All that glitters is not gold...
- Dan Matheny
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
It's Champagne. At least here it is.
Hours of Operation
Monday - Tuesday, 10am to 6pm
Wednesday - Saturday, 10am to 8pm
Bar closing at 5pm on Saturday
Calendar 🗓
December 6 (Saturday) - Champagne Tasting! Reservations required. Bar closing early 5pm and the store at 6pm. (FULL)
December 13 (Saturday) - Second Saturday Soup Special: Chicken Enchilada Soup
December 25 (Thursday) - Closed for Christmas.
News 🗞
December is here and we are accepting orders for the December holidays, be it wine, kegs, charcuterie, oysters, ham, large amounts of salmon, or anything in between. We will also have a selection of the following items available on a first come, first serve basis: Wagyu Prime Rib and Ribeyes at $34.99/lb, Choice Prime Rib (Boneless or Bone-In) at $20.99/lb, American Kobe Strip Loin at $24.99/lb, Whole Beef Tenderloins at $19.99/lb, and 20lb of King Crab. I'm only doing one or maybe two large orders of these items, so give us a call if you're interested, and let us know sooner rather than later because prices are going up even as we speak. Don't forget we're also available to host a holiday brunch, lunch, dinner, or happy hour here in our bar and/or back room spaces, so let us know if you'd like to book something. We're more than happy to work with you. Speaking of events, just a note that the bar will be closing at 5pm and the store at 6pm this Saturday as we are holding our annual Champagne Tasting. No food specials this weekend because this event is taking up all of our time and energy... at least I'm saying that for now. If you are signed up for the tasting, we will see you there. Come hungry and thirsty, and hopefully we'll get you out of here in time for the big game.
Wine Feature ⭐️
One of our current favorites... we brought this in after loving it at a tasting, and then it was out of stock for a full month, but it's back: Alto Moncayo 2021 Barambán, $34.99. We've always loved the wines from Alto Moncayo. The winery was founded in 2002 in Northeast Spain with the goal of making Garnacha (AKA Grenache) a world-renowned grape. If you've tried any of the wines they produce, I think you'd agree they're succeeding... they have some truly old-vine Grenache there that would knock your socks off. The "locos por el vino" (meaning "crazy for wine") line that this bottle is a part of is a new line with wines from the winery's younger vineyards, in this case 15-35 years old. With 92 points from Wine Enthusiast, this 50-50 blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo made in old-world Rioja style has "aromas of cassis, cocoa powder and lavender. A sheath of silky tannins supports purple plum, caramel and baking spice flavors that evaporate into a bright cherry finish." Even better than the description is the name... "Barambán" encapsulates a concept of movement and rest occurring simultaneously, or "the never-ending party that continues after the hustle & flow." A never-ending party, you say...
Wine Pick 🥂
We were able to get our hands on one more of the Top 100 wines this year, Banfi 2023 Centine Toscana Rosso, only $14.99 a bottle and #28 on the list. The Centine is named after an 18th century farmhouse that serves as the gateway to the Banfi property, and so fittingly this is an introductory bottle to Banfi's wines. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese from the southern hills of Tuscany, this wine has notes of ripe cherry, blackberry, and boysenberry, with hints of vanilla and herbs on the palate, and a great acidity to balance it out on the finish. It's a very versatile bottle that will pair with almost anything, and obviously it won't break the bank. Banfi is also internationally recognized for their environmental and social stewardship as well as their customer service, so no qualms in buying from them.
Oysters 🦪
Acadian Pearls and Avonlea Petites this week. Acadian Pearls from New Brunswick are larger, "nicely plump, crunchy but relatively lean, giving a slightly iodized and sweet flavor reminiscent of the best Mediterranean clams." I'm not sure we've had the Avoneleas before... from PEI, they are smaller, "an ideal cocktail oyster with a delicate sea-foam brine, an aroma of sea stones at low tide and an earthiness that comes through with a light creamy finish."
Food Feature 🥩
One of the items we ordered in for the holidays is American Kobe Strip Loin. Most people don't know strip loin is good for anything besides cutting into strip steaks, but you can prepare it like prime rib and get a tender, juicy end product. My choice would be similar to this recipe from Epicurious where you apply a fresh garlic and herb paste to the meat, let it rest for a few hours, and then roast in the oven. Doesn't get much better.
Market Items 🛒 *holiday items available to order*
Wagyu Prime Rib/Ribeye - $34.99/lb
Choice Prime Rib (Boneless or Bone-In) - $20.99/lb
American Kobe Strip Loin - $24.99/lb
Whole Beef Tenderloins - $19.99/lb
King Crab - Price available at request
Fresh Faroe Islands Salmon - $18.99/lb
Fresh Oysters - $24/dozen
Sea Wings Sustainably Sourced Crab Claw Meat, 1lb - $24.99
Frozen Sy Ginsberg's Beef Salami, 2lb - $19.99
Frozen Hanger Steaks, 1/2lb - $14.9
Frozen Center Cut Boneless Dry-Aged CAB Strips, 14oz - $18.99 (2 remaining)
Frozen Wagyu Baseball Steaks, 6oz - $10.99 (2 remaining)
Frozen Center Cut Beef Tenderloin Filets, 8oz - $16.99
Frozen Beef Tenderloin, 6oz 2pk - $18.99
Frozen Whole Beef Tenderloin, Double - $18.99/lb
Frozen Little Town Jerky Fully Cooked Rare Beef Tri-Tip - $15.99/lb
Frozen Pounded Veal Leg Cutlets, 1lb (4 per pack) - $18.99
Frozen Ground Veal, 2lb - $21.99
Frozen Veal Rack, 6-bone - $31.99/lb
Frozen Lamb Rack - $20.99/lb
Frozen Dearborn Spiral Ham -$54.99
Frozen Pre-Cooked St. Louis Ribs - $29.99
Frozen All-Natural Berkshire Pork Tenderloin, 14oz - $13.99
Frozen Cooked Pork Osso Bucco, 16oz - $9.99
Frozen Cooked Marinated Pork Shank, 16oz - $9.99
Frozen Tender Belly Cherry Wood Smoked & Dry Rubbed Uncured Bacon, 2.5lb - $19.99
Frozen Duroc Dry Aged Bone-In Pork Chops, 14oz - $16.99
Frozen Artistan Bratwurst (Mushroom & Parsley), 4pk - $10.99
Frozen Greco Italian Sausage, 4pk - $12.99
Frozen Saku Block Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna, 8-10oz - $19.99
Frozen Portico Peeled & Deveined Jumbo Shrimp - $18.99/lb
Frozen Portico Bikini Shrimp, 2lb - $27.99
Frozen U-10 Scallops - $32.99/lb
Frozen Lobster Tails (4oz), 2pk - $25.99
Frozen Sam Adams Beer-Battered Cod - $5.99/lb
Frozen Massa Sicilian Style Pizza (Pepperoni or Roasted Veggie) - $15.99
Frozen Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges - $8.99
Frozen Au Gratin Potatoes, 4pk - $9.99
Fresh/Frozen Drake’s Pasta Veal Ravioli - $14.99/lb (serving for 2)
Fresh/Frozen Drake’s Pasta Butternut Squash Ravioli - $12.99/lb (serving for 2)
Frozen Bake House Artisan Multi-Grain Bread - $4.99
Frozen Miner's Demi Glace - $9.99
Frozen French Macarons, 12pk - $9.99
Frozen Brittany Blend Mixed Vegetables, 2lb - $8.99
New Wine🍷
Banfi 2023 Centine Toscana Rosso, Italy - $14.99 (#28 wine of 2025)
Collemassari 2021 Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore, Italy - $137.99
New Beer & More 🍺
Weyerbacher Blasphemy BBA Belgian Quad, 4pk bottles - $22.99
Sierra Nevada Celebration American Pale Ale, 6pk cans - $11.99
Great Lakes Christmas Ale, 6pk bottles - $12.99
Kegs - 1/6 Barrel 🛢
Masthead Sleigh All Day IPA - $121.99
Heart State Winter Break Hazy IPA - $121.99
Forbidden Root Sumava Czech Lager - $134.99
Final Thoughts 💬
Well we made it through Thanksgiving over here. How about you? I hope you enjoyed your holiday and ate and drank some tasty things. If you were one of the many who traveled during what was supposedly the busiest travel holiday ever, I am sorry. Now winter has blasted in and the march towards Christmas begins...
Cheers from all of us here at the Wine Merchant!
📞 419-424-0391