Lummi Island Wine Tasting May 4 ’13
May 4th Movement
Back in the fifties when I was in school, China was rarely mentioned, and when it was, it was mentioned in a vague historical context which carefully excluded any references to Communism. Now I think about it, it was a little like how so-called adults talked about women who were pregnant, because for some reason the word “pregnant” could not be said out loud. Rather, they (women talking about women) would be speaking in a perfectly normal tone of voice which would suddenly drop to a whisper: “Haven’t you heard? She’s…pee-gee…!”
What does that have to do with China? The May 4th Movement originated around the end of WWI, when China fought on the side of the Allies against the Germans, for one thing because they hoped to win back lands colonized by Germany. However, in the Treaty of Versailles ending the war the political intrigues of the day allocated the German claims in China to Japan instead. The May 4th Movement was a social and cultural response to the global politics of the time, which led eventually to the Communist Revolution and the present balance of global political and economic power. So maybe we should have given their land back to the Chinese instead of the Japanese; maybe the last hundred years would have unfolded very differently…! read more
Last Week
I confess we were imagining a somewhat festive return to Lummi and the wine shop after having been gone for several weeks. No, we certainly weren’t expecting a crowd like, you know, Lindy landing in Paris, but, hey, we were open to a little touch of Festivity. As it turns out, however, it was a very quiet day, in which a small number of people spent a good portion of the afternoon together, which was entirely pleasant and low-key. We had run into Sean and Elizabeth and friends on our noontime dog walk, and they all came by the shop shortly after opening at 2pm. Conversation lingered on till well into the afternoon when Randi showed up, and that conversation went on way past closing when we just up and went to the Beach Store for dinner. Even after all these years, there is no predicting what any given Saturday will bring…it’s always a surprise.
Trailering in on people
One of the great things about our recent road trip was getting to visit with lots of friends and family for a couple of days. Sleeping and keeping our gear in the trailer seemed to give both us and our many hosts more breaks from one another than when being complete house guests (though no, I don’t know how any of our many hosts felt about it), yet at the same time allowed a deeper connection than just passing through for dinner, more of a sense of how they actually live. So we really had a nice sense of contact with old friends in new ways, very enjoyable for us, and hopefully minimally burdensome to our many gracious hosts. (Although, admittedly, I’m not sure anyone would welcome this kind of Attitude right in their own driveway…!)
This Week’s Wines
Arindo Verdejo ’11 Spain 88pts $10
Fresh pear and melon aromas sparked by lemon zest and minerals. A floral quality enhances the palate, which finishes juicy and clean, with good lift and stony persistence.
La Font du Vent Rosé “Les Promesses” ’11 France 88pts $10
Very pure and focused, with a range of plum, cherry and strawberry fruit. A lingering cherry pit edge provides contrast on the finish.
Real de Aragon Garnacha ’07 Spain 88pts $11
expressive nose of cherry and cassis. On the palate it has a touch of silky tannin, good grip, savory fruit, and a medium-long finish
Navarro Correas Malbec Gran Reserva ’10 Argentina $11
Enticing aromas and flavors of cassis, blackberry, licorice and mint. Densely packed, supple and concentrated, Finishes with substantial ripe, building tannins.
David Coffaro Barbera ’09 California $25
81% Barbera, 19% sangiovese; Big, jammy, New World aromas of cherries, roses, and plums lead seamlessly into intense, lingering flavors and mouthwatering acidity.
Lummi Island Wine Tasting April 27 ’13
Closed Friday!
Just a reminder: although we are back, for a number of reasons the wine shop will be closed on Friday, April 26. We will be open for our usual hours on Saturday, April 27 (2-6pm)…looking forward to seeing you all!
(remember: click on images for larger versions!)
May Day
As it turns out, May Day, or Beltane, is the halfway point ( i.e. cross-quarter day) between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Like the other solar events people have celebrated since time out of mind, May Day was the perfect time to celebrate the fecundity of Spring. Traditionally it was a time for dance and song to hail the budding of new life across the countryside. Young couples paired off as a sort of engagement; if all went well, they would marry at the summer solstice in late June, and that is likely the origin of the June wedding tradition. Once again, rituals we take for granted turn out to have evolved long ago in concert with the solar calendar and the cycle of planting and harvest. Now, of course, these traditions have been reduced to their most basic commercial elements. Like the mythical Farengi, we are a pragmatic species!
When I was first in school (age 4 and 5), I remember making May baskets in class. And while the idea is Dangerous out of all proportion nowadays, the tradition we were taught was to put little goodies (jelly beans and such may have been provided at school–my teacher for both subprimary and first grade was a charming and attractive young nun named Sister Cecilia), and then to hang the May Basket on someone’s doorknob. I remember thinking about handing that basket on that cute red-haired girl’s door (oh, wait a minute, I was confusing myself with Charlie Brown…!), but so soon after Easter (at least in some years) the idea of goodie baskets seemed a bit redundant. Which of course makes you wonder whether the idea of Easter Baskets evolved from some overlap between the fecundity of Rabbits and the broader fecundity of Spring. What do YOU think??
We’re Back!
We arrived home from nearly a month on the road this afternoon. Last night we stayed in a Washington State Park south of Olympia. Quite dramatically, after the parade of brownish-gray, arid landscapes that have dominated our landscapes during our trip, the familiar setting of tall firs and dense undergrowth (and yes, a bit of Mud here and there) was a welcoming beacon. (Although, really, if we are honest with ourselves, does anybody really like Mud…?
Cigar Box Guitars
Last night we camped at a Washington State Park south of Olympia. Our site was a short distance from a very distinctive old school bus, you know, the really big ones with the rounded sterns…? We noticed a smoke-belching chimney from a fire in the indoor stove, a fire in the outdoor fireplace, and the sound of old-time music as we walked by. This morning we had a chance to meet and converse with our neighbor and bus-owner, Terry Strasheim. from nearby Centralia.
It turns out he made the instrument he had played the night before: a “cigar-box guitar.”…! Apparently this is an old tradition undergoing a bit of a revival. Now maybe one needs to be from an earlier generation to understand what a “cigar box” is, and even earlier to know what a “cigar-box guitar:” is. The basic idea is that it is a stringed instrument with a fretted neck is attached to an old-fashioned cigar box as the resonating body. It has three strings, and is tuned like a dulcimer.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get a sound recording of Terry playing his prototype instrument. All you need to know is that they are very funky, very compelling, and most often have only three strings. Terry can play a wide range of tunes on it. He does not yet have a website, but would love to tell you more about his work and his instruments. You can email him at muzeckman@gmail.com for more information. They are awesome instruments; every music buff should have one!
Wines
Unfortunately we have arrived home too late to pick wines for this weekend. Trust us when we say that whatever we pour will taste great! Looking forward to seeing you all!
Lummi Island Wine Tasting April 20 ’13
Special note on next week’s hours
Ryan will open the shop as usual tonight (Friday, April 19) from 4-7 and on Saturday from 2-6. Next week, however, THE SHOP WILL NOT BE OPEN ON FRIDAY, APRIL 26 , but we will be back in time to open for regular hours next Saturday, April 27. We will post another reminder about this next week, and look forward to seeing you then!
Boondocking with Leigh and Brian
Boondocking is what RV people call dropping anchor for the night someplace where you don’t have to pay. Apparently there are tons of public lands out there, particularly in the West, where this is allowed. So we met up with them just outside the northern boundary of Joshua Tree National Park in south-central California, and set up a little compound. Lots and lots of space…the dogs loved it, and it does have a certain charm, a little like being out on the ocean…
as usual, click on photos for larger image
our little compound in the middle of Nowhere
Brian and Curtis on a morning stroll
Leigh at the back door of the Airstream
We drove through Joshua Tree from south to north. Although we had been here before many years ago, I had not realized how huge the park is. There aren’t so many Joshua trees in the southern part, but there are other cactus, and many were just starting to bloom. There are areas with expanses of cholla and others with expanses of ocotillo. A wild and beautiful place…
Lummi Island Wine Tasting April 13 ’13
On the Road
We picked up our new trailer in Denver last Friday, and spent our first night at Lake Pueblo State Park in southeast Colorado. We discovered that yes, the car is underpowered for the job, in the sense that we go very slowly up hills and the mileage dropped from about 22 mpg on the trip to Denver, and more like 15-16 with the trailer. It does seem to do better with a little more octane in the fuel. Here in the mountain states they call 85 octane “regular,” and 87 “plus,” or as we know it, “regular.” Sometimes this “plus” has 88 octane, and the car seems to like that pretty well.
Santa Fe
We stopped in Santa Fe for a few days visiting Toby and Barbara, who also have a place here on Lummi. They have a spread southwest of town which they have turned into a private jewel. We visited a couple of museums in Santa Fe, and this little creation caught my eye– a bejeweled model of an old VW bus towing an old trailer…Cute, huh??? Remind you of anything…???
The Road to Phoenix
Somewhere around Gallup, NM we found this viewpoint, which is quite spectacular in person. Looking at the photo here the landscape is just too big to capture. This view is looking east back toward Albuquerque. Click on any of the photos to see a larger version! Big Sky, huh??
Currently we are in Phoenix visiting family, heading west tomorrow to rendezvous with Leigh and Brian this weekend in California.
This week’s tasting
Although we are on the road, Ryan will open the wine shop as usual on Friday (4-7) and Saturday (2-6). I have no idea what he will be pouring, but as always it will be good! So stop by and keep him from getting lonely!
2072 Granger Way