Wine Tasting Lummi Island Artists’ Studio Tour May 28-29 ’11
Here it is, another Lummi Island Artists’ Studio Tour, so we will be open both Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 6pm. In the “entry gallery” we will be continuing our showing of photos of the Doors of Lyon by Mary Beth Watkins. In the main gallery we will be showing “Constructions” by Ryan Wildstar (who is also leading our current series of Sunday afternoon wine tastings –see below). I think you will enjoy both artists’ work, which will be on display through June.
Last Saturday was Out of Control busy, you’d think it was Studio Tour, WOW! We had a couple of big Waves of visitors, lots of new faces, and lots of conversation. It’s interesting that it does get LOUD sometimes in this little space, and when it does it kind of happens all at once. At somewhere between six and ten visitors there is a quantum leap in the noise level. Like electrons jumping to higher energy levels, the decibel level does not increase gradually, but rather jumps quite suddenly from “normal conversation” to “WHAT DID YOU SAY…??? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”
My working theory is that there is some background noise level below which ordinary conversational tone works just fine. But once the noise exceeds that level, everyone unconsciously realizes it more or less at once, and compensates by talking louder. We are weird like that; for example, I have often seen people trying to explain something to children, or the elderly (OMG, is that ME?), or foreign-language-speaking people, and the natural tendency seems to be that if your idea doesn’t seem to be getting across, then you quite unconsciously start talking LOUDER, as if somehow that will make you understood. In the case of the wine shop, it’s as if one person starts talking louder, and then someone else, and so on, and within a minute or two everyone is struggling to hear and be heard.
I’ve often had similar thoughts about traffic slowdowns. We have all had the experience of driving along at highway speed and running into traffic backup that might crawl, start, and stop for miles before, for some not-at-all obvious reason, traffic returns to a normal speed. Sometimes there is a “cause” like an accident blocking traffic. Sometimes there is something innocuous like a car stopped in the breakdown lane, but often there is no obvious reason, as if maybe suddenly a few hundred cars got Raptured into Oblivion, and the lanes just magically open up. It’s a Mystery, that’s all I’m saying.
Last Sunday was our the first in our series of wine workshops with Ryan Wildstar, and it was GREAT! We had a full house, learned a lot, tasted some delicious wines, and had a great time! The next workshop is weekend after next, Sunday, June 5th, at 2pm:
A Nose is a Nose is a Nose Component Tasting, Sunday, June 5th, 2-4pm $20 (filling quickly, register now!
A look at how wine and wine-making is influenced by terroir (soil composition) and typicity (the degree to which a wine reflects its varietal origins). To enhance the experience, we will assess a variety of wines side-by-side with an assortment of herbs, spices, rock composites, fruits, etc. that exemplify the components often reflected in the nose and on the palate. We will also talk about the basics of Biodynamic and Organic wine-making. Enjoyed with: 3 Whites & 3 Reds of different varietals from various wine regions. Suprise pairings with each wine.
All of last week’s wines were dressed for success and showing well. The Shaya verdejo is a little oasis on a hot afternoon (I am imagining that, cuz, you know, we haven’t had a hot afternoon for a really long time), smooth and citric. The La Quercia aglianico was probably the WOTD for rave reviews, and the Sorenson malbec has evolved to the point where it was some folks’ favorite. But then again, the Urban Ribera tempranillo was still a cut above the others for finesse. All in all, it was a good day for wine!
This weekend’s tasting: Five Wines! (Might vary Saturday to Sunday…)
Peirano “The Other” White ‘07 California $10
Aromas of apples, pears, & tropical fruit, with hints of coconut and vanilla. Lush flavors of fresh ripe pears, apples, tropical fruit and homemade lemon pie lead to a long, seductive, finish. A fantastic buy!
Chateau Donjon Rose ‘09 France $10
Blend of syrah, cinsault, grenache, another element in my fascination with Minervois. Fruity, with berry, melon and red cherry flavors that are bright and refreshing, with mineral and spice on the finish…”Summer in a glass!”
Black Oak Pinot Noir ‘09 Italy $7
Pleasant, red-fruited red with a soft and smooth palate, a terrific buy…no kidding, a pinot from Italy, and and amazing bargain, too!
ALTOS Bonarda Colonia Las Liebres 08 Argentina $8
Shows nice dark, juicy plum, licorice and spice notes with a fleshy, open-knit finish–very easy to drink, and quite possibly the best wine bargain we have ever carried, a delicious wine that seriously over-delivers!
Bodegas Graffigna Grand Reserve Malbec ‘08 Argentina WA90pts $10
Opaque purple; spice box, incense, lavender, and black fruit aromas on a lasting underlying structure.
Lummi Island Wine Tasting May 21 ’11
still warmWine Tasting Classes begin this Sunday–still room for a few more!
Join sommelier and new Island resident Ryan Wildstar, who will present a series of four wine-tasting classes every other week beginning Sunday afternoon, May 22, from 2-4. The first workshop will be:
Introduction to Wine: The Five “S’s” of Wine Tasting Sunday, May 22nd, 2-4pm $20
We will discuss the principles of wine history and culture with a focus on the basic principles of wine tasting and analysis. An introduction to wine terminology, wine-pairing, and how to buy great inexpensive wine based on reading the label and knowing the region. Enjoyed with: 1 Sparkling Wine, 2 White Wines, 3 Red Wines. Paired with Artisan Cheeses and Charcuterie. (That’s six wines, tasty bites, good company, and wine education, all for 20 bucks! This is gonna be FUN!)
In case you missed the delicious Anne Amie Amrita white blend last weekend, there are just a few left (and most of those promised!) and I am trying to get more…but they are already sold out, so could be difficult. As a small consolation, we expect to be getting more of “The Other” white, which we poured a few weeks ago, and which is also really tasty!
Our three reds last week were delicious, alleviating my reservations about the new vintages. The Venta Morales tempranillo and the Altos Hormigas malbec are old favorites around here, and the trend continues as both tasted great. A new wine for us is the just-released Isenhower Purple Paintbrush, a cab franc-based blend from Walla Walla that delivers big flavor. We have more of all three wines in stock.
We went to a great French wine tasting a few weeks ago, wines arriving next week, so expect a French tasting soon. And then there was an awesome Italian wine tasting this past Monday at Il Graniao in Mt. Vernon (check it out, great food!), so you can expect a great Italian tasting soon…maybe two, as some past orders will also be arriving in June.
Studio Tour is next weekend and we will be open all day both Saturday and Sunday for Memorial Day weekend. In the “wine bar” part of the gallery we will continue our showing of Mary Beth Watkins’ photos of the Doors of Lyon— the more I look at them the more attached to them I become, so don’t miss them. In the “window” part of the gallery we will be showing a selection of Ryan’s (yes, our sommelier!) constructions from found objects. We are also working on a couple of winemakers to come and pour their wines for us for Studio Tour– wish us luck– so be sure to check next week’s posting for to see how we did!
This is someone’s Front Door...??
You know…it might actually be drinkable…!
Fyi, most Thursday nights while I slave over this blog the neighborhood “ladies” are playing Mah Jong in the wine shop…!!
OMG! Two More “Talls“…and now they have secret hand signals!!
I should take my daughters to Lummi Island more often!
This Week’s Saturday Tasting:
Shaya Verdejo ’09 Spain 91pts $13
Barrel-fermented and aged on its lees. Medium straw-colored, if offers up an alluring aroma of baking spices, spring flowers, and peach. On the palate it has a creamy texture, vibrant acidity, and intense flavors leading to a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. Just in time for summery weather!
La Quercia Aglianico ‘09 Italy $11
Believed to be an ancient Greek wine grape, aglianico is a full bodied with notes of ripe plum and white pepper on fine-grained tannins.
Sorenson Malbec ‘07 Washington $18
Discovered this little winery in Port Townsend recently, and this was my favorite wine. Complex aromas of bright black cherry, juniper, and smoke lead to a satisfying palate with intriguing layers of fruit, berry, and spice flavors.
Urban Ribera Ribera del Duero ’07 Spain 91pts $14
100% Tinta del Pais (Tempranillo), four months in French oak. Purple-colored, it offers up a fragrant bouquet of scorched earth, violets, and black cherry that leaps from the glass. Smooth-textured and suave on the palate, it has loads of succulent black fruit, silky tannins, excellent depth and grip, and a juicy finish.
Lummi Island Wine Tasting May 14 ’11
Wine Classes beginning next Sunday!
Beginning May 22, we will be collaborating with sommelier (and new Island resident) Ryan Wildstar, who will present a series of four wine-tasting classes every other week beginning Sunday afternoon, May 22, from 2-4. The first workshop will be:
Introduction to Wine: The Five S’s of Wine Tasting Sunday, May 22nd, 2-4pm $20
We will discuss the principles of wine history and culture with a focus on the basic principles of wine tasting and analysis. An introduction to wine terminology, wine-pairing, and how to buy great inexpensive wine based on reading the label and knowing the region. Enjoyed with: 1 Sparkling Wine, 2 White Wines, 3 Red Wines. Paired with Artisan Cheeses and Charcuterie. (That’s six wines, tasty bites, good company, and wine education, all for 20 bucks! We must be crazy!). Please call 360.758.2959 to reserve your place–space is limited!
Ryan will also be our featured artist for the artists’ studio tour on Memorial Day weekend…he does constructions with found objects that I think you will find interesting. That also means you only have two more weekends to come by and see Mary Beth’s photos of “French Doors.” And no, in this case they are not “French doors”as in the movies or how you get from the living room to the garden. No, they are actual doors in Lyon, chosen for their character. All YOU need to know is that all of them had more character a hundred years ago than probably any door you (any of us) has ever used regularly in this country since then.
Which is interesting, because there is an important lesson in this, about who we are, what we value, and in some sense the shallowness of our national roots. And lately I have had the impression that there are huge corporate interests working diligently at keeping our roots shallow, keeping us, like some kind of cultural tumbleweeds, today grasping at this idea, tomorrow at that new product. Why build a door that will last for hundreds of years when you can deliberately build doors (any everything else) so poorly that they will either fall apart or bore you into replacing it as often as possible so they can keep selling you new ones and landfilling the old ones. So yes, try to come in this weekend or next to see the “door show.” Hopefully we will put it up again during the summer.
We recently spent a few days in Oregon, and visited one of our favorite wineries, Anne Amie. The first wine we tasted is the first one on this weekend’s list, a lovely white blend of Chardonnay 32%, Viogner 38%,
Pinot Blanc 29%, and a hint of Riesling 1%. Trust me, folks, it’s a knockout, and I wasn’t able to get much. So some early this weekend, or it will certainly be gone!
“you won’t believe this, but I manage all of Alaska’s fisheries from right here on Lummi Island!”
This week’s wines:
Anne Amie Amrita white blend ’10 Oregon $13
Sense-filling aromas of quince, grassy, passion fruit, gooseberry, and white flowers leads to rich flavors of kiwi, white peach, coriander, and key lime that taper into a dry, minerally finish. Pair with oysters, shellfish, Thai food, crab cakes; delicious, but don’t wait– VERY limited supply!
Venta Morales tempranillo ’09 Spain $8
100% Tempranillo raised in stainless steel. Deep crimson-colored, it emits aromas of spice box and fragrant black cherry. On the palate licorice and other black fruits emerge leading to a finish with no hard edges.
Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 09 Argentina $10 WA88pts
This fleshy, round red offers spicy black cherry, cocoa, plum and raspberry notes laced with a modest touch of roasted vanilla and balanced, long, ripe tannins; a solid crowd-pleaser.
Isenhower Purple Paintbrush ’08 Washington $25
A blend from a long-time favorite Walla Walla winemaker, Brett Isenhower, made up of 62% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, each varietal from a single vineyard. It was aged in seasoned French oak for 13 months. Medium ruby-colored, it proffers a nose of sage, thyme, olives, crushed blackberries, bing cherries, black plums, and black currant.
Lummi Island Wine Tasting May 7 ’10
LOTS of announcements today!
#1. Okay we finally had dinner at the Willows last night, our first experience with Maestro Blaine, and we sat in the “library,” which used to be the office, and which is separated from the kitchen by a pair of French doors. So you can see what’s going on in the kitchen, and it is a lot of nonstop action. There are about six guys running around in there kinda like old silent Keystone Cops movies where everyone is moving too fast. Blaine is putting finishing touches on plates, someone is warming plates at the threshold of the flaming oven, and several others are running around at high speed, perhaps just for choreographic expression. There is a LOT going on!
All YOU need to know is that, yes, each morsel is a work of art, the flavors a revelation. And of course we took a couple of bottles with us that worked very well indeed; the Turley White Coat blend of Marsanne, Viognier, and Rousanne carried loads of intense tropical fruit/honeysuckle aromas, golden delicious apples, and a hint of nuts, with a full-bodied and viscous texture, and paired beautifully with the buttery aioli (“to die for!) on wild veggies and flowers served on heartbreakingly fragile and delicious bits of something bready-toasty, and with little bits of slightly smoked salmon (still smoking in a little cedar box!), prawns, razor clams, AND oysters–all separately presented, of course, like the distinct works of art they were.
Somewhere in the parade we slid into the beautiful Winderlea pinot noir we brought back from Oregon last week, and it was so delicious I might have imagined how well it went with the halibut dish or the amazing horseradish ice shavings, even the dessert. Bottom line?…the meal was a work of art from start to finish, and I was very pleased with the wines we brought. It is of course ideal when the wine you take to a meal is perfect; but with a complex, multi-course pageant such as Blaine presents, no one wine is going to cover all the bases, and it is a lucky thing if you can catch at least some of the pairings well. And I think we did! Make your reservations now, folks, cuz the prices are still really low for what you get, and that can’t last!
#2. The next thing you need to know is that beginning May 22, we will be collaborating with our new Best Friend (see recent posts) Ryan Wildstar, who will present a series of four wine-tasting classes every other week beginning Sunday afternoon, May 22, from 2-4. The first workshop will be:
Introduction to Wine: The Five S’s of Wine Tasting
Sunday, May 22nd, 2-4pm $20
We will discuss the principles of wine history and culture with a focus on the basic principles of wine tasting and analysis. An introduction to wine terminology, wine-pairing, and how to buy great inexpensive wine based on reading the label and knowing the region. Enjoyed with: 1 Sparkling Wine, 2 White Wines, 3 Red Wines. Paired with Artisan Cheeses and Charcuterie.
#3. Finally, we have a new show for your viewing pleasure until Memorial Day weekend. Our friend and neighbor Mary Beth Watkins has traveled to France numerous times in the last several years, visiting lots of towns and villages and tasting lots of regional cuisine and wines. She has also taken a lot of really interesting photos. Her show includes photos of many of the magnificent doors one sees in French (and Italian) villages. These are not just portals in and out of your house or apartment; they are aesthetic statements of their own, each one unique. Don’t miss it!
oo-ooga oo-ooga, clear the bridge, all hands brace for Dive…
Well, that was close but we made it!
Yep, a great glass of wine is the perfect accompaniment to a Narrow Escape…whew!
This week’s wines:
Lost River Pinot Gris ’09 Washington $13
Another charmer from our friends in Winthrop…Enticing aromas of citrus, pear and tropical fruits with a bit of residual sugar balanced by crisp acidity.
Four Graces WV pinot noir ’08 Oregon $22
Reminiscent of blackberries, luscious damson, warm red roses, and wild mushrooms, the 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is vibrant and delicious in its youth yet has the soft, focused tannins to suggest ageing with grace.
Tarima monastrell 09 Spain $10
100% Monastrell sourced from 25-35 year old vines and raised in stainless steel with lees stirring. Medium crimson-colored, the nose reveals fragrant blueberries and underbrush. Firm on the palate with plenty of savory fruit.
Pend d’Oreille Bistro Rouge 07 Washington $13
Very aromatic blackberries and a chocolate note on the nose. Blackberry, blackcurrant, and blueberry flavors fill the palate and continue through a longish dry finish that includes modest oak and a cinnamon highlight.
2072 Granger Way
