lummi island wine tasting may 13-14 ’16
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Friday Breads (contact us to get on the pre-order list!)
Multi seed & Grain Loaf – Starts with a sourdough culture of both bread and rye flours, then mixed with more bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat and rye and a little honey for balance, and loaded up with flax, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and polenta cornmeal. A great artisan bread – $5/loaf.
Semolina Levain – The sourdough culture of bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat, with more bread flour and semolina from durum wheat which gives the bread a pretty pale yellow color and a richer flavor. For even more flavor a little butter is added which helps keep the crumb soft. Makes for great toast- $5/loaf.
And, on the sweet side…
Individual Cinnamon Rolls – Made with a rich sweet dough that is full of eggs, butter and sugar, rolled out, spread with pastry cream, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. – 2/$5.
Chateau de Donjon
Back in October 2011 we were driving out of Carcasonne, and diverted in search of an old winery called Chateau du Donjon. It has been around for hundreds of years, located in an old castle-and-former-monastery just a few kilometers away. We had already been buying these wines for several years, enjoying their reliable quality and modest prices, the two most important characteristics of wines we prefer to carry.
As it turned out, we arrived around mid-day on a Sunday, and knocked on the door. (remember, this building is essentially a huge medieval castle, with a huge door like an old Cathedral!). As there was no answer, we were heading back to the car when the door opened and we met Jean Panis, the owner-winemaker. Though the place was officially closed, he gave us a very brief tour and tasting in what must be one of the oldest rooms we have ever been in. Might have been a dungeon, or prayer room, or who-knows-what back in the 15th century.
The whole interaction took less than a half hour, yet felt like a very kind gift. Indeed, after we had left and were driving away, M. Panis came jogging across the street with a bottle of wine for us. Charmant, n’est-ce All you need to know is that the wine he gave us is one we have carried for many years, and which we are pouring this weekend. This particular vintage has intriguing aromas and flavors of roses. No, I don’t mean pink wines from Provence, I mean the actual flowers! VERY rosy wine; come check it out!
Seryozha
Heads Up, amigos! Although THIS weekend we will follow our usual schedule, NEXT weekend (May 20-21) we will be “away”– for the birth of Number One Grandson! Fear not, however, because despite our absence, be assured that the wine shop Will Be Open as Usual next Friday (May 20) for bread pickup, wine purchases, and general socializing. And as we go to press tonight, the shop will probably be closed next Saturday, May 21.
Since the mother of this Magical Grandchild is Russian, he is being named in the Russian tradition (sort of), in this case with reference to both his father’s and grandfather’s names, a mix of Russian and American customs. His first name will be from his father (Donald) and middle name after his maternal grandfather (Sergei). Though by Russian tradition that would become “Donald Sergeyovich” (Donald, son/grandson of Sergei), his mom is being a little creative combining American and Russian traditions. All you need to know is that the common Russian diminutive for Sergei is Seryozha. We think it’s a pretty cool name…maybe it will stick! Anyway, please send along your collective positive vibes, and stay tuned for breaking news; it’s all pretty exciting!
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
From time to time we are drawn to indulge our need to be philosophical. Years ago, when I was a Zen student and body-centred psychotherapist, I had a client who was moved to Despair by the idea that Life is Meaningless. And when this person said “Meaningless,” it was, well, Full of Meaning. Sort of. I asked one of my Teachers at the time about this, and I am still meditating on his response:
“Yes. Life is Meaningless. And it is Meaningless that it is Meaningless!”
Well, interesting, but not very satisfying, huh…? Like the book and movie title borrowed for this section, “the Lightness of Being” refers to the idea that we just get one go-round with each decision we make. We don’t appear to have the luxury of trying out even one or two of the infinite number of possible alternative responses, and being able to adjust our decisions accordingly.* Life is “light” precisely because it unfolds linearly and we only get one shot at everything. Therefore, almost without exception, we all spend our lives painting ourselves into one sort of Corner or Another, and hopefully we learn something from that. The big Philosophical Question is whether, through Karma, or an Endless Cycle of Birth and Death, or ongoing Reincarnation, we get to carry Forward our hard-earned Lessons of Experience toward some Goal. Ah, yes, an appealing idea, n’est-ce pas?”
This week’s wine tasting
Coopers Creek Albarino ’14 New Zealand $18
Crisp, dry and zesty, showing pure white peach and lemon flavours; round and creamy with delicate peach and citrus fruit tones, zesty acidity, and touches of minerality.
Bargemone Provence Rose ’15 France $14
Beautiful pale pink. Bright, mineral-dusted aromas of pink grapefruit and dried red berries. Light and racy on the palate, with tangy citrus and redcurrant flavors. Finishes brisk and dry, with good lingering spiciness and length.
Domaine Donjon Minervois Tradition ’11 France $16
60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Carignan; aged 12 months in stainless steel. Meaty and complex, with sweet, ripe red and black fruits, loads of white and black pepper, bay leaf and wild roses, it stays fresh and lively on the palate, with medium-bodied richness and length.
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.
Le Rote Chianti Colli Senesi ’11 Italy $14
Rich, chewy, dark fruit evolves into a smooth, eminently drinkable palate of black cherry and sweet tobacco. Great food wine!
lummi island wine tasting may 6 ’16
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Friday Breads (contact us to get on the pre-order list!)
Cinnamon Raisin Bread – Here, the cinnamon and raisins are incorporated right into the dough. The bread is sweetened with honey instead of sugar, and has fresh milled whole wheat flour and rolled oats with a little milk which tenderizes the crumb. A great breakfast bread for toast – or french toast – $5/loaf.
Buckwheat Rye – This bread is similar to last weeks’ Breton bread but has half buckwheat and fresh milled rye that is soaked all day, with a long cool ferment in the refrigerator overnight. A little honey helps to balance the whole grains. Another good hearty bread packed with flavor – $5/loaf.
And, for a bit of pastry:
Conchas! – In honor of Cinco de Mayo, these delicious Mexican pastries are made with sweet dough enriched with eggs, butter and milk and then topped with a colorful crunchy sugar crust. Delightful! 2/$5.
Patrimonio
Nielluccio is the dominant red wine grape varietal planted on Corsica. By law it must make up 95% of any blend bearing the name Patrimonio. As it turns out, there is some considerable dispute among wine historians whether Patrimonio is identical to sangiovese, the dominant red varietal of Italy, or perhaps a clone of sangiovese introduced to Corsica back in the 12th century, or perhaps even an indigenous grape varietal native to Corsica. I mean really, can’t all this be sorted out with some arcane plant DNA tests?
The tiny Patrimonio denomination can be seen in purple in the accompanying photo. If Corsica can be seen as the back of someone’s left hand, with the left index finger raised for emphasis, Patrimonio would be located just about where the fist that could be made with that hand could contact your nose. That is, it is a small area up in the northeast corner of the island. In bygone days, this varietal was known for producing rustic, muscular, and quite tannic red wines. These days the wines are still powerful, but much more refined. This weekend our featured rose is made from this Nielluccio. It is both distinctive and delicious!
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Okay, okay, so we don’t offer these high-falutin’ wines very often. Let’s face it, having this appellation on your label significantly increases the price of your wine compared to, say, the little Lirac region just across the Rhone river to the south. And generally speaking, our philosophy at AWG is that these days pretty much everyone is making pretty good wine. Therefore, marginal increments in Quality often come at a very High Price, and as a result, few of us on the Island drink a lot of CdP. Or, if you do, you haven’t been inviting us to share it with you! As someone famous once said,“when serving wine to a close friend, offer your Best Wine; when serving several, you Second Best will do.” Which makes us wonder…is it a sin to covet your Own Goods…?
The name of this little region dates back to 1305, when Bertrand de Got, Archbishop of Bordeaux, was elected Pope, and took the name of Clement V. He transferred the Papacy to Avignon in 1309, where it remained for much of the 14th century. All you need to know is that this little wine region is a tad northwest of Avignon, on the north bank of the Rhone river. The combination of soils and climate makes for pretty good wines in bad years, and incredibly good wines in very good years.
This weekend we have a few bottles of a relatively inexpensive (yes, in this realm $40 is “inexpensive!) wine from this region which we found to have delightful and nuanced flavors and aromas. As with any wine, you might not particularly like it. But you owe yourself this chance to taste it, n’est-ce pas?
Politics as Not Usual
You know, all of these Scientists who have been working on Global Climate Models for the last four decades must have missed some important Variables in the Equation of Everything. I mean, No One saw This coming– here’s a guy with a ‘Uge Ego who decides on a Whim to run for President against a Bazillion other “Candidates” (Why Not, Everyone Else is Doing It!), never expecting anything more than some Hype, some Publicity, a Few Laughs, and maybe even some Profit (hey, anyone can get Lucky, huh…!).
And then, Astonishingly, against All Odds, OMD, he actually WINS! And the Entire World takes its Finger out of its Nose for a moment and thinks…Huh?…WTF? Have the Planet’s atmosphere and magnetic field stopped filtering Cosmic Rays from the Reality TV Planet?
All you need to know is that Stealth Candidate Paul Ryan has refused to endorse The Donald, citing his lack of Conservative Credentials– as defined by Speaker Ryan, who Speaks for Le Haut Politique of the Republican Party. As if, you know, “Conservative Credentials” mattered a Whit to the hapless “Conservative Base” that has for some 35 years actually Believed that the Party stood for Family Values, Might for Right, and Continuity of Benevolent White Christian Supremacy. But it’s looking like they’re not so sure anymore. They seem to be digging deep inside and finding Resonance with someone who seems to Grok their Fear of Extinction, and the Chickens are Coming Home to Roost.
Given all of that, we stick with our prediction that Somehow, in the midst of all this Insanity, Ryan will somehow nab the Nomination from this Perfidy. Which is too bad, because, unlike Trump, he could actually win. And That would be Really Scary to some of us old 50’s liberals.
This week’s wine tasting
Cougar Crest Viognier ’14 Washington $14
Heady floral, citrus, and melon aromas aromas; rich texture with pear, peach and tropical fruit flavors and a smooth honey-like finish.
Yves Leccia Patrimonio Rose ’14 France $18
Primarily Niellucciu with Grenache, this rosé de saignée shows flesh and substance. Aromas of pomegranate, watermelon, vivid flowers, and herbes du maquis give it a distinguishing charm with salty undertones and cleansing, mouthwatering finish.
Daniel Brunier Le Pigeoulet en Provence ’12 France $16
Grenache blend; fresh raspberry and candied lavender scents and flavors are lifted by a peppery nuance and a hint of allspice. Juicy and seamless.
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.
Domaine la Roquete Chateauneuf-du-Pape ’11 France $39
Pungent aromas of raspberry, cherry, white pepper and dried violet. Deep cherry and bitter chocolate flavors are enlivened by peppery spice and floral pastille qualities, with tangy acidity giving the wine spine. Quite deep for the year, finishing with very good power and length.
lummi island wine tasting april 29 ’16
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Friday Breads (contact us to get on the pre-order list!)
Sonnenblumentbrot – aka Sunflower Seed Bread – Made with with regular bread flour with coarsely milled rye added for texture and flavor, a little bit of malt strip for sweetness and then loaded with toasted sunflower seeds. A great all around bread – $5/loaf.
Breton Bread – Reflects the Brittany region in France by incorporating both buckwheat and fresh milled rye into the bread. The salt is the mineralized gray salt from the region. A good hearty bread packed with flavor – $5/loaf.
And, for a bit of pastry:
Pain aux Raisin – Made with the same laminated dough as the croissants last week; rolled out, spread with pastry cream, sprinkled with golden raisins and dried cranberries soaked in rum, rolled up, sliced, and baked. My oh my these are good! 2/$5.
Cloudlift New Releases
On Tuesday this past week I drove to Seattle for a tasting of some of the Kermit Lynch French import portfolio, wines always worth exploring. I also took occasion to drop in on winemaker and Friend of the Wine Shop Tom Stangeland, whose Cloudlift wines we have been featuring over the last few years. As usual we had a great chat while tasting some wine and nibbling some cheese and charcuterie (and, OMD, that’s just from dropping in unexpectedly!). Fortunately for all of you, I brought home a couple of new releases (2015 Rosé and 2014 Chardonnay) as well as another case of the delightful 2012 “Ascent” Cab Franc which was such a big hit with all of you last summer, (and which we will be pouring again this weekend!)
Tom also explained that this will be only the second vintage of his rosé, and went on to tell quite a convoluted tale of how last year’s fruit came to be far higher in residual sugar and lower in acidity than he would have liked. (Side note: this fact was not lost on our own dear Wine Professional Judy A, who picked up these nuances immediately.) It is good news that arvest conditions last year suggest that this new Rosé will be dryer and crisper than last year. As Tom explained in our rambling conversation, it takes two or three swings at making wine from any particular varietal and vineyard before a winemaker can start to “dial it in.” However it works, I really like these wines and invite all of you to come on by this weekend and check out the new Rosé and revisit the old Ascent!
Blowing the Whistle on “Austerity”
Every once in a while there is a Voice telling us something that is Obvious, in Plain Sight, just like the Mythical New Clothes of the Emperor. Actually, there are often such voices, but for some reason we don’t believe them. Why is that?
This question evokes the offbeat, delightful musical animation from decades ago called “The Point,” with music written by gifted poet-songwriter Harry Nillson. In one scene our Childlike Innocence Archetype Oblio is talking to an Ancient cliff-face aka “Mr. Rock,” who tells Oblio “you see what ya wanna see…,” which Oblio, being the Archetype of Innocence that he is, totally does not grok.
Mr. Rock elaborates, something like: “Okay, so let’s go at this a different way…you ever been to France?” To which Oblio says in a small voice, “No.” “Okay,” says Mr. Rock, so, you ever been to New Delhi?” To which Oblio says, “Um, no.”
“See?,” says Mr. Rock, “That’s exactly my point: You go where you wanna go, you see what you wanna see!”
This interview today on ‘Democracy NOW! with former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, provides the same kind of Revelation about Global Capitalism. Some People are calling him the Most Interesting Man in the World. (Which, admittedly, would mean a lot more if the Title had not been pre-empted by, you know, a TV Beer Ad…) All you need to know is that this man has a Clear View of how the Big Choo-Choo of Modern Capitalism has rocketed Off the Tracks, dragging Boxcar after Boxcar off the Rails and into A Surreal Abyss in which even the Most Destitute must toil for an Eternity to pay their assigned share of of debt for assets that Never Actually Existed. Read more
Boat Kit Confusion
Last week I mentioned that the “frame kit” for my boat project had arrived. And I included a photo of a similar boat under construction. Well under construction! So it is not unreasonable that a few people thought my project was actually at the advanced stage shown in that photo. Mais non, mes amis, I am sorry to say, it is not so. In fact, what I have at the moment is a wooden crate with a bunch of pre-cut pieces which will form the skeleton of the boat. (See this YouTube video). All I have managed to do so far is open the crate, remove and inventory the pieces, and put the pieces back in. I still need to buy the special plywood which will form the bottom and side strakes.
There is also the matter of clearing out ten years of junk and clutter from my old pottery studio to make room for the boat project. Progress is being made, but slowly. And the first actual building project will be to build the platform (jig– see video) the boat will rest on while being built. Stay tuned. And best get comfortable and be patient. This could definitely take a while!
This week’s wine tasting
Chateau Lamothe Bordeaux Blanc ’12 France $14
Bright and engaging, with fresh grapefruit and Meyer lemon pulp notes backed by a flash of straw on the open-knit finish. Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
Cloudlift “Lucy” Rosé ’15 Washington $14
100% Cabernet Franc; nose of fresh ripe strawberries with a touch of citrus that continues on through a long, crisp finish.
Domaine La Croix Belle Caringole ’12 France $10
Syrah, Carignan and Merlot blend from Languedoc’s Cotes de Thongue region; fresh and supple with flavours of cherry, and black olive, and herbs.
Palama Negroamaro ’12 Italy $10
Elegantly expansive, rich and robust, with silky mouthfeel, layered aromas of steeped spices, and palate of blackberry jam with accents of cinnamon, leather, tobacco and smoke.
Cloudlift Ascent ’12 Washington $27
80% cab franc, 18% merlot, 2% petit verdot; aromas of black cherry, dark strawberry, sweet herbs and notes of minerality; light and silky mouthfeel with flavors of black cherry, cocoa powder and crushed herbs with bright acidity and hints of toasted almond on the finish. read more
lummi island wine tasting april 22 ’16
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Friday Breads (contact us to get on the pre-order list!)
Kamut Levain – Mostly made with Kamut, (aka Khorasan wheat), an ancient grain with a beautiful golden color and a slightly nutty taste. The sourdough culture is fed with fresh milled kamut and the final dough incorporates bread flour and more fresh milled kamut. Great toast! – $5/loaf
Barley & Rye w/ Pumpkin Seeds– Natural starter fed with wheat flour. The final dough includes bread and barley flour and freshly milled rye and whole wheat. A little buttermilk and honey is added to balance the earthiness of the whole grains and then loaded with toasted pumpkins. – $5/loaf.
And, ever popular….
Croissants!! Delicious buttery, flaky croissants, I’ve heard some say they didn’t have croissants this delicious in Paris! and no, that’s not Paris, Texas. (sorry, already sold out!!!) – 2/$5.
http://sailhavasu.com/images/sherpa-in-build.jpg
Reuilly
Reuily sits on Kimmeridgian limestone, a geological chain running along the Loire Valley, highly valued for its Jurassic storehouse of marine and shell fossils dating back 150 million years. These minerals are without equal for producing some of the most beautiful white wines in France.
Reuilly comprises only about 500 acres of vineyards west of Bourges in the Loire Valley, where the primary grapes are sancerre and pinot noir. This quote from Kermit Lynch talks about the influence of these soils: “If you want to experience minerality, notice the first impression on the palate, which is of fresh, cushiony, Sancerre-like Sauvignon Blanc. Then, immediately, there is a stony firmness from within the wine. Les Fossiles is from a specific vineyard soil full of chalk, fossils and sea shells, making the fruit lively, with white flower perfumes, citrus and mineral finesse and precision.”
We are feeling the force of Spring in the air these days, which are hot in the afternoon despite the cool of the evening and the night. This is the perfect time to enjoy a really nice sauvignon blanc, and our first wine this weekend fits the bill perfectly.
La Baronne ‘Les Lanes’
The Lignères family’s ties to the wine world date back to the sixteenth century, but its modern incarnation began in 1957 when André and Suzette Lignères bought la Baronne Estate, along the border between the wine regions of Corbieres and Minervois, roughly following the main highway between Narbonne and Carcasonne in the western Languedoc.
Many of the wines have the grape Carignan in their blend, much of it from vines planted in 1890 that produce a marvelous, ruby red, meaty 100% Carignan wine that would make a believer out of the most Carignan-skeptic wine drinker. This week we are offering you a new blend from La Baronne, Les Lanes, a blend of 60% grenache and 40% carignan..
Read more about the estate on Tom Fiorina’s excellent blog article (we met Tom on the same trip and keep a link to his blog on our site- check it out!)
Boat Kit
This week my new boat kit arrived in a big plywood box. It is called a “Sherpa,” and was designed by John Welsford of New Zealand. Most of the complicated pieces are included, while the bottom and sides we must cut from additional sheets of high-end marine plywood.
Our new little sailboat “Dreamtime” got pretty badly bashed up in the freak windstorm that swept in late last August. We are happy to say she is nearly repaired and almost ready to go back into the water. When that happens, she will need a smart little tender to ferry people and their stuff back and forth from boat to shore. Never ones to get overly-optimistic, we hope to get this tender built somewhere between this July and July three years from now!
Dreamtime” came with a practical little inflatable dinghy from West Marine that will suffice until the new one is built. Stay tuned, mates!
This week’s wine tasting
Reuilly “Les Fossiles” Sauvignon Blanc ’13 France $18
Sage, black currant, gooseberry, and lime dominate both the nose and palate, where a suffusion of salt and chalk adds to a palpable sense of extract and invigoration…bring on the shellfish!
La Croix Belle Caringole Rosé ’14 France $11
Syrah-Grenache blend; intense nose of rose petals and pear-drop candies; palate of alpine strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries, with a citrus accent on the crisp finish.
Septima Malbec ’13 Argentina $9
Musky, ripe aromas of currants, leather, chocolate and espresso. Supple and generous flavors of sweet currant and tobacco flavors with a note of pepper, soft tannins and good length.
Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon ’12 California $14
Exudes aromas of plum, black currants, blackberry, smoke, and earth. Soft tannins and bright acidity add balance and substance; concentrated flavors of raspberries and black cherries dominate the entry, with refined notes of earth and pepper and lingering hints of cherry on the long and satisfying finish.
La Baronne Costa Les Lanes ’12 France $14
Organically grown blend of Carignan, Mourvedre and Syrah from Corbieres; juicy and complex, with luscious, mouth-filling flavors of dark berries and exotic spice.
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