Weekly Wine tasting July 11
Every Fourth of July I like to remind people to “Watch out for Elephants!” That’s because of a limerick that was popular in our neighborhood when I was a kid. It goes like this:
“I asked my mother for fifty cents
To see the elephant jump the fence;
He jumped so high he touched the sky, and
Didn’t come down till the Fourth of July.”
Well, fortunately no elephants appeared, always a big relief. However we did have some kind of record-breaking crowd, reminiscent of Studio Tour weekends…Janice was handling the chocolate tasting, I poured wine till my wrist hurt, and Pat did the ten thousand other things, while the revelers danced on.
This Saturday we will be back at it again with:
- Montinore Borealis White Oregon
grapefruit, pineapple, peach, and quince with aromas of fresh flowers - Santa Digna Carmenere ’07 Chile
Chalky notes of toasty plums, blueberries, and raisins - Terre Rouge Cote de L’Ouest Syrah ’03 California
Soft, rich flavors of ripe plum, blueberry, and chocolate - Pend D’oreille Cabernet Sauvignon ’03 WashingtonRichly textured layers of dark fruits that whisper “baarrbecuuuue….faaaat…”
July 4th wine tasting 1-5
Yes, we WILL be open for the 4th. In addition to the regular wine tasting, we will also have a TRUFFLE TASTING!.
Today’s confectatory delights include ($1 each):
Anise honey
Chili spice
Fresh lemon
Traditional dark/dark
Mendiants (medallions) with fruit and nuts
And today’s wines…as usual 5 wines, $5
- Legoe Bay Reefnet White Washington $10
Refreshing blend of viognier and chardonnay
- Cristalino cava brut Spain $10
Lovely, festive, and refreshing traditional Spanish sparkling rose
- Durigutti Bonarda Argentina $9.
Juicy notes of blackberry and blueberry flavors
- Campo Viejo Rioja Spain $12
Deep flavors of stewed plums and leather
- Robert Karl merlot Washington $22
Silky notes of dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, leather, and vanilla make a great match for barbecued meats and rich sauces
Lummi Island Wine and Chocolate tasting July 4
First a few notes about this past Saturday and a note about the next TWO Saturdays, so let me start with that:
PLEASE NOTE WE WILL BE CLOSED SATURDAY JUNE 27 !
WE WILL BE OPEN SATURDAY JULY 4 with yet another in the popular series of our own delectable chocolate truffles made by the as-yet unnamed partnership of Pat and Janice H, which I think should be called “Lummi Island Chocolate Kompany,” or LICK short…? If you have not tried these confections, you are really missing something, so be sure to put it on your calendar!
Now, as for the past weekend…it was like Out of Control. Shortly after opening time of 1pm (NO ONE shows up at ONE…well almost no one) there arrived one of our favorite twosomes, Dan R the wine writer for the Herald and partner Alex, who is writing a story for a new Whatcom monthly to appear in August, featuring wine tasting on Lummi. Perhaps by then our friends at Legoe Bay winery will have their tasting room open…
WHAT? Lummi Island as a wine tour Destination! W@hoa, Dude!
New guest Mary Ann got to experience the Dan and Alex show and then became part of the Judy and John show (no last names) as Judy on a “business call” brought by a number of wines for us to taste, so of course all the guests of the moment got to try them, too. Favorites included a nice little sauv blanc from South America and a barbera from Italy that we will be tasting soon.
It all got a little blurry after that; our laid-back little wine shop in the country filled up with revelers and honest, doc, that’s all I remember. More later!
Welcome to Artisan Wine Gallery Blog

We are pretty new at this, so I hope you are not being bombarded with all the little corrections to posts as we figure out how the member list works. Our aim is to develop this as an extension of the little community we enjoy in the shop on Saturday afternoons, a place to talk about wine and all the things in life that go with it.
If it doesn’t work for you to be on this list, I think there is someplace on the page where you can opt out (go ahead, break our hearts!). Also we would appreciate suggestions for how to make this site more useful, informative, or enjoyable. Little by little, with the help of our blog-gurus Leigh and Brian, we will iron out the wrinkles and co-evolve in some rewarding directions.
Thanks for your support, your friendship, and your patience!
Rich and Pat

2072 Granger Way