Because the Oysters have arrived!!!
🦪 🦪 🦪 🦪 🦪
We have a little over 1,000 of these beautiful mollusks. I really, really hope to see you this Saturday…
Hours of Operation
Monday – Saturday
10am to 6pm
Calendar 🗓
August 5 (Saturday) - Its National Oyster Day! Oysters for breakfast, lunch and dinner… Three ways to have these delectable little creatures. The Sampler - 4 of each on the half shell. The Classic - a dozen on the half shell. Last but not least, a dozen baked Merchant Style 😎 PLEASE NOTE the Car Show will be happening downtown and Main Street will be closed, so you'll have to use Hardin Street to get to us.
August 12 (Saturday) - There’s no better way to plan a trip than enjoying some great Italian fare. Arancini, Porchetta sandwiches, and of course spending some time with Gianni. If you’re interested in a trip to Italy in 2024, come on down and talk to Gianni to get all the answers to any questions you may have.
September 8 (Friday) - Friday night Anniversary Tasting, 5-7pm. That’s right, Friday night wine tasting! Four wines, four different and delectable bites to enjoy with your wine, and a bar that’s open until 9pm serving some of your old favorites. It’s an anniversary after all (not however a statement on what’s to come).
September 23 (Saturday) - It’s Oktoberfest Findlay! Come downtown and enjoy the day and then have dinner with us. If you’re interested in a spot, call now --- we’re down to a handful of spaces left (one hand)!
Store News 🏬
I’m trying to say “NO” to all the Oktoberfest and Pumpkin beers, but I just know I’m going to have to bring them in soon. Once again, beer drives the holiday calendar earlier and earlier each year. Oh yeah… I’ve already preordered some Christmas beers as well. C’monnn, we just celebrated Christmas in July, and now I’m being asked to order for the December version? Pretty soon all of these beers will be year round 🤷🏼♂️
Wine News🍷
We brought in a few new wines this week. Apparently we still had a pre-order out on a Turkish Rosé that just showed up this week, so that’s one. We were able to get in one more case of VonWinnings Rosé of Pinot Noir which appears to be everyone's favorite this year. Toss in a new Pinot and a new Cabernet, and that will about do it. And believe it or not, we’re placing our orders for Beaujolais Nouveaux. Sure, it seems early, but if I don’t order now, we won’t have them on the third Thursday in November. I like being kinda proactive, but this is 3+ months out…
Dan’s Feature ⭐️
This week’s feature is Benton-Lane 2021 Pinot Noir from Oregon, produced by Steve and Carol Girard who have been owners of Benton-Lane since 1988. Carol and Steve shared a passionate desire to produce great Pinot Noir but decided their native California was probably not the best place in which to make it. Instead, they headed to Oregon where the cooler climate offered the possibility of producing Pinot Noir with better balance and structure. This was really good decision because this is a wonderfully styled Pinot which is described by their winemaker as having vibrant ripe cherry, cranberry, and raspberry on the nose that then unfold into dried blueberries, plum, and lively summer herbs. This is a full, plush, and balanced wine with a gentle, bright acidity. This Pinot is complex and layered, with ripe, fresh flavors and elegance. What else could you possibly ask for? Under $30 and delicious with ratings of 90+. Pretty straightforward, pretty tasty, and a bottle that would serve perfectly at your table. Pair this with ribs or chops or even a tasty BLT --- it’s ripe and ready to go! Stop in and pick one up for this weekend.
Dan’s Pick 🥂
This week’s pick is from... Greece! It’s been quite a while since a Greek wine has been featured, so it’s about time. Kouros 2021 Assyrtiko “is pert and pretty, with a good balance of salinity and citrus fruit. It's a style that sits nicely between overly austere or fruity. Easy-drinking and affordable, it's a fantastic summer sip.” If you think about sitting in the sunshine in Santorini looking out over the Mediterranean and having a glass of wine… well, this is the wine you’d be served. I’m not going to Greece anytime soon, but I just may have to open a bottle of this $13.99 wine and look out over the Blanchard… no, I’ll just drink it at home.
Food News 🐟
Didn’t bring any new food items this week… the refrigerator is full of Oysters. Next week, we’ll be bringing in a few new items and restocking your favorites, but in the meantime, we still have plenty of burgers, chops, and hanger steaks to get you through the weekend. I do have a 16-pound Italian Porchetta back there for next Saturday's event as well. We’re always trying to look ahead…
Food Feature 🥩
Oysters… or maybe Shrimp! Our Oishi shrimp is fantastic on the grill. Big, beautiful shrimp put on a skewer alongside fresh pineapple and some green, yellow, and red peppers make a tasty entrée. We’ve been a fan of these shrimp since they first became available. Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue, boil, broil, bake, or sauté it. Shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo! Yeah, I think that says it all…
Oyster News 🦪
Sooooo… many… Oysters… In house, we currently have 300 Pemaquids from Maine, 300 Acadian Pearl from the Richibucto River in New Brunswick, and last but not least, 400 Summer Love from Rustico Harbor in Prince Edward Island. We’re up to breaking our old record. The last time we did this, we opened 700 and ran out 2.5 hours before closing. I sure hope that doesn’t happen this Saturday because I’m never going to order a thousand oysters again…
Market Items 🛒
*Fresh Wagyu Hanger Steaks, 2 Pack (1lb) - $29.99
*Fresh Wagyu Burgers 4pk - $16.99
*Fresh Oysters - $24 a dozen
*Fresh Scottish Salmon - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Icelandic Cod - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Sashimi-Grade Ahi Tuna - $18.99/lb
*Fresh Duroc Double Bone-In Pork Chops - $12.99
Frozen Michigan Family Farms Amish Free Range Chicken Boneless Skin-
on Thighs, 2.2lb - $14.99
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 Strip Steaks - $18.99/lb
Frozen Choice Ribeyes - $18.99/lb
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 Nueske Cheddar and Bacon Sausages 5 per pound - $9.99
Frozen Black Pepper Bacon - $14.99
Frozen Chilean Sea Bass, 6oz - $16.99
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 Bacchini Strozzapreti from Italy - $14.99/lb (serving for 2)
Fresh/Frozen Bacchini Lobster & Crab Tortelli from Italy - $16.99 1/2 lb
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)
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 (Asiago or Rosemary) - $5.50
New Wine🍷
Benton-Lane 2021 Pinot Noir, Oregon - $29.99
Vivace Red NV Malvasia, Italy - $12.99
Vivace White NV Moscato, Italy - $12.99
Route Stock 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - $27.99
Pasaeli 2022 Rosé Calkarasi Aegean, Turkey - $14.99
New Beer 🍺
Pretentious Synergetic American Sour Ale, 4pk cans - $16.99
Pretentious Quixotic American Sour Ale, 2pk cans - $12.99
Erdinger Oktoberfest, 4pk bottles - $8.99
Troegs Hopora IPA, 6pk cans - $11.99
Saison Dupont Belgian Farmhouse Ale, 4pk bottles - $16.99
OttaKringer Vienna Lager, 4pk cans - $11.99
Kegs - 1/6 Barrel 🛢
Stone IPA - $114.99
Schlafly Kölsch - $109.99
Masthead Wit - $109.99
La Chouffe - $175.99
Final Thoughts 💬
We’ve done some crazy things down here... We’ve roasted a goat, hosted Dan and Dave's awesome offal dinner, roasted whole hogs, cooked up 70 beer can chickens, and even deep fried a couple hundred frog legs. This Saturday, however, takes us into new, uncharted territory. Two shuckers, two servers, and attempting to go through a 1,000 oysters in a single day. Keeping my fingers crossed for our guest shucker and a whole lot of people who love oysters. A thousand oysters, a case of Slap Your Mama hot sauce, a gallon of mignonette, and a fair amount of horseradish. We’re ready and hope you are too. See you Saturday!
Cheers from all of us here at the Wine Merchant!
📞 419-424-0391
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