Hours of Operation
Monday – Saturday
10am to 6pm
Calendar 🗓
September 23 (Saturday) - It’s Oktoberfest Findlay! We're having our pork-filled dinner from 6-8pm. Keep in mind we will be closing at 5:30 to prepare for this event. (Two cancellations, two seats available!)
October 14 (Saturday) - Second Saturday… Croque Monsieur and French Fries!!! I will have just returned from France, so what else would you expect?
November 7 (Tuesday) - Our annual Alternative Wine Dinner. We are now taking reservations for this annual wine dinner, so please call to reserve your space.
Store News 🏬
Always something new at the Wine Merchant... never had a suckling pig in the kitchen before today! No, I’m not cooking it for this weekend, but someone else is! You need a pig, we got it. Plan something special and come down and talk to us about how we can assist. It doesn’t have to be a suckling pig... just let us know what you'd like us to bring in, fish, fowl, farmland, or vineyard, and we’ll always do our best to take care of it. Chelsea and crew will be holding down the fort for the next couple of weeks, and I’ll see everyone soon.
Wine News🍷
I’m headed towards the mothership… spending three days in Reims to visit Champagne houses, one night in Burgundy, a week in the Southern Rhone, then back to Paris for a couple nights before heading home. Pretty much new regions for me. I’m excited to learn and drink a little more in Champagne and visit the hill towns like Vacqueyras, Gigondas, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I still enjoy learning and sharing that which I’ve had good fortune to learn, so plan on me sharing a bit, starting with next week's newsletter.
Dan’s Feature ⭐️
Weingut Carl Ehrhard 2019 Spätburgunder is my feature for this Oktoberfest weekend. What better than a Pinot Noir from Germany that Wine Enthusiast describes as thus: “This rose-scented, slender Pinot Noir is a consistently well-made, accessibly priced introduction to the world of German Spätburgunder. Concentrated in raspberry and red-cherry flavors and accented by hints of anise, smoke and tar, it's a fresh-footed, vibrant red that finishes on fine, smooth tannins. Best enjoyed young”. Well, it’s only four years old, so I would say it’s still a bit on the young side, and at $25.99, it’s right in line with other Pinots. Think German fare, Bratwurst, Pork dishes, and all the accompaniments on the table… this bottle is a very welcome addition. So if you’re thinking about having you own little Oktoberfest or just doing some chops or bratwurst on the grill, stop by and pick up one of these delightful German Pinots!
Dan’s Pick 🥂
Staying with the Oktoberfest theme, my pick is Weingut Max Ferdinand Richter 2022 Veldenzer Elisenberg Spätlese Riesling from the Mosel River Region. This $34.99 Riesling is one of the finest we carry, and this is the bottle I take home when I’m in that German meal mode. Whereas I could offer up some wonderful notes, the professionals do a much better job than me…"The Elisenberg vineyard was planted by Richter's ancestor Franz Ludwig Niessen following the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and was named after the late but still-popular Queen Louisa of Prussia. The vineyard land was given to the Richter family as recompense (and as a thank-you) after Niessen saved the region from being sacked by Napoleon’s army. The town of Veldenz is located at the southern-end of the prehistoric Mosel riverbed, south of Mülheim. The vineyard faces south and enjoys a cooler microclimate than vineyards located closer to the Mosel River. The grey slate terroir has rich layers of quartz that create a special style of wine. The Elisenberg Rieslings feature a very long growing season and are dominated by flavors of wild berries: red and black currant, blackberry and raspberry. A complex acid structure adds tothe long-lived, refined and delicate character of these wines. Elisenberg wines have long been highly regarded worldwide; by the end of the 19th century the vineyard shared equal esteem as Brauenberg, Piesport, Wehlen and Scharzhofberg. Wines from the Elisenberg have been served at royal tables in Berlin and London". Its pedigree is as rich as what’s in the bottle. When I want to pretend I’m in Germany, this bottle is a much cheaper investment than a first-class seat to Munich.
Food News 🐟
There’s nothing new or earth-shattering this week in the world of food. Chelsea and I had the opportunity to visit a very large meat plant earlier in the week, and I think but am not quite certain as to whether or not she has returned to room temperature. To say the least, it was a wonderful experience but would have been even better had we known that most of the tour would be taking place in -10 degree temperatures. We learned a lot and have an even better sense of the provenance of our meat and seafoods. Who knows, we may have even picked up a few new tricks to try on you...
Food Feature 🥩
One of those tricks involved creating a tenderloin out of a strip steak… so guess what our food special is for this weekend? A Manhattan Tenderloin. The idea is simple, and I may or have not already done this without knowing the process. Normally, beef tenderloin is the leanest cut of beef you can buy, whereas a strip steak always tends to have more marbling, more fat, more flavor. Apparently, if you take a strip loin and remove any and all fat and tendon, this then is referred to as a Manhattan Tenderloin --- lean but still rippled with good inter muscular fat, approximately the same weight and size as a tenderloin but bigger on flavor with a bit more texture. This cut just looked to good to turn down, so I bought a Prime Strip Loin, and where some may see this as a sacrilege, I see it as an opportunity to have a great steak full of flavor and full of deliciousness. So this week we have for you a new cut of beef, Prime Manhattan Cut Filet for $26.99/lb. These won’t come close to weighing out at a pound each; it'll be closer to or a little over half a pound... the perfect size, the perfect steak, and maybe the new perfect cut.
Oyster News 🦪
Pink Moon this week from New London, PEI, of course. Described as an “oyster that will seduce any oyster eater. They are a culinary favorite because of their glistening shells, balanced flavor, and beautifully consistent shapes. For a full flavor experience, enjoy these oysters with a nice sparkling rosé”. You can drink whatever er you want with this magnificent little gift from the cold waters of the PEI; I just know they’re fresh, full-cupped, briny oysters that go down oh so well…
Market Items 🛒
*Fresh Whole BMS 6/7 Wagyu Tenderloin - $39.99/lb (1 remaining)
*Fresh Prime Manhattan Cut Filet - $26.99/lb
*Fresh Hand Cut Prime Strip Steaks - $22.99/lb
*Fresh Wagyu Hanger Steaks, 2 Pack (1lb) - $29.99
*Fresh Wagyu Burgers 4pk - $16.99
*Fresh Oysters - $24 a dozen
*Fresh North Atlantic Salmon - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Sashimi-Grade Ahi Tuna - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Duroc Double Bone-In Pork Chops - $12.99
*Fresh Bratwurst, 5pk - $8.99
Frozen CAB Steak Burgers 4pk - $14.99
Frozen CAB Dry-Aged Ribeyes - $18.99/lb
Frozen Center Cut 8oz Beef Tenderloin Filets - $16.99
Frozen Choice Sirloin Cap Strip Steaks, 8oz - $9.99
Frozen Lamb Sirloin Roast - $22.99/lb
Frozen Lamb Racks, 2lbs - $49.99
Frozen Spiral Cut Dearborn Hams, approx. 9lb - $27.99
Frozen Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin - $12.99
Frozen Pre-Cooked Frozen BBQ Ribs (approx. 3lb racks) - $23.99
Frozen Italian Sausages, 4 per pound - $8.99
Frozen Dearborn Knockwurst, 5pk - $8.99
Frozen Black Pepper Bacon - $14.99
Frozen Chilean Sea Bass, 6oz - $16.99
Frozen Halibut Cheeks - $22.99/lb
Frozen Buddy’s Detroit Style Pizzas (Cheese or Pepperoni) - $17.99
Frozen Ahi Saku Block Tuna AAA Sushi Grade, avg. 16oz - $19.99
Frozen U-16/20 Raw Shrimp deveined (1lb package) - $19.99
Frozen U-10 Scallops - $29.99/lb
Frozen Lobster Tails, 2pk - $35.99
Frozen Whole Petite Potatoes - $8.99
Frozen Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges - $8.99
Fresh/Frozen Drake’s Pasta Ravioli (Veal or Butternut Squash) - $12.99/lb (serving for 2)
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 Bread (Rosemary) - $5.50
New Wine🍷
Bogle Phantom, California - $19.99
Château Kirwan Les Charmes de Kirwan Margaux, Bordeaux - $49.99 (arriving Friday)
Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pauillac 5ème Grand Cru Classé, Bordeaux - $69.99 (arriving Friday)
Bodegas Alto Moncayo Veraton Garnacha, Spain - $39.99 (arriving Friday)
Bodegas Muga Selección Especial Rioja, Spain - $54.99 (arriving Friday)
New Beer 🍺
Bell's Oberon Eclipse Citrus Wheat, 6pk bottles - $10.99
Country Boy Cougar Bait American Blonde Ale, 6pk cans - $10.99
Country Boy Shotgun Wedding Brown Ale, 6pk cans - $10.99
Country Boy Witness the Citrus DDH NEIPA, 4pk cans - $12.99
Pretentious Paletas Mango & Prickly Pear Sour Ale, 4pk cans - $16.99
Pretention Hiraeth Smoked Pear & Apricot Sour Ale, 4pk cans - $16.99
Ayrloom Pineapple Mango Hemp Soda, 4pk cans - $14.99
Squared Classic Orange Hemp Soda, 4pk cans - $17.99
Kegs - 1/6 Barrel 🛢
Toppling Goliath Oktoberfest Lager - $119.99
Outerbelt Glasstown - $109.99
Coronado Weekend - $121.99
Duck Rabbit Amber - $135.99
Final Thoughts 💬
I hope everyone's coming downtown this Saturday for Oktoberfest! We’ll be open just until 5:30 due to our dinner which starts at 6:00 pm. Everyone usually has a great time downtown on this weekend, and we’ll be here for a great place to cool off and rest for a while during the festivities. On another note, I’ll be out of town for the next couple of weeks and promise to send pictures and tales of my culinary and vintner exploits in Champagne and Southern France. Au revoir…
Cheers from all of us here at the Wine Merchant!
📞 419-424-0391
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