Wine Tasting Studio Tour November 14-15
It all started with: “It was a dark and stormy night…” and went downhill from there...
...It was raining on the Island, not a Hard Rain exactly, more like a Heavy Rain, but not heavy in the sense of tropical downpour, though sometimes it was, but more Heavy in the sense of Omigod, it’s the week after the clocks have been set back and it gets dark early, Too Early, and even if it wasn’t cloudy and Gloomy with thousands and thousands of feet of Heavy Clouds up there and out there and all around, just Sucking the Light out of the very air we breathe and more importantly see the world through, and more important than that, that we see Color through, and at best there are just shades of gray and no real color because there just isn’t enough Light, and yes though it was sometimes raining Hard, tropically even, it is mostly that Oppressive Feeling of the relentless Weight of the Gloom, that we can’t help but fear will Never Go Away, and if you look at the political situation, well, it’s exactly the same thing, that’s all I’m saying. (that’s my entry and I’m sticking to it…)
Which is to say, our first guests were Sean and Elizabeth and friends, and somehow the subject came up about the annual Bulwer-Lytton writing contest, in which people write really funny long sentences like B-L did once upon a time, and we read several of the entries from the website, totally silly and great fun.
Our other Big Event of the day was our first visit from just-turned-21 Patrick O’Callaghan, who looked to be having a good time…ah, it’s all Downhill from here, Kid, enjoy the ride!
I have to say this was one of the best tastings we have done in a while; all four wines were showing really well, completely delicious, and highly recommended.
This weekend is the pre-Holiday Artists’ studio tour. so we will be open from 10-5 both Saturday and Sunday. We will aim at pouring wines to go with holiday fare, either turkey or perhaps salmon, or both.
BY THE WAY PLEASE DO US A FAVOR: KING-5 TV has a listing of wine shops on its web site; click on this link , then click on “Write a recommendation” and give us YOUR vote for best wine shop in Washington! (thanks!!!)
Truffles!!! In addition, Pat and Janice (Lummi Island Chocolate Kompany or “LICK” as I like to call it–and they don’t, but they haven’t come up with a real name yet) will have some new truffles for tasting during the weekend so you can order some for the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas), conveniently packaged in boxes of four, each a different flavor, for a mere $1 per truffle. Having sampled, I gotta say these are Awesome! Flavors:
Fleur de sel Caramel- Bittersweet chocolate, Lummi Island sea salt, organic cream
Eggnog- – egg nog, organic cream
Pumpkin spice –pumpkin, milk chocolate, organic cream, spices
Dark Chocolate Port Truffles — Bittersweet chocolate, madeira, organic cream
As for this weekend’s wine tasting, well, that’s complicated. We want to feature wines that will pair well with Thanksgiving dinner, but typically there are several courses, so “pairing” becomes quite general. So through the weekend we will be pouring an evolving selection of wines, generally covering four areas: appetizers, soup/salad, main course, and dessert.
Appetizers/ socializing: the perfect occasion for bubbles, in the form of Italian prosecco, Spanish cava, French champagne or cremant, or any number of other sparklers
First courses: Most soups or salads will pair well with medium bodied white wines or roses that complement the acidity of the dressing and the sweetness of the vegetables; the more fat and seasoning, the bigger the wine should be, so a range
Main course: Around here this means turkey or salmon, and either one might also be smoked a little or a lot. My thinking is again the more fat and salt/spice, or the more smoke, the bigger the wine needed, and the more juicy, the less acid that’s necessary. So the range would include a crisp and fruity dry riesling, a smooth and flavorful viognier (like our own Legoe Bay), or a nicely oaked chardonnay. With salmon, it is tough to beat pinot noir for a perfect match. And if either turkey or fish is smoked, you might want to slide into a red wine with lots of fruit like a zinfandel or a syrah.
Dessert: This runs the gamut, though pumpkin pie is often the centerpiece dessert for the day; here you want a dessert wine with good acidity that frames the flavors in the pie, from a a late harvest riesling or pinot gris to a concentrated caramel-raisiny Pedro Ximenez sherry.
All I can tell you is that at any time there will be four wines being poured, one from each category, and from varying price ranges. So come by, taste some wines, and let’s talk about good pairing for YOUR dinner!
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2072 Granger Way
We had such fun at the tasting last week, and I loved your B-L sentence! We have been writing a bunch of them this week too. We are looking forward to the wine and truffles in a few days!