Hours of Operation
Monday – Saturday
10am to 6pm
Calendar 🗓 Jan 14 (Sat) - It’s Pappa al Pomodoro all day long. Not interested in a rich tomato peasant soup? Fine, we’ll also be serving Mortadella sandwiches. It just seems like the thing to do on a cold Saturday in January. On top of that, if you’re interested in going to Italy any time soon, Gianni will also be in the back room from 11:00 to 1:00 answering questions and sharing information about 2023 trips.
Jan 21 (Sat) - Oyster-O-Rama is back! That’s right, but this time we’re bringing in a few more… maybe like 500 more! On the half shell, New Orleans style, or Rockefeller. Have them your way, Saturday all day! No reservations required, but if you know you will be stopping in, please give us a call to let us know around how many oysters you'd like for your table.
Feb. 14 (Tues) - Valentine's Day Dinner (reservations required)
Feb. 21 (Tues) - It’s Fat Tuesday, and that means a variety of Cajun specials will be served up for this annual event. No reservations, just hearty appetites and an attitude of "laissez les bons temps rouler!"
Store News 🏬 We’re conducting the first events of 2023 in the upcoming weeks, beginning this Saturday. These are some of the things that we enjoy the most, and we hope you enjoy them as well. Both January and February are now out in today’s newsletter, with new ideas for these months and soon the ones following. Keep an eye out for what's next down here because there’s always something new on the horizon…
Wine News🍷 Don’t really have a great deal of wine news to speak of this week; however, we are making plans to visit a few new wineries in Tuscany this summer. There’s nothing better than staying at and drinking at a Tuscan winery, and that’s the plan we’re going to be discussing this Saturday! I’ve been fortunate enough to visit quite a few wineries in that region, and truth be told, I’ve never had a bad experience (surprise). When there’s a will, there’s a way, so c’mon down and have a little something to eat and talk with us about a great experience in wine country.
Dan’s Feature & Pick ⭐️ The trio of wines that I have chosen for this week seem obvious to me for a couple reasons: (1) the weather… just take a look outside, and (2) we’re making this an Italian weekend, so hey… whatcha gonna do. Let’s start with the region: “Valpolicella is a viticultural zone of the province of Verona, Italy, east of Lake Garda. The hilly agricultural and marble-quarrying region of small holdings north of the Adige is famous for wine production. Valpolicella ranks just after Chianti in total Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata wine production.” Well, we’re starting with a beautiful region, so I’m pretty sure we’re going to end up with some great wines. The Zenato Family have been producing outstanding wines from their 95-hectare estate for over 60 years. The wines they produce and all three for today are comprised of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara which when blended produce their classic wines.
Valpolicella Superiore -- This introductory wine of the region is an excellent wine for, well, everything: burgers, pizza, or pasta, it’s simply a great glass of Italian red. Nearly 40 years ago I stopped into the OG Wine Merchant and spoke with Jerry McDonald, the individual that gave this business its name, and asked for a bottle of wine that would pair well for a special dinner. His choice? Valpolicella! Does this wine require a special dinner? No, but Jerry knew my palate and also knew that this was as big of a bottle that a very novice wine drinker could handle… and he was right.
Amarone is the second wine of the trio (only for purposes of understanding these wines). If you would take the three varietals from above and lay them on linen sheets and place them under cover, dry them to allow for maximum concentration, and then press, you would be making a dense, rich, complex wine with unbelievable depth, Amarone Classico, making it the epitome of this region's varietals. This bottle requires a big meal... braised meats and vegetables bathed in a rich stock-filled broth (lets just call it a big hearty stew). Maybe as an appetizer, put out some Gorgonzola or Parmesan because these cheeses will also be fantastic with this big wine. This higher alcohol wine wants weather like today, an appetizer that will complement it, and a dinner that will match the its complexity.You will enjoy a meal that will allow you to forget about it (in regards obviously to our current climate).
Ripassa is our third wine for this week (actually, if you’ve read the above, it’s really the second). We’re using everything you’ve learned thus far, so hold on…After making the Amarone, the winery has the skins, lees, and fermented matter remaining from the production of the Amarone. Not one to waste, the winemaker pours over fresh Valpolicella onto the remaining matter and starts it on another fermentation, thus creating the Poor Man's Amarone, Ripasso.
The progression of these wines, their similarities, their distinct differences, and their beauty all of course comes at different prices: Valpolicella Superiore at $19.99, Ripasso at $28.99, and Amarone at $65.99. As to which bottle would Jerry suggest to me these days, I’m pretty sure you can figure that out.
Food Feature 🐟
While not all food prices are falling, I found one that was! Prime - Striploin for $18.99 a pound. A month ago, I was selling the Choice for the same price. So this week’s food feature is quite simple, Fresh Hand Cut Strip Steaks! We’ve got the beef, vegetables, and potatoes to round out a wonderful meal. Stop in and take advantage of these prices because I never know what they’re going to be in the weeks to come.
Market Items 🛒 *Fresh PRIME Hand Cut Demkota Strip Steaks - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Choice Hand Cut Ribeyes - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Angus Steak Burgers 4pk - $12.99 *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 Mortons Choice 12oz Bone-In Beef Tenderloin Filets - $16.99 Frozen Pre-Cooked Frozen BBQ Ribs - approx. 3lb racks $23.99 Frozen Nueske Cheddar and Bacon Sausages 5 per pound - $9.99 *Fresh Acadian Pearl PEI Oysters - $24 a dozen *Fresh Faroe Island Salmon - $18.99/lb Frozen Chilean Sea Bass 6oz - $16.99 Frozen Barramundi - $8.99 Frozen Bakkafrost Salmon Burgers Spinach and Feta 2pk - $10.99 Buddy’s Detroit Style Pizzas (Vegetable or Cheese) - $17.9 Au Gratin Potatoes 4-pack - $9.99 Frozen Ahi Saku Block Tuna AAA Sushi Grade avg. 10oz - $19.99 Frozen Lobster Tails - $9.99 each 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 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
New Wines🍷 Leese-Fitch 2016 Zinfandel, California - $13.99
Anne Amie 2021 Muller-Thurgau, Willamette Valley - $16.99
Joseph Drouhin 2019 Cote de Beaune Blanc, Burgundy - $69.99
Kylie Minogue Prosecco Rosé, Italy - $19.99
New Beers🍺 Founders All Day Haze Session IPA, 4pk cans - $8.99
Unity Vibrations Tart Raspberry Hard Kombucha, 4pk cans - $13.99
Kegs - 1/6 Barrel🛢 Revolution Brewing Anti-Hero IPA - $114.99
Heart State Cold IPA - $101.99
Widemanns Bavarian Pilsner - $87.99
Alesmith IPA - $128.99
La Chouffe McChouffe Belgian Dark Ale - $136.99 Final Thoughts 💬
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: the best part of vacation is always the day I come home. I was very fortunate to spend a week away last week and had a very enjoyable time, but I was so happy to return to gray skies and cool weather. Sure, I’m one that has perfected the art of doing nothing, and I need a few of those days each week, but there comes a time when I need focus and somewhere to go and a purpose. While I enjoyed last week, I’m back and we’re ready to share some great upcoming events with you, so check out the calendar, give us a call, and we’ll be awaiting your arrival.
Cheers from all of us here at the Wine Merchant!
📞 419-424-0391
📧 findlaywinemerchant@gmail.com
💻 https://www.findlaywinemerchant.com
留言