Lummi Island Wine Tasting January 28 ’12
2012 2012 2012
Okay, we’re BACK! We count ourselves fortunate to have hit the road heading south before the weather turned, well, ugly around here. We spent a few days with friends on the Oregon Coast at Yachats (“yah- hats”), where we enjoyed sunny days, walks along the water, and endless pounding surf…not to mention this amazing blowhole about a five minute walk from our rental (or as we learned many years ago in Mexico, “la Bufadora!” (click on photo for larger version)
After that we had a lovely drive from the coast along the Umpqua river into the Umpqua Valley wine region. We were so impressed with the scenery and the wines that we are going to work on setting up a little wine tour there, possibly also including the Rogue River appellation near and around Medford, where we also had some surprisingly good wines. Stay tuned, more on that down the road!
We also spent several days in Napa Valley, enjoying the sun, food, wine, and family. Even there it was freezing in the morning, but warmed up to the mid-fifties by afternoon…ahhhh! Tasted some wine here and there, and I did order a bunch from one of my favorite winemakers, David Coffaro, which should arrive next week sometime. When it comes in we will have a special event to let you try them. David is sometimes called the “Mad Mixmaster” because he grows a wide selection of varietals, some quite unusual, and blends them together in unusual combinations. Trust me, this is real winemaking, and you are gonna love these wines. Warning: they are a little more expensive than most of us drink daily, but you won’t be able to resist. Below is a photo of the winery; yes, that is a big screen and big speakers, more often the winery is cluttered with barrels, the latest high-tech wine equipment, hoses, a forklift, and activity. Watch the blog for more on this, and don’t miss it! (click on photo for larger version)
FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY
We WILL be open Friday evening this week (today, January 27) from 4-7. Ryan will be pouring a couple of nice wines, and there will be munchies. Come on by!
TASTING WORKSHOP TASTING WORKSHOP TASTING WORKSHOP
Ryan is kicking off the New Year with a new series of tasting workshops. This series will be modeled after the last workshop in the summer series, in which he explored the cultural influences of the region along with the wine. So you taste the wine, experience the literature, see the art, learn about the land the the climate, and at some level make connections that link them together. It’s fun, it’s interesting, it’s amazing, and we are really looking forward to it! It puts wine into the broader context of human culture to show how this wine could only come from this place. See flyer for details, and call soon to reserve your place! And I can’t resist posting this photo I took of Ryan at our New Year’s party…
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon!
This week’s wines:
Altarocca Arcosesto Orvieto ’10 Italy $14
A crisp, clean, fragrant white wine (grechetto, procanico, malvasia), bright and sunny with minerally notes of flowers, citrus, and dried fruits.
Portteus Bistro Red 09 Washington $10
58% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc, aged in small French oak barrels; medium body with flavors of blueberry, chocolate, cola, cigar, plum and a nice creamy finish.
Bodegas Ateca Atteca ’09 Spain $14 90pts
Displays aromas of cedar, an earthy minerality, black cherry, and lavender leading to a savory, deep, well-balanced red with succulent fruit and a lengthy, seamless finish.
Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero ‘05 Spain WA92pts $21
Purple-colored with a complex bouquet of wood smoke, toast, crushed stone, and blackberry. Supple, ripe, and forward, this tasty wine can be enjoyed now through 2015.
Wine Tasting January 21 ’12…? Unlikely!
Pat I have been on the road for a couple of weeks…a few days on the Oregon Coast –beautiful, sunny, temps in the fifties, lovely. Then several days in Calistoga, freezing at night, sunny and fifties in the daytime, some wine tasting, mostly laid back family time.
At the moment we are ensconced in a motel in Weed, CA, after a fairly challenging drive on I-5 in snow with chains required, a few hours at 30 bumpy mph. The feeling is very similar to being safely anchored in a snug harbor after too much wind and too many waves on the water…safe, snug, and happy to get off the road.
Ryan opened the wine shop last Saturday, but no one came by so he closed about 5pm. Given the continuing nasty weather, the shop will also be closed this weekend. We hope to be back in a day or two, and hopefully we will reopen to nice weather next weekend, possibly Friday evening as well as Saturday.
Wishing you all well in this challenging weather, and looking forward to seeing you soon!
(Picture below posted by Lummi Island photographer Robert Keller. )
Best New Year’s Eve ever…!
NEW YEAR’S NEW YEAR’S NEW YEAR’S
Well, it’s official! The Sixth Annual East Coast New Year’s Eve Gala was the BEST EVER! But don’t take my word for it– see the photos for yourself (links below)! A rough count suggested we had 60 people in our little space at one point, but that doesn’t seem possible. Even though it was crowded, the new layout from last summer really helped traffic flow, opening the back corners to traffic. (All right, by “traffic” I don’t mean it was necessarily easy to get into the back corner– or go anywhere for that matter– but it was possible, and people seemed to do it, with some effort and care.
ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. The shop will be closed for inventory this weekend, January 7. We regret any inconvenience.
2. We will be open regular hours (2-6pm) the remaining Saturdays in January (Jan 14th, 21st, 28th).
3. We NOT be open Friday evenings during January–ONLY Saturday afternoons.
THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS
Thank you all for being part of the special community that has evolved around our little wine shop, and for the continuing nourishment that you all bring and share with us and with each other. Here’s looking forward to another great year together!
NEW YEAR’S EVE PHOTOS
Wine Tasting New Year’s Eve Eve December 30 ’11
There is an old joke that goes something like:
Q. How do you make God laugh?
A. Tell him (or, in the interest of gender, species, and divine neutrality, “her,” or “it”) your plans..!
With that in mind, anytime we change our hours we introduce a random variable about “will anyone know or care?” and it is always interesting to see what unfolds…
So tonight we had a small and dear group of visitors that came and tasted and mused about the Four Malbecs we poured: two from Argentina (Graffigna and Piatelli) and two from Washington (Mt. Baker and Sorenson). The differences between the Argentina and Washington pairs were striking compared to the differences within the Washington pair or the Argentina pair. The favorites seemed to be the Piatelli and the Sorenson.
Anyway, we have decided to do the same tasting Friday night, maybe with a white (bubbly?) thrown in somewhere. It’s Friday, it’s New Year’s Eve-Eve, and we are open from 4:30 -7pm. And of course our $99 per case sale ENDS TODAY!
NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE
WE ARE NOT OPEN SATURDAY AFTERNOON NEW YEAR’S EVE! INSTEAD WE ARE HOSTING:
Our Sixth Annual “East Coast” New Year’s Eve Gala Extravaganza
From 7-9pm on New Year’s Eve! We provide the wine, you bring something delicious to share, and when the ball drops in Times Square we hoist our glasses and toast the Year of the Dragon! You young folks can move on to your next party, and we old timers can get to bed at a decent hour! It’s our chance to thank you for your support this past year, and to look ahead to more fun in aught-twelve. Mark your calendars and start planning your finger food. And please–RSVP if you are coming! (758-2959 or Email us.)
2072 Granger Way