Good Morning Gloucester

I guess this is how you maintain the trees at a well hidden cemetery! We came across this tree trimming project at Cove Hill Cemetery (AKA Lane’s Cove Cemetery) in Lanesville adjacent to Lane’s Cove a couple of days ago. A large crane facilitated the branch removal once it had been removed by the handy guy in the tree with his saw. Then the branch went into the wood cutter. I was very impressed by the whole process and am pleased to know care is being taken at this cemetery location.

Water Colors…

My sister is visiting so we went off to seek some photo opportunities. It’s hard to resist the character and colors of the resting lobster traps. CB (Crystal Ball) wanted to pose so Paula took some shots I thought you might enjoy. Thanks FOB Paula Ryan O’Brien! A little behind the scenes “how the magic happens”.

Welcome to the 2023 Bluefin Blowout!
Captain: Nick Novello
Boat Name: Break Away

Registration is now open!
https://bit.ly/2023CaptainRegistration

July 24 – Bluefin Bash Fundraiser
July 25-27 – Bluefin Blowout Tournament
*Tournament dates subject to change

All in a Row…

Patriotic heart with #pink stripe and star represents the #womentowomendonationdrive for #womeninactiveduty🇺🇸 They will both be available for anyone interested when I reopen in April 2023. #supportlocal #shoplocal #ilovemycustomers❤️

THIS SATURDAY, Feb. 18, 2 – 4 pmCOMPLIMENTARY FINE WINE TASTING @ SAVOUR WITH CHRIS HOFFMAN OF OZ WINES, FEATURING 2 NATURALLY FERMENTED NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS FROM MUIR IN DENMARK Oz Wine Company is a fine wine, cider, and spirits import & wholesale company based in Massachusetts. We champion the farming families and faces who carefully tend their crops, and unapologetically make products of distinction and character. (Owner Andrew Bishop)

Cincinnato Castore, Lazio, Italy, Varietal: Bellone Alc. 13%

The Cincinnato winery, founded in 1947 and named after the ancient Roman senator and farmer Cincinnatus, is a small co-operative (126 growers, with a total of 250 hectares of vines), located an hour south-east of Rome near the town of Cori, uses native grape varieties to produce flavorful, distinctive, well-made wines. The wine is named Castore after the mythical twins Castor and Pollux, the archeological remains of whose temple enriched Cori’s heritage. Straw yellow in color, Castore has a delicate fruity nose, luscious texture and juicy acidity and flavors of honey, citrus, and tropical fruit.

Pairs well with pasta and seafood. $ 14.99

Winzer Krems Grüner Veltliner 2021, Kremstal, Austria, Varietal: Grüner Veltliner, 12 Alc. %

Wine growing in and around Krems can be traced back more than 2,000 years. Due to the mild climate, the quality of the soil, and the local wine growers’ hard work, Krems and the Wachau developed into Austria’s best wine-growing regions. Winzer Krems is one of the most significant producers and the most successful exporter of estate bottled quality wine in Austria. The estate is owned by 900 winegrowers who grow their grapes on 2.570 acres in Krems and the surrounding wine- growing regions. The Winzer Krems Grüner Veltliner pours greenish yellow. On the nose it has an herbal and slightly peppery citrus scent with hints of gooseberries and lychee; on the palate it is strong, spicy, vibrant, and beautifully balanced with a fine acid structure.

Pairs well with sushi, shellfish, grilled chicken. $14.99

Mas de Libian “Bout d’Zan” Côtes-du-Rhône, Southern Rhone, France, Varietal: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah Alc. 13.5%

Mas de Libian is situated in the village of Saint-Marcel d’Ardeche in the southern Rhone Valley. The farm has been in the Thibon family since 1670; today the winemaking is presided over by Helene Thibon, who took over in 1995. The estate consists of 25 hectares of vineyards and 8 hectares of “nourishing” land planted in olive trees, vegetable and flower gardens, and grains to support the organic and biodynamic viticulture. Mas de Libian began its biodynamic farming in 2005 and was certified by Demeter shortly afterward. Bout d’Zan is grown on clay-limestone soils; all grapes are hand-harvested, fermentation is powered by native yeasts, and the wine ages for 9 months in large oak barrels. Dark ruby-red in the glass, the wine has aromas of black cherries, chocolate, and spice. Mouth coating and chewy in texture, it has flavors of plums and blackberries with a hint of vanilla. It is tannic and spicy with a long finish.

Pairs well with lamb, Mediterranean dishes. $19 .99

Barrique Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California, Varietal: Pinot Noir Alc. 13%

Barrique’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir encompasses cool-climate vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Carneros AVAs. The blend also includes fruit from the Roses Estate Vineyard on Olivet Road, which is near icons like Martinelli. Once harvested, the fruit is gently transferred by gravity to open-top fermenters, where it was fermented with 33% whole clusters for added depth and structure. The resulting wine balances brightly focused and intriguing fruit, with velvety yet firm tannins and lovely acidity. Deep red in the glass, the nose is full of ripe huckleberry, cedar, and vanilla spice. The texture is plush with a broad mouthfeel. Flavors of blackberry compote, fig jam, and caramelized sugar round out a long finish.

Pairs well with pork, stews, and mushroom dishes. $24.99

Muri Drinks, Copenhagen, Denmark

Muri Drinks is obsessed with flavor and relentless in its pursuit of a quality beverage that is complex and deeply satisfying, with or without alcohol, and with changing perceptions around the no- and low-alcohol space. Founded in 2020 by Murray Paterson, a UK expat living in Copenhagen, Muri is pushing the realm of possibility in non-alcoholic drinks through fermentation, foraging, and blending. Muri is informed and inspired by the gastronomic community in Copenhagen, particularly the city’s expertise in fermentation techniques. Muri crafts naturally non-alcoholic beverages without the aid of dealcoholization —a process that can strip flavor as well as alcohol— or the addition of flavor or coloring agents. Although the beverage is inspired by wine, Murray didn’t want to create a drink that was merely imitating something else. Muri is exclusively made with natural ingredients of verified provenance and utilizes ancient techniques to craft their natural, non-alcoholic drinks. Each batch is hand-made in their Copenhagen workshop in limited runs.

Muri Drinks Nuala

Muri’s red wine alternative is called Nuala, which means “beautiful” in Gaelic. It is a still, red beverage that blends a series of short fermentations to achieve its bright, gulpable profile. It is a cuvée of fermented blackcurrant piquette, red currant, French oak-aged kombucha, sloe berries, keemun tea, chamomile kefir, and fig leaf and pine kvass. The base of this blend is a blackcurrant piquette (fermented with pichia kluyveri yeast) which provides a structure of juicy fruit and tannins. This base is mixed with red currant juice, water kefir macerated with chamomile flowers, black tea, supernatant kombucha (which uses the liquid byproduct of brewing yeast production), kvass infused with fig leaves for texture, and pine needles. The drink is then macerated in French oak barrels to add depth and complexity. Nuala shows tart red berries, light tannins, and balanced acidity. Juicy and fresh, it has gentle forest-floor aromatics with tart red fruit, pine, fig, oak, and mushrooms on the nose, bright red acidity, and a gently tannic grip.

Serve slightly chilled. Pairs well with charcuterie, cheese, and ceviche. $32.99

Muri Drinks Passing Clouds

Passing Clouds is a sparkling cuvée of fermented gooseberries, quince kefir, jasmine tea, and woodruff and geranium kvass that blends a series of short fermentations to achieve its fresh, sparkling profile. Gooseberries are fermented with pichia kluyveri yeast before being enriched with organic gooseberry juice. The gooseberry wine lends acidity, and fermentation by pichia kluyveri yeast provides aromatic floral notes. Quince water kefir lends the fruit-forward palate, and organic, cold-brewed jasmine tea accentuates the aromatics. Finally, caramel malt is inoculated with sourdough starter and then infused with geranium and foraged woodruff to lend autolytic, toasty-brioche notes found in Champagne. The various layers are blended together in stainless steel tanks before being carbonated. Passing Clouds is dry, complex, and floral; sparkling and refreshing with bright acidity and a heady nose of flowers, honey, and ripe fruits.

Serve chilled. Pairs well with aromatic dishes, seafood, white rind cheese. $34.99