...and within the next seven days we were starting a new business…While I’m not a terribly religious man that may have been an omen. So with 2 business partners, and of course Patrick and Leslie we started off…first day total in the drawer $87.00.
Calendar of Events
September 6th – Friday 12th Anniversary Tasting 5pm-7pm
September 10th – Tuesday Quarterly Wine Tasting 36 spots at $36.00 ***Sold Out***
September 28th – Saturday Best Wurst Saturday!!
October 4th – Friday Charity Tasting – Clothe-A-Child
October 12th – Saturday Hogtoberfest!
November 1st – Friday Charity Tasting – Findlay Elite Gymnastics
November 5th – Tuesday Fall Alternative Wine Dinner ***Reservation Required
November 21st – Thursday Beaujolais Nouveau
December 3rd – Tuesday Champagne Tasting ***Reservation Required
December 25th – Tuesday Closed Christmas Day
January 1st – Tuesday Closed New Years Day
New Wines
Ancora Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2017 Italy $9.99
Gianfranco Alessandria Barolo 2011 Italy $68.99
Folly of the Beast Pinot Noir 2017 California $14.99
Juan Gil Blue Label 2017 Spain $39.99
New Beers
Alesmith Oktoberfest 6pk Can $11.99
Revolution Hazy Hero 6pk Can $11.99
Two Roads Roadsmary’s Baby Pumpkin Ale 6pk Can $11.99
Spaten Oktoberfest 6pk Bottle $10.99
Royal Docks Vlad 4pk Can $10.99
O’Fallon Vanilla Pumpkin 6pk Bottle $9.99
Beer Tasting
Rockmill Brewery from Lancaster will be our featured brewery for this Saturday. While Rockmill has been on the radar for quite awhile they’ve just added a canning line making this an obvious new Ohio beer for our shelves. So in honor of their new line we’ll share with all of you these newly available beers. We’ll start off with their Belgian inspired Pilsner and move on to their White Ale, Number three will be Derby Day IPA and to finish off the tasting we’ll end with Rugged Expanse an American/Belgian inspired stout. Come on down and try a few new beers from this Ohio Brewery and maybe, just maybe order up this weeks very special sandwich…
Feature Item
This week’s feature is the King! Well, at least the king of Italian wine, San Giovanni 2011 Barolo from Gianfranco Alessandria. Over the years we’ve handled a few of the wines from this producer and we decided to add this to our list. If you’re a Barolo drinker, this is a bottle that you need to pick up, being a 2011 vintage means that this wine is much more approachable. Having tasted this yesterday I can attest to the fact that this wine is ready to go, sure it can lay down for quite a few more years but he’s ready to accompany a great grilled steak or beautiful lamb chops straight off the grill. Don’t trust me, here’s what others have to say, "Gianfranco Alessandria's 2011 Barolo San Giovanni is a wine of enormous beauty, balance and intensity. It exhibits a dark consistency and lively highlights of garnet and ruby. The wine shows impressive liveliness and energy. It also delivers a seamless fusion of red cherry fruit and oak-driven spice that work against each other to create buoyancy and momentum. On the close, this beautiful wine shows dark fruit, licorice, grilled herb and pretty menthol accents." Sure, it’s $68.99 but being the King and having a Parker score of 94pts, it’s worth every penny. Fire up the grill and open this bottle, it will make you happy…
Dan’s Pick
Daou, The Pessimist, for the past couple weeks everyone has loved this new wine and with that in mind it was a simple decision to make it this week’s pick. We’ve always carried Daou Cabernet and when this new bottle came out we had to give it a try, it has become a store favorite! Here’s how Daou explains their new wine,“ In a pursuit to create delicious wine inspired by varieties that flourish in Paso Robles, The Pessimist is a blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Tannat. Sourced and crafted by the DAOU Vineyards winemaking team, this wine demonstrates classic old world style with the fruit-forward characteristics of California.” I think they sum this new $27.99 quite well, worthy of your attention and certainly an evening with an empty glass, pair it with your favorite dish or enjoy it by itself, either way you’ll be happy with the outcome…
Friday & Saturday Sandwich Special
One of our all time favorites for this week’s sandwich, Porchetta! Our porchetta sandwich has thinly sliced Italian smoked and roasted pork, we stack it high, cover in provolone add some fresh rapini and serve it on warm focaccia with a healthy dose of truffled mayonnaise. That’s why it’s one of our favorites! We don’t do this often, but hey, it’s our anniversary so why not this weekend. If you’re looking for something tasty that no one else serves well, come on down and enjoy this delightful treat that we’re making for you.
Final Thought
So here we are 12 years later, now a sole proprietor and with a staff of up to 12 to 15 going strong six days a week. The job hasn’t gotten any easier and in some regards it’s become more demanding but I’ve been fortunate with a dedicated core group of employees that still strives to carry out the original vision.
“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."
The most commonly asked question always concerns our future and my most common response is we’ll continue as long as two very special ingredients remain, the first is a staff that’s willing to carry these simple ideas forward and the second of course is you, the most dedicated customer base any business could possibly dream for. Thanks to all for the last dozen years and now it’s on to thirteen…
Cheers from all of us at the Wine Merchant!
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