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lummi island wine tasting february 28 ’15
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Last Bread Friday till March 20!
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Berlin Country Bread. Rye sourdough culture with about 70% rye flour and coarse ground fresh milled rye. Hearty and substantial– a couple of slices with cheese will last you all day – $5/loaf.
Hazelnut & Fig Country Bread. A mix of bread flour, whole wheat flour, and a bit of cracked rye, with toasted hazelnuts and dried figs soaked in brandy. What’s not to like – $5/loaf.
Pain aux Raisin. Croissant dough rolled out, spread with pastry cream, and sprinkled with golden raisins and dried cranberries before being rolled up, sliced and baked. Get your order in early as there is a limit on how many I can make. – 2 for $5.
Mencia
Mencia is a Spanish grape varietal found in the region of Bierzo, in northwest Spain. Like other wine regions, some of the best vineyards in Bierzo are on slate hillsides that produce wines with notable depth and complexity, often showing plum, cherry, tobacco and chocolate notes with notable minerality. Valley floor vineyards, which generally have more quartz and clay, produce wines that can be light, pale, and fragrant, but without the complexity of their hillside neighbors. In general Mencia tends to be fruity and aromatic, with good acidity that makes for versatile food pairing with both meat and fish dishes.
The grape was for a time thought to be related to cab franc, but recent genetic testing has demonstrated that it is in fact identical to a Portuguese varietal found in the Dao region where it is known as Jaen. Some people say it sometimes tastes like cab franc from the Loire region of France, while others think it’s more like pinot noir or gamay noir (you know, beaujolais). You will just have to come by this weekend and find out for yourself about this particular mencia (which I imagine is pronounced “men-thee-ah”…?)
The Blue Grape From France
Around here we know it as lemberger, another lesser known red varietal with flavors that always remind me of ripe thimbleberries– yes, those weeds that line many of the roadsides here on Lummi Island and which usually ripen in mid-Spring (soon!). In Austria lemberger is more commonly known as Blau Frankisch, literally “blue grape from France.” In the past we have found that under either name it goes really well with spicy food, a revelation a few years ago when we were pouring it along with a tasting of jalapeno cheese– one of those Perfect Pairings one occasionally discovers.
Today’s version is from Shooting Star winery of both California and Washington. Because winemakers in Washington love the varietal but universally hate the name (reminds too many people of the famously smelly cheese of similar name), the wine is called Blue Franc, playing on the Austrian name for the varietal. That also led to the choice of an old French Franc bill for the label.
This week’s tasting
Domaine Girard Chardonnay ’13 France $13
Medium to full bodied with fleshy notes of fresh-picked apples and pears; no oak, but spends time on the lees to give it richness; clay soils at a higher elevation impart a delightful freshness.
Agricultura Vinho Tinto ’11 Portugal $11
From Alentejo, on Portugal’s south-eastern border with Spain, comes this eminently quaffable red wine with surprising depth and complexity.
Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec ’13 Argentina 89pts $14
Aromatic and fresh, with notes of violets, ripe plums and a touch of brown sugar, quite showy, with the profile of a cool vintage, the sweet tannins of the Malbec, some sweet spicy flavors, and good length.
Shooting Star Blue Franc ’11 Washington $12
From slate soils; nine months in French oak. Lively and vibrant, with aromas of blueberry and blackberry with touches of cocoa, pepper, and clove. Palate packed with cranberry, blueberry, and blackberry with a bit of cinnamon and licorice on the velvety smooth finish.
Triton Mencia ’11 Spain $12
From slate soils and nine months in French oak prior to bottling. Pungent dark berry and mineral scents show lively character. Firm and juicy, with concentrated blackcurrant and bitter cherry flavors and a hint of allspice.
Lummi Island Wine Tasting July 21 ’12
Annual Chili Cook-off
Okay, folks, it’s that time again. A dozen or more chili competitors will be vying for your vote as best Lummi Island Chili for 2012 at Otto Preserve this Saturday beginning around noon. There will also be music, beer, cookies, and more. Two things you need to know about that are:
1) We will once again be among the competitors with the new, improved version of our famous vegetarian “Screaming Seagull” chili, for which we won the award for best name and best logo two years ago! and
2) We might be a little late opening the shop on Saturday, maybe around 3-ish (not usually a problem cuz everyone will be at the Chili Cook-off!)
Thimbleberries
I only became aware of thimbleberries after moving to Lummi Island nearly twenty years ago. They are a curiosity, growing in banks alongside the road, often alongside salmonberries, another Northwest native. According to Wilipedia they are, like other raspberries, not a true berry, but instead an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets around a central core. The drupelets may be carefully removed separately from the core when picked, leaving a hollow fruit which bears a resemblance to a thimble, perhaps giving the plant its name.
All I know is that I often find wines with flavors that remind me thimbleberries, definitely raspberry-like, but somehow brighter and more acidic, and often with a sort of dusty quality (probably from dirt blown onto them by passing cars!). All you need to know is that this year, right now, today and for the next week or two, these little gems are out in all their glory. In most years, thimbleberries are marginally edible at best, ripening unevenly or not at all. But this year, oh yes, this year is probably the best we have seen. Look for them along roads or driveways or around the edges of fields. And yes, they are a perfect match for the many dry rosés we have in stock right now!
Summer Friends
For some months we have been looking forward to the seasonal return of dear friends we have met here at the wine shop. When people ask me, “how’s the shop doing?’ I usually have to stop and think about what in the world that could mean. And where I usually land is, “Are we still having a good time?” And the answer is generally yes, we ARE having a good time, because of all the wonderful people we meet each week. We have been to a number of events with lots of people we know and very much like, and the thought sometimes occurs to us that these are people we have met in our funny little wine shop. And we also notice in such groups that many of the people know each other from the wine shop!
So I would like to take this moment to thank all of you who have bellied up to our tasting bar upon occasion, and a special thanks to you who have made our tastings a regular event. I am prompted to mention this because, like migratory birds you only see in a certain season, some of our dearest (see pix…sorry no names!) are hereabout this month. So hoist yer glasses, lads, and Toast to Friendship! Arrrrrrrr, ‘n’ it’s a good life when ya can share a spot o’ grog wit yer mates, eh?…!
This week’s wines:
Aravo albarino ’09 Spain $15
A one-of-a-kind, lush, mineral-laden, and medium-bodied Albariño that fills the mouth with peach, pear, mint, acacia flower, and wet granite notes.
Lost River Rosé ’09 Washington $14
Blended from merlot and cabernet franc, harvested early to preserve bright notes of strawberry and cherry; excellent by itself or paired with summer fare from salads to barbecue.
Sikelia Nero d’Avola ’10 Italy $11
90% Nero d’Avola,10% Syrah. Densely purple, floral and earthy, combining the power of mountain fruit and the bold lushness of fruit grown by the sea. (a big hit two weeks ago, back by popular demand!)
Baguala Malbec ’08 Argentina $8
Rich, elegant, and full-bodied, with notes of raisins and a dash of bitters. Delicious!
D’Artagnan Gascogne ’10 France $11
Alluring nose of black raspberry, flowers, and garrigue leads into a crisp palate of plum with a touch of bitters.
2072 Granger Way