lummi island wine tasting march 8 ’19
Note: some photos may link to larger formats when clicked…
Friday Breads This Week
Kamut Levain – Kamut, also known as khorasan wheat, is an ancient grain that has more protein than it did comeconventional wheat. Some people who can’t tolerate wheat find kamut to be more digestible. The bread is made with a levain that is fermented overnight before being mixed with with bread flour and fresh milled whole kamut flour. It has a nutty, rich flavor and makes a golden color loaf. A great all around bread – $5/loaf
Barley & Rye w/ Pumpkin Seeds – Also a levain bread, the final dough is mixed with a nice mix of bread flour and fresh milled rye, barley and whole wheat flours. Some buttermilk makes for a tender crumb, honey for sweetness and toasted pumpkin seeds add to the flavor and texture. A really flavorful artisan loaf – $5/loaf
and pastry this week…
Chocolate Croissants – a traditional laminated french pastry made with a bit of sourdough flavor and another pre-ferment to help strengthen the dough to create the traditional honeycomb interior. Rolled out and shaped with delicious dark chocolate in the center. Quantities are limited so get your order in early so you don’t miss out – 2/$5
David Hill Winery
We have carried wines (usually pinot noir, riesling, or their no longer available white blend) . from David Hill Winery near Forest Grove, Oregon at various times over the years and have enjoyed them. However Monday this week was our first visit, as it turned out to be about five minutes from where we were getting our trailer serviced earlier this week.
The gnarly shapes in this photo (should expand when clicked) are not Old Soldiers Bent over their Shovels, they are Old Vine Grapes planted way back in 1955, making them close to 65 years old. Unfortunately this winery sells the fruit from these old semillon vines to another winery (probably to make White Bordeaux, a blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc.) From vines like these, we bet it is pretty interesting!
We also learned that David Hill was a long-ago pioneer in these parts (20 miles west of Portland) who farmed here. So, no, David Hill is not the Winery Founder or current owner or even the winemaker. Rather, he is a piece of Local History. We can offer a toast to him next time we pour one of these wines for you!
March Wine Shop Schedule
As mentioned last week, we are away for few weeks in a general southerly direction to get some work done on the trailer, play grandparents, and try to get Warm. Your Important Takeaway is that Wine Shop hours for the rest of March are:
Fridays, March 8 and March 15: OPEN for Wine Tasting and Bread Pickup
Friday, March 22: CLOSED
Saturdays, March 9, 16, 23: CLOSED
Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30: OPEN BOTH DAYS AS USUAL
Mar a Lago Update: Quicksand on the Moral High Ground
Being somewhat off the grid the last few days, we just learned about the Congressional Kerfuffle over House Member Ilhan Omar’s comments about Israeli politics, which you can view here. The essence of the controversy is to what extent it is possible for anyone in public life in the United States, particularly a Muslim woman, to say anything in public which takes issue with Israeli policy without being labeled and Severely Criticized as Anti-Semitic.
As we have seen this week, the resounding answer is No, it is not possible to say anything about Israel’s Aparteid/genocidal policy toward Palestinians without igniting a Firestorm of public criticism. The Message is that there is a widely recognized Taboo against speaking critically of Israel’s long-term colonial policy. Indeed, even calling it Colonial Policy could probably be attacked as Anti-Semitic.
Rep. Omar appears to be correct in many of the assessments she makes (see above link) about the power of Israeli lobbying in US politics, and the Big Question all this raises is how one should behave in the face of obvious and disturbing acts of persecution and genocide by one’s Friends. Pretend not to see? Pretend not to care? Give tacit approval by pretending it’s all right? Or do you use whatever levers your long relationship has given you to promote behavior you find more congenial?
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date: 7,546 as of 1/1/19
This week’s wine tasting
Though we are away, for the next two weeks Janice will be choosing wines for Friday tastings from a broader menu we have provided. Please come on by the shop and see what she has decided to pour for you!
lummi island wine tasting march 1 ’19
note: some photos may link to larger formats when clicked…
Friday Breads This Week
Whole Wheat Levain – Made with a levain, bread flour and about 25% fresh milled whole wheat. I like to say it has a ‘toothy’ crumb, with great texture and flavor and a nice crisp crust. – $5/loaf
Buckwheat Rye – Fresh milled buckwheat and rye flours are soaked for 8 hours without any yeast in a method known as an autolyse, which allows what little gluten there is to start developing and really gets the enzymes going before the final mix – which is then fermented overnight in the refrigerator. The buckwheat-rye soaker is mixed with bread flour, salt and yeast and a bit of honey. Goes well with all sorts of meats and cheese – $5/loaf
Bagels – always popular and usually sell out quickly. These bagels are made with a bit of preferment, in this case a sponge, mixed, shaped and refrigerated overnight before being boiled and baked in the traditional manner. This results in a delicious chewy bagel. Your bagels come with assorted toppings, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, mixed sesame and poppy and plain. Each order is mixed – sorry no choices – 4/$5
Touriga Nacional
Portugal has a lot of interesting wines with unusual and difficult to pronounce names. Most of these varietals are peculiar to Portugal and rare in our experience, the best known being Touriga Nacional, a full-bodied Portuguese red wine grape with aging potential similar to Cabernet Sauvignon. It has long been a blending grape in Port, and now is more often seen as a dry red wine which stands very well on its own.
Some people liken it to Napa Cabernet or Australian Shiraz for depth of flavor and tannic structure. It typically shows palate-coating and tooth-staining notes of blueberry, plum, blackberry, bittersweet cocoa, and a touch of mint and violet. Our featured wine this weekend is a particularly pleasing 100% touriga nacional that we think everyone will enjoy.
We have had one bottle sitting on the shelf for a year or so, having sold most of it when we first poured it at a tasting. Out of curiosity, we opened it a few days ago, and immediately ordered another case. It has a lovely, subtly gritty yet velvety texture, big dark notes of ripe plum, blackberry, and chocolate, while delivering at the same time a higher, almost ephemeral, register of peach, apple, and nutmeg.
It’s the kind of wine Ben Franklin must have been thinking about when he wrote to his friend André Morellet, “Behold the rain which descends from Heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy!
March Wine Shop Schedule
We have been delaying our customary Winter Break for all kinds of reasons this year, mostly about Polar Vortices and the Ongoing Nor’easter we have been having for the last several weeks, with record duration of low temperatures and snowfall. Even so we have had it Easy compared to much of the country.
So. Our plan is to pack up the trailer and head off on Sunday for a few weeks in a general southerly direction to get some work done on the trailer, play grandparents, try to get Warm, and, you know, Re-Create. What this means for our Faithful Members and Visitors is that the Wine Shop will be Open both Friday and Saturday this weekend, March 1-2.
The shop will be OPEN for Bread Fridays (including wine tasting!) through March, but will be Closed the following three Saturdays: March 8, 15, and 22.
We regret any inconvenience, and hope to see you all here this weekend as usual!
Mar a Lago Update: Matters of Character
Yesterday we found ourselves hypnotically drawn to the Compelling Drama of Tweetster lawyer Michael Cohen’s testimony before the House Committee on “Oversight and Reform” (does that actually Mean Something…?). The continually Surreal takeaway from the experience was the Obvious Partisanship of the committee members.
Democrats, generally considered Heathens by the more Pious Republicans, tended to relate to Mr. Cohen as a Prodigal Son who had succumbed to Temptation, fallen into Shame, confessed his Sins, and Come Home to pay his Due Penance.“Yes, my Brother, we welcome you back to the Flock, and celebrate your Redemption!”
Republicans without exception held to the Party Line of, as one member put it, “Liar, liar, Pants on Fire!” (Did these people actually go to School somewhere…?) All of them played the “You are a Condemned Liar; we Casteth you Out, we Sticketh our Fingers in our Ears to protect ourselves from Hearing your Blasphemy” card over and over. As if they had no internal resources whatsoever to tell, as Grace Slick once sang, Truth from Lies– no powers of discrimination; no options for investigation, confirmation, or refutation; and Most Disturbing (but Predictable), not the slightest hint of compassion, empathy, or respect for the Confession of the Prodigal Son.
Politicians are by their nature Liars and Hypocrites. It is their nature to characterize every issue, no matter how complex, in the simplest Binary Terms. In our time we have seen this tendency refined to its Most Toxic Level by Dark Lord McConnell, who can, more than any politician we have seen in our lifetimes, take one position one day and its exact opposite the next as if neither the previous day nor the previous position ever existed.
For our part, the point in the hearings where the Rubber Met the Road was when Mr. Cohen responded to a Republican Antagonist who was attacking him in Defense of the Tweetster, “I did the same thing that you are doing now for 10 years…I can only warn people that follow Mr. Trump– as I did blindly– are going to suffer the same consequences that I’m suffering.”
to which we can only say…”Whisper Words of Wisdom, Let it Be…”
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date: 7,546 as of 1/1/19
This week’s wine tasting
J. Laurens Cremant de Limoux Rose France $15
A longtime favorite here at AWG–Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Pinot Noir; shows a gentle yeastiness, effusive effervescence and rich, tangy, mouth-filling fruit. Makes just about anything Festive!
Phantom Chardonnay ’16 Calif $17
Fermented and aged sur lie without oak; delivers rich aromas of white and yellow fruits, with bright crisp notes of citrus zest, honey, apple, and spicy minerality on the long, broad finish.
Townshend Red Table Washington $12
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah blend; aromas of black cherry, blackberry, strawberry, cedar and a hint of orange zest fill your senses with lingering pepper & tobacco notes.
Lonardi “Bepi” Rosso Veronese ’16 Italy $18
Corvina and Rondello; something of a ripasso, fresh and clean with ripe bright notes of cranberry, cocoa, and black cherry, sweet earth and spice.
Quinta de Pinto Riserva Touriga Nacional ’14 Portugal $22
aced with violets and wonderful aromatics that combine with its fine structure, balance and elegant mid-palate for a very pleasing whole. Fresh and lively, with a hint of eucalyptus on the finish: a great food wine!
lummi island wine tasting feb 22 ’19
note: some photos may link to larger formats when clicked…
Friday Breads This Week
Multi Grain Levain – Uses a flavorful mix of bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat and rye. A blend of flax, sesame sunflower and pumpkin seeds and some polenta add great flavor and crunch. And just a little honey for some sweetness. A great all around bread that is full of flavor – $5/loaf
Polenta Levain – Made with bread flour and polenta in the final dough mix. This is not the sweet corn cranberry bread that I have done in the past that is enriched with milk and butter, this bread is a nice rustic loaf with great corn flavor. – $5/loaf
…and pastry this week, always popular, and twice now having seemed to precipitate a number of Real Bear sightings on the island (we are not making this up! –hopefully, no Bears invited this time)…
Bear Claws! – Made with a danish pastry dough rich in cream, eggs, sugar and butter. The dough is rolled out and spread with a filing made with almond paste, powdered sugar, egg whites and just a bit of cinnamon to round out the flavor. Then, because bears love honey, topped with a honey glaze after baking. – 2/$5
Savoie Blanc
Savoie is a stunningly scenic wine region along the alpine border of France and Switzerland. (see nice photo sequence). Because of the altitude and the proximity to Switzerland, it is home to a number of ancient grape varietals grown in the region for hundreds of years, and a white wine-lover’s joy in particular. Savoie consists of many geographically distinct wine sub-regions scattered across the four French departments of Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Isère, and Ain. All together, the various subregions total only about 5000 acres.
On average, vineyards in the region have moderate elevation between 1000 and 2000 ft., where vineyards are influenced by both the altitude and the moderating effects of the nearby Mediterranean and southern hillside exposures. Savoie whites, including the one we are tasting this weekend, include Jacquère, Chasselas, and Altesse. Jacquère is the most widely planted grape in Savoie, producing lively floral and white fruit flavors. Altesse brings complex flavors of fresh almonds, bergamot (think Earl Grey), pineapple, and quince. Chasselas does well in cooler, short summers (it’s grown right here in Whatcom County!), and offers hints of buttered toast and dried fruit. All in all, this Savoie is a perfect wine for those sunny Spring afternoons that are Just Around the Corner…!
February Blues
Growing up in Maine, we got used to Winter, or Wintuh, as we called it. It was No Big Deal. Though the first snow would appear sometime around Thanksgiving, the reality of snow on the ground wouldn’t begin till around Christmas and would last until March. Snowbanks along roads, streets, and sidewalks would get taller and taller until late March or early April, when melting days fought for dominance with snowing nights, and you could see and hear the Thaw. It wasn’t a big deal. And it was rarely Gloomy; it would snow, and then the Sun would come out…Quite Brightly, as Donovan once sang. It was actually Nice when there was new snow, because the steep hill at the end of our street was blocked to traffic and all the kids in the neighborhood would spend every free moment sliding down the hill on their sleds. (In Maine we never “sledded,” we “went sliding.”)
On the same hill it was easy to turn the snow banks into snow caves when they were high, or snow forts when they were lower, and make snowmen and snowballs when the snow got moist enough to be “sticky.” But that was a Long, long, time ago.
Here in our corner of the PNW for some 40 years, I have gotten used to the Winter Gloom, and over time accepted the Bargain that seemed to come with the Territory: in exchange for the lingering and Oppressive Winter Gloom, one learned to appreciate the arrival of the the first Harbingers of Spring shortly after Groundhog Day. Though you might not have seen the sun since early October in some years, mid-February brought warmer temperatures, longer days, and early buds on the Indian Plum, pussy willows, and daffodils.
This winter has been Different, especially the last several weeks– as it has for much of the Nation. It has been Too Cold, gone on Too Long, and delivered Too Much Snow. It feels like the Worst of both Maine and Washington, though of course no one here has Any Idea about Sliding, cuz till now it never snowed enough to make it possible!
Mar a Lago Update: Rumors of the Coming Mueller Report
Speculation has it that Special Counsel Mueller is about to release some results of his investigation of the Tweetster, his Ilk, Kith, Kin, Ko-Konspirators, Kronies, Kommie Kontacts, Krooks, Konfederates, and Konfidants. Speculation also has it that no one should expect much immediate excitement. Rather, as the Washington Post puts it, a short Mueller report would mark the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end. That is, it would be a sort of Road Map the Attorney General (that should be interesting…), FBI, Federal courts, House Committees, and other investigators could use to delve more deeply into matters uncovered by the investigation so far.
It sounds like a Big Dose of Lowering Expectations, kinda like when you’re seven years old, it’s Christmas, and your folks tell you, “you know, Honey, you, um, probably shouldn’t get your hopes too high for that Pony you’ve been wanting so much…” In our own case, there was something about the recent election, the Halfway Point in a Tweetster Four-Year Term, that invoked feelings of Resignation and Hopelessness in a Spicy Sauce best defined by the Indian Guru who told his Followers with Deep Amusement, “There’s No God; there’s No Heaven; and There’s Nothing You Can Do About It!”
As we have mentioned recently, it is Komforting to have the House in Democratic hands. And there is a strong likelihood…mmm, hold on a minute, let’s lower our expectations a bit and say “some possibility” that various investigatory entities at all levels will be able to use pieces of Mueller’s road map to get some Leverage on Justice.
While the Skeptic who has lived inside me for a long time remains cautiously hopeful, the Reality seems to be that the Tweetster could be several years into or even past a Second Term before the Wheels of Justice might free us from his Madness. In the meantime, the Stolen Election of Aught-Sixteen will never be corrected nor Damages Paid. The Global Damage of however many Surreal Years this goes on will never be repaired, the System that allowed it happen will has yet to be improved, and the Justice of turning the clock back to the So-called Election of Aught-Sixteen and Starting Over is definitely “There’s Nothing you can do about it!”
So. Mueller Report or no Mueller Report, it’s a Long Road back to Normal.
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date: 7,546 as of 1/1/19
This week’s wine tasting
Viallet Vin de Savoie Blanc ’16 France $12
Fresh, crisp, bright, and tangy, with notes of stewed fruit and honey, and a refreshing balance of minerality and acidity.
Domaine La Croix Belle Caringole ’14 France $11
Syrah, Carignan and Merlot blend from Languedoc’s Cotes de Thongue region; fresh and supple with flavors of cherry, and black olive, and herbs.
Monte Tondo Veneto Corvina ’16 Italy $12
Ruby red; bright lively nose with fresh cherry, blackberry and black pepper; supple, well-integrated tannins and a well balanced, dark fruit core with cherry, dark chocolate, a smooth, seductive slightly spicy finish.
Terra d’Oro Zinfandel ’16 California $15
Vibrant aromas of clove and big, generous fruit lead to concentrated flavors of juicy plums and blackberries in a soft frame of toasted oak.
Kerloo Majestic Syrah Grenache ’16 Wash. $24
Aromas of leather, black cherries, and plums; on the palate smooth and silky with a complex, lingering finish.
lummi island wine tasting feb 15 ’19
note: some photos may link to larger formats when clicked…
Friday Breads This Week
Levain w/ Dried Cherries and Pecans – A levain is made the night before final mixing of the dough as when using a sourdough starter. The final dough combines the levain with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat before loading up with dried Montmorency cherries and toasted pecans. A nice rustic loaf that goes well with meats and cheese – $5/loaf
Pan de Chocolate – A delicious chocolate artisan bread made with a levain, bread flour, and fresh milled rye flour, honey for sweetness, vanilla and plenty of dark chocolate. Makes fabulous toast – think about spread with peanut butter, even better french toast – $5/loaf.
Chocolate Panettone – Panettone is an Italian Holiday brioche often including candied orange
peel and raisins and made as a large loaf. These Chocolate Panettone are a smaller version made with lots of sugar, butter, eggs and honey including three types of chocolate, cocoa nib praline, and candied ginger, before being topped with a chocolate glaze, and no candied orange or raisins. Great as a pastry, toast, or a great bread pudding! – 2/$5
Carmignano
The Carmignano wine region comprises a modest 270 acres of vines about 12 miles west of Firenze (Florence) that yield about 30,000 cases of wine per year. The region has made wine since Roman times, and has been growing French Bordeaux grapes since the 1500’s. Now in its fourth century as a recognized wine region, Carmignano wines must include at least 50% sangiovese, 20% canniolo nero, and 10 to 20% each of cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc in its blends with several other Italian varietals and a recent trend toward including merlot and syrah in the blends.
Carmignano was designated a separate DOC in 1975, before which its wines had been known as Chianti Montalbano. The soils in this small region are rich in lime, with good drainage and favorable balance of hot days and cool nights, which some of us think give the Carmignano sangiovese a bit more weight than Chianti in general, making it a good pairing with rich, savory dishes. Possibly a bit intense for some palates, some of us find it….how shall we say…curiously compelling.
Wine Club Notes
Here we are in February already, and an unseasonably Snowy one it is! And regardless of what Press Pundits for Punxsutawney Phil Pretend he Predicted, there are still five official weeks left till Spring Arrives. Although our unseasonable C-c-cold will hopefully abate over the next few days, the days will keep getting longer and warmer. On average.
More to the point, here we are in 2019 (really?…seriously?…OMD!) a New Year here at the Wine Shop, and it is yet again time to renew Wine Club memberships, as many of you have already done.
This is our gentle reminder that to maintain your wine club benefits ($5 wine tastings and sales tax-free purchases) through 2019, you must renew your annual calendar year membership.
We rely on and appreciate your support, and look forward to another year of sharing the nourishing space we somehow mutually create each weekend. As an old friend sometimes says, “We are all Lucky Ducks!”
Mar a Lago Update: I’m Not Getting My Way, It Must Be a National Emergency
Back in 2016 or so when we took the photo that has accompanied this weekly paragraph in the wine blog for the last two years, we were on a day trip to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Near the ferry dock and adjacent marina is a small park with a fountain feeding a sweet little pool of water in which swam this Sunglassed Plastic Duck. It had a familiar Air, a certain Nonchalance, a certain je ne sais qua air Symbolic of…hmm, who or what was it…?
After a few moments’ contemplation, we realized OMG, it’s the Tweetster! Though never doubting the truth of this insight, it was a long journey to drill down to the meaning this image evokes: Smug, Oblivious, Infantile, Pampered, Vain, Invulnerable, Self-Centered-– a constellation that adds up to a profound sense of Personal Entitlement, unconstrained by any sense of Personal Responsibility.
The last two years have largely confirmed the intuitive metaphorical validity of the Plastic Duck. It cannot be denied that the Political Dynamic since 2016 has been, sadly: Tweet (five minutes effort); b) Analysis (three days commentary); c) Retweet (five minutes); d) the Re-Analysis; etc. That is, the Tweets drive the news analysis, not the other way around.
For just over a month we have all been getting used to the New Reality of Divided Government, and it is an unfolding Revelation that it can make so much Difference in the Balance of Power. Supposedly the Tweetster will soon declare a National Emergency to get funding for his Wall, whatever that might mean.
All we can be sure of at this point in time is, it won’t be pretty!
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date: 7,546 as of 1/1/19
This week’s wine tasting
Lumos Pinot Gris Rudolfo Vineyard ’17 Oregon $18
Clear light golden straw color. Lively and complex aromas of lemon, green apple, nectarine. A vibrant, dry yet-fruity body and a tingling, breezy, nicely balanced nut-skin finish.
Saint Nabor Gris de Gris Rose ’16 France $10
Bouquet of red fruit and honeysuckle with linden-tree nuances; light, crisp and easy drinking, with palate of wild strawberries and blueberries with mineral nuances.
J Lohr Cypress Merlot ’16 California $10
Classic varietal aromas of black cherry and plum with subtle hints of oak; savory red fruit and comforting weight finishes with a touch of chalky tannin. Seriously over-delivers for its modest price.
Terra d’Oro Zinfandel ’16 California $15
Vibrant aromas of clove and big, generous fruit lead to concentrated flavors of juicy plums and blackberries,all with a good dose of toasted oak.
Piaggio Carmignano Il Sasso ’13 Italy $29
Rich, ample and voluptuous, with black cherry, plum, lavender, spice, tobacco and dried herb notes, and int3ense fruit and texture. There is not much subtlety here, just plain gorgeous!.
2072 Granger Way