☘️ But first, St. Patrick's Day ☘️
Hours of Operation
Monday – Saturday
10am to 6pm
Calendar 🗓
March 11 (Saturday) - It’s Italian Saturday! Stop in anytime Saturday and enjoy another one of my favorite Italian soups. No need to google what this is... “this hearty fish stew dates back 500 years and like most old-school Italian dishes, was created to prevent unused fish scraps from going to waste, but nowadays recipes also call for fine finfish and shellfish. While preparations vary, cacciucco always bursts with flavor from the tomatoes, garlic, white wine, chili peppers, and fresh herbs that cook with the seafood. The beauty of cooking is that it's ever-evolving, so you can use this as a guide to creating your own. To uphold Livornese tradition, though, just make sure to use at least five different types of fish – one for each “c” in its name.” I’ll guarantee at least five types of seafood and will hold off on the peppers and let you decide the spice level. A full bowl of goodness and a big thick slice of toasted Tuscan bread to accompany. We'll have a couple other seafood specials as well, so make sure to stop by!
March 17 (Friday) - St. Patricks Day - We’ll be serving up Paddy’s Poutine all day long on this celebratory Friday! Irish Fries, Cheese Curds, and Corned Beef covered with our (soon-to-be) famous Irish Whiskey Gravy… and from our frozen drink machine, Five Farms Irish Cream!!!
March 25 (Saturday) - Lamb-O-Rama! It’s our annual event, no reservations required. Seasoned, Smoked, and Grilled Lamb served up with all the sides!
Store News 🏬
We’ve got quite a few events coming up this month that we hope you can join us for. These are some of the things we enjoy the most: sharing good food, great wines, and delicious beers in a welcoming atmosphere. Looking ahead, we haven’t nailed anything down yet for April, although I’m sure we’ll come up with something. We are, however, going to be needing some additional help with Oceana taking leave for her PCT trek, so… what I’m really getting to is that if you know of someone remotely interested in this industry, let them know that we’d really like to sit down with them and see if we could make this work. We’ve survived it all from fires to pandemics to loss of staff, but we still could use a little help now and then.
Wine News🍷
We’re slowly bringing in a few new wines (besides rosés), and we’ve put the word out that we would like to do a little change up in Spain, Argentina, and Chile. Domestically, there seems to be enough turnover to keep everyone happy, as these are the wines that more often than not are brought to us to sample. When you look at the rest of the world, it becomes a bit more trying. So, we’ve made the requests and we’re waiting to see who comes through for us.
Dan’s Feature ⭐️
We’ve got a new wine from Quilt this week, Quilt Threadcount Red Blend. This new wine from Joey Wagner is “dark cherry red with scarlet red highlights. Complex aromas of black raspberry, milk chocolate, and soft hints of sweet cedar. Bold flavors of boysenberry pie, sugar cookie, and toffee lead to subtle notes of strawberry jam and baking spice. The balanced and complex tannin structure creates a long-lasting enjoyable finish.” The Wagner family pretty much have it together and know how to craft wonderful wines that pretty much hit every budget. This new member to the line up sells for $24.99, and I think you’ll find it a bargain at this price. If you’re a Caymus, Quilt, or Wagner family fan, then this bottle is one you’re going to have to try. (PSA ⚠️ I brought a case in on Tuesday, and it immediately sold out! We have two more cases coming tomorrow.)
Dan’s Pick 🥂
My pick this week is such because the sun is actually shining in through my window today while I’m writing this. Kumusha 2022 rosé from South Africa is by winemaker Tinashe Nyamudoka, who never fails to impress! This bright and savory rosé is the newest addition to our Kumusha lineup. We’ve been carrying the Kumusha brand for at least the past year, and with the release of their 2022 rosé, we were very pleased to receive a few of these bottles. Tasting notes describe this as having “lots of flavours on the nose, mostly strawberry and a bit of crushed pomegranate. On the palate, you get a burst of bright red fruits, sour cherries and a hint of candy floss, perfectly complemented by a dry, crisp and very refreshing finish. A truly splendid wine for summertime, or even during a warm afternoon in the winter sun.” I’m really not sure what “candy floss” is, but hey, if that was what I tasted, then I’d really like to try some candy floss! A great backstory on the winemaker, a welcome addition to a group of well made wines, and the fact that it's South African makes this $17.99 2022 rosé a great bottle to settle into. See for yourself, c’mon down, pick up a bottle, and taste a little candy floss.
Food Feature (Lenten Specials) 🐟
Fresh in TODAY! Cod loins, one of the most versatile fish from the sea. Pan seared, baked, or deep fried, you can cook this in any manner you choose, and it’s always delicious. Personally, I like it best uncovered and baked in a rich tomato sauce with fresh garlic and olives (almost a puttanesca sauce) and served upon a bed of spinach. I look at it this way -- fresh fish and plenty of vegetables, it’s a wholesome meal, and maybe bottle of Italian red or white and a loaf of bread for scarpetta, and dinner is ready. Be it Portuguese, Italian, or Spanish in origin, who cares! They all make a variation of this, and if you try it out, you’ll understand why.
Oyster News 🦪
Fresh Acadian Pearls are back in this week and maybe just maybe a few Irish Points. Both of these share the cold waters of the PEI and are super fresh. Acadian Pearls are “nicely plump, crunchy but relatively lean, giving a slightly iodized and sweet flavor reminiscent of the best Mediterranean clams, the Acadian Pearl Oyster pleases everyone, from the connoisseur gourmet to the novice. A real gem, this treasure is buried for up to five years deep in Richibucto Bay, matured and purified in suspension for the last three weeks, before being carefully harvested and dispatched to the world’s finest tables.” These have become our staples, always super fresh, the perfect size, and obviously delicious! Additionally, we brought in another hundred... Thatch Island. These are high quality, select oysters from Barnstable, Massachusetts. They consistently have full, plump meats, and strong, sturdy shells that shuck well. We are proud to have these oysters in our lineup because they come to impress. These 3.5" average oysters are a briny bite with silky meat and a limestone finish -- suggested pairing, a cold IPA. Old favorites and new ones to try, nothing to complain about here.
Market Items 🐄
*Fresh PRIME Hand Cut Demkota Strip Steaks - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Wagyu Burgers 2pk - $8.99
*Fresh Double Cut Duroc Pork Chops - $12.99 per chop
Frozen Center Cut 8oz Beef Tenderloin Filets - $16.99
Frozen CAB Steak Burgers 4pk - $12.99
Frozen Pre-Cooked Frozen BBQ Ribs (approx. 3lb racks) - $23.99
Frozen Sliced Philly Cheese Steak Meat - $9.99/lb
Frozen Italian Sausages, 4 per pound - $8.99
Frozen Nueske Cheddar and Bacon Sausages 5 per pound - $9.99
Frozen Epic Curing Black Pepper Bacon - $14.99
Frozen Wagyu Burgers 4pk - $16.99
Frozen Marinated Pre-Cooked Pork Shank - $12.99
*Fresh PEI Oysters - $24 a dozen
*Fresh Faroe Island Salmon - $18.99/lb
*Fresh #1 Grade Tuna - $29.99/lb
*Fresh Cod Loin - $18.99/lb
Frozen Chilean Sea Bass 6oz - $16.99
Frozen Bakkafrost Salmon Burgers (Spinach & Feta) 2pk - $10.99
Buddy’s Detroit Style Pizzas (Vegetable or Cheese) - $17.99
Frozen Ahi Saku Block Tuna AAA Sushi Grade avg. 10oz - $19.99
Frozen Lobster Tails - $9.99
Frozen U-16/20 Raw Shrimp deveined (1lb package) - $19.99/lb
Frozen U-10 Scallops - $29.99/lb
Fresh/Frozen Bacchini Paparedelle from Italy - $14.99/lb (serving for 2)
Fresh/Frozen Bacchini Strozzapreti from Italy - $14.99/lb (serving for 2)
Fresh/Frozen Bacchini Lobster & Crab Tortelli from Italy - $16.99 1/2 lb
Fresh/Frozen Bacchini Pear & Cheese Fiocchi from Italy - $7.99 1/2 lb
Fresh/Frozen Drake’s Pasta Ravioli (Veal or Butternut Squash) - $12.99/lb (serving for 2)
Frozen Surgital Gnocchi from Italy - $15.99/2.2lbs
1932’s Pasta Sauce (Arrabbiata, Pomodorina with Fresh Basil, Pomodorina with Barolo) - $7.99
Fusco Mezzi Rigatoni Dried Pasta from Italy - $6.99
Fusco Casarecce Dried Pasta from Italy - $5.99
Maurizio Spaghetti Chitarra Dried Pasta from Italy - $5.99
Maurizio Trofie Dried Pasta from Italy - $7.99
Tribeca Bakery (Asiago or Sourdough) Bread - $5.50
Orwashers Sourdough Bread - $13.99
New Wine 🍷
Quilt NV Thread Count Red Blend, Napa Valley - $24.99 (back in stock on Friday)
Krug Grand Cuvée 170ème Edition Brut - $270.99
Quady North 2022 Rosé, Rogue Valley, Oregon - $19.99
New Beers 🍺
New Holland Tales of Gold Dragons Milk, 4pk bottles - $17.99
Goliath Toppling Electric Dino Boogie DIPA, 4pk cans - $18.99
BRLO Rosé German Cider, 4pk bottles - $13.99
Flying Dog Nuclear Smile DIPA, 6pk bottles - $17.99
Founders Tropical Treasure Hazy IPA, 4pk cans - $10.99
War Pigs Light into Black German Style Pilsner, 6pk cans - $10.99
Sycamore Brewing Super Fresh Citrus Wheat, 4pk cans - $12.99
Stone Patio Magic DIPA, 6pk cans - $16.99
*RESTOCK* 3 Floyds Zombie Ice Imperial IPA, 6pk cans - $14.99
*RESTOCK* War Pigs Foggy Geezer Hazy IPA, 6pk cans - $12.99
Kegs - 1/6 Barrel 🛢
Ithaca Apricot Wheat - $109.99
Melvin Heyzeus Mexican Lager - $109.99
3 Floyds Zombie Ice Imperial IPA - $168.99
Coronado Weekend Vibes IPA - $121.99
Final Thoughts 💬
Three years ago, we were advertising, in this newsletter, our Friday and Saturday wine and beer tastings… and then everything was shut down. That was just 36 months ago. Why was I going back and looking at old final thoughts? I was lazy and planning on recycling a bit, and before I knew it, there I was revisiting a period of time that many of us will always remember. Normal never returned, and a new normal took hold. Is it better? I don’t know. Do I miss the way things were 36 months ago? In some cases, you bet, but in others, not so much. What I have taken from this period is that I’m very grateful and proud of the fact that this business came through to the other side. The Wine Merchant has been a staple in town for close to 50 years, and my goal has always been and remains to be that this business continues to function as it always has… a friendly place to learn, purchase, and enjoy that which we bring to you. I shopped at the Wine Merchant over forty years ago and can only hope that there will be those that will still be shopping here 40 years from now. Can’t help it, after all, I’m a History teacher. I believe it’s always good to take a look at where you’ve come from, and, of course, where you are. And you know what? I’m pretty happy about both.
Cheers from all of us here at the Wine Merchant!
📞 419-424-0391