lummi island wine tasting july 8 ’16
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads (email us to get on the preorder mailing list! )
Whole Wheat Levain – This bread is made with bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat and a bit of fresh milled rye for great flavor. A good all around bread – $5/loaf.
Le Pave d’autrefois – loosely translates as “old paving stones…” a mix of bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat, rye and buckwheat flour. The darkness of the whole grains and square shape make it look like old paving stones, but the flavor is full of whole grain goodness – $5/loaf.
And, of course Pastry this week–>
Chocolate Babka Rolls!! – starts with a rich sweet roll dough dough full of eggs, butter and sugar,. Rolled out, spread with chocolate filling, rolled up and cut into individual slices before baking. Delicious – 2/$5
The Italians are back!
It is now a local tradition near each Solstice– the arrival of our semiannual special order shipment from our friends at West Seattle importer Small Vineyards. As most of you know, they specialize in family-owned wineries mainly in Italy, but in recent years also in France and Spain. Many of their member wineries have been handing down traditional methods of farming and winemaking for generations. Virtually all of the SV imports vastly outperform their modest prices, and we always look forward to their arrival.
This weekend we are offering one old favorite and two new wines. The old favorite is the Perazzeta Sara Rosato, a delicious rosé made from sangiovese grosso, the grape that made Brunello di Montalcino one of the most sought-after wines on the planet for the last hundred years. In addition, this weekend’s Italian representatives also include Cannonau, which is basically grenache (a French Southern Rhone varietal) grown in Sardinia, which adds its own distinctive and lingering notes of pomegranate and wool to the more familiar cherry. And, continuing the theme of French varietals grown in Italy, we will be pouring a delightful cabernet sauvignon from the Veneto region of Italy (no, I am not making this up!).
Corrosion
Many of you will recall that last year at the end of August our new little boat Dreamtime was blown off her mooring, washed onto a rocky shore, and took quite a Beating before being Rescued. and Secured. As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Dreamtime is back in the water, and last Sunday our friend and small-boat sailor extraordinaire Toby and I sailed her back to Lummi Island. It was a good trip, though as you might imagine, fraught with a bit of tension as we tested rigging, power, and electrical connections, and sailed her back home to Lummi Island.
The point that needs emphasizing it that Dreamtime was almost completely submerged for a few hours at a time over several days.
The basic chemistry (I admit being a little “rusty..”!!) of corrosion is (supposedly) shown in the accompanying chart. All you need to know is that all metals and alloys in contact with seawater have a specific electrical potential dependent on the specific pH of that seawater relative to the original material. ranging from Totally Inert to Catastrophically Explosive…you know, just like Human relationships\! That is, electrons are, like, the Ficklest of Particles, ever ready to migrate to higher-charged social levels. So of course we can all like Totally Relate, huh…? Anyway, we are now going through Dreamtime’s various systems, replacing a light fixture here, a circuit breaker there, or wiring both here and there depending on whether the corrosion demands cleaning, replacement, or complete rewiring. In other words, it’s not that different from the Everyday Concerns of All of Us past a Certain Age…!
Justice
It is starting to appear that Justice is the Name of the Game as we approach the Election of Aught-Sixteen. If we consider that there is always a Tension between Polar Opposites (I am So Drawn to you but I Know you will Hurt Me!), then it should he no surprise that the Fundamental Polarity emerging from the American Political Sector this season is between the Right (we must destroy All the Villages to save the Country) and the Left ( we must Save Every Village to have a Country worth Saving!).
This week, nearly Every Day has brought news of yet more Deaths-by-Fanatic, whether by Radical Muslim, Radical Anti-Radical Muslim, Emotionally Undertrained Policemen, or your Garden Variety Sexually Repressed Young Males (not that they are necessarily mutually exclusive). All you need to know is that a study many decades ago ( I believe it involved Margaret Mead) concluded that the two most highly correlated (and therefore most predictive) variables with the Level of Violence in a Society were a: the amount of affectionate touching of infants (more infant touching–> less violence) and the age of availability of sexual unions (the younger the availability, the less violent the society.)
There IS a grain of truth here. Although effective and realistic policy might prove elusive, we cannot dismiss the idea that if more young men had more sex more often, violence in our society might very well take a well-deserved vacation.
This week’s wine tasting
Terra Blanca Red Mountain Chardonnay ’15 Washington $11
Bright aromas of red apple lead to flavors of Fuji apples, mango, pineapple, and a hint of citrus. Barrel fermentation adds body to to the vibrant acid backbone
and leads to a clean and refreshing finish.
Perazzeta Sara Rosato ’15 Italy $14
From the same grape as Brunello (sangiovese grosso), this beautiful rosato is rich, bold, and flinty while also crisp, summery, and light.
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.
Lovo Cabernet Veneto ’15 Italy $11
A new Italian face on a familiar varietal, this surprisingly tasty cabernet is unoaked, bright, clean, and zesty.
Tarima Hill Monastrell ’13 Spain $14
Complex, perfumed scents of dark berry liqueur, cola, incense and smoky oak spices. Plush and expansive, with sweet cherry compote and blueberry flavors with notes of floral pastille and bitter chocolate. Rich and lively, finishing with excellent power, smooth tannins and a late jolt of allspice.
lummi island wine tasting fourth of july weekend ’16
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads (email us to get on the preorder mailing list! )
Fig Anise – a first timer in the bread rotation but one that seems to have a lot of potential. Made with a sponge preferment before final mixing and then a long slow overnight fermentation in the fridge. Made with bread flour and fresh milled white whole wheat with plenty of honey, figs and anise seed for added flavor. – $5/loaf.
Poolish Ale – Made with an overnight poolish of some of the bread flour and instead of water an ale, because what is beer but liquid bread! The final dough is made with more bread flour and a freshly milled whole wheat. A great all around bread – $5/loaf.
and in the pastry dept…Rum Raisin Brioche!! – A perennial favorite, order early or lose out! 2/$5
Costières de Nîmes
The Mediterranean coast of France covers four wine-growing appellations: Languedoc, Costieres de Nimes, Rhone, and Provence. The smallest region, Costieres de Nimes, shoehorns in between the Languedoc to the West and Southern Rhone to the East. In recent years the region has redefined itself as part of the larger Rhone region, arguing that its wines resemble more those of the Rhône valley than those of the Languedoc, which have a reputation as being a bit more rustic (which some of us find very appealing!)
Wine production in this region dates back to Roman times and their history includes centuries of Spanish and Moroccan influences. This weekend we are pouring a rosé from this region, made from 70% syrah and 30% grenache, which sits on the skins from 6 hours (syrah) to 16 hours (grenache), just enough to give it a touch of red. The bottom line here is that rosés from Costieres de Nimes have much of the same character as those from Southern Rhone to the northeast and those from Provence more directly to the east.
The basic takeway here is that Provence does not have a monopoly on making good dry French rosés; they can be found pretty much anywhere on the Mediterranean coast!
Ciao Thyme.
Instead of staying respectably home tonight and focusing on this blog entry, we spent the evening at “Ciao Thyme” for yet another “Incognito Dinner.” Since it is late, and since each picture is worth So Many Words, a few photos will hopefully convey the spirit of the Event. Here’s the menu, photos below.
And here is their website. This is not a regular restaurant (except for lunches.) You need to get on their mailing list for their periodic dinners, classes, and other great food events…!
This week’s wine tasting
Bernier Chardonnay ’14 France $10
Lemon, herbs and lees on the nose. Full-on minerality, with a touch of lemon curd. Driven, salty, refreshing; crisp, elegant, steely, mineral, and citrusy personality. Classic Old World style that will drink beautifully with light fish dishes, or served as an aperitif.
Grande Cassagne Rosé ’15 France 89pts $10
Light, brilliant orange. Aromas of blood orange, raspberry, white flowers and garrigue; Juicy and focused on the palate, offering vibrant red berry and citrus flavors. Fleshy and smooth on the fruity persistent finish.
Garnacha de Fuego ’14 Spain $9
As usual, loads of fruit with strawberry and black cherry notes intermixed with licorice and earth, and great purity and richness for this price point.
Milbrandt Brothers’ Blend Washington $12
“Kitchen-sink” red blend; enticing aromas of fresh blueberry, cherry, plum and vanilla. The palate robust, yet supple, with generous flavors of dark berry, dense cocoa, vanilla and a hint of spice that is beautifully framed by polished tannins and a long finish.
Domaine Moulinier Les Sigillaires ’07 France $15
Aged 12 months in neutral barrels. Nuanced notes of tapenade, dark fruits, and a fresh finish. Harvested quite early to retain acidity; nuanced palate with hints of orange and an elegant finish. We love this wine!
lummi island wine tasting june 23 ’16
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads (email us to get on the preorder mailing list! )
Pain Meunier –aka miller’s bread, and includes all parts of the wheat berry: cracked wheat, whole wheat, wheat germ, and bread flour – great for toast! – $5/loaf.
Italian Walnut & Golden Raisin – Made with bread flour and freshly milled whole wheat. Full of toasted walnuts for a bit of crunch and golden raisins and a little bit of honey for some sweetness. The walnuts and raisins make this a nice bread to go with cheese – $5/loaf.
Brioche Tart au Sucre – A rich brioche dough that is full of eggs, butter and sugar, rolled out into individual tarts and topped with more eggs, sugar and butter that form a delicious caramelized crust on top of the tart when baked – 2/$5
Sheep and Wine
This weekend our tasting menu includes Writers Block, made from cabernet franc grown in Lake County, California. The Writers Block (and Shooting Star ) labels are among several owned by Steele Winery in Lake County, California. The grapes for Writers Block come from Shannon Ridge Vineyards, where owner Clay Shannon has developed a sustainable farming system which integrates raising sheep and growing healthy vineyards into a symbiotic natural system. Over a thousand sheep wander through the vineyards, eating both grass and protein-rich grape leaves, and and converting it to natural fertilizer to continue the cycle.
About a third of the total acreage is left natural, providing both habitat and migration corridors for the abundant wildlife native to the area, including eagles, bears, elk, lots of smaller mammals and nesting for migrating birds. So this weekend when you enjoy this tasty cab franc, maybe it will taste even better knowing where it comes from! link to video
Cinsault
Cinsault is a red wine grape found across much of Mediterranean France, from the Spanish border across Languedoc, where it is used to add perfume and fruit to red wines, as in Minervois and Corbières, and further east it is often blended into the iconic Provencal rosés, for which its light skin and soft perfume is particularly well-suited, typically blended with some combination of grenache, syrah, and mourvedre.
The grape has also found its way into a few Washington vineyards, including The Benches (formerly Wallula Vineyard), located along the Columbia River. These “Benches” were formed during the Great Lake Missoula floods some 20,000 years ago; their strange resemblance to the little ridges one sees in sand along a beach is what in 1922 prompted Geologist Harlan Bretz to start imagining that they were caused by Catastrophic Flooding. It would be another twenty years before his theories found support in research into Glacial Lake Missoula, a fascinating chapter in our region’s geological history.
This week’s rosé is from Woodinville winery JM Cellars. It is made primarily from cinsault. It is not shy. It does not smell or taste like a typical rosé. It is as full of aroma and flavor as a big fat chardonnay, or viognier, or roussanne. But it’s a rosé, basically a red grape trying to pass as a white wine. Whatever the Big Floods did to the geology of the Benches, it has been great for grapes!
Polarities
There is a lot going on these days in Planetary Politics, nationally and globally. The Familiar Polarities of Right and Left now seem Global. Everyone is Talking with Great Conviction about what needs to be done. Everyone is Talking and No One is Listening. It’s our Own Modern Tower of Babel moment. Scary Stuff– lots of blaming, accusing, finger- pointing, and Bluster. Not a lot of Compromise. Not a lot of interest in “incremental change.”
Maybe this is all the continuing unfolding of the Legacy of 911, by which every Slight is a Grievance; every Grievance demands Vengeance; and every Dishonor demands Blood, to the extent that many entire societies are coming unraveled, collapsing under people’s feet. We stand in long lines and take our shoes off to board an airplane, while entire countries collapse into chaos and suffering. The Right circles its wagons around its Core Values, which are…um…let’s see…well don’t you worry they have them somewhere. And the Left finds itself splitting across different Fault Lines between its own Elite and its Labor Roots.
On the Other Hand, there are a few small but hopeful signs of Thaw in various places. In Colombia the FARC have signed a cease-fire with the Government, possibly ending decades of active warfare. In Congress, a small but dedicated group of Representatives staged a show of Solidarity for the development of a Reasonable set of gun control rules to protect Public Safety after the latest Mass Murder by Assault Weapon. And…and…let’s see there WAS something else Hopeful, let me think a minute…
This week’s wine tasting
Arindo Verdejo ’14 Spain $11
Bright straw. Vibrant, mineral-accented aromas of lime pith, pear skin and white flowers, with a mineral topnote. Dry and sharply focused, with nervy citrus over a hint of bitter quinine with orange zest and jasmine qualities.
JM Cellars Cinsault Rosé ’15 Washington $24
Bigger, more textured, and more aromatic than one expects from a rosé; in the dark could be mistaken for a full-bodied white blend…delicious!
Borsao Garnacha ’13 Spain $10
Expressive aromas of blackberry, licorice and and fruitcake aromas; Juicy, spicy and supple, sweet, red and dark berry flavors; finishes fresh, focused and nicely persistent.
Linen Red ’13 Washington $11
Syrah-cab blend. Opens with charcoal, blackberry and spice on the nose, with flavors of plum, cassis, and cedar in the
turning to blackberry and peppery black fruits on the finish.
Writers Block Cab Franc ’13 California $15
A perennial favorite here, with aromas of red cherry, raspberry, plum, and licorice. Flavors are of red fruit, raspberry, and plum with smooth acidity, followed by soft tannins.
lummi island wine tasting june 17 ’16
(note: some photos will enlarge when clicked)
Friday Breads (email us to get on the preorder mailing list! )
Oops! Janice has been away this week, so no bread pickup this Friday. Look for her pre-order email in your box Sunday or Monday for next week’s offerings…!
Rosé Season!
Yes, folks, the rosé shrine at the top of the stairs now now displays about about ten different rosés. Yesterday and today have qualified as Perfect Rosé Days– sunny with lots of big puffy white clouds accenting lots of clear Blue Sky, temperatures perfect (pushing 70), a light breeze, everything in Full Bloom.
Nothing beats a pre-dinner glass of rosé on the deck on days like these. Raise your glasses to the Magic of Summer and repeat after me: “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh…!”
Mont Sainte-Victoire
This week’s rosé is from a region about 25 km east of Aix en Provence, and just south of the base of Mont Sainte-Victoire, a favorite subject of Paul Cezanne, who lived in Aix. Apparently Cezanne became enamored with the mountain on a train ride across the bridge near the foot of the mountain in 1878, and subsequently did numerous paintings of it. In most of them the railroad bridge, with its many Roman arches, can be seen in the landscape…can you find it?
Provence, of course, has set the standard for the style of rosé that has become immensely popular around the US in recent years, and this wine is a typical blend of 35% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 25% Syrah, and 10% Rolle (aka the smooth and flavorful Italian grape vermentino).
The Underground Wine Project
The “Underground Wine Project” is a collaboration among Mark McNeilly and Mike MacMorran of Mark Ryan Winery and Trey Busch of Sleight of Hand Cellars. We first met Trey some years ago when he was winemaker for Basel Cellars in Walla Walla, which is still worth a visit next time you are in Walla Walla, if only for the curiously overstated decor. We also attended a wine dinner back in those days at Oyster Creek down Chuckanut Drive featuring wines from Basel with Trey there to pour them. In particular I remember that he had hastily bottled (and not yet filtered or labeled) some of his newest white blend, called “Forget Me Not,” a traditional White Bordeaux blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon.
All you need to know is that raw oysters have always been a bit challenging for me, but with the Right Wine I can heartily enjoy at least a few. And in my modest experience, the “Right Wine” definitely involves sauvignon blanc, and it is a toss-up whether the best pairing is with a White Bordeaux (blend of sauv blanc and semillon) or the straight, minerally, sea-scented sauvignon blancs from the little area at the eastern end of the Loire Valley, including Sancerre, Quincy or Reuilly. The common thread seems to be that ancient soil, rich in millions-of-years old seashells, still sing a salty song of open ocean that resonates Mightily with the Briny Oyster.
But I digress. The main point is that many of you are familiar with Trey Busch’s wine, because we have long carried his very popular “Renegade” second label; his “Renegade Red” has been an over-delivering favorite with most of you for several years now. Very Western in style, his wines are not at all Shy, and this is particularly true of the Underground Wine Project wines, which put their Fruit right in Your Face, where you are moved to Jump In and Wallow. So it is with that introduction we announce the new vintage of Underground Wine Project’s “Idle Hands,” from 100% Washington Syrah from Red Heaven Vineyard on Red Mountain, Washington State’s premier wine appellation. You’re gonna like it!
The Return of Dreamtime!
As both of our Regular Readers will note, last July, on a sudden Irrational Impulse, we Bought a Boat (Dreamtime) the day after we Sold a Boat (Layla). According to Popular Wisdom, the Two Best Days in a Boatowner’s life are The Day You Buy and The Day You Sell. The Big Takeaway here is that we were Giddy on Boat Buying and Selling—what could possibly Go Wrong?
Well, anyone who has lived long enough to have Spent Some Time with Murphy knows that Life is Cyclical. Or as Ecclesiastes might say, a Time for Everything In Its Season. And don’t forget Murphy’s Most Important Corollary– when things DO go Wrong, it will be at The Worst Possible Time, as it was when a Seriously Unusual Gale hit Lummi Island late last August which tore our Baby Boat from her mooring and cracked her open on the rocks near the ferry dock.
All these months later, after a LOT of Work, Dreamtime is back in the water and being Refitted for Service. And in Deference to Good Omens, we are happy to report that on her Maiden Voyage yesterday of at least several hundred yards from one slip to another at our dear Squalicum Marina, we were moved to Stop and Hail at our friend (and Wine Merchant Extraordinaire) Laurent’s boat about halfway across the Marina, only to find that we were crashing an ongoing Wine Tasting. I mean, Really, does it get any Better than This?!! And yes, next weekend you may expect to reap Dividends from this highly impromptu Tasting, which included a number of very tasty and well-priced white wines…!
This week’s wine tasting
Waitsburg “Three” White ’14 Washington $15
Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Picpoul from Boushey Vineyard: Bright, light yellow; aromas and flavors of orange zest, pink grapefruit, quince, and menthol, with a mineral and anise notes.
Gassier Esprit Rosé ’15 France $15
A very clear rosé with shades of peach; floral nose with white and yellow fruit notes (peach, apricot, pear); in the mouth, round and delicate with notes of white peach, mandarin and grapefruit.
Anciano 5-Yr Tempranillo Riserva ’08 Spain $11
Aromas of damp earth, mocha, tobacco, and black cherry. On the palate it is sweetly fruited, easy-going, and nicely balanced leading to a seamless, fruity finish.
Bocelli Sangiovese Italy $14
Bright,, lush, and appealing; deliciously ripe and smoky, with notes of marasca cherry, granite, and rhubarb compote. Finish is long and dry, with admirable acidity that makes the palate taut and pleasing
Idle Hands Syrah ’13 Washington $27
A classic Red Mountain Fruit Bomb with plenty of ripe cherries, blueberries, and hints of Chambord liqueur, spices, and lusciously smooth texture. Big and fruit-forward with the density and power that has become the hallmark of the Underground Wine Project.
2072 Granger Way
