lummi island wine tasting november 29 ’14
Yes, open this weekend!
Here it is Thanksgiving Night after way too much really delicious food. Sound familiar? There is something about “feasting” that blends together elements of gratitude, celebration, community, and yes, a bit of Overindulgence. At this time every year we follow traditions learned from our families, and blend them with the traditions of other families, into something particularly “American,” with the same basic form from household to household, though details might vary widely. In the great stream of human existence, we in this place in this time are blessed beyond comprehension.
As if all that weren’t enough to elicit Deep Gratitude, there is the additional Blessing that we WILL BE OPEN our usual hours this weekend. Come on by!
Holiday Case Sale–Black Friday through Christmas!
Our annual Holiday Case Sale .begins this weekend and continues through December! Buy any twelve bottles, and we will pay the sales tax (8.6%)! Even better…if you are a Wine Club member, buy any twelve bottles and get an additional 5% off! Offer good through closing time on Saturday, December 27!
Not only is this a great deal for both members and non-members, but it is also a good time to stock up for January, because the current plan is to close the wine shop until the first weekend of February!
A room with a View
One of the great pleasures of our place on Lummi Island is our wonderful view toward Orcas Island. Over the years I have posted many photos taken from our vantage point; though it is always the same structure, the experience is different in every moment depending on the light, the season, the time of day, and the weather, and constantly nourishing. In each case, there is something inherent in our human nature that finds a water view pleasantly soothing.
A recent study on the real estate market in our area found that water views account for 50%-130% of the sale price of various properties. So the better the view, the higher the demand. In addition, of course, the better the view, the more taxes you pay. And perhaps most important, there is an ongoing psychic value to the nourishing experience of being able to enjoy a great view from moment to moment. If there is a point here, it is that a view is worth the sum of these various effects (higher market price, stream of tax revenue, and stream of daily benefits over many years.)
Over the years I have posted scores of pictures of this same view, all quite different; it’s a huge benefit of being in this place, and yes, something for which we are continually grateful.
Idle Hands
Our “Big Wine” this week is the result of the Underground Wine Project, an ongoing collaboration between two highly regarded Washington winemakers, Mark Ryan McNeilly (Mark Ryan Winery) and Trey Busch of Sleight of Hand Cellars (we poured his “Renegade Red two weeks ago and everyone loved it!) “Idle Hands” is named for a song by The Gutter Twins, and the calligraphic label is the first line of the song:.
With my idle hands
There’s nothing I can do
But be the Devil’s plaything, Baby
And know that I’ve been used
Mostly syrah with some cab, all from Red Mountain, adds up to a very enjoyable wine experience: you’re gonna like it!
This week’s wine tasting
Markham Chardonnay ’12 California $16
Pear and apple aromas are highlighted by vanilla and steely minerality that carry over onto the rich, lush palate, while sur-lie barrel aging adds texture and weight to the mouthfeel.
Mannina Cali red blend ’11 Washington $10
cab-merlot + sangiovese; plum, coffee, flowers, menthol and an earthy nuance on the nose, fruity and easygoing in the mouth, with bright red berry flavors with notes of mocha.
Domaine de Couron Cotes du Rhone ’12 France $11
Lightly dusty-edged black cherry and black currant fruit is lined with a graphite note, with a hint of lavender chiming in on the finish.
Alta Vins Tinto Joven Spain $11
60% Garnacha, 30% Syrah, 10% Carinena; Brilliant garnet color; bright and fresh with notes of red currant, balsamic, and rose water.
Idle Hands Syrah ’12 Washington $27
A luscious blend of 92% Syrah and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain; big aromas of fresh vanilla, blueberry jam, and hints of anise. The palate is rich and supple, showing blackberries and smoky oak, with hints of black pepper, coconut and medium-dark chocolate.
lummi island wine tasting November 22 ’14
CLOSED FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21!!
Anyway, Ryan (he who opens our wine shop on most Fridays) is on loan to the BSC as wine advisor/wait staff trainer/sommelier for a few weeks, so is not available to open the wine shop on Fridays for a few weeks. Unfortunately, we are not available this weekend either, as we have a long standing reservation for Pre-Thanksgiving dinner at Ciao Thyme on Friday…!!
Your important Take-Aways here are that 1) we will NOT be open this Friday as usual, and 2) Janice will NOT be bringing bread this weekend. (We know because she and David will be with us at Ciao Thyme!) We regret any inconvenience, and look forward to seeing you Friday regulars on Saturday as you load up wines for Thanksgiving!
Old BSC Logo
I don’t remember the exact year. The basic history (these are impressions, not facts, so I expect many corrections before next week!) is that there was once an old Store in this building called the Beach Store, because it was a “store” and because it was on a little spot actually known as “Beach, Washington.” The store closed a Long Time Ago. In the late eighties, Mark and Lis Marshall bought it, made it beautiful, and reopened it as the original Beach Store Cafe.
Over several years they built it into a Fine Dining Experience, with great food, good jazz, and a clientele from both the Island and the mainland. They closed the restaurant and moved on to other things sometime in the mid-nineties, and the building was dormant for several years, prompting the brief and incandescent manifestation of Java the Hut (more on that next week!), which for a brief time presented great coffee and weekend pasta meals where Art Hohl now has his Glass Studio.
This old sew-on decal has lost most of its color over the years, and I don’t remember who did the graphic. It shows sunrise over Mt. Baker, a checkered table with (l to r) a cup of coffee, a loaf of bread, and fresh vegetables. And yes, I think there was more color back then…but it is still a cool image. Obviously graphics have gotten a lot less personal in fifteen years. But the idea is the same, here and everywhere: “come on in, sit down, and be nourished. And take a moment to savor this amazing view!”
We take a moment to wish Tess, Jason, Craig, Janice, Ryan, and all the staff every success with their new vision of the BSC! Most of you will love it; some will hate it; and we will continue to bow in Gratitude to anyone who puts in the time and energy to try to make a restaurant happen way out here at the End of the Universe.
Good deeds, Punishment, and “Never Volunteer”
Circumstances require that I be a little cryptic here, a little (for lack of a better term) diplomatic, a tad obscure. The insight I would like to share with you is that after feeling Very Badly Burned in my last outing in Community Service over a decade ago, I have been duly conditioned to “never volunteer” (yes I know it is a split infinitive, mea culpa, mea culpa, it’s for a good cause…!).
So it was with some trepidation that recently I took on a couple of Civic Responsibilities. And for the most part it has been congenial and rewarding. So from that perspective, the old Adage about volunteering is entirely misplaced.
The image here is Titan Prometheus’ daily torture, assigned by a Jealous Zeus, of having his liver ripped out and eaten by an eagle, only to have it regenerate in time for the next day’s repetition of the same Hell. At the moment, given things that have been going on in my life lately, it is absolutely clear to me that this fable, this image, this extraordinary metaphor, could ONLY have been the Insight of someone who, with all Good Intentions, in a weak moment allowed himself or herself to be persuaded to volunteer for the Public Good. We are a strange species, passionate, irrational, and hateful as often as we are thoughtful, rational, and compassionate. No wonder the Rats fear us, huh…?
Pollyanna
Curiously, the image here illustrates the point at a deeper metaphysical level. This paragraph started with an intention to take a more positive attitude about our so-called “Culture,” with a search on “Pollyanna,” motivated by my new conversational mantra, “Yeah, it’s all Good!” But “Pollyanna” turned out to be yet another name that has been commercialized into meaninglessness by the New Thought Police: a search for images relating to “Pollyanna” delivered (I’m not making this up, you should try it for yourself!) a gazillion images of nail polish ads, which were, like, “Hello, wtf…?”
This leaves us with the gear-spinning, clutch-slipping, mind-blowing Reality that the Big Algorithm designed to Think As We Think has determined that a commercial interpretation of what is basically a literary reference must be what people are looking for when they put the term in a Search Engine. I mean, just Think about that for a few seconds…OMD, what happened to what we used to call “Reality”….!
Admittedly, this recent finding makes it even harder to keep telling ourselves, “Hey Dude, it’s all Good, man!” So okay, it’s not necessarily All Good, and if you believe that and don’t watch out you are gonna get Squashed into a blob of yellow-green Goo like a Bug. What’s important here is that we’re all salmon swimming against a powerful stream, and no matter how tired we get, we still have to keep swimming. We swim for Truth, we swim for Wholeness, we swim for Whatever we believe in. Sorry, Pollyanna, modern politics and business have made you an endangered species; it is, we are sorry to say, not a good time for Optimists…but hey, hang in there!
This week’s tasting menu
Brancott sauv blanc ’12 New Zealand $14
Spicy quince and Asian pear flavors rest on a crisp, juicy body, with plenty of lime zest and grapefruit notes through the juicy finish.
Campo Viejo Tempranillo ’12 Spain $11
Aromas of ripe red fruit followed by gentle sweet notes of vanilla and spices. On the palate it is perfumed, soft and fresh with a long finish that leaves memories of red fruit, vanilla and cocoa.A perennial go-to value here at AWG.
Maryhill Winemaker’s Red ’11 Washington $11
Aromas of berry jam, chocolate, and cinnamon, with fruity notes of strawberry, caramel, and hints of white pepper, oak, and tart marionberry.
Lacroix-Vanel Fine Amor ’12 France $18
Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre, and Carignan; generous dark cherry and black raspberry tinged with lavender, sassafras, brown spices and tobacco, with suggestions of iodine and crushed stone.
Pomum Red ’11 Washington $19
Bordeaux blend with a bit of syrah– Inviting, open-knit aromas of plum, raspberry and tobacco. Supple, sweet and mellow; plummy and broad in the mouth, displaying good depth of texture.t
Ferry photo
lummi island wine tasting november 15, ’14
This Week’s Breads
Janice brings a basket of fresh-baked bread for sale each Friday afternoon shortly after 4pm. All breads are first come first served.
This week:
— Hearty Country Hearth Bread with toasted pumpkin seeds –mmm, delicious! $5/loaf
—Multi-grain Cranberry Walnut Bread– made with buckwheat and whole wheat flours, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts – turkey sandwich anyone? – yum! $5/loaf
Be sure to stock up this week, cuz no bread for the next TWO WEEKS! Next “Bread Friday” will be Friday December 5th!!
Green Ketch update
The three-foot hole in her side has been repaired, and she has been drawn in higher on the shore somewhat in the shelter of Lovers’ Bluff. It may be some time until engine power is restored, and we have received no updates. We can tell you that she is sitting Very Close to the spot on the beach where the Happy Jack spent many quiet years before being carved up into car-sized chunks and hauled away Somewhere. The Green Ketch (aka “Ning Ning”) is a long way from home and needs a lot of work. So maybe she will just lie here for the winter and then we’ll see.
We worry that, like the old cars that we can’t seem to part with, and which will probably never run again, she could settle into the landscape for a decade or two, waiting for rescue. Still, she’s pretty solid, and we continue to hope her lads will sail her away yet.
Longing for something to Yay about
As nearly as I can tell, what I am calling “yaying” became extinct when I turned about 12, maybe even before, and that was way back in the mid-fifties. Here’s how it worked. It’s early Saturday afternoon, any time of year. A gang of neighborhood kids walks en masse downtown to one of the local movie theaters (there were only four). There was usually a Newsreel, often a Cartoon, and then a main feature, often a Western featuring Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, or even Audie Murphy (the soft-spoken, real-world war hero). And of course there were lots of war movies, also.
Now I know it is hard for the four of you who occasionally read this blog to imagine a world in which TV was still a novelty, and home video players were the stuff of science fiction. The point here is that each Saturday, given the adventurous nature of the films, and given that we were kids and could still allow our imaginations to get us excited, there were always a few scenes in each movie in which the hero, (or the actual Cavalry!) would show up just in the nick of time to save The Girl or the Hapless Scapegoat from the cruel plans of the Bad Guys in general and the Really Bad Guy in particular. Inevitably, each time such a moment arrived (sometimes actually accompanied by a bugler playing “Charge!”) the entire theater would erupt in a deafening “YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!! (click on the image and turn on your sound for a half-hearted imitation of what it was like)
Unfortunately right now feels like one of the Darker Moments in our history, for a lot of reasons, including the recent “Best Election that money could buy,” the Drug Traffickers in Mexico, the Fanatics in the Middle East (yes, including Israel), the bankers owning Everything, Climate Change putting the Entire Future up for grabs, Democrats who act like Republicans, Republicans who act like Idiots…in sum, the World Gone Crazy. So the tiny point of this rant is, yeah, I long for the simple days when here in our Darkest Hour the Cosmic Cavalry would come charging over the hill, bringing with them Justice, Peace, Hope, Community, and Mutual Respect, and we would all stand on our seats and yell with all our hearts, “YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!!
sad sigh…
November Ducks
Given the small rant above (I’ve been under a lots of stress lately), sometimes the best we can do is take comfort in the small glories of Everyday Life. Most days find us walking the dogs from our place down to Legoe Bay. Most of the year there is a group of Mallards (three pairs) resident in the little slough along Legoe Bay Road south of Tuttle. I don’t know enough about them to know if the same families are year-round residents (please post a comment if you know) or if there is a parade of transients. What I do know is that their life is appealing– a little paddling, a little browsing, a little sticking your head in the water and your tail in toward the sky, a little munching, a little napping…hey, even an occasional spin around the joint on wing! All in all, a pretty good life, and all in all, a pretty good reminder that we are so very lucky to be here in this place and, like our feathered friends, have each other and this lovely pond to swim in.
comforted sigh…
You sing, we pour
It has been very slowly evolving as a “policy.” But like starfish wars, it has been So Slow that unless you see it in ultra slo-mo, it’s hard to tell anything is going on at all. But every once in a while, a musician will stop by the wine shop, and at some point in the conversation will offer to go out to the car and get an instrument and play music for awhile.
It turns out that because of all the hard surfaces in the shop the acoustics are excellent. Of course, this has been clear to all of us for a long time, because generally somewhere between 10 and 14 people in the space the ambient conversational noise level makes conversation impossible. Yes, that’s right, the act of conversation makes conversation impossible. But that’s another story.
The point here is that friend and occasional wine shop visitor Paul came by in late afternoon on Sunday, near the close of Studio Tour, with his lovely Martin D28 guitar (which, I confess, I DO covet!), and offered to play a few tunes. As always, we were delighted, because when everyone is listening and not talking, live music sounds very, very good in our little space. The downside of our acoustic situation is that when ten or more people are talking at once, conversation is essentially impossible! All of this is to say that we encourage performers of all persuasions and talents to bring your stuff by. We are always happy to trade a full tasting for two for a 20 minute performance (longer if you want!).
This Week’s Wine Tasting
Domaine Girard Chardonnay ’12 France $13
Medium to full bodied with fleshy notes of fresh-picked apples and pears; no oak, but spends time on the lees to give it richness; clay soils at a higher elevation impart a delightful freshness.
Renegade Red ’12 Washington $10
Blend of mostly Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Cab Franc; shows lots of red and black fruits, scents of loamy minerality, and fine grained tannins that are matched with balanced acidity.
Atalaya Laya ’12 Spain $10
70% Garnacha and 30% Monastrell; Cassis, blueberry, pungent herbs and mocha aromas lead to an open-knit palateof fresh cherry, dark berry, and a hint of black pepper and a subtle floral note.
Renaudie Tradition ’11 France $16
Côt and Cab Franc; aromas of cherries, blackcurrant, and dark fruit with fine, silky tannins.
William Church Bishop’s Blend ’10 Washington $18
Cab-dominant Bordeaux blend with a splash of Grenache; lush and round with notes of grenadine, black cherry, sweet tobacco and forest spice.
2072 Granger Way