall.
On the other hand, since 1980, people whose primary source of income has been earnings on capital (stocks, bonds, land, factories) have seen their incomes grow exponentially. Take Donald Trump for example (please!). He started out with millions of dollars. Over the years, despite a half-dozen bankruptcies, he has accumulated billions. Yet here he has stood before us daily for the past year to demonstrate that whatever wealth he has accumulated has nothing to do with the above Common Wisdom. Rather, he has accumulated vast wealth Despite his obvious inability to string two consecutive thoughts together into an actual Idea. So, obviously there is something Wrong with our Theory of Wealth.
We hypothesize the existence of a Wealth Horizon, a sort of Wealth Discontinuity. On one side of it the laws of economics hold: those who live by selling their labor can get ahead– up to a point– with hard work and perseverance. But on the other side, the Gravity of Accumulated Wealth becomes so Yooge that it Sucks wealth from the other side at a faster and faster rate. It is so Powerful that no amount of stupidity, bad luck, or incompetence will make the slightest difference– the wealth keeps streaming across the Wealth Horizon at an ever-increasing rate until the Entire System Collapses into an Incredible, Unbelievable, Economic Black Hole. So stay tuned. Seriously. And don’t worry, we have people looking at this. Our People will be looking at this.
Cutest Villages Ever
There is an actual designation for places that make the cut as “most beautiful villages in France.” I’m not making this up! We have been to several over the years. They are So Cute you want to bring the whole town home with you. It’s not that you actually want to live there, as maybe you just want here to be a little more like there. Maybe it’s a sense of History, or Tradition, or just plain Precious Cuteness. Or something in our Common Heritage. Hard to say. Anyway, here are a few photos of some pretty cute French villages. See what you think!
This week’s wine tasting
Ottella Lugana Bianco ’15 Italy $12
Trebbiano di Lugano (Turbiana). Intense straw yellow color with green tinges. Exotic notes of candied fruit and citrus, warm and very deep on the nose. Widespread expressive finesse, with rich and persistent texture.
Tintero Elvio Rosato ’15 Italy $10
Mostly Barbera; lurid pink. Lively red berries and floral cherry on the nose; fleshy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors pick up a hint of anise with air. Can stand up to o strong cheeses and spicy charcuterie.
Montfaucon Cotes du Rhone ’13 France $13
50% Grenache co-fermented on skins with syrah, cinsault, carignan from 40 yr old vines; matured in concrete tanks. Good ripeness and lots of minerality along with fleshy plum, blackberry and licorice notes. A floral hint adds charm on the finish. (read more)
Sant’ Antonio Monti Garbi Ripasso ’13 Italy $17
A gorgeous, expressive, tasty Valpolicella; floral notes give lift to the expressive, beautifully centered palate and a long, polished finish.
La Baronne Piece de Roche ’12 France $30
From 120-year-old Carignan vines in alluvial soil; concentrated and energetic, with layers of dried blueberries, cassis, and bitter huckleberries, a black powder-like pungency, and a brash brightness and salty tang on the finish.
lummi island wine tasting sept 23 ’16
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Friday Breads Reminder: NO Bread This Week!
Madame our baker is off on a cruise to Alaska, so no bread this week. 🙁
However, be of good cheer…she will be back in time to process your orders for next Friday!
Il Casolare Rosso
The Italian wine region of Le Marche stretches east from the spine of Italy to the Adriatic. It is one of about twenty Italian denominations in which Montepulciano (the grape) is permitted in blends, usually with sangiovese in various proportions. It is not to be confused with Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, which is from a particular region. After sangiovese, it is Italy’s most widely grown indigenous varietal.
We were away when this wine was poured on Labor Day weekend, and while we usually try not to pour any particular wine more than once in a few months, the fact is that we had not tasted any of the wines our visiting wine representative Elaine chose for Studio Tour weekend while we were away. Fact is, we are trying it right now as we write, and finding it pretty tasty!
We’re Back!
Been home about 24 hrs, nice place you all have here. Nice to be home and looking forward to seeing you all this weekend. Hope you can make it by for a little schmooze in the Quiet of the Last Weekend of Drydock!
For the Birds
There is not a lot going on besides the scenery when motoring slowly along a canal in the Camargue. It seems as much a land of water as of land. On several occasions, birds (herons and egrets mostly) would be wading near the shore or standing on it as we went by, but would take to the air as we came abeam and fly a way on ahead of us. A minute later we would approach their new spot, and they would fly off again.
This is a sequence trying to catch three egrets that “followed” just ahead of us one day. Not great photos– too bright to use view screen– but they do give a sense of the scenery along a canal in the Camargue.
This week’s wine tasting
Maryhill Winemaker’s White ’14 Washington $12
Flavorful blend of pinot gris, chardonnay, semillon and sauvignon blanc; opens with clean, bright aromas of pear and apple with touches of tangerine, butter and lemon oil.
Palama Arcangelo Rosato ’14 Italy $11
100% Negroamaro from Puglia at the hot dry heel of the Italian Boot; big for a rosato– bright, lush, and succulent, with aromas of wild strawberries, crisp acidity, and loads of flavor.
San Lorenzo Marche Rosso Il Casolare ’15 Italy $11
Half Montepulciano, half Sangiovese; from sandy soils in aged on the lees in concrete tanks; fruity, juicy, balanced and food-friendly with notes of herbs and spice.
Sanguineti Cannonau de Sardegna ’14 Italy $11
This cannonau– a Sardinian varietal known elsewhere as grenache– offers dry and dusty aromas and flavors of cherry, pomegranate and plum that leave lingering, crisp, earthy and briny flavors that beg for food.
Terra d’Oro Zinfandel ’13 California $14
Vibrant aromas of clove and big, generous fruit lead to concentrated flavors of juicy plums and blackberries,all with a good dose of toasted oak.
Lummi Island wine tasting Sept 16 ’16
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Friday Breads (email us to get on the preorder mailing list! )
Prairie Bread – bread that was developed to honor all the elements of the prairie. Made with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat, as well as rolled oats and cornmeal. Then loaded with poppy, flax, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Makes for a flavorful loaf that goes well with everything- $5/loaf.
Buckwheat, Cranberry & Walnut – made with a nice mix of bread, buckwheat and fresh milled whole wheat flours. For something different, the liquid used is orange juice and a bit of olive oil then loaded up with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. This bread would go well with meat and cheese – $5/loaf.
Pastry this week – Bear Claws! Made with a rich danish pastry dough full of cream, eggs, sugar and butter. Rolled out and spread with a cinnamon almond filling and topped with, what else – a honey glaze, because bears love honey! These are delicious and popular. Quantity is limited – 2/$5
Schedule this weekend Sep 16-17
We will still be away. Janice will be at the shop as usual for Bread Friday, but the shop will be closed Saturday Sept 17. We will be back for the Sept 23-24 weekend as usual
Travel Plan
Sunday and Monday we were in Gaillac and found some great wines made from a number of unfamiliar local varietals that date back to Roman times or even before. At present we are Sarlat where we have tasted some interesting wines from Bergerac, both white and red. Tomorrow we travel to Cahors, where malbec, known locally as Cot, is the predominant red grape.
Since this area also is home to some of the oldest examples of prehistoric art, yesterday we visited the painted caves at Les Eyzies-de-Tayac and today the meticulous reproduction of the caves and art at Lascaux II. These sites touch us all deeply with the depth of their antiquity, some 17,000 years. These “Cro-Magnon” ancestors were essentially identical to us in both form and intellect.
This week’s wine tasting (same as last Saturday)
Sella-Mosca la Caia Vermentino ’15 Italy $11
Pale yellow, elegant and supple, couples fullness of flavor with underlying acidity for a delicious and refreshing white wine.
Gassier Esprit Rose ’15 France $15
Very clear with shades of peach; floral nose with notes of pear, peach, and apricot; round and delicate on the palate with notes of peach, mandarin, and grapefruit.
Septima Malbec ’14 Argentina $11
Musky ripe aromas of currants, leather, chocolate and espresso; supple texture, soft tannins, and lingering finish.
Federalist Red ’14 Washington $16
Lavish use of oak brings out notes of smoke, black pepper, and spicy cardamom with lots of red fruit and a velvety texture.
Conundrum Red ’15 California $20
Essence of California, with lots of bright bold cherries, raspberries, and plum nicely integrated into a smooth, round, hedonistic palate. Easy to like!
Photos
the imposing Cathedral of St. Cecile in Albi
poster for the Toulouse Lautrec Museum in Albi…great exhibit!
folks you know…yes, drinking beer au pression in cafe settings…it’s been hot!
lummi island wine tasting sept 9 ’16
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Friday Breads
Ciabatta – a nice crusty artisan ciabatta made with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat and two different pre-ferments a poolish and biga and a nice long overnight ferment of the final dough before baking. Makes for a flavorful loaf that goes well with everything- $5/loaf.
Egg Bread w/ apples & honey – Some might call this challah, others shiksa challah, either way it is a delicious enriched bread full of eggs, honey, milk and butter, then both fresh and dried apples for a whole other flavor component. Braided in the traditional manner ready for breakfast toast. – $5/loaf.
Pastry this week – Croissants! Made with a bit of sourdough laminated and with european butter until delicious flaky layers are created. Some say as good as any they had in Paris! – 2/$5
Schedule this weekend Sep 9-10
We are are still Away. Janice and Sue will again host for Bread Friday. Wines will be some combination of last Saturday’s wines and possibly some planned for this Saturday, when Judy A. will be in the shop pouring some great wines that she represents in our area.
Even though it will be the First Weekend of Drydock, and therefore Quiet on the island, you all know that Judy brings a Banner of Festivity with her, brightening all Nearby Spirits! Don’t miss it!
Next weekend, Sep 16-17
We will still be away. Latest word is that Janice will be at the shop as usual for Bread Friday, but probably not for Saturday Sept 17. We will update you on details for that weekend next week, and we be back for the Sept 23-24 weekend as usual.
Travel Plan
We just finished our canal trip in the Camargues this morning and are back in Montpellier in Montpellier till Sunday. A few photos of the trip below.
After that we will explore a couple of the lesser-known wine regions of Gaillac and Cahors in the larger catch-all French Wine Region generally just called the “Sud-Ouest”, or Southwest, which includes a wide area with Bordeaux to the northwest, Languedoc to the south and east, and Spain and the Pyrenees to the southwest.
Besides being the home of many lesser-known French wine regions, the area also is home to some of the oldest examples of prehistoric human culture, particularly the painted caves at Les Eyzies-de-Tayac and Lascaux. With some luck we will be able to visit them, the former being the Real Thing that still allows a few visitors each day, and the latter being the Authentic Copy to give a Realistic Taste of the Original without damaging it with our breath and our bacteria.
This week’s wine tasting
Sella-Mosca la Caia Vermentino ’15 Italy $11
Pale yellow, elegant and supple, couples fullness of flavor with underlying acidity for a delicious and refreshing white wine.
Gassier Esprit Rose ’15 France $15
Very clear with shades of peach; floral nose with notes of pear, peach, and apricot; round and delicate on the palate with notes of peach, mandarin, and grapefruit.
Septima Malbec ’14 Argentina $11
Musky ripe aromas of currants, leather, chocolate and espresso; supple texture, soft tannins, and lingering finish.
Federalist Red ’14 Washington $16
Lavish use of oak brings out notes of smoke, black pepper, and spicy cardamom with lots of red fruit and a velvety texture.
Conundrum Red ’15 California $20
Essence of California, with lots of bright bold cherries, raspberries, and plum nicely integrated into a smooth, round, hedonistic palate. Easy to like!
Photos
Morning on the canal
Flamingos
Eeler tending his traps
Roman arena at Arles
Good advice in any language…
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