A Connnected Melange of Stuff I Like



I discovered a few years ago they still add
labels by hand at Whidbey Island Winery.

So, I like history. I like Ken Burns. I am absolutely loving Burns' latest historical tour de force, Prohibition, now currently airing on PBS (the final installment is this evening). I was particularly pleased with the initial installment (which everyone can watch at the PBS website). There has always been a somewhat uneasy link (in my mind, anyway) between the women's suffrage movement at the turn of the 20th century and the drive to establish prohibition. Burns masterfully traced this link beginning back almost to the time of the Civil War. While I am not a big fan of limiting individual freedom, I now have a much better handle on the bigger picture. I also was intrigued to hear the staggering percentage of our federal revenue derived from liquor sales prior to Prohibition. No wonder the cultural pendulum swung so far to the "dry" side!

Of course, since I live in post-Prohibition times, I will freely enjoy a libation every now and then. In October's edition of Bon Appetit, not only can one find advice on the perfect party cocktail, but they report on a trend that doesn't surprise me in the least - the rise of artisanal hard ciders. I've been enjoying hard cider (apple and pear) for as long as I can remember. I will cede that they've gotten progressively crisper in recent years - a very nice alternative to traditional bubbly. While I recently mentioned an import I had, don't let that steer you away from the great ciders being bottled by American artisans, including several in the Pacific Northwest. I'll leave it to you to try them and report back!

Finally, if you're looking for a little crafty inspiration to help you with your next dinner party preparations, you'll enjoy reading this quick Q&A with the creative force behind Design*Sponge (and if you haven't checked out the website, you're in for a design treat!).

Here's to your next great fall meal with friends, complete with your favorite wine, hard cider or spirit. And if you're looking for one more exceptional, crafty dinner guest ...

Signs of Fall

Ah, my favorite time of the year! I know fall has arrived when:

1. there are pumpkins and all sorts of
    gourds for sale everywhere (indicating
    the seasonal harvest has begun);
2. can fresh cranberries be far behind?;
3. that great nip in the air is interspersed
    with a few warm, sunny Indian
    summer days;
4. I notice the leaf colors everywhere I go;
5. I want to cook stews all the time,
    preferably with red wine;
6. I start stocking up on candles of all sorts
    (although tea lights are my preferred
    candle choice in winter); and


7. I want to use all the soft, warm yarn I can get my hands on, preferably in red and
    orange colorways.

I also wanted to provide a few photos of Andrea's Shawl of Red Awesomeness, now that she's received it. You can also see some sassy modeled action shots over at her blog. I absolutely loved making this shawl, and it definitely makes me feel the season.

Happy Fall, where ever you are (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course)!

Grape vines in the fall French countryside



On a Few French Items that Feed my Soul



Jean-Marc Espinasse of Domaine Rouge-Bleu

I was going to provide you with some items to consider for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday - you know, the ones most everyone else considers right about now.  However, recent events have led me (only slightly) astray. So ... I present to you a few French items that have, and continue to, feed me artistic soul.

Initially, here is the first in what I hope will be a recurring series on the blog – The Artfully Voie de Vie Questionnaire. In the inaugural installment, please meet someone I consider an artist and friend: Jean-Marc Espinasse, winemaker extraordinaire at Domaine Rouge-Bleu. Or, as his wife has affectionately nicknamed him, “Chef Grape.”

I spent an intense, amazing two weeks at the Domaine Rouge-Bleu farm ostensibly picking grapes during the ‘09 harvest. However, my time in France that summer fed my Canuck-rooted soul in ways I cannot properly describe in words. Happily, I don’t have to try. Since the ‘09 vintage is set to be released, I’ll let the wine do the talking for me. So here, I present a little slice of Espinasse philosophy:

The Artfully Voie de Vie Questionnaire

Old grenache vines at Domaine Rouge-Bleu

Can you tell us a little bit about your background before you started to make wine?

I fell in love with wine when my uncle decided, 20 years ago, to get three vine parcels in Chateauneuf-du-Pape to re-create the family vineyard, Domaine du Banneret, which originally dates back from many centuries.

As a CPA, I initially made the financial plans for the loans and participated in the first and all harvests. It was during this joyful time that I met with my future American wife, Kristin, author of the blog French Word-a-Day.

I started then to offer my uncle's wines to US importers and then embraced the wine world.

Now, besides Domaine du Banneret where I am also involved in the wine making, I distribute a portfolio of "boutique" French wines in the US.

In my dreams, I have often imagined that running a small vineyard by myself would actually be a realistic project. And whereas I was not expecting it to happen, I was offered in November 2006, 25 acres of old vines with a great potential "terroir". Domaine Rouge-Bleu was born ...

Besides wine, I am in love with Mother Nature, the band U2, and before all my dear family.

When was the moment you knew you wanted to become a winemaker?

When I first started to harvest. I have never questioned myself on the winemaking which is, for me, something quite natural. I have always heard that 99% of the wine is made once the grapes are harvested.

Please describe your personal winemaking philosophy?

Minimum human interaction. Leaving Mother Nature to do its role, which means leaving the stems (in the fermentation process) and minimum pumping-over of the (grape skin) cap (while in the tank).* Also, making sure that the prime oxidation phases (during fermentation) are covered by the minimum amount of sulphur needed.

What is your greatest wine drinking memory?

A ’90 red Châteauneuf du Pape from my uncle’s vineyard, Domaine du Banneret. It is also the wine we had at our wedding but at the time, the wine was too young. It is now at its best and carries a lot of spirit.

If you could have dinner with any three vintners, dead or alive, who would they be, and why?

Marcel Lapierre as he has inspired me so much, Paul Draper as he is definitely the best winemaker I know, and Emile Peynaud for his vision.

Cork or Screw cap?

Cork for aging wines and screw cap for drinking wines

It’s your last meal. What’s in your wine glass?

Chateau d'Yquem 1967, the year I was born, and one of the best vintages for this unique wine.

What trait do you most admire in wine makers?

Start over from scratch every new vintage.

What trait do you most detest in wine makers?

People who pretend that technique is the most important thing in winemaking.

You are recommending a gift of wine in response to a friend’s inquiry. Other than your own wines (which, as everyone knows, are very tasty!), what would you recommend?

Ah … ah ... what about the one this friend chooses? I am sure it will be a good choice.



Balancing
2010
acrylic on canvas



   

*For those who might want more information concerning the process of which Jean-Marc speaks,  David Bird's Understanding Wine Technology is a great reference; specifically, page 85 discusses pumping-over.

Finally, I had discussed a French package I received here. It was yarn and other goodies from a Parisian Ravelry swap acquaintence. Yesterday, I received yet another package as a result of this swap, which was an amazingly generous surprise! Inside was more yarn goodness – seven hanks of goodness, to be exact. From Filature du Valgaudemar, there were two hanks of angora and merino blend in a lovely mousson colorway, and five (!) mohair and silk hanks in varying fiber weights. My soul is further fed. Thank you!

So, this Valentine’s Day, indulge those you care about with the things that feed their soul.

Snow

I woke up this morning to a muffled kind of stillness. It took me mere seconds to look out the window and consciously realize what the stillness meant – snow! Gray, white, cold, wind-driven, commuter-walked-upon snow. This is very early in the season for the Pacific Northwest lowlands to get such a dusting. Don’t tell my deck, however; it is currently covered in about an inch of the stuff.

So, warm woolen mittens in hand, I went out into the white fluff to do some quick snow removal. No shovel needed – just a light whisk, whisk of a broom, to be followed by salt later today, once it starts to really cool down.

Fifteen minutes and two ruddy cheeks later, the deed was complete. There is nothing like a little snow to make everything indoors all the more cozy. The coffee tastes richer and warmer. The cat is just that teeny bit more excited to stare out the window. It gives the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday an especially thankful glow.

So, with that in mind, I’ll share with you my simple recipe for fresh cranberry sauce. Make it and think of snow and the play of jewel tones on white. Happy warm and cozy Thanksgiving!

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

12 oz. fresh cranberries

1 cup champagne or good, dry rosé

¾ c. sugar

½ c. dried sweetened cranberries

¼ c. any other dried fruit of choice (raid the cupboard – hey, it’s Thanksgiving!)

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a serving dish.

Let stand, and serve at room temperature with the meal. May also be made up to two days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated until about an hour before serving, when you can remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.   

An Evening of Sicilian Word and Wine

On November 1st, Robert Camuto put Sicily and its wine and vintners front and center at two Seattle venues.

Initially, at The Elliott Bay Book Company, he read an excerpt from Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey before a curious crowd willing to brave the damp November rain. Camuto deftly fielded audience questions ranging from current Sicilian winemaking practices to the present state of the mafia on the island. He also graciously signed books and chatted with everyone at the completion of the reading.

Camuto, avec famille, then took his Sicilian tour to Columbia City’s La Medusa for an extensive wine tasting. Showcasing many of the winemakers in Palmento, La Medusa expertly poured whites, reds and dessert wines for a hearty crowd in its warm and inviting dining space. The crowd was a friendly cross-section of wine industry and food service professionals, writers, travelers, foodies, and at least one group rigorously taking extensive tasting notes (you know who you are – good luck with the Thanksgiving Day cranberry sauce!). Many left with Palmento, or wine bottles, or both; all exited the event with a new-found (or renewed) appreciation for Sicily.

While my photos are slightly art house-ish (thanks to dim indoor lighting and no flash), they nevertheless capture the warmth of the evening. Thanks to Robert for stopping in Seattle on his book tour, and to his patient wife and son for sharing their journey with us.

Read Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey and Corkscrewed: Adventures in the New French Wine Country. Let Camuto’s words inform and inspire your next wine or travel discovery.

A Sicilian Slice

There are some writers who have a gift for capturing place – and Robert Camuto, in his most recent book Palmento, elegantly does just that.

Picking up in Sicily where he left off in the French countryside in Corkscrewed (his first book dealing with up-and-coming French winemakers), Camuto delves, ever so delicately, into present-day Sicily through its viticultural personalities (both lesser and well-known), as well as its geography and food. From the first chapter, in which he describes an unbelievable dinner, through his many visits with grape growers, the reader is given a front-row seat to wine, food, and place that are each a unique mix of tradition and modernity.

Rest assured you need know nothing about wine to become hooked – Camuto is, first and foremost, a writer. With his perceptive yet compassionate pen, Camuto brings to life Sicily’s past and present through the toils of the characters that are Sicily’s current wine growers. He masterfully weaves in grape and wine category information. Not only will you look at wine labels differently the next time you are at the wine store, but you will want to travel to Camuto’s Sicily. I know I do.

I should note that I read his first book, Corkscrewed, while doing some wine studying. The book (as well as Camuto personally) directly led to my 2009 vendage participation at Domaine Rouge-Bleu. (Note: I also did a little writing while at the farm in Provence, and you can read that here.) I am indebted to Camuto not only for the introduction, but for what can only be described as an unexpected, incredibly soulful, French experience.

Given the above, what sticks with me most about Palmento is my identification of, what I suspect, is Camuto’s own soulful experience. The book is written from the perspective of someone returning to a vaguely familiar, yet unexplored, place.

Va bene, Robert. Va bene.   

Charitably giving? Caveat emptor.

My recent visit to Canby, OR for the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival (you can check out the photos here) coincided with Share Our Strength's annual Great American Dine Out. For those who may not be familiar with the Great American Dine Out, during one week each year, participating restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds to Share Our Strength. It is one prong of a five-pronged approach Share Our Strength utilizes in raising funds to help end American childhood hunger. I have participated in the past through a different prong – I’ve hosted a Great American Bake Sale.

So, before I left for Canby, I checked online and found a participating local restaurant, the Rivershore Bar and Grill in nearby Oregon City, and was excited to help the cause this year in this way. When I got to the restaurant, I ordered a small house salad (surprisingly fresh greens!), a burger (ho-hum), and a glass of house merlot (nothing memorable).

I decided to ask my waitress about the Rivershore’s participation in the Great American Dine Out. After initially not recognizing the event (which was my first tip the conversation would not go well), she let me know that the only way one could get the restaurant to make a donation (of $1 per glass) was through a patron’s purchase of wine from a particular winery – Jacob’s Creek. Ok, so I tried to order an additional glass of red because, hey, I was dining in the Willamette Valley – one America’s best known pinot noir-producing areas. But, no. The restaurant only had Jacob’s Creek chardonnay available. In the heart of pinot noir country. For a non-profit donation promotion of $1 per glass that would last one week. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed with the Great American Dine Out.

I have corresponded with the director of the Great American Dine Out, and while I appreciate the quick, personal response, the anemic quality of the defense of the event left me rather cold. While I cannot know with any certainty, I expect that my humble, one-day bake sale last year (which took in about $300) raised more money for Share Our Strength than did the Rivershore Bar and Grill in an entire week.

In a time when charitable giving is down, I choose to focus my time and dollars on giving that is targeted and transparent. Any benefit the restaurant may have garnered because of its association with Share Our Strength may be short-lived. Additionally, Share Our Strength has lost some goodwill. In future, I’ll stick to my own baking efforts.

If you have any Share Our Strength stories I’d appreciate hearing them, so please leave a comment and let’s compare charitable notes, alright?