Hello, rain and clean air! We’re in a new season suddenly, with Halloween and the Day of the Dead just around the corner. If you love a mesmerizing explosion of street art, crafts, flowers, and all-night vigils at the cemetery to welcome the souls of deceased family members, search out the traditional and legendary Mexican festival ‘el Dias de la Muertos’ in Oaxaca, Mexico (Oct. 31-Nov. 2). Locally, the Dia de Muertos Festival is happening at the Seattle Center.
Having a Halloween party? Pick up some fantastic pumpkin-spice alfajores from Paris-Madrid Grocery and enjoy this seasonal treat. We also have orange wines in stock to take your ghoulish party up a notch, along with hand-made seasonal greeting cards with skeleton motifs.
NEW – Spanish Roncari Blue is a pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese made in Navarra’s Roncal valley. With a creamy, rich texture, the flavor is intense and sharp with spicy notes on the palate, like a cross between Roquefort Papillon and Cabrales. Serve this on wedge salad or enjoy it with a glass of port.
BACK IN STOCK:
Baby Cie melamine serving dishes for infants
Ramón Peña Sardines with Padron Peppers
Ceramic sardine-motif dishes now available in white, blue, green, red, yellow
Kronenberg beer
WINE CORNER
Pazo Barrantes Gran Vino Albariño, Rias Baixas 2019 ($56.00) “When some are releasing their 2021 wine, Pazo Barrantes took a break and are now releasing their 2019 Gran Vino Albariño, after a hiatus of almost two years. Because they changed almost everything…The wine has an explosive nose with notes of white flowers. What impressed me was the seamless structure and the harmony on the palate. It’s titillating, elegant, detailed and nuanced, with terrific balance. I was gobsmacked! 94 points Wine Advocate
The wine was kept with the lees for two months but 15% of the wine matured in 225-liter acacia barrels. This is an elegant and gorgeous Albarino.
Bandol reds are hearty and full-bodied wines that are just perfect to enjoy on blustery nights.
Domaine de la Tour du Bon Rouge Bandol 2015 ($27.99) This small family winery makes 6 wines for a total of 3750 cases annually from their 17-hectare estate. You won’t find this wine at chain stores… We love wines with some age on them, and this 2015 is drinking beautifully. It offers up balsamic aromas with fresh and lively fruit notes. Leafy and mineral notes add complexity to this medium to full-bodied red. Fermented with native yeast, aged 15 months in foudre, bottled unfined and unfiltered, it is a blend of 55% Mourvèdre 25% Grenache 15% Cinsault 5% Carignan. Excellent with beef!
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rouge 2019 ($61.00) Domaine Tempier Bandol is best known for its incredible rosé (we have the rosé in stock) but the red wines from this estate are also magnificent, with their great aging potential. Deep and structured, with a core of ripe fruit, this full-bodied red shows refinement and complexity with layers of Provencal herbs and great balance. 75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 2% Carignan from 40+ year old vines, certified organic fermented with natural yeast and aged in foudre for 18-20 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.