lummi island wine tasting dec 1 ’23
Winter Hours: Open Fridays 4-6pm
Okay, we are back after some Thanksgiving travel, plan to be open through December 22, and looking forward to seeing you.
It’s been a chilly week here on the Island…this photo was intended to show all the tiny raindrops aglow with light behind them…in any case, it is starting to get soggy and dark around here…!
Friday Bread Pickup This Week!
Fig Anise – One of the more popular breads in the rotation. Made with a sponge that is fermented overnight, then the final dough is mixed with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat. Honey, dried figs and anise bring in all the flavors of the Mediterranean. – $5/loaf
Sesame Semolina -Begins with a sponge that ferments some of the flour, water & yeast before mixing the final dough. Made with semolina and bread flour as well as a soaker of cornmeal, millet and sesame seeds, a little olive oil rounds out the flavor and tenderizes the crumb.– $5/loaf
and pastry this week…
Rum Raisin Brioche: A delicious brioche dough full of eggs, butter and sugar. Filled with golden raisins and chunks of almond paste and as if that wasn’t enough, topped with a chocolate glaze before baking. Ooh la la, what’s not to like. I can only make a limited number so be sure to get your order in early. –2/$5
Island Bakery has developed a lengthy rotation cycle of several dozen breads and pastries. Each Sunday Janice emails the week’s bread offering to her mailing list. Orders received before Wednesday will be available for pickup at the wine shop each Friday from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. Go to Contact us to get on the bread email list.
This week’s wine tasting
Juggernaut Chardonnay ’21 Sonoma $17
Aromas of apple, Asian pear and lemon meringue open to flavors of stone fruit, honeysuckle and yellow plum made rich and lingering using barrel fermentation and sur lie aging; finishes with notes of vanilla bean, and butter cream with hints of baking spices and clove.
Can Blau Can Blau ’20 Spain $16
Aromas and flavors of cocoa bean and ripe, dark fruits and berries, a seamless texture, and long, silky finish that improves with aeration.
Phantom Red Blend ’20 WA $17
Petite Sirah- Zinfandel blend delivers palate of dark blackberry and boysenberry with pepper notes and on a balanced structure with tantalizing layers of baking spices sandt velvety tannins.
Wine of the Week: Phantom Red Blend ’20 California $17
The Bogle winery– a group of wineries these days– is a stone’s throw west of the Sacramento River, and about equidistant from Sacramento and Lodi in the Sierra foothills. It’s a big outfit, with 2000 acres of vineyards, a constellation of wine labels, and local roots tracing back to a Civil War vet and his nephew who moved to the area in the 1870’s. They grew orchards which they farmed until the Depression made them tenant farmers in nearby Clarksville. Over succeeding decades they planted vineyards, and now have an extensive portfolio of vineyards and wine labels.
“Each lot of grapes that goes into our Phantom program is hand selected from the multiple vineyards we have,” says Director of Winemaking Eric Aafedt. “We are looking for the grapes with notable quality and character to create a ‘reserve’ tier of wines.”
The best grapes are selected for the Phantom wines, and spend an extra year in 1- and 2-year-old American & French oak,” says Eric. “This time in the barrel creates a deeper concentration, a subtler touch of tannin and a richer mouthfeel for the wine.”
Phantom also has a unique and personal story to its name…”Bogle” is the Scottish word for “ghost.” Legends tell of a Phantom that stalked the hillsides of Scotland, only to travel to the New World and settle with the Bogle’s here in California. Today, sightings continue to occur at the family’s winery.
Economics of the Heart: Matters of Honor Revisited
While browsing through some old posts we found this one from October of 2019, shortly before the first Impeachment trial of the Tweetster, We all recall the circumstances that led to it: his attempts to coerce Ukrainian President Zelensky into starting a bogus investigation of Hunter Biden as a way to discredit his most likely opponent in the 2020 Presidential election. Instead it precipitated an investigation which led to the Tweetster’s first Impeachment trial in the U. S. House of Representatives in December, 2019.
It is a bit of a shock to see that those issues from four very long years ago remain essentially the same today. If anything, the unethical and self-serving conduct of our so-called “Head of State” (no, not where he disposed of documents), and the all-too-willing closing of ranks of Congressional Republicans around the tangle of false narratives that excused him from accountability.
What follows is the original essay from four years ago— before Covid, before the 2020 campaign, election, Capitol Riot, Big Lie, Second Impeachment, year-long House investigation, the Four Felony Indictments, and the never-ending stream of Alternative Facts from pretty much every Congressional Republican. As Liz Cheney points out in her newly released book (yes, she IS greasing the rails for her own run for the White House), they all still support the Big Lie, the elevation of an Authoritarian Church over the Constitution, and disenfranchisement of vast numbers of Americans from any right to vote and have their vote counted.
for all that has happened, precious little has changed; see below post from four years ago…
October, 2019
We find ourselves unconsciously contrasting the apparent character of some of the players in the current News Cycle– the Tweetster, Secretary Pompeo, Senator Graham, and Ambassador Taylor among them. And in particular we are musing on the apparently archaic notion of “honor,” most eloquently described in a short paragraph written in 1899 by John Walter Wayland, an historian from Virginia, in his winning response to a contest conducted by the Baltimore Sun looking for the best definition of a True Gentleman. He wrote:
“The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others, rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe.”
These days we rarely speak of “gentlemen” in these terms or any other, or think much about character, honor, loyalty, service, or grace. Yet when we think about the values enshrined in our Constitution, we see the same principled aspirations. And it used to be comforting to imagine our nation would always choose leaders who would embrace these values in their dealings with us, with each other, and with other nations.
Ambassador Taylor stands out to us as personifying these values over some fifty years in the military and in foreign service, demonstrating by his actions a firm stand on principle. In contrast, Secretary Pompeo, like Taylor was a distinguished West Point graduate and military veteran. But unlike Taylor he has chosen to compromise his honor and principles by witnessing and going along with the Tweetster’s extortion attempt on the Ukraine President, and now dissembles about it, when he has been trained to know that an evasive statement is as dishonest as a Lie. He should have heeded Michael Cohen’s advice, that the Tweetster would Drag them all Down as he did Mr. Cohen. We confess some disappointment with Pompeo’s choices.
Mr. Graham, in contrast to both, is typical of an entire class of contemporary politicians, who can assert one thing today and its exact opposite tomorrow if that is what expediency demands. If Pompeo’s honor is in tatters, Graham’s (and many others) have none and have no idea what it is or what is means. All exigency orbits around a single idea: remaining in power at all cost.
Finally there is the Tweetster himself, a bizarre melding of bete noir and enfant terrible, a man who is completely incapable of telling the truth about Anything, as if some traumatic childhood experience taught him that his Emotional World Would End (like Daddy disapproving or Mommy disappearing…?) if he admitted Anything about Anything. “Honor” is to him, like a Hurricane at sea, “most devoutly to be eschewed,” because it would surely lead to unbearable Pain. Instead, like all psychopaths, he has a gift for telling people what he instinctively knows they want to hear so much they will compromise their values to hear it…as every con man does, and as Michael Cohen warned.
At the moment we have Republicans falling over themselves trying to court the Tweetster’s favor, as if they are in some kind of trance. If his astonishing betrayal of the Kurds, strongly suggesting a deliberate and treasonous collusion to help Russia and Turkey, isn’t enough to terrify his disciples enough about the implications of Another Term to call them to Action, things could get Really Ugly Really Soon.
….and so they have, and Republicans are just beginning to show some tentative inching away from the Tweetster as evidence against him mounts
lummi island wine tasting nov 24-25 Thanksgiving weekend
SORRY, CLOSED NOVEMBER 24-25
Well, Thanksgiving being what it is, with the joys and busy-ness of family gatherings, there has not generally been much interest — or energy– in adding more social contact.
Therefore we are taking the weekend off as well.
Wine shop hours returning to normal next weekend with Bread Friday and maybe even Saturdays for December.
Friday Bread Returns Next Week
No bread orders or deliveries this weekend.
If you are already on the mailing list you should receive the bread/pastry menu for next week by email on Sunday.
Island Bakery has developed a lengthy rotation cycle of several dozen breads and pastries. Each Sunday Janice emails the week’s bread offering to her mailing list. Orders received before Wednesday will be available for pickup at the wine shop each Friday from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. Go to Contact us to get on the bread email list.
Happy Post- Thanksgiving Relaxation!
Hoping all of you in our extended wine shop family are enjoying a warm and cozy Thanksgiving weekend, and looking forward to seeing you again next weekend!
lummi island wine tasting nov 17 ’23
SORRY, CLOSED NOVEMBER 17-18
With regrets, we will not make it home in time to open this weekend. Sorry for any inconvenience. Also, historically we have been closed the weekend after Thanksgiving (and there will be no bread Friday next week), but we will confirm one way or another in next week’s post.
Meanwhile, Janice will be able to help with any “wine emergencies” during bread pickup on 11/17.
(photo from Grayland Beach)
Friday Bread Pickup This Week
Dried Cranberry Walnut – Made with a nice mix of bread flour and freshly milled buckwheat and whole wheat flours. Orange juice and olive oil are a unique combination in this bread that add flavor and keep a soft crumb, then loaded up with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. Makes great toast– $5/loaf
Flax Seed Currant Ciabatta – Made with an overnight poolish that ferments some of the flour and water before being mixed with bread flour, whole wheat, and rye flours, flax seeds, and dried currants. A lot of water makes for a very slack dough that is just cut into pieces, for a really flavorful artisan loaf – $5/piece
and pastry this week…
Chocolate Croissants – A traditional laminated french pastry made with a bit of sourdough and another pre-ferment to help strengthen the dough to create the traditional croissant’s honeycomb interior, rolled out and shaped with delicious dark chocolate in the center. – $5/loaf
Island Bakery has developed a lengthy rotation cycle of several dozen breads and pastries. Each Sunday Janice emails the week’s bread offering to her mailing list. Orders received before Wednesday will be available for pickup at the wine shop each Friday from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. Go to Contact us to get on the bread email list.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing all of you in our extended wine shop family a warm and cozy Thanksgiving, and looking forward to seeing you all soon!
lummi island wine tasting nov 3 ’23
Hours this weekend: Open Friday 4-6pm
NOTE: WE WILL BE CLOSED NOV 11-12!
This week’s wine tasting
Juggernaut Chardonnay ’21 Sonoma $17
Aromas of apple, Asian pear and lemon meringue open to flavors of stone fruit, honeysuckle and yellow plum made rich and lingering using barrel fermentation and sur lie aging; finishes with notes of vanilla bean, and butter cream with hints of baking spices and clove.
Tacchino Buongiorno Rosso ’18 Italy $16
Aromas of dark cherry, cranberry, and slate with hints of white blossom and smoke; nicely balanced, with good structure, integrated acidity, and
bright fruit, with lingering finish.
Vall Llach Embruix Priorat ’17 Spain $26
Blend of grenache, merlot, syrah, carignan, and cab from 7 to 30-yr-old vines on medium and steep slopes; alluring aromas of ripe plums, fresh black pepper and clove. Intense, concentrated, lush, and round on the mid-palate with notes of chocolate-covered cherries and soft black licorice on the finish.
Friday Bread Pickup This Week!
Multi Grain – Uses an overnight preferment of flour, water, salt, & yeast that begins enzymatic activity and gluten development overnight in a cool environment, before mixing with bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat and rye, plus cornmeal, flax, sunflower and sesame seeds added for a nice bit of crunch and extra flavor. $5/loaf
Rosemary Olive Oil – Made with bread flour with freshly milled whole wheat for additional flavor and texture, while fresh rosemary from the garden and olive oil make for a nice tender crumb and a crisp crust. – $5/loaf
and pastry this week…
Traditional Croissants – Made with both a sourdough levain and a prefermented dough – aka “old dough”– where a portion of the flour, water, salt and yeast is fermented overnight. The final dough is then made with more flour, butter, milk and sugar, laminated with more butter before being cut and shaped into traditional french croissants. –2/$5
Island Bakery has developed a lengthy rotation cycle of several dozen breads and pastries. Each Sunday Janice emails the week’s bread offering to her mailing list. Orders received before Wednesday will be available for pickup at the wine shop each Friday from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. Go to Contact us to get on the bread email list.
Wine of the Week: Tacchino Buongiorno Rosso ’18 Italy $16
Italy’s Piedmont wine region lies in the mountainous NW corner of the Italian Alps, and sharing borders with Switzerland to the north and France to the west. The alpine environment reliably provides the warm days and cool nights that regularly generate bold, structured wines that stand the test of time. The region has long been the home of numerous small-scale, family-operated wineries with a near-obsessive focus on quality, with entire villages historically dedicated to the production of wine.
The father of winemaker Romina Tacchino and her brother Alessio was a child when his father passed away and the family sold the family vineyards and winery. He eventually bought it back, over time expanding vineyard area from 6 to 12 hectares with two very different exposures, altitudes, and soil types. The contrasting characteristics of the two vineyards tend to complement each other as seasons are warmer or colder, wetter or dryer, allowing them to meet targets for ripeness, acidity. freshness, and texture.
Economics of the Heart: Madison’s Real Originalism
James Madison
The Federalist Society is supposedly all about the philosophy of James Madison, one of the principal architects of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Federalist Papers. The “Originalism” extolled by Far Right jurists is ascribed to Madison, and their interpretation of his philosophy has become the guiding rationalization for the Christian Nationalist movement which has taken over the Republican Party lock, stock, firing pin, and barrel.
It has been supported for at least two decades by trainloads of political buying power supplied in abundance by deep-pocketed right-wing billionaires; the wonderful people who have infested our nation with the Maga movement; the most anti-democratic Supreme Court money can buy; the ongoing war against women, people of color, and the environment; and now a House majority of bickering adolescents playing at being in Congress.
The recent giddy selection of Christian Nationalist Mike Johnson as House Speaker underlines the hypocrisy of the GOP’s interpretation of Madison’s “orginalism” as its guiding legislative principal. Johnson has asserted that “all you need to know about me is in the Bible,” and that the framers “clearly did not mean…to keep religion from influencing issues of civil government. To the contrary, it was meant to keep the federal government from impeding the religious practice of citizens… to protect the church from an encroaching State, not the other way around.”
Folks, this is Newspeak Doublethink stuff right out of 1984, from a baby-faced guy who is right now two heartbeats away from being President. So yes, we should all be Very Afraid.
Given this dystopian backdrop it was with some considerable relief this morning to be reminded in Heather Cox Richardson’s daily email “Letters from an American” that James Madison not only never supported such views, but on the contrary, said a great deal about why the government and religion must be kept apart, and why “men had a right to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience.” Indeed, Madison considered this “right of conscience” to religious practice the same right which justified the whole idea of representative government, saying in Federalist #51, “In a free government the security for civil rights must be the same as that for religious rights. It consists in the one case in the multiplicity of interests, and in the other in the multiplicity of sects.”
Richardson explores these ideas more deeply in this interesting video from Salon.com. She has the historian’s confidence that things are always changing, going in and out of balance according to some set of social re-balancing mechanisms. Today’s takeaway is that we humans make our collective political pendulum swing, and democracy is so far the most effective organizational template for mutual well-being. There’s only one boat, we are all in it, and we need to work together.
In the midst of the chaos of Republican politics, fake news, and social media, it is curiously comforting to see that all of this nonsense about “Madisonian Originalism” and the twisted laws and Supreme Court decisions put in place in its name to favor the rich over the poor, Christianity over other faiths, business interests over citizen interests and environmental quality, and the brutality of prejudice over mutual respect have just been carefully scripted shams that work for awhile and then won’t.
Madison liked systems to be in balance. Good idea.
2072 Granger Way