Hey, I’m not smart enough to make these up: Navy Day, National No Bra Day, International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, World Thrombosis Day, and last but certainly not least, World Sight Day!
If you can’t find something to celebrate on the list, come on down and I’ll find another excuse for you to have a few today…
Hours of Operation
Monday – Saturday
10am to 6pm
Calendar 🗓
Nov 8 (Tues)- 2022 Alternative Dinner (Sold Out)
Nov 17 (Thurs) - Beaujolais Nouveau! Beef Bourguignon, Pisaladiere, and Baked Brie from noon to close to celebrate this year’s vintage release! No reservations required.
Nov 24 - Thanksgiving (Closed)
Dec 3 (Sat) - Our annual Champagne Tasting (Sold Out)
Dec 25 - Christmas Day (Closed)
And with that, we’re calling it a year…
Store News 🏬
I feel pretty good about some of the deals I found for this week: a true bargain on a Bordeaux, a new Italian food item that I never thought would make it to the States, and a very special cut of beef tenderloin. Alright, it doesn’t take much to get me excited. I hope you’ll come down and see for yourself why I’m pleased with this week’s foraging.
Wine News🍷
In the 11th hour, I’ve procured a few items that won’t be here until tomorrow. The first is Orin Swift Cellars “Mercury Head.” It’s been a few years since we’ve had that on hand, and as the flagship for this brand, I just always feel the need to have a few. The other is my feature for this week. After getting in a case (6 bottles), I called the distributor and told them I’d buy the inventory if there was any of these wines in Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Columbus, but unfortunately, there was no more to be had. While trying to concoct a new wine list for the bar, we’re turning over every stone and looking in everyone’s cellars, and as for this week, it appears to have paid off.
Dan’s Feature ⭐️
Chateau Clerc Milon 2016 Bordeaux is my feature for this week, which is literally a steal. This wine sells for between $150-$200 per bottle, and this week, we have it for $84.99! Clerc Milon, besides being a Grand Cru Classe Wine, is located between Mouton and Lafite — two of the most iconic Bordeaux produced and owned by the Rothschild Family. This second growth wine is described by Parker as having “55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carménère” and having a “deep garnet-purple color, and maintaining that this 2016 leaps from the glass with beautiful scents of chocolate-covered cherries, plum preserves and crushed blackcurrants with suggestions of lilacs, cardamom, underbrush and unsmoked cigars. While characterized as medium to full-bodied, the palate has a firm frame of finely grained tannins and seamless freshness lifting the perfumed fruit to a nice long finish.” Be it a Christmas present or for dinner Saturday night, it’s a great bargain, and with many notes describing it as best after 2023 or 2024, you’ve got plenty of time to decide when you’d like to open one up!
Dan’s Pick 🥂
My pick for this week is yet another rosé, Chateau de Pibarnon 2021 Bandol. I know, I know, I alluded to last week’s pick as being my last rosé, but I have to share one more with you. Pibarnon sits on a high hill in Bandol, looking out toward the Mediterranean. It is grown and harvested under the strong sun in a place that is both warm and breezy producing quite possibly the best rosé in the world. Pibarnon Rosé is known as a gastronomic wine, meaning that it pairs quite well with big, flavored dishes, be it any cuisine. Tasting notes describe this wine as “complex and fruity, while floral hints dominate the nose. Overtones of citrus fruit are also present, particularly pink grapefruit with its delicate aromas. The palate is rich and silky, with a refreshing, magnificent finish. This is a wine of good structure, texture and body.” A rosé for all 4 seasons, refreshing and fruity the first months, then more mineral, complex, long and structured afterwards. While not cheap at $38.99, it’s still the rosé for the end of this wonderful Rosé season.
Food News 📰
New Salmon starting tomorrow. We’ve purchased Canadian, Scottish and Norwegian. All were fantastic, but the ability to have a consistent supplier became too much of an issue. Our supplier (and thus the Wine Merchant) will begin to consistently bring in each week Fresh Salmon from the Faroe Islands. Actually, many of you have already had this Salmon, so we’re really excited about it. Next week, I’ll give a more detailed report on the origin and fishing practices for this operation. What I’m most excited about this week is one of our new pastas. Bacchini is our Fresh/Frozen Pasta that comes in directly from Italy. There are a few new items they’ve brought in, but the newest to us is their Fiocchi Pasta. Trust me, I’ve looked and there’s no great translation for this pasta shape it’s called. So, let’s call it a little satchel that is filled with pear and cheese. This is the special of the house at one of my favorite restaurants in Florence (Quattro Leone) where they call it Pear Flake, and now it’s available here! We’re selling it by the half pound, and that’s approximately 20 pieces. These little morsels only need to be dropped into boiling water for a few minutes and then tossed in a little parmesan and pasta water to give you a true taste of Italy. It’s Fall, and some of our new food choices will pair with the season perfectly. We hope to see you soon…
Photo credit: Bayou Mama
Food Feature 📣
Morton’s 12oz Bone In Tenderloins are this week’s Food Feature, I’ll buy anything that was originally cut for Morton’s! Over the past year, I have taken advantage of Mortons cuts and have been nothing but pleased, and I’m sure these will not be an exception. Having not seen or eaten one of these before, I had to look up what one of these steaks even looked like, but once I did, I realized why they make a great presentation on the plate. Priced at $26.99 a steak is a fantastic deal for a 12oz cut such as these. I’m only bringing in 14 of these steaks, and they are frozen, so if you have a special meal coming up, this may be just what you want.
Market Items 🍤
*Fresh Prime Demokota Hand Cut Ribeyes - $19.99/lb
*Fresh Dry Aged Prime Creekstone Farms 12oz Ribeyes - $36.99
*Fresh Dry Aged Prime Creekstone Farms 12oz Strips - $39.99
*Fresh Wagyu Burgers 2pk - $8.99
*Fresh Double Cut Pork Chops - $12.99 per chop
Frozen Prime Whole Beef Tenderloins - $23.99/lb
Frozen Center Cut 8oz Beef Tenderloin Filets - $16.99
Frozen Mortons 12oz Bone-In Beef Tenderloin Filets - $26.99
Frozen Pre-Cooked Frozen BBQ Ribs - approx. 3lb racks $29.99
SALE! Frozen 8oz Pork Ribeyes - $8.99 NOW $5.00
SALE! Bacon Wrapped 5oz Pork Filets - $5.99 per filet NOW $3.50
Frozen Rinaldi Italian Sausage 4 per pound - $6.99
Frozen Nueske Cheddar and Bacon Sausages 5 per pound - $9.99
*Fresh Fortune Oysters PEI - $24 a dozen
*Fresh Faroe Island Salmon - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Atlantic Cod - $18.99/lb
Frozen Bakkafrost Salmon Burgers Spinach and Feta 2pk - $10.99
Buddy’s Detroit Style Pizzas Vegetable or Cheese - $17.99
Au Gratin potatoes 4-pack - $9.99
Frozen Chilean Sea Bass 6oz - $16.99
Frozen Ahi Saku Block Tuna AAA Sushi Grade avg. 14oz - $29.99
Frozen Lobster Tails - $12.99 each
Frozen U-16/20 Raw Shrimp deveined (1lb package) - $19.99/lb
Frozen U-10 Scallops - $29.99/lb
Frozen Fontinini Fully Cooked Meatballs - 6 2oz balls for $8.99
Fresh/Frozen Bacchini Paparedelle from Italy - $9.99/lb (serving for 2)
Fresh/Frozen Bacchini Strozzapreti from Italy - $9.99/lb (serving for 2)
Fresh/Frozen Bacchini Pear & Cheese Fiocchi from Italy - $7.99 1/2 lb
1932’s Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce - $7.99
1932’s Pomodorina with Fresh Basil Pasta Sauce - $7.99
1932’s Pomodorina with Barolo Pasta Sauce - $7.99
Fusco Mezzi Rigatoni Dried Pasta from Italy - $6.99
Maurizio Spaghetti Chitarra Dried Pasta from Italy - $5.99
Fusco Casarecce Dried Pasta from Italy - $5.99
Drakes Jumbo Ravioli (Veal or Butternut Squash) 1lb - $12.99
Tribeca Bakery (Asiago, Sourdough, or Rosemary) Bread - $5.50
New Wines🍷
Casanova di Neri 2017 Brunello di Montalcino, Italy - $74.99
Chateau Clerc Milon 2016 Grand Cru Bordeaux Pauillac, France - $84.99
Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragon 2020 Rosso di Montalcino, Italy - $29.99
Marc Herbert 2017 Special Club Champagne, France 1.5L - $248.99
H. Goutorbe 2008 Special Club Champagne, France - $114.99
Pierre Gimonnet 2015 Special Club Champagne, France - $111.99
New Beers🍺
Bell’s Christmas Ale 6pk btl - $11.99
Dogfish Head Wake Up World Wide Stout 4pk can - $35.99
Shiner Holiday Cheer 6pk btl - $9.99
Weihenstephaner Dunkel 16.9oz btl - $4.99
Three Floyd's Alpha Klaus 6pk btl - $12.99
Stevens Point Cookies & Cream Dessert Stout 6pk btl - $9.99
Prairie Strawberry Banana Squeeze 4pk can - $18.99
Troegs Hop Cyclone 4pk can - $14.99
Troegs Holidotz 4pk can - $12.99
Maine Fall 16.9oz btl - $7.99
Kegs - 1/6 Barrel🛢
Fat Head’s Groovy Juice IPA - $134.99
North High Lager - $109.99
Jackie O’s Firefly - $121.99
North Coast Scrimshaw - $134.99
Final Thoughts 💬
This weekend marks the middle of October. I pretty much like anything Fall. Well, harvest season and the cutting of the fields wreaks havoc with my allergies, and I’m really not that big a fan of Halloween, but you take away those couple of things and it’s my season. Part of me thinks that it’s still summer because I still have my grill running, and I keep buying great steaks for the grill, and the other part says buy more big reds and stouts and bring on the Pasta! Maybe after all that’s why I enjoy this season… we still get to enjoy a little summer and a little Fall at the same time. Either way, we’re prepared for it. You want steaks and chops, we’ve got them. A great Pasta dish not only inspired in Italy but from Italy, well, we have that too. Stop in, say hi, and pick up a few of whatever this season is speaking to you.
Cheers from all of us here at The Wine Merchant!
📞 419-424-0391