Back from a week in Hawaii, and I must say... it's not a warm welcome.
Hours of Operation
Monday - Tuesday, 10am to 6pm
Wednesday - Saturday, 10am to 8pm
Calendar 🗓
January 18 (Saturday) - Saturday Food Special, BBQ Pork Nachos, all day while supplies last.
January 25 (Saturday) - OYSTER DAY! This is not a national holiday, but it sure is official here. One day, one thousand oysters, so make your plans now. More details to come.
February 7 (Friday) - Winter Art Walk! Bar open until 9pm, Wine Tasting in the store from 5-7pm.
February 8 (Saturday) - Second Saturday, details TBD.
February 14 (Friday) - Valentine's Day Dinner, reservations required. Few seats remaining!
News 🗞
Well I'm back and ready to rock. Following some much needed sleep... I didn't sleep at all on that flight. What a waste of a lay-down seat... but back to the grind this weekend with a weekend food special. No, no Soup Saturday this week... SMOKED Saturday. We'll be having Smoked BBQ Pork Nachos, with tender pork shoulder, creamy cheese, jalapeños (optional but recommended), green onions, and sour cream, all on top of our salty Fiesta Grande tortilla chips. All day Saturday while supplies last. And don't forget, next Saturday, the 25th, is our second annual Bonus Oyster Day. We will have special oysters, special glass pours, and special prices, so make sure it's on your calendar and your friends and family have been notified. I can't eat 1000 oysters myself... but I might be willing to die trying.
Wine Feature ⭐️
This week's feature is Longridge Wine Estate 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, another wine by esteemed South African winemaker, Jasper Raats. Raats has studied and worked all over the world, from California to France to New Zealand, and specializes in organic and biodynamic wines. This bottle from his native South Africa (Stellenbosch, to be specific) is no exception. After being handpicked and sorted not once but twice so that only the very best fruit remains, the grapes are aged for 22-24 months in French oak. What this creates is a supple Cab with an impressively stern backbone. Ripe plum on the rose follows beautifully onto the palate with notes of black cherry, blackcurrant, and a touch of tobacco, with silky tannins and a lenthy finish. If you are a fan of California Cabernet Sauvignons, I suggest you give this $33.99 bottle a try.
Wine Pick 🥂
It's cold. I'm picking another red. Estancia Mendoza 2021 Kadabra Malbec out of (surprise, surprise) Mendoza, Argentina. Estancia Mendoza sources their grapes from small family producers throughout the Mendoza region, which is the largest producer of Malbec in the world. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental with extreme temperature variations, perfect for the Malbec grape. It creates a Malbec that is bigger with more character and complexity than Malbecs grown elsewhere. With 91 points from James Suckling, this bottle has an intense nose of ripe berries, medium to full body, and notes of blackberry, plum, and a hint of pepper, with good balance and soft, elegant structure. It's a nicely priced bottle at $15.99, so it's an easy choice for a meal, a social gathering, or just a Friday night.
Food Feature 🇮🇹
If you're a fan of the frozen ravioli that we have, we have a new one in this week: Spinach & Cheese Ravioli, around 1lb for just $10.99. This is an egg pasta stuffed with ricotta, romano, and parmesan cheeses and a good dose of spinach for those vitamins and beautiful color. We cooked it up with butter and garlic, but try it with any of the three Italian pasta sauces that we have in the store from Mutti. A great option for vegetatians (or upcoming Lent), delicious for everybody.
Market Items 🛒
*Fresh Choice Ribeyes - $18.99/lb
*Fresh North Atlantic Salmon - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Short Rib Burgers, 4pk - $13.99
*Fresh Oysters - $24/dozen
Canned Lump Crab, 1lb - $26.99
Frozen 6oz Filet Mignon, 2pk - $18.99
Frozen Center Cut Beef Tenderloin Filets, 8oz - $16.99
Frozen Chuck Prime Burgers, 5pk - $14.99 Frozen Pre-Cooked St. Louis Ribs - $29.99
Frozen Cooked Demi-Glace Pork Shank, 1.5lb - $14.99 Frozen Cooked Osso Bucco, 16oz - $9.99
Frozen Berkshire Pork Tenderloins, ~1lb - $12.99
Frozen Duroc Dry Aged Bone-In Pork Chops, 14oz - $16.99
Frozen Pounded Veal Cutlet - $18.99/lb
Frozen Weisswurst Veal Sausage - $8.99/lb
Frozen Rinaldi Italian Sausage, 5pk - $8.99
Frozen U-13/15 Raw Jumbo Shrimp Deveined (2lb package) - $39.99
Frozen U-10 Scallops - $29.99/lb
Frozen Lobster Tails (4oz), 2pk - $25.99
Frozen King Crab (6-9s) - $42.99/lb
Frozen Massa Sicilian Style Pizza (Italian Sausage or Roasted Vegetable) - $14.99
Frozen Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges - $8.99
Frozen Au Gratin Potatoes, 2pk - $5.99
Fresh/Frozen Cheese Ravioli, 1lb - $9.99
Fresh/Frozen Spinach & Cheese Ravioli, 1lb - $10.99
Fresh/Frozen Drake’s Pasta Ravioli (Veal or Butternut Squash) - $12.99/lb (serving for 2)
Tribeca Oven Bread (Sourdough) - $5.50
Brioche Hamburger Buns - $3.99
Brioche Hot Dog Buns - $3.99
French Macarons, 12pk - $8.99
Miner's Demi Glace - $9.99
New Wine🍷
Longridge Wine Estate 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa - $33.99
Sandy Giovese NV Vino Blanco 3L, Italy - $31.99 (90+ points premium, eco-friendly boxed wine)
Sandy Giovese NV Vino Rosso 3L, Italy - $31.99 (90+ points premium, eco-friendly boxed wine)
New Beer & More 🍺
Juniper Brewing Wading in a Velvet Sea Hazy IPA, 4pk cans - $14.99
Juniper Brewing Scarlet Begonias Berry Hard Cider, 6pk cans - $12.99
Juniper Brewing Seven Story Mountain Oatmeal Stout, 6pk cans - $12.99
Tröegs Nugget Nectar Imperial Amber Ale, 6pk bottles - $13.99
3 Floyds Zombie Ice Double IPA, 6pk cans - $13.99
Great Lakes Chillwave Double IPA, 6pk cans - $12.99
Columbus Brewing Peel Pusher Imperial Hazy IPA, 6pk cans - $12.99
Kegs - 1/6 Barrel 🛢
Wiedemann's Royal Amber Ale - $109.99
Coronado Weekend Vibes IPA - $135.99
Sonder Voss Kölsch - $109.99
Country Boy Shotgun Wedding Brown Ale - $109.99
Final Thoughts 💬
Well after a week on the Hawaiian Islands, I am back and not too happy about it, as you can imagine. Of course I have some memories to share. 1) For those of you who were asking, I was in Waikiki. It was beautiful, but if I go to Hawaii again, I'd pick a different island. 2) I managed to find my favorite drink, Cutwater Margaritas (for sale here at the Wine Merchant, of course), which I enjoyed daily on my balcony overlooking the Pacific. Hey, you like what you like. 3) Remember when I went to Mexico and bought a timeshare? Well...... I did not buy into that Buddhist temple, but it was a stunning place to visit. 4) I have a new favorite dish. It's simply buttered garlic shrimp with garlic rice and a ton of fresh sliced garlic on top. So simple, so incredible, so much garlic. I will probably be recreating that down here soon... bring some breath mints.
Until then, cheers from all of us here at the Wine Merchant!
📞 419-424-0391