Wine Tasting July 24 ’10

If my mother were still alive, this would have been her 95th birthday; her last birthday was her 85th back in 2000, and we had a nice family gathering for the occasion. Leo on the cusp of Cancer, complicated stuff. At her wake (100% Irish roots) we opted to replace the ponderous organ sounds with subdued background 40’s Big Band music, and at her funeral I got everyone to sing “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” So Happy Birthday, Mum, we’re thinking of you!

REMINDER! NEW SUMMER HOURS SATURDAYS  2-6PM!!

Pat’s chili did very well at the cook-off last weekend; the recipe came from Silver Palate, with a few substitutions, and made for a very savory and nuanced chili. We did win an award for “best name” (“Screaming Seagull”) , which Pat also coined. I concocted our Seagull logo (see last week’s post) as well as the idea of drizzling a bit of red wine (in this case it was an Italian varietal called Marzemino), and it really did make the chili taste even better (I’m not making this up!). I think the wine adds a bit of acidity right up front, which makes your mouth water, which is why wine makes food taste better in general. So congrats to me for my annual Good Idea. Which lets me off the hook for the rest of 2010, kind of a relief!

Mary Beth was the first to identify our chili namesake as Ultimate California cult wine “Screaming Eagle,” and won a $20 gift certificate…it just goes to show you that reading this blog can be worth your while!

Very interesting afternoon at the wine shop. We didn’t open till three cuz of the chili cookoff, and then we had two parties from the Willows who were having such a good time (we were too!) they stayed most of the afternoon, getting to know our “gang.”

All in all a Great Afternoon in our little Island Paradise!

our neighbor Arria discovered ancient ties to chris and his wife, he in the middle

and she in the middle

and charming visitors sake sommelier Malia and mom Marylou

Lee just home after a month of travel and Kim with Big Smile

This week’s wines:

Legoe Bay Pinot Gris ’09     Washingon     $8
Beautiful aromas and flavors of pear, apple, melon, and honey with a round, mouth-filling texture…delicious!

O’Shea Scarborough “The Rebel” Cab  ’07   Washington      $14
Lots of juicy black cherry, black currant, and blackberry, with a deep note of bitter chocolate on the finish, new wines from a favorite young winemaking team, Travis and Darryn.

Pomum Tinto ’07     Washington       $22
Another favorite new winemaker, Javier, a young Spaniard from Ribero del Duero! Dark fruit and licorice aromas, characteristic of Spanish Tintos. Its medium body follows with plum and blackberry flavors and lush tannins. Tempranillo with 16% Cab and 12% Merlot. His second vintage…I LOVE this wine!–compare with the next wine, a classic tinto.

Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero   ’04     Spain       Parker 92pts     $25
Dense ruby/purple color is followed by a projected nose of blackberries, currants, cherries, smoky oak, and crushed rocks. Terrific texture, super purity, an opulent, full-bodied palate, and a long, heady finish.

Wine Tasting

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