Must-Sip Summertime Wines by Leigha Staffenhagen
Stuff away your puffy coat, dust off your finest Washington socks and sandals and get ready for long sunny walks on your favorite beach – summer is here in Skagit Valley! And what’s a better way to welcome the warm weather than a picnic with your friends and family? At the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, we have everything you need to toss together a charcuterie picnic on-the-go: organic crackers and bread, local cheeses, spreads, and sauces, artisan meats, local organic fruits and veggies, and of course, an embarrassment of unique wines from around the world. If you find yourself in the Co-op pondering the perfect pour for your next summer outing, we’ve got you covered with some warm weather wine suggestions compliments of our very own Wine Department Manager! The only question that remains, is will you Rosé All Day or Wine About It?
Our well stocked wine aisle
Kind Stranger Rosé: If you’re looking for a local wine that features local artists on the label and gives back to the community, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better pick. During COVID, this winery gave back a portion of sales to the Restaurant Workers Guild, supporting those who were out of work at the time. This rosé is pale, dry, and crisp, and has notes of sour cherry, watermelon, and bubble gum. Famega Vinho Verde: A Co-op favorite for a reason, this bright and affordable wine from Portugal has a fruity aroma and a slightly spritzy feel. It’s on the dry, crisp side, making it a good accompaniment to a DIY charcuterie board. La Croix Belle Syrah Grenache Rosé: A French rosé perfect for the summer, this pick pairs well with salads, fish, appetizers, and of course, picnic snacks! Dry, yet fruity, this rosé blend is made up of Syrah and Grenache varietals and has notes of strawberry and rhubarb. Backyard Pinot Gris: Dry, yet fruity, this pinot gris from Vancouver, BC features tropical notes of papaya, nectarine, and guava. It pairs well with cured meat, making it a wonderful companion to a picnic basket. Faim De Loup Unoaked Syrah: If rosé or white wine isn’t your style, we’ve got a red that’s still a great option for the summer. Succulent, juicy, fruity, and spicy, this Syrah checks all the boxes without being too much at once. An approachable wine with aromas of cherry, blackberry, and plum, pair it with hard cheeses or barbecue food. Richard Bocking Pinot Blanc: An easy to drink white wine with a clean and crisp palate, this Pinot Blanc goes well with practically any food and has a bright acidity that screams summer. This winery has roots dating back to the early 1600s, and the family still practices traditional winemaking techniques, utilizing only naturally-occurring yeast. Opta Branco Dao: A tropical and balanced white wine with subtle flavors of lemon curd, this summer wine has an incredible mouth-watering acidity and savoriness. It also has floral aromatics that come from the indigenous grapes of Encruzado.
Kind Stranger Rosé
Cheers to warm and sunny weather, strolls along the river, and all the long overdue picnics with the people you love most!
vendor spotlight
A Kick of Spice from Seed to Sauce
by Leigha Staffenhagen
There are three types of people in this world: those who like their food as-is, those who like a little dash of hot sauce, and those who like their food so spicy that they shed actual tears over it. Some of these people like hot sauce on their eggs at breakfast, while others like theirs on top of everything, even ice cream. This article is for the people who need sauce! Whether you like a little bit of heat or a big ol’ dollop of fire, if you’re looking for a new hot sauce to spice up yo’ life, we’re totally digging locally-made Funky’s Hot Sauce right now. Handmade in Bellingham out of locally-sourced peppers, Funky’s prides itself on creating great tasting, well balanced sauces that offer more than just a spicy kick, but a mouthful of flavor, too. Founder Matt Mini is a Cali transplant, bringing with him the foundation of what has now turned into a family business. Matt has always had a love for both hot and sweet peppers alike, and in 2006 he started a small pepper farm in his 800-square foot backyard in Santa Rosa. As far as the fermentation step of hot sauce making goes, Matt picked up those skills while working at a brewery and was able to mix up all sorts of funky creations that his friends and family loved. Eight years later, with hours of practice under his belt, Matt and his family moved to Bellingham where he learned to grow peppers in a cooler climate, and in 2019 Funky’s was officially launched. While there are many things that makes
Funky’s special, what we really love is their dedication to sourcing local, non-GMO, mostly organic peppers for their sauces. All of their peppers are sourced from Seattlebased Charlie’s Produce distributors, with peppers coming from Alvarez Organic Farm in Eastern Washington throughout the summer. Even better, this summer, Matt plans to source from two local Skagit County Pepper Growers: Boldly Grown Farm and Southern Exposure Family Farm! If you’ve ever spent time browsing our produce or garden departments, you might be familiar with Funky's Hot Sauce both of those names (and faces!). Boldly Grown supplies our Produce Department with everything from Brussels sprout trees in the winter to a variety of greens in the summer. Southern Exposure provides us with late summer plant starts including organic peppers, specialty tomatoes, artichokes, and more. Jimmy at Southern Exposure is even growing some peppers exclusively for Funky’s, including the infamously-spicy Carolina Reaper. Offering three different hot sauce flavors with varying levels of heat, Funky’s has a sauce for everyone. Like a little sweetness with your heat? Try Liquid Sunshine. Do you like your hot sauce on the green end of the spectrum? Try Terra Luna! Or if you just like it nice and hot, give Stellar Fuzz a shot. No matter which sauce you go with, every bottle supports a local, familyowned business that has been working towards perfecting the art of sauce since 2006. Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2021 11
