Wine Tasting August 15
Let’s begin with kudos to all involved in making the first ever Lummi Island Energy Fair a success last weekend. Liz Marshall spearheaded the operation; Ria Harboe made the “Recycled Art Show” happen, and lots of FOIL (Friends of the Island Library) volunteers (especially Pat!) put in hours setting up, making signs, and organizing for the event. Well done!
One display that drew lots of attention was the Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) brought up from Seattle by Keith Hughes and family. About a dozen people were interested enough in the units to sign up for site assessments on Sunday. Also, the whole family likes wine, and came by the shop after the Energy Fair to continue the discussion over last weekend’s wines, which were all showing very well, with the Arrowood Syrah a particular favorite—the kind of wine that makes us all love wine!
This week features two light summer favorites along with a couple of hefty reds…something to fit both the warm days that still happen and that first little tingle of fall beginning to appear in the deepening blue of the August sky.
- Las Brisas Verdejo 06 Spain $9
Tingling acidity that amplifies its lime, green apple and almond flavors. A light spritz adds to the nervy character. Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc and Viura. - Borsao Rosado 08 Spain $8
Aromas of strawberry and rhubarb; a light, dry, nicely concentrated rose, refreshing and crisp on the palate…built for summer afternoons! - OS Winery “BSH” 04 Washington $28
Deep cabernet aromas of cassis and leather; great balance of fruit and acidity; sumptuous flavors of black fruit, currants and coffee, with rich soft tannins - Ojai Syrah 05 California $24
Juicy, up-front style; delicious cassis and cherry fruit interwoven with licorice, camphor, and pepper
Wine tasting preview August 8
Last Saturday was nuts, as has been the summer trend. But this time the crowd was spread out over the entire afternoon, instead of concentrating around late afternoon. We started with a couple of big parties, the first arriving mostly by bicycle, but accompanied by their Mother Ship, a gigantic pickup truck well equipped to meet the many challenges of bicycling on Lummi Island. We were their last stop, a good choice, because it is mostly a downhill coast to the ferry from our place.
Before they left, another large group appeared, so that we were opening second bottles by 2:30, a definite first, and were well into third bottles by closing time. It is not surprising that we are becoming a Saturday afternoon destination, cuz where else can you get 8 ounces of pretty good wine for five bucks? In restaurants these days you pay $6.50 a 4-oz glass for schlop (is that a word?) you wouldn’t feed your armadillo. Come to think of it, we should probably charge a lot more for our tastings…but I digress…
“So long” to Kir and David as they head back to Salem…like, why not just move here..??
NOTE: DON’T FORGET THE FOIL Library Energy Fair FROM 11-4 AT THE LIBRARY SATURDAY AFTERNOON–top-notch speakers on wind and solar power, recycle your old TV’s and computers for free (sorry, no old MICE!)… AND Livvy will be selling her wonderful (drool…smack…) pastries and savories at the event (make a note, she sells out in mere MINUTES! ) And we will be open till six so you don’t have to miss either event!
This Saturday we have some lovely wines for you to try:
Three winds Chardonnay 2008 (France) $9
Soft, round and creamy with flavors of melon, pear, apricot and a mineral and smoky character…a great buy!
Maryhill Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley 2005 (Washington) $18
Showing intense tobacco, tar, and leather character, it’s a real powerhouse that cries for a rich and savory food pairing, and with a little fat to evoke the cherry, blackberry, and licorice notes on the finish.
Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cab Sauv 2003 (Chile) $18
A full-bodied and expressive red, with plenty of berry, red plum and chocolate-spice flavors. There are nice mineral and cedar notes mixed in, with fine tannins on the finish.
Special Treat: Arrowood Sara lee’s Vineyard Syrah 2002 (California) $36 (Parker 93-96 pts)
“A fabulous effort; inky/purple-colored, with a glorious perfume of lilacs intermixed with blackberries, melted asphalt, and notions of bacon, smoke, and toast, this rich, opulent, voluptuously-textured Syrah exhibits great ripeness, purity, and richness as well as a layered, multidimensional finish. It should last and evolve for a decade.”
Poderi Elia Moscato d’Asti 2008 (Italy) $20 (dessert)
A minor revelation in the mouth; floral sweetness, as if sifted through flint and honey, with delicate, lovely bubbles and a color that loves candlelight; a bit addicting, so must be enjoyed with caution! Perfect with powdered chocolate cake, bleu cheese and crisp apples, or all by itself.
Wine tasting preview August 1
August? August? What happened to June and July??
The 25th was an interesting tasting. We had our first visitors who had actually discovered us on Facebook, where Leigh had given us a presence last month sometime. Amazing!
As expected, the Argiolas vermentino from Sardinia made everyone smile, it is SO delicious. Could possibly be August wine of the month. Similar in some ways to the verdicchio we poured on the 18th, which was also very yummy.
We also had our first somewhat controversial wine this past weekend: the Viñas de Vila Tinto Fundación Argentine blend of bonarda, malbec, and cab. The first bottle had a decided funkiness to it (not a “fault,” just a personality characteristic) that stopped a number of people in their tasting tracks and aimed them toward the spit bucket. I have to say I kinda liked it. It had a slight pitchy note (think Retsina or one of our old favorites the Chuckanut Rockslide Red of a few years ago) and the textured mouth you sometimes get with an unfiltered wine. The second bottle was milder, showing notes in the direction of cranberry and thimbleberry. Finished the bottle last night with a pork chop from the barbie, and it was a nice match. I think it would also do well up against spicy salsa.
The two malbecs were both winners, with some preferring the Mt Baker, some the Catena. My sense was the Catena had more structure and just kept getting better, while the Mt Baker was nice out of the gate and stayed at about the same level. Tasted the last bit of the Catena on Sunday night, and it had “continued to open up to a smooth-textured, layered, rich wine bordering on opulence”…(Parker 91pts).
Supposed to be hot all week, so not sure what will be appropriate for the coming weekend. I am leaning toward a side by side of two Portuguese vinho verdes (literally “green wine” because they are so fresh) which are light and just a bit sparkly, the perfect hot weather wine. I suspect they will be hard to tell apart, but we shall see! The other thing I like about this wine is that it is grown by just about everyone in the region, all over the place.
Then we will need a couple of reds…I am thinking of going in the opposite direction with a couple of cabernets. This could change, but for the moment the lineup looks like this:
Aveleda vinho verde (Portugal) $9: High acidity makes it refreshing, and a bit of spiciness tempers the melon, green apple and peach flavors.
Casal Garcia vinho verde (Portugal) $9: A lightly effervescent white with notes of lime and melon, with crisp acidity and a palate-cleansing minerality.
Altas Cumbres Cabernet Sauvignon ’06 (Argentina) $10: Rated one of the New York Times “Best Wines Under $10,” “lingering, jammy flavors of cherry and licorice are offset by a mineral note that adds further depth…an excellent value.
Townshend T3 blend (Washington) $18 : Soft oak and chocolate aromas with blackberry and chocolate flavors; robust yet smooth and rich.
Wine tasting preview Saturday July 25
Got a late start last weekend. Thought we would make a quick stop at the Annual Chili Cookoff at Otto Preserve beforehand, but by the time we had walked the dogs, visited, and tasted all 17 chili recipes, it was 2pm before we opened the door. DOH! Apologies to any early arrivals! All the chilis were very tasty; it was a stunningly beautiful day, and there was a great turnout, must have been half the island out there!
This was our first all-Italian tasting, with the new arrivals that had been on order since early spring. The verdicchio and nero d’avola-syrah blend were the stars, the montepulciano and the “rosecco” also drew appreciative “yums.” The Erio “super-Tuscan” was a bit disappointing from how I remembered it, so it might need some more bottle time before we pour it again.
This weekend we can look forward to these gems:
Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino 2006 (Italy-Sardinia)–Supple aromas of citrus, pineapple, tropical fruits and honey are wonderfully supported by a zesty acidity. Delicate and pleasantly refreshing on the palate…(I love this wine!) $18
Viñas de Vila Tinto Fundación (Argentina): A blend of 50% Bonarda and 25% each Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, it is cropped at 4 1/2 tons per acre and aged in a combination of cuves with innerstaves and 2 – 5 year old barrels. It is rich for the price and surprisingly polished…$10
Mt. Baker Malbec (Washington): A well balanced, well-crafted, fruit-forward wine that is a wonderful accompaniment to hearty summer fare and a nice comparison with the next wine…$20
Catena Malbec (Argentina): On the nose is the sweet scent of black cherry, currant and cocoa, medium to full bodied, with flavors of dark berries, cranberries, chocolate and caramel. The tannins are smooth and well submerged and help offset the bold acidity. The finish is smooth and lingering…$21
2072 Granger Way