“Baby's brain and an old man's heart
Took eighteen years to get this far
Don't always know what I'm talkin' about
Feels like I'm livin' in the middle of doubt”
'Cause I'm
Eighteen
I get confused every day
Eighteen
I just don't know what to say
Eighteen
I gotta get away…
A bit of Wine Merchant history: Tomorrow, 18 years ago, was our very first Wine Tasting!
It was our 4th day of business…
A lot has changed during these past eighteen years. Besides the obvious, fires, floods, pandemics and staffing, there remains an unchanged mission that we began with:
“Our goal at The Wine Merchant is to create a friendly, non-threatening environment where fine wines, beers and gourmet food items can be enjoyed by the community. By demystifying the wine buying experience, we hope to educate those willing to listen and learn. And for those who would rather just drink and enjoy - well, you’re more than welcome to do just that”.enjoy – well, you’re more than welcome to do just that.
Hours of Operation
Monday - Tuesday, 10am to 6pm
Wednesday - Saturday, 10am to 8pm
Calendar
September 6 (Friday) - 18th Anniversary Wine Tasting 🥂
September 14 (Saturday) - An Evening with Usiglian ✨ Wines from Usiglian del Vescovo and Italian fare to accompany it. No reservations required.
September 28 (Saturday) - Oktoberfest Dinner... There are just a few spots remaining, so give us a call.
WINE NEWS…
We were building wine racks, tasting and ordering wine 18 years ago and one thing that hasn’t changed is the tasting and ordering of wine. This week…it’s all about the bargains! We’re always looking for a bargain and no one likes a bargain better than myself. I stumbled upon one a few weeks ago, and 11 cases went out the door in the 36 hours. This week we came across a couple more, the first which we’ve been carrying for years is St. Sulpice 2020 Bordeaux Blanc, besides being a great little bottle of wine at $17.99 it’s much, much better at $8.99! That’s right a case of this great tasting French white for less than $100.00 and when they’re gone, they’re gone… Now on to #2, Terramata Barbera D’Alba. This wine has been retailed regulary at $15.99 for quite some time, we thought we had it at a true bargain at $9.99 but now we were able to bring it in at $7.99 half the original price! This wine is a fine example of the renowned Barbera grape variety that thrives in the picturesque vineyards of the Alba region in Piedmont, Italy. This wine embodies the rich tradition and passion of Italian winemaking, offering a delightful sensory journey for wine enthusiasts. Terramata Barbera d’ Alba showcases a deep, ruby-red color, inviting you to explore its vibrant character. Thus making it another that’s well under that $100 per case price. I like bargains and I like them even more when I get to share them with you…
Dan’s Wine Feature
Now we turn to the best of the bargains… I love it when a distributor asks if I’d like to make a deal. Normally this wine sells for over $120 per bottle, I whittled them down so that I could have it here for you at $54.99! Davis Vineyards 2016 Estate Cabernet is my feature for this week. “Davis Estates is a historic property in Calistoga, notable for its enormous windmill and sensitively designed barn and winery which emerge stylishly from the hillside. The estate includes an elaborate network of caves for barrel aging and storage, as well as distinct hillside vineyard blocks which are sustainably farmed. Our 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is brilliant dark ruby in color. Heady aromas of cassis, blackberries, cocoa, black current and caramel dominate the nose. The impressive entry and concentrated mouthfeel have a surge of ripe dark fruit, tobacco and baker’s chocolate that lead to plush tannins and a long powerful finish. This is an impressive wine that offers great value in Napa Cabernet Sauvignon”. There weren’t that many to get, 18 in total and you guessed it I bought them all and have been doling them out to those I think would appreciate them and rather than continuing that practice I have a few left for an anniversary bargain. If Cabs are your jam then this bottles for you!
Dan’s Wine Pick
William Fevre Champ Royaux 2022 Chablis, hey it’s my anniversary so I’m choosing one of my favorites. This Chablis became a favorite a few years ago when I was fortunate enough to be traveling in France. Doing one of the things I like best is traveling town to town following their market days, visiting various boucheries , fromageries, boulangeries, patisseries and of course either vineyards or fine wine shops. After a hard day of acquiring the essentials for that nights dinner I happened to have grabbed a bottle of Chablis that I thought would compliment the meal and you guessed it it was William Fevre, not the Champ Royaux, I had purchased a Fourchame Vineyard one of their Grand Crus. To say that it was delicious is such an understatement. I asked everyone to stop what they were doing and taste this exquisite wine. We were all kind of amazed at what we were drinking and all most certain that we’d never be able to get this in the states…Surprisingly it was and still is available, while that bottle tips the scales at around $100 Champs Royaux comes in at $44.99, maybe not your everyday chardonnay but for that special occasion it’s hard to find anything as good as this show stopper.
FOOD NEWS
Tailgate season is on… Bratwurst, Italian Sausage, Burgers and of course Wagyu dogs are whats on order for the near future. We can pretty much take care of any type of tailgate you’re headed to. Chips, crackers cheeses and assorted spreads await your weekend adventures. Soon to be available will be some great seasonal products that will make a memorable Fall dinner for you and yours.
Food Feature of the Week
We’re bringing in some new burgers this week, there was never anything wrong with the Wagyus but we wanted to try something a little different and new. Prime Black Angus Chuck Blend 8oz burgers 4 to a pack for $12.99. We’ve been told that these are a must have so that’s what were bringing in this week!
Market Items 🛒
*Fresh CAB Ribeyes - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Wagyu Hanger Steaks, 2pk (1lb) - $29.99
*Fresh North Atlantic Salmon - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Prime Black Angus Chuck Burgers 4pk - $12.99
*Fresh Framoni Italian Sausage 1lb pack - $8.99
*Fresh Oysters - $24/dozen
Frozen Michigan Family Farms Whole Chicken - $22.99
Frozen Michigan Family Farms Amish Skin-On Boneless Chicken Thighs, 2.2lb - $15.99
Frozen Boneless Skin-On Chicken Leg & Thigh, 2pk - $6.99
Frozen 6oz Center Cut Filet Mignon, 2pk - $18.99
Frozen Dry-Aged Prime Strip Steak - $25.99/lb
Frozen Whole Beef Tenderlion, 6-7lb - $76.99ea
Frozen Choice Whole Tenderloin - $25.99/lb
Frozen Cooked Osso Bucco Demi-Glace Pork Shanks, 1.5lb - $14.99
Frozen Center Cut Beef Tenderloin Filets, 8oz - $16.99
Frozen Sakura Bone-In French 10-Bone Pork Racks - $8.99/lb
Frozen Duroc Dry Aged Bone-In Pork Chops, 14oz - $8.99
Frozen Duroc Bone-In Pork Chop, Single - $6.99
Frozen Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin - $12.99
Frozen Pre-Cooked St. Louis Ribs - $29.99
Frozen Catelli Ground Veal, 2lb - $11.99
Frozen Lamb Rack, 2lbs - $49.99
Frozen Black Pepper Bacon - $14.99
Frozen Wagyu Dogs, 5pk - $13.99
Frozen Bratwurst, 5pk - $8.99
Frozen Rinaldi Italian Sausage, 5pk - $8.99
Frozen Ahi Saku Block Tuna AAA Sushi Grade, avg. 16oz - $19.99
Frozen Chilean Sea Bass, 6oz - $16.99
Frozen U-13/15 Raw Jumbo Shrimp Deveined (2lb package) - $39.99
Frozen U-10 Scallops - $29.99/lb
Frozen Lobster Tails, 2pk - $35.99
Frozen Buddy’s Detroit Style Pizzas (Cheese) - $17.99
Frozen Massa Sicilian Style Pizza (Italian Sausage or Roasted Vegetable) - $14.99
Frozen Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges - $8.99
Frozen Au Gratin Potatoes, 4pk - $9.99
Fresh/Frozen Shrimp & Roasted Garlic Ravioli - $10.99 (serving for 2)
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
Six Barrels available:
Troegs Dream Weaver Wheat $109.99
Clown Shoes Space Cake DIPA $168.99
Outerbelt 270 IPA $114.99
Schlafly Oktoberfest $108.99
Wine
Chateau Buena Vista Cellars 2020 Napa Cabernet $39.99
Frank Family Vineyards 2021 Napa Cabernet $65.99 Treasure Hunter Totem Pinot Noir 2022 Willamette Valley $24.99
Treasure Hunter School Night Red Blend 2021 California $14.99
J. Bookwalter Readers Red NV Columbia Valley $19.99
Moon River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 Paso Robles $24.99
Beers
No new beers this week.
Final Thought
Signed a new lease agreement a week or so ago which means we’ll probably make it to 19. I never thought when we began that I would still be here this many years later but I’m quite happy that I am. Besides the business bringing me pleasure the staff that I have here makes it pretty easy to enjoy as well, customers (this means you) are always at the heart of why I’m/we’re still here. Retirement, ehhhh… I tried it for a year didn’t fit so well, I need to be around people and like it or not you’re those people. Hope to see you tomorrow…
Cheers from all of us here at The Wine Merchant
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