Double the holiday, double the fun
- Dan Matheny
- 11 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Valentine's Day followed closely by Fat Tuesday...
Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!!
Hours of Operation
Monday - Tuesday, 10am to 6pm
Wednesday - Saturday, 10am to 8pm
Closing early 2/14 (store at 6pm, bar at 5pm) for a private event
Calendar 🗓
February 14 (Saturday) - Valentine's Day Dinner, 6-8pm. Reservations required (FULL). Closing early -- bar at 5pm and store at 6pm.
February 17 (Tuesday) - Our annual Fat Tuesday at the Wine Merchant! Dan's famous Dumbo, Hot Muffaletta Dip, Nola Oysters, and Frozen Slurricanes.
February 20 (Friday) - Lenten Special: Lobster Bisque... in Bread Bowls!
February 27 (Friday) - Lenten Special: Garlic Shrimp & Rice
News 🗞
Well it is finally upon us... are you prepated for Valentine's Day this weekend??? I've been warning you for weeks, so hopefully you didn't forget. If you did, not to worry... we'll be here to assist. We've got bottles on theme for the holiday, high quality Champagnes and reds that would make the perfect gift, and the sweet stuff to pair with chocolate of course. Whatever you need, we've got it. If you're planning on cooking a nice meal, we've got that too. Fresh Salmon, Fresh Hanger Steaks, Fresh Oysters, Fresh Cod, 1lb Lobster Tails, King Crab, and more. There's something for every palate. If you're interested in a quick and easy meal to prepare at home, give us a call or stop on in, and we can put that together for you. And by the way, I now know that Galentine's Day exists, so this all applies to that too. We celebrate everything around here. Including of course Fat Tuesday, which is coming up soon... next week, in fact. Hope to see you here Tuesday for my Dumbo, Hot Muffaletta Dip, Nola Oysters, and Frozen Slurricanes. One of the most fun days of the year by far. Bring your beads, your masks, maybe a King cake or a beignet, and join us!
Wine Feature ⭐️
It's a special one this week... the Goldschmidt 2023 Chelsea Merlot. I don't want to hear it about Sideways, okay... Whether or not you're a Merlot person, this is a solid wine, and you should give it a try. If you don't know Nick Goldschmidt, he's a winemaker that hails from New Zealand but has worked making wine there, Australia, Argentina, Chile, and now Napa and Sonoma. This bottle is named after one of his five children and comes to us from Alexander Valley in California where the combination of climate and soil create an environment where Merlot grapes can really thrive without overextending themselves. "This is a deep and pretty intense take on Merlot, with aromas of black plum, cassis, cinnamon, and coffee dominating the nose. The palate is rich and weighty, with rich tannin balanced by vibrant acidity and flavors of roasted cherries, spiced plum compote, licorice, and mint echoing through the finish." I mean, could that possibly be bad? Not to mention it got a nice 92 point rating and is only $26.99. And before you ask... yes, Chelsea likes it.
Wine Pick 🥂
It is almost Valentine's Day, after all, so I have to go with the Stolpman Vineyards 2025 Love You Bunches Rosé, $19.99. It's not quite rosé season yet, but it's close... I mean we're going to hit 60 degrees next week, so why not. Stolpman Vineyards is in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, and they're known not just for their organic and sustainable practices but also for producing some of the most concentrated grapes in the region. This rosé, which is actually the first 2025 wine we got in this year, is 100% Central Coast Grenache. "Light- to medium-bodied and energetically fresh, the palate delivers crunchy red fruit—strawberry, raspberry, and blood orange—balanced by crisp lemon-lime acidity and a sleek, silky texture. The wine’s structural lift and dry profile make it exceptionally refreshing." Don't be fooled into thinking rosés are sweet... the best rosés are tart and crisp and leave you wanting more. This is a perfect introduction to 2025 wines.
Food Feature 🐟
You asked, we delivered... Fresh Cod this week! Fresh, never frozen North Atlantic Cod from North Shore, a high quality seafood company that offers fresh, daily caught fish and other products that are processed and packaged within hours to get here as fresh as possible. It's also sustainably sourced, so you can feel good about that too. With Lent coming up soon, I know many of you will need fresh fish, so here we go.
Oysters 🦪
Black Point & Irish Points. Black Points from Prince Edward Island are small to medium in size and are fantastic on the half shell due to their sweet & salty and almost buttery finish. They'd also be great baked because they are meaty and won't be overpowered by the topping. Irish Points from PEI are of course a favorite here, medium in size and clean, consistent, and balanced with a sweet, minerally flavor.
Market Items 🛒
Fresh Faroe Islands Salmon - $18.99/lb
Fresh Cod - $14.99/lb
Fresh Oysters - $24/dozen
Fresh Choice Hanger Steaks, 8oz-2pk - $29.99
Fresh Choice Ribeyes (Boneless & Bone-In) - $22.99/lb
Sea Wings Sustainably Sourced Crab Claw Meat, 1lb - $24.99
Frozen Hanger Steaks, 1/2lb - $14.99
Frozen Choice Bone-In Ribeyes, $22.99/lb
Frozen Wagyu Ribeyes, 12-14oz - $35.99
Frozen Center Cut Beef Tenderloin Filets, 8oz - $16.99
Frozen Beef Tenderloin, 6oz 2pk - $21.99
Frozen Whole Beef Tenderloin, 3.5lb - $100
Frozen Short Rib Burgers, 4pk - $15.99
Frozen Little Town Jerky Fully Cooked Rare Beef Tri-Tip - $15.99/lb
Frozen Australian Lamb Racks, ~1.5-1.75 lb - $39.99
Frozen Pounded Veal Leg Cutlets, 1lb (4 per pack) - $18.99
Frozen Ground Veal, 2lb - $21.99
Frozen Veal Rack - $32.99/lb (1 available)
Frozen Veal Chops - $30.99/lb
Frozen Pre-Cooked St. Louis Ribs - $29.99
Frozen All-Natural Berkshire Pork Tenderloin, 14oz - $13.99
Frozen Cooked Marinated Pork Shank, 16oz - $9.99
Frozen Duroc Dry Aged Bone-In Pork Chops, 14oz - $16.99
Frozen Skin-On Chicken Breast & Thigh, 2pk - $4.99/lb
Frozen Greco Italian Sausage, 4pk - $14.99
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 (5-6oz), 2pk - $25.99
Frozen 1lb Lobster Tail - $35.99
Frozen King Crab - $91.99/lb
Frozen Sam Adams Beer-Battered Cod - $5.99/lb
Frozen Massa Sicilian Style Pizza (Veggie) - $15.99
Frozen Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges - $8.99
Frozen Au Gratin Potatoes -$5.99 2pk / $9.99 4pk
Fresh/Frozen Drake’s Pasta Butternut Squash Ravioli - $12.99/lb (serving for 2)
Fresh/Frozen Drake's Pasta Veal Ravioli - $14.99/lb (serving for 2)
Fresh/Frozen Pear & Cheese Fiocchi - $18.99/lb (serving for 2)
Frozen Bake House Artisan Multi-Grain Bread - $4.99
Frozen Baker's Source Roasted Garlic Bâtard Bread - $7.99
Frozen Miner's Demi Glace - $9.99
Frozen Brittany Blend Mixed Vegetables, 2lb - $8.99
New Wine🍷
Clay Shannon 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County - $21.99
Starmont Vineyards 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast - $25.99
Textbook 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles - $26.99
Rocks of Bawn 2022 Yamhill Carlton Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley - $25.99
Roco 2022 The Stalker Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley - $42.99
Archery Summit 2023 Vireton Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley - $29.99
Marie-Pierre Manciat 2023 Les Morizottes Mâcon, Burgundy - $33.99
By OTT 2025 Rosé, Provence - $31.99
Domaine Saint Jean des Vignes 2022 Côtes du Rhône, France - $15.99
Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy - $25.99
Gionello NV Lambrusco 1.5L, Italy - $9.99 (arriving Friday)
Wagner-Stempel 2022 Dry Estate Riesling, Germany - $19.99 (arriving Friday)
Konrad Hähn 2023 Riesling, Germany - $11.99 (arriving Friday)
Allan Scott 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough - $18.99 (arriving Friday)
Gabriel Chevalier 2022 Chardonnay, Burgundy - $19.99 (arriving Friday)
Kavaklidere 2024 Yakut Red Blend, Turkey - $22.99 (arriving Friday)
Calcu 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile - $15.99 (arriving Friday)
New Beer & More 🍺
Tröegs Double Nugget Nectar, 4pk cans - $15.99
Jackie O's Java the Stout, 6pk cans - $12.99
Brewdog Spring Bock, 6pk cans - $10.99
Kegs - 1/6 Barrel 🛢
Tröegs Nugget Nector Imperial Amber Ale - $141.99
Streetside Brewery Ernst Hefeweizen - $114.99
Coronado Nado Rice Lager - $109.99
Final Thoughts 💬
You may notice it's quite a long list of new wines this week... if you came in at all over the past few days, you probably saw me tasting wine because I kid you not, we tried probably 50 of them this week 😵💫 Hey, it's hard work, but someone's gotta do it. We are working to find some new favorites in all areas of the store, so stop on in and try some of them to make sure it's not all for naught.
Cheers from all of us here at the Wine Merchant!
📞 419-424-0391