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Writer's pictureDan Matheny

Wooohooo! Brennon's back in town!


PS… Don’t forget Father's Day this Sunday!



Hours of Operation

Monday – Saturday

10am to 6pm


Calendar 🗓

June 17 (Saturday) - Brunch with Dad with the soon to be famous Dadwich! Sliced roast beef, peppered bacon, sliced pork loin, grilled bologna, carmleized onions, giardiniera, and provolone. Served with a cold beer or a glass of Zin, what else would you need to make any dad happy!

June 24 (Saturday) - Huhn in June featuring Huhn from Michigan Family Farms. Delicious antibiotic-free, non-GMO, free range Amish chickens! Reservations will be required for this event. We’ll start this dinner out with a beautiful Bruschetta followed by brined, grilled, and smoked chicken, corn and orzo salad, and cornbread, and we’ll be ending with apple pie and Dietsch's ice cream!

July - 14 (Friday) - Bastille Day 2023!!! We’ll be serving our best french fare: pissaladiere, pommes frites, baguettes and fromage, along with special wines and beers all day long!

August 5 (Saturday) - It’s National Oyster Day, so you know we’ll be celebrating.


Store News 🏬

We’ve begun to see a trend down here: many European wines have have definitely jumped in price. I actually expected it earlier, but apparently these producers held out as long as they could and are now passing on the higher cost of labor, bottling, transportation, and distribution to the consumer. We saw the same thing happen in California and with the Columbia Valley wines a few years ago. While we don’t like raising prices, in some cases, we have no choice; however, what we like finding best are great value priced wines that we can all enjoy at reasonable cost. We brought in 14 new wines last week, and this week will be a little lighter. In the meantime, we’ll keep scouring our distributors' lists for something we can all enjoy.


Wine News🍷

Brennon Leighton is the wine maker for K Vintner wines, and for years, we’ve enjoyed their wines. It wasn’t until two or three years ago that we discovered his personal wines… B. Leighton Cellars produces maybe three or four wines, and we have occasional access to two of them, so this week's find of both was exciting! “Washington winemaker, Brennon Leighton, created B. Leighton Wines to showcase fruit from the crest of Olsen Hills in the Yakima Valley. The first vintage, 2012, is a collection of a Petit Verdot, Grenache and Syrah - all wines that Brennon has always wanted to work with in Washington State. Along with vineyard owner Leif Olsen, Brennon planted the vineyard that is proportionate to the future field blends that will be created in 2015. This is a continuation of what Brennon was doing before and what he does best: feral fermentations with longer maceration and reductive winemaking that captures the varietal and the place it is from.” Sure, there’s a lot to be said for Brennon and his wines, but the most important thing is… they’re delicious. So delicious that I bought the last case in the state.

Dan’s Feature ⭐️

Of course it is… B. Leighton 2018 Gratitude (what could be any better for Dad this Father's Day). Gratitude was always my favorite, and Robert Parker sums this wine up better than I could: “A blend of 70% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache and 5% Syrah, the 2018 Gratitude Olsen Brothers Vineyard is instantly impressive in the glass with high-toned, red fruit aromas that waft with a spiced, floral essence. It offers elements of sweet red peppercorn, succulent red cherries, plum blossom and cinnamon alongside roasted herbs and sakura. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is nimble, complex and delightfully structured, with energetic acidity and balanced, succulent tannins. The wine concludes with a long, lingering and ever-evolving finish that somersaults with persistence across the aftertaste. The grapes were co-fermented using native yeast, and the wine rested for 20 months on the lees in neutral French oak puncheons. Only 7,644 bottles were made. I’m going back for another sip. Bravo; it’s absolutely delightful.” While retailing at $49.99, this wine will please everyone at the table now or could easily lay down for another 5+ years. What could be more appropriate than a bottle of Gratitude for Father's Day! That’s not going to be the case for me, though... I’m opening this puppy Saturday night!


Dan’s Pick 🥂

This week’s pick is a delicious new wine from the Columbia Valley. Normally I don’t think of the Columbia Valley for White Bordeaux, but maybe I will in the future. This delightful new addition is the 25th anniversary bottling of Delille Vineyards 2019 Chaleur Blanc. A composition of 69% Sauvignon Blanc and 31% Semillon makes this is a domestic version of a classic French wine. “Crafting a white Bordeaux-style blend was unheard of in Washington when the winery first created Chaleur Blanc. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon, this wine is fermented sur lie in French oak barrels, imparting a memorable “crème brulee” finish. Served at the White House over three administrations & rivaling its French counterparts in quality & exceptional value, Chaleur Blanc has become one of the winery’s most influential blends.” While looking for something to cut and paste as you see above, I also saw numerous adds for selling this wine... either I screwed up and misplaced this bottle, or we just got lucky… Priced nationally anywhere from $24 to $43 makes our price of $22.99 seem like a bargain, which of course it is. This bottle will please anyone who enjoys a crisp, dry, elegant white wine.



Food News 🐟

We are soooo beefed up! It’s a special Beef selection for you in the meat case this week; after all, it’s Father's Day weekend. Prime Porterhouse, Dry Aged Prime Tomahawks, Wagyu Hanger Steaks, Dry Aged Bone-In Wagyu Strips, and a Frenched Rack of Veal. That’s a lot of meat! Obviously we’ll still have both our Salmon selections available as well. Copper River is once again down in price; at $25.99 a pound, it’s a bargain for this fresh and quality fillet. If you’re cooking for Dad this Sunday, stop here first and see what we have for you.



Food Feature 🥩

Prime Tenderloin and Prime Porterhouse are my features for this week. Both of these are in at great prices. The Prime Shortloin is $18.99/lb, and the Tenderloin as a whole loin is $18.99/lb. If we break it down for individual steaks, it will run $23.99/lb. Both of these are spectacular pieces of beef and are certainly worthy of Father's Day.


Oyster News 🦪

Glacier Bays are in this week, truly one of our first favorites. We still have a few of the Momma Mias in house, but we wanted to be certain that we had plenty for this weekend.


Market Items 🛒

*Fresh Copper River Salmon - $25.99/lb

*Fresh Dry-Aged Prime Tomahawk Steaks, approx. 32oz - $43.99/lb

*Fresh Bone-In Dry Aged Imperial Wagyu Strip Steaks, 16oz - $41.99

*Fresh Wagyu Hanger Steaks - Single $14.99/Double $29.99

*Fresh Wagyu Coulotte (Picanha) Sirloin Cap - $16.99/lb

*Fresh Wagyu Burgers 2pk - $8.99

*Fresh Oysters - $24 a dozen

*Fresh Scottish Salmon - $18.99/lb

*Fresh Sittario Rosemary Ham - $29.99

*Fresh Michigan Family Farms Amish Free Range Chicken, Boneless, Skin-On Thighs, 2.2lb - $14.99

*Fresh Michigan Family Farms Amish Free Range Chicken Chicken Wings, 2.2lb - $13.99

Frozen Sashimi-Grade Tuna - $19.99/lb

Frozen American Kobe Beef Tenderloin, 8oz - $18.99

Frozen CAB Steak Burgers 4pk - $14.99

Frozen Choice Sirloin Cap Strip Steaks, 8oz - $9.99

Frozen Choice Ribeyes, 16oz - $18.99

Frozen Prime Whole Tenderloin - $22.99/lb

Frozen Center Cut 8oz Beef Tenderloin Filets - $16.99

Frozen Center Cut 10oz Beef Tenderloin Filets - $18.99

Frozen Lamb Sirloin Roast - $22.99/lb

Frozen Lamb Racks, 2lbs - $49.99

Frozen Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin - $12.99

Frozen Pre-Cooked Frozen BBQ Ribs (approx. 3lb racks) - $23.99

Frozen Sliced Philly Cheese Steak Meat - $9.99/lb

Frozen Italian Sausages, 4 per pound - $8.99

Frozen Nueske Cheddar and Bacon Sausages 5 per pound - $9.99

Frozen Epic Curing Black Pepper Bacon - $14.99

Frozen Marinated Pre-Cooked Pork Shank - $12.99

Frozen Chilean Sea Bass, 6oz - $16.99

Frozen Bakkafrost Salmon Burgers (Spinach & Feta) 2pk - $10.99

Frozen Buddy’s Detroit Style Pizzas (Veggie or Cheese) - $17.99

Frozen Ahi Saku Block Tuna AAA Sushi Grade, avg. 10oz - $19.99

Frozen Lobster Tails - $14.99

Frozen U-16/20 Raw Shrimp deveined (1lb package) - $19.99/lb

Frozen U-10 Scallops - $29.99/lb

Frozen Langoustines, approx. 1/2lb - $7.99

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

Ace Bakery Garlic Loaf - $5.50

Orwashers Sourdough Bread - $13.99

New Wine🍷

Brennon Leighton 2018 Gratitude, Columbia Valley, WA - $49.99

Brennon Leighton 2017 Syrah, Columbia Valley, WA - $49.99

La Faggeta 2019 Grande Aquila Chianti Classico, Italy - $14.99

La Faggeta 2021 Chianti, Italy - $10.99

Cantina Castelnuovo del Garda 2021 Valpolicella, Italy - $13.99

Cantina Castelnuovo del Garda NV Prosecco Extra Dry, Italy - $14.99

Cantina Castelnuovo del Garda NV Rosé Prosecco, Italy - $14.99

Pedres Brut NV Vermentino di Gallura, Italy - $14.99

Toad Hollow 2021 Unoaked Chardonnay, Mendocino County, CA - $14.99

Lubanzi NV Sparkling Rosé, South Africa - $16.99


New Beer 🍺

Troegs Nimble Giant DIPA, 6pk cans - $14.99

Coronado x Societe Brewing Co. the Mariner West Coast DIPA, 4pk cans - $11.99

Masthead Paradise Grapefruit IPA, 4pk cans - $11.99

Flying Dog Gonzo Willett Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter, 4pk bottles - $21.99

Stone Brewing Delicious Mixed Pack, 6pk cans - $11.99


Kegs - 1/6 Barrel 🛢

Half Acre Daisy Cutter - $118.99

Juniper Mexican Style Lager - $121.99

Forbidden Root Purple Pils - $139.99

AleSmith Tower of Flower IPA - $128.99


Final Thoughts 💬

Whether you’re a father or not, this weekend is still a celebration. I’m pretty sure there was a father figure in each and every one of our lives. Take a moment, reflect, and say thanks to both those with us today and those who unfortunately are not. There were a couple of occasions where this holiday was celebrated early in 1908 and 1910, but it didn’t become a recognized national holiday until 1972. There’s no harm in remembering and honoring those who gave us the life we appreciate and enjoy today. Here’s to all of our fathers! 🍻


Cheers from all of us here at the Wine Merchant!

📞 419-424-0391




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