France trip October ’11 Part I: “Third Exit at the Roundabout”
Well, here we are in France, and so far our lodgings have been comfy, the scenery delightful, the wine ubiquitous and for the most part very good. Vineyards are everywhere. So are traffic circles, which replace all major and most minor intersections. We have a GPS that can’t tell the difference between a major road and a cowpath (hence our title, above). And access to wifi (“wee-fee”) has been intermittent, with few opportunities to post here for you.
We are continually thankful for Ryan’s great French class the last couple of months at the wine shop; it has been invaluable in meeting the everyday conversational challenges that continually arise. Bien fait, Monsieur! We hope you are all joining him at the wine shop Fridays and Saturdays while we are gone!
As I write this we are finishing three days at a sort of B&B near Sommieres that is a restored old stone farmhouse and outbuildings surrounded by beautiful fields of garrigue. (see link; the photo above is the vineyard at the Bertrand Stehelin winery in Gigondas, where we had a wonderful tour and degustation of his delightful wines.)
The last couple of days we have toured and tasted wine in a small region called Pic St. Loup, for which I have long had a particular fondness…and it turns out to be beautiful in many ways as well—we could easily spend a week or two right here, but alas, tomorrow we are off for a week in Lagrasse, visiting the wine regions of Corbieres, Minervois, and St. Chinian, all in the Languedoc region.
Stay tuned, mes amis!
Lummi Island Wine Tasting Oct 8 ’11
Just a note to let you all know that despite the fact that we are in France at the moment, notre ami Ryan will be taking over the reins at the wine shop while we are gone. So stop by and enjoy the fun on Friday from 4-7 and Saturday from 2-6 as usual.
Watch for more posts from France…at the moment internet access is very limited. Stay tuned!
Lummi Island Saturday Wine Tasting October 1 ’11
FERRY NEWS FERRY NEWS FERRY NEWS FERRY NEWS FERRY NEWS
As we go to press, dear Reader, the stalwart passenger boat “Island Commuter” (the name gets a zero for romance, but hey,she got the job done and we are grateful) is on her way home and our trusty Whatcom Chief is steaming back to Lummi Island, ready to hit the deck running (a strange yet curiously apropos metaphor…) after three weeks of R & R at wherever Old Boats go to get their Mojos serviceable for another year. It will be a relief for all of us Islanders, and of course we always look forward to seeing the Chief’s new color scheme. For the Chief, drydock is somewhere between a makeover at the spa and a stint in Rehab; either way she is gonna look Beautiful.
FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE
On Tuesday Pat and I are taking off for southern France for a few weeks. We will post some of our adventures on the blog; as you might expect, the world of wine will play an important role in our journey. While we are gone the wine shop will continue to be open on Fridays from 4-7 and Saturdays from 2-6 with your host Ryan Wildstar who has graciously volunteered to turn on the lights, pour the wine, and lend a sympathetic ear. He may or may not be joined by other volunteers (like maybe Judy with some new wines…?!) All you need to know is that the fun will continue while we are away.
LAST WEEK LAST WEEK LAST WEEK LAST WEEK LAST WEEK LAST WEEK
Last Saturday started with a few new faces, and like the rest of drydock, the atmosphere was quiet and conversation easy and enjoyable. New guests included young women who jump out of perfectly good airplanes (defying logic) or travel to distant continents to climb rocks (also defying logic) and Jennifer’s sister and parents from Maryland (OMG, you let in a few Talls, and they ALL want to come…!) For what it’s worth, I’m working on a theory to explain why all the Talls have such charming families…send your ideas, we will include them in the theory!)
CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE
No, don’t get your hopes up, Pat is not making a new batch of truffles. However, the next best thing is that we are restocked with goodies from Theo’s in Seattle. You may have noticed that we have been running low, and that will be remedied tout de suite. I can also tell you that there will be a new flavor (DARK chocolate with salted almonds…omg!) to drive you wild!
Drydock is finally over, life continues at last; so please come by and wish us Bon Voyage this weekend, and please come by on Fridays and Saturdays in October so Ryan doesn’t get lonely!
This week’s wines:
La Pepiere Muscadet Sur-LIe ’10 France WA89pts $13
Scented with green apple, lime, quarry dust, and a hint of elder flower. Low-key, soft to the touch for Muscadet, but highly refreshing; and tinged with citrus rind, crushed stone, and iodine, it finishes with mouth-watering persistence.
Colome Amalaya ‘09 Argentina $12
From one of the highest and most remote vineyards in the world (8000 ft). Dark, with a core of crushed currant and plum fruit laced with black tea, fig, raisin and cherry with hints of mesquite and fruitcake. Stays fresh on the finish. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tannat.
Perazzeta Erio ‘09 Italy $14
From a family winery just south of the Montalcino appellation (we also carry their exceptionally good olive oil!) comes this Sangio, cab, syrah blend (”Super Tuscan)– Balance, extract, and fruit so intense it induces sensations of actually chewing cherries, prunes and fresh dates.
Masquerade “Collines” Cab Sauv ’05 Washington $23
Masquerade is Bellingham’s newest winery, just moved from Walla Walla. We poured several of their wines Labor Day weekend, including their more feminine styled 2007 cab. By comparison this cabernet is big, powerful, and lingering with hints of black cherries and plums that give way to a smooth finish of chocolate and coffee bean.
Lummi Island Wine Tasting September 24 ’11
NO MORE THURSDAYS TILL SPRING NO MORE THURSDAYS TILL SPRING
As mentioned last week, traffic has been light during drydock, and Thursday evenings (never a crowd) have been marginal. So in consultation with Ryan, our volunteer Thursday and Friday night host, we are closing down the Thursday evening openings till sometime next Spring. We will still be open Friday evenings from 4-7pm, so we invite you to stop by, schmooze with the gang, load up for the weekend, and miss the Saturday crowd– or better yet, come by both Friday AND Saturday. What ELSE can you do on Lummi Island in the Fall? (It’s official…Fall officially arrives September 23 this year!)
FERRY NEWS FERRY NEWS FERRY NEWS FERRY NEWS FERRY NEWS
For those of you who might not have heard, the County Council did approve the new 35-year lease with Lummi Nation two weeks ago. So all you potential visitors from the mainland can rest easy, secure in the knowledge that your intrepid Whatcom Chief will be on the job, ready to carry you reliably and predictably across the Pond. And, of course, if that doesn’t work out, all the more reason to come by the wine shop until any crisis passes. (We have our own kind of “emergency planning”…!)
LAST WEEK LAST WEEK LAST WEEK LAST WEEK LAST WEEK LAST WEEK
If I didn’t run this place I would still be in love with it. Probably the best thing about having a wine shop is that I know that I can grab any bottle at all off the shelf and I will like it. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Years ago, before all this started, I would go into a wine shop or grocery store and be faced with hundreds and hundreds of choices, overwhelmed, having no basis for making a choice. Now I am faced with hundreds of wines that I have tasted and liked enough to offer to you in the shop. For those of you who follow the point scores in wine press like Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate, most of the wines we carry have scored 89 points or better (with a few 88’s on our “under $12” rack). Our hope is that every bottle that goes out our door makes someone say “mmmmmm, that’s good!”
Last week’s wines were a good example. The Novelty Hill Chardonnay (91pts) was a great example of the balance of Washington wines between ripe fruitiness and food-friendly acidity, and the Kiona cab-merlot is a bargain hunter’s red wine with the same characteristics. The Rubio wine from Montalcino, though unclassified as either a rosso or brunello, still shows the velvet power of the local varietal sangiovese grosso. And finally, the Dynasty Cellars DCZ zinfandel from our friend Peter just across Haro Strait wowed everyone with its plush, full-bodied style.
TALLS TALLS TALLS TALLS TALLS TALLS TALLS TALLS TALLS TALLS
Also last weekend our friends “the Talls” (a recurring theme, starring Rachel, Andreea, and their many friends) celebrated a housewarming of sorts after all the work they have put in on their island retreat. The party was on Sunday in their delightfully renovated 100-yr-old cabin, but on Saturday we enjoyed a visit from Rachel’s mom and a bunch of cousins. Honestly, this is an outgoing, social, life-affirming family that never fails to brighten the energy around here, lift the spirits, and, of course, raise the noise level a few festive decibels when any subgroup arrives…so if you are in the shop sometime when I look out the window and announce “It’s the Talls!”, all you need to do is get ready for a good time, as their party is already in progress, and anyone nearby gets included!!! (That’s Rachel’s Mom in pink!)
This week’s wines:
Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino 2010 Italy WA89pts $13
A gorgeous white wine, with hints of papaya, passionfruit, flowers and light honey woven together in a fabric of notable elegance, followed by clean mineral notes that frame the finish beautifully– a totally convincing, harmonious white to supplement nearly any dish.
Peirano Estates The Immortal Zin ’08 California $10
Hand selected from 113-year-old vines; deceptively subtle aromas of this wine combine red and black cherry, mineral, earthy rhubarb and slightly spicy red fruit; palate is wrapped in velvety layers of sweet red cherry, strawberry, cocoa and juicy red fruit leading to a lengthy, hedonistic finish– a lot of wine for $10!
Poderi Elia Barbera d’Asti ‘08 Italy $14
Balanced, soft, and rich, with freshly pressed cranberries on the nose, and lush palate of bright pomegranate, bright acidity, and soft tannins that beg for pairing with a savory meal.
Pago de las Capellanes ‘09 Spain WA90pts $17
Spicy black fruit aromas, lavender, and leather lead to a ripe, intense, savory wine that will pair beautifully with grilled foods over the next 4-5 years….an outstanding value and a big hit last time we poured it.
2072 Granger Way