One Day 'Til Summer
- Dan Matheny
- Jun 19
- 6 min read
Well, it certainly feels like summer outside already 🥵🌪
Hours of Operation
Monday - Tuesday, 10am to 6pm
Wednesday - Saturday, 10am to 8pm
Calendar 🗓
June 20 (Friday) - First day of Summer ☀️ We'll have two food specials, Ahi Tuna Crudo & Shrimp Cocktails.
July 4 (Friday) - Closed for Independence Day.
July 14 (Monday) - Bastille Day 🇫🇷 We always celebrate the land of my people.
News 🗞
Well tomorrow is the first day of Summer 2025, and we decided to celebrate in style. Come escape the heat and treat yourself to one of two food features: Ahi Tuna Crudo or Shrimp Cocktails. The Crudo is Ahi Tuna diced and marinated in ponzu, then topped with everything seasoning and served with blue tortilla chips and a dollop of spicy wasabi. The Shrimp Cocktail... well, it's a shrimp cocktail. Big, juicy Oishii Shrimp with Housemade Cocktail Sauce and Fresh Lemon. We'll be serving both all day while supplies last. Now in wine news, we did get hit with our first tariff price increases last week. A few of our most popular bottles increased in price by $2-3 a bottle. We're told that wineries in Europe are doing all they can to cut costs on their end, but there is only so much you can do. Shipping delays are also still an issue, with one of the wines on our bar list delayed by four weeks. I probably saw it sitting in that port in Italy...
Wine Feature ⭐️
This isn't new to the store, but I don't think we've talked about it yet: Delille Cellars 2021 Métier Red Blend from Washington. Delille is known for their blends, particularly Bordeaux and Rhône style blends, grown sustainably in the Columbia Valley. The Columbia Valley has a warm, dry climate in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, so temperature swings plus little rain plus gravelly soil create the perfect conditions for a red blend like this, which is 55% Syrah, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 13% Merlot. With 90+ points across the board, "Métier Red Blend is medium to full-bodied with a plush, well-rounded texture. The primary flavors of dark fruit, including blackberry and blueberry, are complemented by earthy undertones and savory notes of olive tapenade, leather, and black pepper. The tannins are smooth yet firm, providing structure and balance. The acidity is lively and well-integrated, adding brightness to the wine and enhancing its drinkability. The finish is long and polished, with lingering flavors of black fruit, dried herbs, and a touch of minerality." I am a fan of Delille, and you can't go wrong with a wine like that at only $19.99.
Wine Pick 🥂
It's been a while since we've had a Grüner in the house, so let's go with Weingut Bründlmayer 2024 L&T Grüner Veltliner, $17.99 a bottle. This is Austria's most important grape, known for being light and herbaceous and pairing well with seafood, fatty foods, and Asian cuisine (curry, ramen, etc.). This organically-grown Grüner is on the lighter side due to the grapes' location on higher elevation vineyard sites. That makes it light, bright, and lower alcohol -- so that means you can go for two bottles, right? "Bright, mineral-driven, and slightly floral with pops of pear and white pepper on the nose. It's juicy and round on the palate with a slight grip and a refreshing finish that lingers." I personally think it would be quite nice with the spicy ramen at Nara around the corner, or one to take in to Circle of Friends, who are always happy to bring some wine glasses to your table. (They didn't even pay us to pay that.)
Food Feature 🐟
It's a fishy week here at the Wine Merchant. Besides our usual Faroe Islands Salmon, we have our first delivery of Copper River Salmon for the summer. This is a seasonal, wild-caught salmon from Alaska, incredibly rich in color and flavor with high levels of Omega-3s. Your doctor would be very happy if you feasted on some. Many of you have also been asking for a white fish, and we are happy to say we finally got some in (white-ish, at least), Pacifico Striped Bass from Baja California for $18.99/lb. This fish is clean, fatty, semi-firm and highly versatile, so you can use it for anything, from raw in sushi or ceviche, to pan-seared with salt and pepper, to roasted with butter and herbs.
Oyster(s) of the Week 🦪
Two oysters this week... I'm anticipating a surge in oyster demand with this weather. They were fantastic last week, so we have more Eagle's Nests from Duxbury Bay, Massachussets, just across a tiny strip of land from Cape Cod. Grown in a very particular location, they are known for their buttery, briny flavor. Both have variation in size but average around 3 inches. We also brought in Salty Mainers... I'll let you guess where they're from. Grown in the salty, sweet waters of the Damariscotta River, they are plump, buttery, and extra salty with a clean, sweet finish. Both oysters this week are on the larger side, 3 inches on average.
Market Items 🛒
*Fresh Copper River Salmon - $27.99/lb
*Fresh Pacifico Striped Bass - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Faroe Islands Salmon - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Short Rib Burgers, 4pk - $13.99
*Fresh Oysters - $24/dozen
*Fresh Medusa White Anchovies - $12.99 Sea Wings Canned Crab Claw Meat, 1lb - $26.99
Frozen Little Town Jerky Fully Cooked Rare Beef Tri-Tip - $10.99/lb
Frozen Porterhouse Steaks, 22oz - $21.99ea
Frozen Wagyu Baseball Steaks, 6oz - $10.99
Frozen 6oz Filet Mignon, 2pk - $18.99
Frozen Center Cut Beef Tenderloin Filets, 8oz - $16.99
Frozen Whole Beef Tenderloin, Single or Double - $18.99/lb
Frozen Chuck Prime Burgers, 5pk - $14.99
Frozen Pounded Veal Leg Cutlets, 1lb (4 per pack) - $18.99
Frozen Dearborn Spiral Honey Glazed Ham - $5.99/lb
Frozen Block & Barrel Applewood Smoked Ham - $8.99/lb
Frozen Pre-Cooked St. Louis Ribs - $29.99
Frozen Skin-Off Pork Belly - $3.99/lb
Frozen Berkshire Pork Tenderloins, ~1lb - $12.99
Frozen Duroc Dry Aged Bone-In Pork Chops, 14oz - $16.99
Frozen Cooked Heritage Pork Osso Bucco, 16oz - $9.99
Frozen Weisswurst Veal Sausage - $8.99/lb
Frozen Greco Italian Sausage, 4pk - $9.99
Frozen Wagyu Hot Dogs, 5pk - $13.99
Frozen Rack of Lamb - $23.99/lb
Frozen Saku Block Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna, 8-10oz - $14.99
Frozen U-13/15 Raw Jumbo Shrimp Deveined, 1lb - $23.99
Frozen U-10 Scallops - $31.99/lb
Frozen Lobster Tails (4oz), 2pk - $25.99
Frozen Massa Sicilian Style Pizza (Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, or Roasted Vegetable) - $14.99
Frozen Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges - $8.99
Frozen Au Gratin Potatoes, 4pk - $9.99
Fresh/Frozen Cheese Ravioli, 1lb - $9.99
Fresh/Frozen Spinach & Cheese Ravioli, 1lb - $10.99
Fresh/Frozen Drake’s Pasta Ravioli (Butternut Squash or Veal) - $12.99/lb (serving for 2)
Frozen Tribeca Oven Bread (Rosemary) - $5.99
Frozen Bake House Artisan Multi-Grain Bread - $4.99
Frozen Brioche Hot Dog Buns - $3.99
Frozen Miner's Demi Glace - $9.99
Frozen French Macarons, 12pk - $9.99
New Wine🍷
Barramundi 2021 Trailblazer Red Blend, Australia - $19.99
More new wines coming in on Friday...
New Beer & More 🍺
Allagash Curieux Belgian-Style Golden Ale, 4pk bottles - $14.99
Allagash Tripel Belgian-Style Ale, 6pk bottles - $14.99
Allagash Surf House Summer Lager, 6pk cans - $12.99
Allagash White Belgian- Style Wheat Beer, 6pk cans - $12.99
Good Boy Vodka Iced Tea Lemonade, 4pk cans - $9.99
Four Fires Meadery Strawberry Hand Grenade Mead, 375mL - $29.99
Brasserie d'Achouffe N/A Chouffe, 4pk cans - $12.99
Kegs - 1/6 Barrel 🛢
Hi-Wire Leisure Time Lager - $109.99
Juniper Hysteria IPA - $134.99
Brewkettle White Rajah IPA - $134.99
New Holland Full Circle Kölsch - $109.99
Allagash White Wheat Ale - $128.99
Final Thoughts 💬
With tariff effects starting to hit, you should probably just travel to Europe and bring some wine home. Plane ticket prices are expected to be the lowest in years this summer, so it might be time to take that trip you've been thinking about. As I mentioned last week, I will be getting a shipment of goods from Italy, hopefully arriving next week. I'm afraid to look at what I paid for that... Keep an eye out because we'll be planning something for all of that soon.
P.S. BBmtg Friday 5:30 you know where...
Cheers from all of us here at the Wine Merchant!
📞 419-424-0391
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