Wine Tasting January 22 ’10
WE’RE BACK!
Not that we went anywhere. Mostly I have been consumed with what Guy Noir calls “finding the answers to Life’s persistent questions”…in this case the perennial “Who am I and what am I doing?”
This is because technically speaking, I did retire officially on Jan 1. So all you need to know about that is that retiring is Hard Work! Not “retirement is hard work;” retiring is hard work. I think of it as something like moving out of a house you have lived in for a long time. There is all this Stuff associated with getting ready, filing the appropriate papers with the appropriate places, finishing up all the things at work that need to be either completed or discarded.
And here “appropriate places” means large, faceless, impersonal institutions that have lots of Rules and Timetables. And Processes like okay, you send this form to your Local Office, then they mail it to us (no, no, not email…Snail Mail!), then we pass it around, and then we mail it back to you, so you can mail it to the other nameless, faceless institution that has to process it before you can actually be, you know, “retired.” And while it is nice that, after you put in your 20 minutes navigating through the phone menu (if you have ever eaten spaghetti, press One…) to get to a Real Person, that person is often warm and really wants to help, No One can speed the movement of the Great Wheels of Bureaucracy.
All I’m saying is, the process of retiring is so exhausting, who would ever have the energy to go back to work? Well, okay, I do, so now instead of working 5 days with 2 days off, I work 2 days with five days off (not in a row) teaching (“coordinating” would be a better term) a course at WWU, a first offering, very innovative, a bit of a trail blazing adventure, enjoyable but edgy and challenging.
Well…enough about Me! What about YOU?
There are some wine shops where December is a Big Deal, lots of Christmas sales, that sort of thing. But here it just doesn’t work that way. Sometime around Thanksgiving Islanders kind of disappear for a month or two, and bottom line is, there isn’t anything you could call “Christmas Shopping.” No, around here lots of people hit the road, off to wherever, back next month or the one after that.
So that means You, Our Dear Public. Feel free to post your winter adventures here on our humble Blog. Where did you go? What did you do? What did you learn?
As I finish this post we are just back from an absolutely wonderful dinner at Ciao Thyme, a Bellingham “restaurant” (not exactly, see their website). Although the food is always meticulously and artistically prepared by long time ago Island chef Mataio, tonight was a quantum leap beyond, absolutely delicious and balanced, Highly recommended!
Wines for this week:
Legoe Bay viognier ’07 Washington $8
Still an incredible bargain, this is the new release of Lummi Island’s only winery’s Flagship wine. This viognier adds subtle floral and fruit notes that make it a candidate for your white wine du jour; lots of fruit, great texture, and balanced acidity.
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.
Domaine Gardies Les Milleres ’07 France $14 89pts
This blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan carries aromas of lightly cooked red raspberry, grenadine, walnut husk, juniper, and vivid concentration of tart red fruit, resin, and tar, & accents of cardamom and black pepper, and abundant, fine-grained tannin that will match perfectly with red meats.
Sheridan “Mystique” ’07 Washington WS92pts $21
A blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc aged in 25% new French oak for 24 months. Purple/black in color, it delivers a nose of balsam wood, mineral, lavender, spice box, and intense black cherry, and black currant fruit. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, and structured on the palate, it has loads of fruit and spice, outstanding concentration, impeccable balance, and a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. It will evolve for several years and will deliver prime drinking from 2013 to 2022. It is an outstanding value.
closed for inventory till 1/22
Sorry not to have posted this earlier, but want all our friends to know we will not be open again for our regular Saturday wine tasting till January 22. We apologize for any inconvenience, and look forward to seeing you in two weeks!
Merry Christmas 2010!
Short post today to wish you all a warm and cozy holiday season and to remind you that:
We will NOT be open Saturday…it’s Christmas!
HOWEVER, we WILL be around Christmas Eve Day for your LAST MINUTE WINE AND GIFT EMERGENCIES! if you need that special bottle of wine, a great decanter, awesome Boomerang corkscrews with our Artisan logo, prize-winning ITALIAN OLIVE OIL from a small Tuscan winery (Perrazzeta), rounds of aged Pleasant Valley Cheese, and an array of Theo’s chocolate bars! Just give us a call at 758-2959.
Don’t forget the Fifth 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 Rabbit. 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-eleven. Mark your calendars and start planning your finger food. RSVP if you are coming! (758-2959).
Wishing you warm and cozy!
Wine Tasting December 18 ’10
Announcement #1:This will be our last Saturday opening of 2010!
LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS! Think of us for that special bottle of wine, terrific buys on decanters, awesome Boomerang corkscrews with our awesome Artisan logo, prize-winning ITALIAN OLIVE OIL from a small Tuscan winery, rounds of aged Pleasant Valley Cheese, and an array of Theo’s chocolate bars!
Announcement #2: Pick up pre-ordered Holiday truffles! (A few extras still available but hurry, they won’t last long!)
Announcement #3: For our loyal followers we announce the Fifth 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 Rabbit. 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-eleven. Mark your calendars and start planning your finger food. RSVP if you are coming! (758-2959)
Last week’s hits were the Rex Hill Oregon pinot gris and the Pomum Shya, both delicious and showing really well. I opened a bunch of bottles of the Faury syrah, and there is definitely something wrong with the wine, a bit sour and sulfury, quite undrinkable.
Among our guests last weekend were this lovely foursome celebrating a birthday. Besides being old friends, their names all end in “a”…Angela, Tamara, Carla, and Laura, though not sure I have the order right. Although it was too late to save this picture, they showed me how to turn off the doggone flash on the camera! Yay!
This week’s wines reflect our choices for the Season:
Foss Marai prosecco Italy $14
Italian bubbly with bouquet of floral aromas with a predominance of wisteria; supremely soft and round on the palate.
Domaine Laurens Cremant de Limoux (France) $14
This ancient cousin to champagne is from a little area in the SW corner of France near the Spanish border, with creamy mousse texture, and notes of baked apple, prune, yeast, and minerality.
Dynasty Cellars Meritage ‘06 Washington $21
“Beautifully textured with layers of cherry and dark fruits, it also displays plenty of oak and a trace of chocolate on the finish. This is a big, well structured wine that will pair nicely with a beef entrée now and it promises to get even better with additional cellaring.”
Mount Baker Vineyards 2002 Late Harvest Pinot Gris ’02 Washington $20
A beautiful light golden dessert wine, plush and silky texture, with slightly tropical aromas and notes of peaches, candied Australian apricots, pinneapple, and mango.
2072 Granger Way