Sunday, November 20, 2011

A lot to be thankful for

As we approach the busiest time of the year for us it is also appropriate to take a few minutes to thank our families, friends, and guests for their support throughout the year.

We have had a great year here at Mercy, with the Wine Bar of the Year award by NightClub and Bar magazine and Top 50 Wine Lists by Open Table, with local awards by D Magazine and The Addison Corridor Magazine. It is through your continued support that has allowed for this success.

In many ways it has been a difficult year for many companies and families as the economy has not recovered as quickly as most would like. There is a great deal of uncertainty right now. Mercy has become a place to escape and reconnect with friends and share a mutual experience together. We will continue to work hard to earn your patronage and loyalty as we approach our 9th anniversary in February.

We have some great new ideas we intend to launch next year and it will be an exciting year for new wines. Thank you for allowing us to serve and share wine experiences with you. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Glen Agritelley
Owner

Monday, November 7, 2011

When Red and White becomes Pink

Hopefully at this juncture, you must have heard or been invited to our Charity Event on Saturday, November 12th from 2 - 4 pm. But if you are in the dark, please let me enlighten you.

The voters and town counsel of Addison, very wisely approved an amendment to the town charter that permits Mercy and other businesses to sell wine on a retail, off premise consumption basis. Now, our task is to promote this new benefit to our guests.

Mercy has a long standing tradition of doing charitable events. We like being a good neighbor to those that need it and while we still have to operate for a profit, we still are capable of doing mutually beneficial things for ourselves and the community. So that will take you to the theory behind the event on Saturday, November 12th.

With a $20 cash donation at the door, (the proceeds will be donated in its entirety to the Dallas Chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure), Mercy will lay out a cornucopia of over 100 wines for tasting as a prelude to a purchase.

Too often we are told by our customers that they have difficulty selecting wines and need guidance. This confusion would be compounded when visiting a traditional wine store, with racks and cases of bottles before them, and corks securing the necks of all of those bottles.

Imagine the opportunity now. You can taste a wine that you would be interested in purchasing for your home, or one that you may wish to give as a gift and be satisfying knowing that you are purchasing a wine that you would enjoy without any of the guesswork. During this special offering to our guests, every wine will be offered for retail purchase at a 50% discount from our normal wine book pricing.

Stock up your own personal cellars or wine racks, cross off a few names from your holiday gift list, give a great kiss up gift to your boss.....(my personal favorite.... for Glen !).

Mark your calendar, make a notation on your smart phone, this coming Saturday from 2 - 4 pm. Be there !

Mike Castagne
Operations Manager

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

A bit of sipping and shopping

On Saturday, November 12th, Mercy will open our doors at 2:00 pm for a bit of sipping and shopping; a completely new type of wine tasting and wine shopping event. Mercy will host a special retail wine event as we offer a selection of over 100 wines. We always believe in sharing an experience; we now have a perfect way to share an experience with you and allow you to take it home and share it with others as well.

We are often told by our guests “I don’t know much about wine and I don’t know what to order.” So our servers become a guide to the wine offerings at Mercy. The best way to learn is to experience. Now imagine this experience multiplied....many times over. At this special event, we will have 100 plus bottles of wine open, from over 14 different countries.

From 2 pm until 4 pm on Saturday, Nov 12th, our servers and wine suppliers will serve as your guides for your wine bottle(s)purchase. Did I mention that we will give you a 50% discount from our published wine book pricing during this event ? This is a perfect opportunity to start you holiday shopping early or to stock your personal wine cellars and to utilize our servers and suppliers as your personnel shopping assistants.

We mentioned at the start, this event will be "shopping for a purpose" and that purpose is the Dallas Chapter Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For a $20 cash donation at the door (all of which will be donated), you will have the opportunity to taste 20 different wines.

How many bottles are you entitled to purchase ? You are permitted, through this special limited tasting, to purchase as many bottles as you would like. We are really excited to present this event to you and at the same time doing something worthwhile for our community.

Vincent Havard
Operating Partner

Monday, October 24, 2011

Mercy receives OpenTable Diner’s Choice Award

Mercy is so pleased to announce that is been named winner of OpenTable Diner’s Choice awards for Top 50 Wine Lists in the United States. The winners are derived from more than 10 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states. Mercy Wine Bar was the only restaurant/bar in Texas selected for this honor.

The Diner’s Choice Award compiles the feedback from their customers to select the top 50 wine lists for the US. This is such an honor to have received this national award. Vincent works daily to select unique wines from around the world. This is a task that must be tended to daily since these types of wines are usually limited in quantity and once gone, we can’t get more. Keeping the wine list fresh and new items for our guest is something we take seriously and we so appreciate this level of recognition.

This is the second major national award Mercy Wine Bar has received this year. Earlier this year Nightclub and Bar magazine voted Mercy #1 Wine Bar in the US. We are so appreciative of our loyal customers and their support over the years and this continues to motivate us to be in a constant mode of improvement.

OpenTable is a leading provider of real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservations and guest management solutions for restaurants. The company is headquartered in San Fransisco, California and open table is available throughout the US as well as Canada, Germany, Mexico, Japan and the United Kingdom. (opentable.com)

Thank you all that have voted for us.

Glen Agritelley
Owner

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Seeing Red


It started with the Red Room...with its rich, dark walls, burgundy drapes and Red lighting (or did it actually start with Red wine) ? A discussion for another time. Then we added the Red neon that surrounds the Mercy logo sign which welcomes guests at our front door. Red does make a great accent to our logo. Initially, there was some concern that the Red neon lighting would be too bright or that it would distract the cars traveling on Montfort Drive. These concerns all proved to be unfounded as it is difficult now (after almost nine years of growth) to see our sign which is partially obscured by the trees.


When it was time to add additional (and more comfortable) seating for our patio, a bright Red fabric was selected to cover the cushions of our furniture, with further additions of Red ashtrays to accommodate the cigarette smokers.


A year ago, we were host to a private party and to dramatize our entrance further, we rented LED lighting to bathe the building front in a vibrant Red sheen. It gave an almost Hollywood-like feel to our wine bar and restaurant. It served a dual purpose as it increased the available reading light and made it easier to read both the food and wine menus at night.


Quite often we are tasked to provide directions to Mercy's location in the Village of the Parkway. Located at the traffic circle is beneficial but confusing to the first-time visitor. Flash back to a year ago and the dramatic Hollywood lighting. With appropriate fan fare, we decided to purchase the Red welcome beacons at our entrance. Just in time, I might add, for an upcoming holiday season and a visit from a jolly man in a Red suit.


As the holiday season is approaching fast, drop us an e-mail, give us a call, and let's talk about some event planning for your office or social gathering. It should be much, much easier for your guests to find us this year, just look for the Red Light(s)....and STOP IN !


Mike Castagne

Operations Manager

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

World travel through your palet

I always love bringing in wine from different countries as it gives you a little bit of world travel through your palet.

The 2005 Gaili Mountain Shiraz Cabernet, is 53% Shiraz and 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, again at 15% alcohol. Though the winery does produce wines under the label of Syrah, they decided to use the “Shiraz” designation based on this wine's affinity with Australian styles.

The wine is aged ten months in American oak. It's got great berry aromas—blueberry, cassis and black plum—with additional palate notes of chocolate, vanilla, black pepper, baking spice and well toasted oak. The fine-grained tannins are extremely well integrated into this wine, a delight to experience. The finish is long and fruity, well supported by those tannins.

This is fun stuff indeed, and meant to drink now.

$13 glass $40 bottle

Vincent Havard
Operating Partner

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

We are very appreciative

For the eighth consecutive year, Mercy Wine Bar has won Wine Spectator magazine’s Award of Excellence. The honor, which is reserved for restaurants that meet the publication’s strict criteria, puts us in good company with some of the finest establishments across the country.

“This is truly a great honor for us,” said owner Glen Agritelley. “We strive to provide excellence in every way, and to be acknowledged by an authority like Wine Spectator only reinforces our commitment to our customers.”

To earn an Award of Excellence, an establishment must have a wine list with a well-chosen selection of quality producers; the typical list must offer at least 100 selections. The list must present complete and accurate information for each wine, including vintages and appellations for all selections – including which wines are available by the glass. Overall presentation and appearance of the list is also taken into consideration.

We currently offer more than 100 wines by the glass with an additional 50 wines that are available by the bottle. Food and wine will always be our main staples however, the current changes in zoning laws allow us now to be a true retail wine shop as well.

“We take the Award of Excellence very seriously,” Agritelley said. “This is truly a great honor for us, and we appreciate the fact that Wine Spectator feels we meet their high standards.”

The complete list of Award of Excellence recipients will appear in the Aug. 31 issue of the magazine. In addition to receiving another nod from Wine Spectator, Mercy Wine Bar was named “Best Wine Bar” in the U.S. by Nightclub & Bar Magazine earlier this year, and has previously been named among the top 100 wine bars in the country by the same publication. It was also voted one of the top 10 wine bars in the country by AskMen.com. In 2010, it was voted the “Best Wine Bar” by D Magazine and has also won numerous “People’s Choice” awards from Addison and the North Texas Corridor Guide, including “Best Lounge” and “Best Place to Sip Wine.”

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Put away the white shoes

Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and in Dallas, we were greeted to a welcome 20 degree drop in temperatures to signal the coming fall months. Summer travelers have returned home; the kids are back in school; bags of candy and Halloween decorations are appearing in stores, fall has definitely arrived.

Looking forward a bit more, Mercy is already booking holiday parties. I was grateful for the break in the temperature, as it is difficult to put your mind set on holiday event planning when you are sweltering in 105 degree heat. I really do love that time of year, holiday festivities both at work and at home, really have produced some cherished memories.

When the banter at work, the discussion for venues come up, please think of us at Mercy. When we host a large or even a smaller gathering at Mercy, there is such a sense of purpose in the air. We get to showcase what Mercy has to offer to a multitude of new guests all at once and that is really, so much fun !

Drop an e-mail note or give me with some specifics for your company's holiday party; we would really welcome being a part of your holiday festivities.

Mike Castagne

Operations Manager

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Ripasso or Ripassa ?

I always love a very good Amarone. The word Ripasso designates both the winemaking technique and the wine, and is usually found on the wine label. Amarone, is a typically rich Italian dry red wine; made from partially dried grapes. Grapes are harvested ripe in the first two weeks of October, by carefully choosing bunches having fruits not too close to each other, to let the air flow. Grapes are allowed to dry, traditionally on straw or bamboo mats. This process gives intense flavor to the wine that could remind you of dark chocolate with a balsamic reduction. These types of wines can be pretty expensive and not the everyday kind of wine that you keep at the house.

This type of winemaking can be pretty expensive and produces not the everyday kind of wine that you would keep at the house. That’s why I love the Ripasso (translates as “re-pass,” it is a second fermentation of vapolicella of the leftover skins of the Amarone). I like to call it a fresh baby Amarone,

Zenato Ripassa 2008 Veneto
This Zenato Ripassa/Ripasso offers rich, elegant aromas of dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, cherries and dark berries ending with a touch of sweet vanilla. This wine is not on the list yet. So do not hesitate to ask one of our servers. They know about it and it is becoming one of their favorites.

Glass $20 ~ Bottle $60 ~ Retail $ 33

Vincent Havard
Operating Partner

Monday, August 22, 2011

A rare treat is in store for you !

I’d like to take a diversion in this week’s blog from the business side and talk a bit about music!! As most of you that know me are aware; music is one of my passions in life. From a garage band in the late 60’s, to recording in Nashville, music has been a constant in my life. It was one of my missions, 10 years ago to create a venue for live music, not simply a bar that hosted bands. I wanted to recreate a nightclub atmosphere where you could go and sit and listen to great music,a place where the music was the center of the evening and people would want to come and listen. I am very pleased to say that Mercy now hosts live music every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Sunday evening is a bit more mellow and laid back but a great time to end your week with a glass of wine, great music and hopefully the company of someone special.

This Thursday we have a rare treat to have secured a Nashville recording artist, singer songwriter, Karen Waldrup. Karen has been named one of the top 25 songwriters in Nashville and her second CD “With Love, Karen” has brought her into prominence in the Music City. She has shared the stage with Hank Williams, Jr., Carrie Underwood and Jake Owen. Most recently, she is one of 12 artists selected to be on Bravo’s new “Platinum Hits” show. Her latest single and video “Bayou Baby” is doing well on the charts.

Karen’s style is blend of blues and soft country. She is in Dallas for a charity event on the weekend and we were very fortunate to snag her for Thursday night at Mercy. This is the second Nashville dignitary we have had play at Mercy. Many of you will remember my good friend Bucky Barrett who has played at Mercy on a couple of different occasions when he was in town visiting me. Bucky played lead guitar for Roy Orbison. One of the times he visited he brought with him legendary guitar player, Scotty Moore. Scotty played for Elvis at the very beginning of it all. Imagine in one room in Mercy having guitar players for both Elvis and Roy Orbison. Karen joins a distinguished Nashville team to have played Mercy.

We are really excited about her being with us and hope you all can come out and see this great new singer/songwriter. Karen goes on at 8 pm this Thursday. You might want to get there early as we are booking up fast !

Mercy……………………!
Glen Agritelley
Owner



Monday, August 15, 2011

What exactly is a Sommelier?

A Sommelier is more than just a wine taster but the wine steward and overseer of the wine program of a restaurant or retailer. These wine professionals are in charge of procurement, proper cellaring, wine stock rotation, and wine service. They run the wine show at a restaurant. A Sommelier's primary duty is developing the restaurant's wine list, often working in conjunction with the chef to strategically pair appropriate wines complementary to the menu. The word Sommelier is of French origin, and traditionally these wine stewards or butlers provided service to families of royalty. We here at Mercy Wine Bar pride ourselves with treating our guest like royalty and offering the best knowledge of wine and food!

Becoming a Sommelier is a long road of tasting and studying the world of wine. Although there are several programs offered worldwide to help you achieve this acclaimed status; there are two very prestigious institutes best known for educating the best of the best. They are The Institute of Masters of Wine and The Court of Master Sommeliers. Both institutes hold educational seminars and examinations locally in worldwide locations. Both also require that students have a background in the wine industry. The CMS requires that the student must pass a level one test before you can take the certified Sommelier exam. The level one student must attend a two day conference learning the all the major wine growing regions of the world, as well as spirits, sake and food and wine pairing. Not to mention taste 50 plus wines from around the world. After becoming a certified Sommelier there is advanced and masters program. Similar is the IMS program which is based more on theory and takes a minimum of 3 years to complete based on the progress of the student.

If these programs are not for you, there are Sommelier programs offered at major universities to community colleges and culinary schools. Believe or not for the super dedicated, there are actual universities dedicated to just wine and viniculture.

Mercy is proud to announce that two of our staff members Samuel Rickords and Craig Brazeal have passed the level one Sommelier exam….. and we could not be more proud of them.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

A bit of magic from Southern Rhone

Finally, Mercy is proud to announce that we have secure a bit of magic right out of Southern Rhone.

Four months ago, my two friends (owners of Domaine Le Colombier and St Francois Xavier wineries) came to visit me and wanted to know if there was opportunity to bring their wine to Texas. I tasted their wines, when I visited France earlier this year, and knew then that I definitely wanted it at Mercy.

I interceded and presented their wine to 5 different distributors in one day, starting at 9 am and finishing at 11 pm. It was a really long day but well worth the effort. As the day wore on, by showing the wines to different wine distributors, I could tell that there was a buzz created amongst them. It took 2 weeks to find out which of those distributors would be able to move forward and stock it for distribution. After that first step, it took an additional 3 months to get label approval and other legislative paperwork. Suffice it to say, if you are a big fan of Southern Rhone wines; you have got to experience them.

The three wines currently available are :

Domaine Colombier Cote du Ventoux 2009

A subtle scent of licorice, leather and violets meet the nose in a quite pleasant presentation. The mix of 50% Grenache 50% Syrah blend tilts towards the Grenache (I doubt it’s actually 50/50.) Nice bargain for the price at $10 glass ~ $30 bottle

Domaine Colombier Vacqueras Vielles Vigne 2009

The 2009 Vacqueyras Vieilles Vignes (80% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre aged in cement) exhibits copious aromas of roasted herbs de Provence, meat juices, mushrooms, blueberries, blackberries. Priced at only $45 a bottle.

Domaine St Francois Xavier Cuvee Fruite Gigondas 2009

Let's put it this way ... it is the favorite wine of the president of L’Oreal ! It is a little Chateauneuf Du Papes. Bottle priced at $75.

Vincent Havard
Operating Partner

Monday, August 1, 2011

We have been very fortunate and we thank you

We have been very fortunate to have won several awards over the past several years and most recently through participation in the Readers Choice Awards with the North Dallas Corridor Magazine. After a nomination process and lengthy voting period by those readers, Mercy was selected by the magazine readers as The Best Place to Sip Wine and The Best Place for a First Date.

This has been an incredible year for us winning several national awards and while we are certainly proud of the industry recognizing what we do, the most pride comes from the Readers Choice Awards. The Readers Choice Awards are voted on by our customers and it shows they like what we are doing and that we have become one of their favorite places to frequent when they go out.

While Vincent and his team do an outstanding job at selecting incredible wine at a great value; Mercy is really about the “whole experience”. It starts when you walk in the door and receive a greeting by our hostess until the time you leave and she says, “thank you and come and see us again”. Your server is a tour guide through our wine list and the varied flavor profiles of the wines. These two awards are a direct reflection of your feedback on that “Total Wine Experience”.

Thank you for your continue support of Mercy Wine Bar and we look forward to seeing you soon. By the way, don't forget, Mercy has live music every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday!!! (YES, Sunday night!!!)

Glen Agritelley
Owner

Monday, July 25, 2011

I can't believe I ....

There was a very famous TV commercial that debuted (almost 40 years ago) for an effervescent over the counter product to make you feel better from overeating. The commercial stated : "I can't believe I ate the whole thing". Now, I did not come close to eating it all, but I sure wanted to. (And yes, I know ....I am dating myself as I remembered this commercial).

As Mercy prepares to debut a new menu offering, the first step is to serve the item and let the managers and staff taste it. As luck would have it, I was one of the first people in line to taste it. After sampling my share, and some additional portions that should have been allocated to three other people; I forced myself to stop.

The new menu item that I am speaking of is ...... Scallop Gratin (Coquille St. Jacques)...and while I will not provide all the details of preparation, it is a really, rich and scrumptious dish comprised of scallops, white wine, mushrooms and butter.

At this stage, we may offer this selection as an Entree and serve it with a side item or offer it on our To Share menu served with toasted flatbread. I personally would be pleased to offer it both ways..... for the times that I wanted to share it with others....and also for the time that I wished to keep it all for myself.

Ask your server the next time you visit Mercy and if I have not eaten all of the Scallop Gratin, you may be able to order some for yourself.

Mike Castagne
Operations Manager

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Common names producing some exceptional wines

Michael and David ..... common names producing some exceptional wines ! Incognito, Earthquake, Rapture... oh yes ! Now you may know them !

The silky tannins and the showy body start to awaken your senses.

Michael and David's wines have been and are a big influence on the wine list at Mercy. Michael and David Phillips visited Mercy last week from Lodi, California. We were so honored and privileged to host their appearance and to be able introduce, these "down to earth" brothers to our guests at Mercy.

We had prepared for an RSVP event of 20 customers, however when 62 customers showed up ....yes....we were overwhelmed and overjoyed !

Our guests were able to have a special bottle signed by Michael and David (and yes, some of our staff availed themselves of this unique signing opportunity as well).

We are so glad to be able to offer their wines as part of our portfolio and even happier when you order it, share it and most definitely enjoy it !

Next time you come in .... ask us about Michael and David, we will happy to share that experience with you.

Earthquake $18 glass $55 bottle
Rapture $85 bottle

Vincent Havard
Operating Partner

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Center Court and more

Just back from a 2 week jaunt to the UK. A week in Cardiff, Wales and a week in London. I just love the Brits.

My first time in Cardiff and what a beautiful “big-little” city. With a population of 350,000, this is the capital of Wales and the country’s largest tourist city. It has the feel of Austin, Texas to me. Lots going on and a busy city but it still retains that small town feel. People were all incredibly friendly and open. Very much like Texans!

While the weather was spotty at best, the food was wonderful. Some really spectacular “old” restaurants. Some hundreds of years old, yes, hundreds of years. Cardiff has always been, till recently, a shipping port for their primary export, coal. These pubs were built for the seamen when they came into port. So much character. Had the pleasure of dining in a very old restaurant called, Custom House, which it literally was over a hundred years ago. Sitting right on the bay, it served as an entry point for goods coming and going to and from the country. A wonderful restaurant with a Spanish flair now. Fresh fish from the local area with simple but spectacular flavor. A great Spanish wine list which was very reasonably priced wines.

On to London and 2 days at Wimbledon center court. What an experience! This is as good as it gets if you are into tennis! There is something reverent about center court that is hard to describe. Of course I had to sample the strawberries and cream. The experience wouldn’t have been complete without that!!! Now there is a tradition.

The entire tournament is steeped in tradition. Something we are pretty unfamiliar with as Americans. London has so much to offer and difficult to take it all in in a few short days. We decided to find little out of the way restaurants and bistros and “nosh”. Loved the little bars on the streets with open patios and windows. Great people watching while enjoying a glass of vino. I found the European wines very affordable and a surprising amount of Chilean and Argentinean wines the same. There were very few American wines and those that I saw were higher priced and not our finest showings!!! So we enjoyed the French, Italian and Spanish wines, sampling many throughout the days travel.

One of the culinary highlights was a little Italian restaurant named Mimo’s in Hampstead Heath in North London. A very quaint little modern Italian place run by Mimo himself. He and his brother own a chain of restaurants all over the globe and this man has “lived large”! His menu was more northern Italy with a beautiful wine list that you can tell was hand selected by Mimo himself. Fresh Italian seabass was light and delicate but fresh and begged for nothing more than a bit of olive oil and lemon. Mimo made it a memorable evening for us despite the downpour half way through our dinner!

It was a wonderful 2 weeks that went by too quickly and wish there was more time! Next time!!! Well of course, I had to sample the fish and chips and drink a pint of lager, or 2!!!! Would not have been a complete trip without it!!!

Thanks
Glen Agritelley
Owner

Monday, June 20, 2011

Their journey up the river

Every May, around the 15th, the first salmon of the season return to the rivers and streams of Alaska with the Copper River being one of the first.

King, Sockeye, and Silver salmon embark on their long journeys up the 'Copper to spawn and lay their eggs. As salmon start their journey up the river and prepare to spawn, their feeding habits diminish. Because the Copper River is so swift, they must store extra fat and oils in order to survive the long trip. This high fat and oil content is why Copper River salmon are recognized as some of the world's best-eating salmon.

There are just a few days left before the Copper River salmon season is over and then it is "wait till next year" before it becomes available again. I had dinner last night at Mercy and ordered it for myself. It was superb ! I usually like my salmon medium rare with no sauce and just some fresh lemon wedges. This particular evening, I paired the salmon with a glass of Cooralook Pinot Noir from Australia and let me tell you, it was fantastic !

This wine is outstanding as it comes from the cooler climate of Victoria, Australia. This Pinot is a little lighter in body with a lot of floral and undertones of red cherry, good minerality and balance ~ from front to back. The light acidity was in perfect harmony with the rich, "one of a kind" salmon. While the Copper River Salmon is available, you should definitely come in and experience it for yourself or take a bottle Cooralook Pinot Noir home with you.

Cooralook Pinot Noir $10 glass ~ $35 bottle.

Vincent Havard
Operating Partner

Monday, June 6, 2011

On The Go

For two months now, we have been discussing our new retail wine business.

Changes in wine retail laws now permit Mercy to sell bottles of wine "To Go" just as a wine retailer. Mercy has the extra advantage now of offering our guests the ability to take home a bottle of wine that they may have just enjoyed with their meal.

To call attention to this new offering, we will be doing a special business card drawing each month during the summer.

Drop your business card into a special drawing for "our wine of the month" free give away. Be sure that your business card has an e-mail address as we will be contacting winners via e-mail. You only need to enter once to qualify all summer long !


Good luck !
Mike Castagne
Operations Manager

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

A little fashion in the wine industry

Who new Salvatore Ferregamo is in the wine industry ?

In the heart of Tuscany, there is a little medieval village call Pian di Nova. When I had the opportunity from one of our distributors to taste some wine from the Il Borro winery, I was amazed by the style. If you know Salvatore Ferregamo, the designer, then you need to experience his wine as well. His style in fashion is very refined and classic. We now carry three of his wines.

Il Borro Pian Di Nova IGT 2007

The style of this wine is very new world. It has a base of 75% Syrah and 25% Sangiovese, something that is not very common in Tuscany.

The wine is very approachable immediately as you open the bottle. From the bouquet, you get aromas of cola combined with rhubarb and as it hits your palate, the wine is silky smooth much like the feel of micro suede.

The wine has been so well received; we are already finding it difficult to keep in stock. It is not even listed on our wine list as of yet however, the staff has already sold 2 cases in less than a week.

You can now enjoy Il Borro Pian Di Nova IGT 2007 for $20 glass $60 bottle (or take a bottle home with a 45% discount from its retail pricing).

Also from Il Borro at Mercy are the:

Il Borro Super Tusscan 2007 $90
Il Borro Brunello di Montalcino 2004 $90

Ask me and I'll be more than happy to share this wine experience with you.

Vincent Havard
Operating Partner

Monday, May 16, 2011

Changing our offerings

Over the last 8 years at Mercy we have tried to change our offerings up so that our guests have an opportunity to have different experiences as often as they choose to join us.

Mercy now offers live music every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. We are excited about our Sunday night music. It takes on a more mellow tone and our performers play from 7:00-9:00 pm, making it an early night. We know you have to get up for work or take the kids to school; so this is a great way to end your weekend and simply chill with a glass of vino and listen to some mellow live music.

This also gives us an opportunity to showcase some new local talent. This week we had Max Lewis perform. Max is 13 years old and is signing a record deal with Sony records. He is an amazing young talent. I liken what he does to an early Johnny Lang or Bob Dylan. If you like blues from the ‘30’s- 50’s, you won’t want to miss this talented young man.

Twice a month we feature Don Brown and Bob Reister or Don and Wild Rice (as Don likes to call themselves!). These guys are fantastic guitarists in their own rite and play sultry bluesy tunes. Many original pieces that Don has written as well as their own cover versions of Kenny Rogers, Neil Young, and Chris Kristofferson. And…………….. yours truly has the privilege to sit in and play with these guys twice a month. As music has been one of my passions, I have been fortunate to have recorded in Nashville and release 2 cds over the past several years. I get the honor to sit in with Don and Bob and do a few of my tunes throughout the course of the night. It is a fun time for all.

Can’t think of a better way to end your week than coming to Mercy, enjoy a glass of wine and listen to some good music. Stop by and see us. We’ll save a seat for you!!!

Mercy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glen Agritelley
Owner

Monday, May 9, 2011

Blues foundation with a vibrant rock soul

Can you imagine the excitement that you would have felt being in the audience as a new musical artist debuted. You knew listening to this artist that they were destined for greatness and you can take the pride "of ownership" because you recognized that they had that star quality from the onset.

Guests of Mercy have the unique opportunity to witness a star in the making. In this case, it is the MAXimum talent in the form of Max Lewis [Poscente]. Mercy takes great pride to introduce an old soul in a 13 year old body. Max performs blues meshed with a clean rock sound that translates into a memorable performance for his audience.

Max recently was offered a recording contract by the founder and manager of "Destiny's Child" and Beyonce Knowles's career. Mr. Matthew Knowles speaks of Max's passion for music which will take him a long way in the music business.

Max has been writing and performing music for less than 4 years now (remember he is 13 now). You owe it to yourself to see Max perform live......this Sunday at Mercy beginning at 7 pm for a two hour engagement. [He has to be in bed at a decent hour].

Mike Castagne
Operations Manager

Monday, May 2, 2011

More reds "for the heart, from the heart"

If you followed our previous blog entry, you know now that on Tuesday, May 3rd from 6 pm to 9 pm, we will be celebrating our receipt of Wine Bar of the Year honors (from Nightclub and Bar Magazine) and as the blog noted, all proceeds from customer purchases will be donated to the American Heart Association. So, it is truly a celebration; two events rolled into one.

Drinking red wine in moderation can have heart healthy benefits and can lower the risk of heart disease. As we are on the subject of hearts; I wanted to mention a little something about Ehlers Estate winery of Napa Valley. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of Ehlers Estate Wines go to support the Leducq Foundation; a highly regarded, not-for-profit foundation dedicated to funding international cardiovascular research.

Ehlers Estates produce some outstanding wines, one of which will be available for purchase during our heart healthy celebration. We will be serving Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. It is ruby red in color, with a nose of cedar, wet tobacco and ripe cherry fruit. The body of the wine has soft but textured tannins. On the back palate; some discrete flavors of tobacco and wet soil emerge as the wine lingers in a long finish.

Ehlers Estate wines are cultivated using organic and biodynamic farming techniques. Do not hesitate to ask our team about this wine and we are extremely thankful for you kind support of Mercy and this worthwhile charity.

See you then.

Vincent Havard
Operating Partner

Monday, April 25, 2011

Raise Your Glass !



Raise your Glass for a Reason at Mercy Wine Bar, a celebration to benefit to the American Heart Association.




Time to Party !!!

We are so very honored to have been selected wine bar of the year. On Tuesday, May 3, we intend to share that excitement and celebration with you. We hope you will come and join us at Mercy. From 5:00-9:00 pm we will be celebrating receiving this award. In the spirit of saying “thank you” and giving back, all proceeds from this evening will be going to the Dallas Chapter of the American Heart Association. We are very pleased to be partnering with the Heart Association for this event. There is well known connection between the health benefits of drinking red wine
and being heart healthy. A perfect match!


We encourage you to join us and come and partake of your favorite grape and know that you are contributing to a wonderful local charity, while raising a glass with our staff so we can say “thank you” for your continued support and helping make Mercy one of the best of the best! It is going to be a fun evening so I would encourage you to get there early.


We are very honored to have received this prestigious award and look forward to sharing it with you!


Mercy……………..


Glen Agritelley

Owner



Monday, April 18, 2011

Fun Wine Facts


I picked up a copy of a national magazine this morning and found an interesting new wine fact "330 million" is the approximate number of cases of wine bought in the US in 2010, making it the first time that the United States is the largest wine-consuming nation; beating out the French which consume 321 million cases.

So armed with this new found knowledge, I went on an internet quest to find out some other obscure wine facts:

Q. How many varieties of wine grapes exist worldwide?
A. over 10,000 varieties.

Q. Among the world's fruit crops, where do wine grapes rank in number of acres planted?
A. Number One

Q. What are the top three U.S. states in terms of wine consumption?
A. CA, NY, FL

Q. What percentage of legal-aged Americans contacted in a Nielson phone survey drink wine?
A. 55%

Dom Perignon (1638-1715), the Benedictine Abbey (at Hautvillers) cellar master who is generally credited with “inventing” the Champagne making process, was blind.

Cork was developed as a bottle closure in the late 17th century. It was only after this that bottles were lain down for aging, and the bottle shapes slowly changed from short and bulbous to tall and slender.

The average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels is 170 years!

In February 2003, a wine bar would open in Dallas, Texas with a name inspired by the Roy Orbison song "Oh, Pretty Woman"

Oh....wait a minute.... I knew that one.

Mike Castagne

Operations Manager



Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Mercy on the Go

Mercy on the Go is officially launched!!

What is this, you are asking? While we don’t have a retail store; we are selling all of our wines retail NOW, as of April 1. You are now able to take home a bottle or two or as much as you care of your favorite Mercy wine selections. Many of the wines are exclusively here or would be difficult to find elsewhere. We already have several instances of guests enjoying a wine they haven’t had before and then inquiring if they can purchase a bottle or two to take home to enjoy. We can absolutely do that now ! We have had many guests tell us how happy they are that their favorite wine bar is also now their favorite wine store retailer. Imagine that you are invited to a friend's house for dinner and are not sure what to bring, well, the perfect gift is a bottle of wine. Something your host may not have tried before or even know about.

Here is how this works. You may purchase any wine from our wine list, To Go, at a 45% discount off of the in-house bottle price. Your bottle must be consumed off premises (state law, not Mercy’s). In addition to the wine, you will now be able to purchase Mercy glassware as well. These glasses are a crystal, titanium mix that is more durable and sturdier than a standard wine glass. Saves on breakage, unless you are prone to throwing them! Very shortly you will be able to purchase a Mercy logo wine key as well.

We have more exciting things coming so stay tuned!! In the mean time, we are pleased you have the entire Mercy wine list at your disposal to take home!

If you go online at mercywinebar.com and find a wine you like and would like more info on it or get more reviews on that wine Mercy is working very closely with the developer, Tim Hoffman (a Mercy guest for years) who has recently launched a site named Vinester. Check out his website at vinester.com. He has hundreds of thousands of wines listed with tasting notes and backgrounds on the regions or origin. You will be able to leave your own tasting notes and experiences on wines. This is one of the most comprehensive wine lists on the web. One of our missions is “wine education”. Mercy will continue to source wines help you broaden your palate as well as give you more information about the wines you like and the ones you are about to discover.

Mercy on the Go! Take a piece of Mercy home with you today!!

Glen Agritelley
owner

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

It is back !

Peju Provence from Napa is back.....!

For over 8 years now, selections from the Peju winery have been on the Mercy wine list. We wish to thank them once again for maintaining their consistancy and producing outstanding wines.

Every year, we have been extremely fortunate to get a very rare and special allocation of Peju Provence that you normally can only purchase directly at the winery . We believe it to be "the perfect fruity summer wine" or as we call it, "our patio pounder."

It is the perfect marriage of white and red juicy varietals. Chardonnay to give it a nice creamy mouth feel and then blended in is a bit of French Colombard, Red Zinfandel , Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The aromas will remind you of framboise (raspberry tart) with a complement of strawberry jam and a balanced finish of soft tannin from the Cabernet .

As I stated, the amount of this wine is very limited and guests ask for it year round even after we run out. "Is Peju back yet ?" We only can get 15 cases a year and yes, we will run out again . Sorry.....

Peju Provence is only available at Mercy and it will not be for retail sales (only for on-premise enjoyment).

3oz $9. 6oz $18. $55 btl

Warning ! Addiction guaranteed.

Vincent Havard
General Manager and Operating Partner

Monday, March 28, 2011

Spring is the season for love

Spring is the season for love. This line is from a poem, “Locks Hall,” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. So it came, as no surprise to all of us, when the number of reservation requests increased for Bachelorette Parties, Wedding Rehearsal Dinners, and Wedding Receptions. Can you attribute this increase in reservations to "spring in the air" or was there an increase in holiday engagement rings this year or Valentine marriage proposals ?

Mercy has a very romantic setting so our venue is a natural choice for a couple to toast their life together. We at Mercy welcome the invitation to be part of your big day and stand ready to assist with all the details. There is always a great sense of enjoyment for all of us when we host a large event. For us, it is like getting an invitation to a great party for as we rise to the challenge to bring your guests a great experience, we also enjoy showcasing what Mercy can do for you.

Over the years, Mercy has hosted Weddings, Wedding Receptions, Wedding Rehearal Dinners, Bachelorette Parties, and Baby Showers. All unique events and each designed for........ no one can look as good as you......Mercy !"

Mike Castagne
Operations Manager

Parties and Reservations ... call me at (972) 702-9463

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

THE most profitable company on the planet!

Most of you, I am sure by now, have heard of the relatively new company, Groupon. I know that many of you are recent, new guests because of Groupon. This is an incredible success story that is worth noting. 3 years ago this company was little more than an idea. Andrew Mason founded Groupon in 2008. Groupon was born out of a piece of technology and site called The Point. This was developed by Andrew as way of conducting on-line fund raising. A year later Groupon came on the scene.

From a marketing and advertising perspective this is an absolute brilliant business model. When Vincent first approached me with this idea after meeting with the Groupon rep, my first response was, “where is the catch”. Going to advertise Mercy and sell a discount coupon to over 350,000 in the Dallas metroplex and it doesn’t cost me a penny? I was clearly missing something. He was absolutely correct. This was in June of 2010. On our first attempt we sold 1,000 coupons on a Thursday. The very next day, we had an hour wait for dinner and Saturday saw the same result. Our business jumped significantly and remained high throughout the rest of the year. We were able to get reach into the market that, as a small company, we could have never afforded to do through traditional advertising channels. We not only were able to offer our regular guests an opportunity to visit us and get a significant discount but also attract an entire new group of guests, that after 8 years in business, we had not been able to reach.

With this success we had another round with Groupon and are results were twice what they were last year. We fully expect similar results throughout this year. Groupon is a very short 3 years is now in 44 countries and 500 markets around the world and has attained the prestigious status of being THE most profitable company on the planet! In 3 years, what an amazing success story. In a down economy and the world in turmoil it is inspiring to see that creativity and entrepreneurship is alive and doing well. Good for you Groupon. Congratulations. We wish you all the continued success in the world! Mercy is proud to have been an early adopter!

Glen Agritelley
Owner

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A powerful little wine

Chateau Grand-Maison Cuvee Speciale 2005 Cotes de Bourg
as an AOC ( appellation d’origine controlee ); this is a powerful little wine out of Bordeaux.

The vineyards in the Cotes de Bourg were planted first by the Romans after they understood the importance of the richness and diversity of the soil. The micro-terroir ( a terroir into a terroir ) is mainly compose of clay and limestone, perfect for drainage and rich minerals. The majority of the vineyards are mainly merlot and malbec. This wine come from a very small distributor and we only receive delivery every 45 days.

Chateau Grand-Maison Cuvee Speciale 2005 Cotes de Bourg is composed with a base of merlot with a hint of malbec and cab franc. What I personally like about this wine is its good balance. As a 2005 vintage, it has balance, softer tannins and acidity. With its ruby red color, you will find aromas of plum, currant, and cassis and I invite you to pair it with our spicy Blackened Ahi Tuna from our delicious and healthy appetizer menu.

Chateau Grand-Maison Cuvee Speciale 2005 Cotes de Bourg is available now at Mercy wine bar for $45 a bottle (limited availability).

Vincent Havard
General Manager and Operating Partner

Monday, March 7, 2011

Thanking all for the work that they do

It has been almost two years since I brought up the topic of teamwork (Mercy style).

We were notified last week that we took top honors for Wine Bar of the Year from Nightclub and Bar Magazine, so I wanted to take time to thank and congratulate the staff at Mercy. Their dedication and teamwork are the building blocks to our success and I want to publicly thank all of them for the job they do...day in and day out.


Teamwork : is a joint action by two or more people, in which each person contributes with different skills and express his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group in order to achieve common goals.


When guests compliment me on the quality of their "Mercy experience", I nod my head in deep appreciation of the compliment. But I am quick to point out to them. "We have a great staff at Mercy !" Our employees know their job, they have a passion for what they do, they enjoy each other's company and when a member of the staff "is in the weeds", they quickly step up to help. It makes my life as a manager so much easier ! So, thanks to all of the servers : Craig, Heather, Michael, M.J., Nathan, Rachel, Ric, Slaten and Tong.


Our server assistants, Gloria, Denice, Blas and Jorge, know just when to step in to keep the operation running smoothly. Our friendly faces that say hello and good bye, Anita and Tatiana, do so much more than just greet and seat our guests.


Similarly in the Kitchen: Juan, Ismael, Welington, Esdras and Martin operate and run one of the smoothest, most efficient kitchen operations I have ever seen in my numerous years in this business. The comradery and respect that they show to each other is truly admirable and while each have their assigned duties; no task is beneath or above any other.


So, Glen and Vincent, it has been a great 8 years at Mercy and I look forward to our adventures ahead !


Mike Castagne
Operations Manager

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Word is IN

Nightclub and Bar Magazine has voted Mercy Wine Bar #1 wine bar in the US!!! We couldn’t be more thrilled with this news. We were so honored to have been notified that we were a finalist and to have been selected as the best is truly an honor. Many of you who have heard the news have asked how is the selection made. I have copied this directly from the magazine’s website. They explain in much better than I and comes directly from them.

“The entry and judging process truly set this award program apart, instilling it with credibility as the premier industry recognition program. This is not an editor’s choice program, or one in which “friends” of Nightclub & Bar and the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show are the only ones considered and recognized. Instead, venue owners, operators and managers, as well as suppliers, vendors and other industry members eager to recognize excellence in on-premise concepts, programs, talent and professionalism are invited to submit entries via nightclubandbarawards.com. Qualifying entries are then put before an expert judging panel composed of top consultants, developers, educators, writers, editors and trainers in the industry. The judges rank their first, second and third choices for each category they judge, and a calculation is applied to identify the Finalists, and ultimately, the Winners, based on the ballots.” Nightclub and Bar

It is an incredible honor when your industry recognizes you as one of the best. We fully intend to celebrate this recognition and you will be hearing much more about that in the very near future. Many plans are being developed to help let our Mercy friends know and join us in celebrating this great honor.

Glen Agritelley
Owner

Monday, February 21, 2011

Form follows function

The Large Oval table at Mercy has served a valuable purpose these last eight years. Its primary purpose served as a room divider; separating the Dining Room and the Lounge areas. It also became a focal point for us to distribute Mercy promotional materials and to showcase some of our various awards. On evenings when we have been host to wedding receptions and bridal showers; it served as a convenient location to place the guest registry and to collect the wedding gifts.

Mercy has become a destination for many of our guests and their friends. Live entertainment on Thursday, Saturday and select Sunday evenings attract the hungry and thirsty; filling their stomachs, quenching their palates and enticing their senses. Quite often small groups arrive and much to their dismay and our distress, we are unable to seat everyone together.

Enter Mercy's new Oval Table !



Our enhanced table has been elevated to a comfortable dining and drinking height and has been outfitted with another new chair design from our friends at Iron Chinchilla. Mercy's newest destination comfortably seats 10 for dining, appetizing, and socializing. It is our newest destination and we are very pleased to offer it to you.

Mike Castagne
Operations Manager

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Ramping it up

If you have been out and about town, you have seen most of the larger grocery stores allocating large shelf space to wine and beer. The change of "off premise consumption" has gone into full effect. We are expecting our permit revisiion to be approved at the beginning of March which enable us to provide a similiar service to our guests and allow take home wine purchases.

We have worked diligently to source hard to find wines and some things that are unique to add to our wine list and we are very excited about our ability to offer those same wines for you to take home. Unlike, beer or hard liquor, wine which is outstanding one year may not be the next. So much of wine production is really dependent upon weather and soil conditions, so that what is good or great one year may not be the next. This poses a real challenge for us.

Another variable is many of the great wines we source have very limited production, which means we must constantly be looking for new gems all of the time. On any given day Vincent is tasting 10-20 wines a day in search for a few new good ones to bring on board to the Mercy family of wines, knowing others will be coming off the list.

We are very excited about our upcoming ability to bring you those wines at retail. We are in process of ramping up all of the support materials for those wines. We are looking at packaging for wine carriers. We will be selling our stemware as well as wine keys and other Mercy logo items. We will be adding these to our website. This is an exciting addition to Mercy and something we have waited for and have had a lot of request for.

Watch our website for more information at mercywinebar.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Take a bit of Mercy home with you and enjoy !!!!

Glen Agritelley
Owner

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Creating a New Passion

You may not be aware that Mercy receives deliveries from 17 different wine distributors. To obtain some obscure wines; to offer new wine experiences; takes a bit of work. Many wines offered at Mercy are not available in retail stores. Finding great wines that are a hit with our customers is very rewarding but it also can be frustrating at times; especially so, when we discover that a wine is no longer going to be exported or it has reached the end of its production.

My stepfather always told me "good things take a long time and patience is everything". Choosing a replacement wine for one that is lost takes time. It is not a simple matter of just substituting one wine for another. Mercy's staff possess a knowledge and a passion for the wines that we sell. So bringing in a new wine to our cellar requires a new round of education and a sharing of experiences. A momentum develops and builds among the staff. This momentum becomes a passion which is shared with our guests.

Keeping this momentum is the key for us and to be truthful about the experiences we are sharing. Selecting a replacement wine requires me to find one which is equal to or surpasses the wine that it replaced. We recently lost a wine from Italy made of Aglianico and I just found a replacement for it.

2004, AZIENDA AGRICOLA COLLI DELLA MURGIA, PUGLIA MAZZARO AGLIANICO CABERNET SAUVIGNON

It is made from Aglianico grapes with a Cabernet Sauvignon nuance. Before being introduced to your palate, it goes through a period of aging in nobles oaken casks for at least 24 months to develop a deep, fleshy and ripe fruitfulness. Body and substance, distinction and vigor combined with the deep ruby-red color, keep this wine for a long time. The excellent level of the alcohol content stands the bouquet which shows all its complexity.

I personally love the toasty and ashy notes coming from the mineral and volcanic soil of Puglia.

Enjoy at Mercy for $15/glass. $45/bottle.

Vincent Havard
General Manager and Operating Partner

Monday, January 31, 2011

Anticipating the Big Game in Arlington

Like most Dallas football fans, I am anxiously looking forward to watching "the big game" on Sunday which is being broadcast from Arlington, Texas. Did you know that unless you are directly associated with the league or are paying for the rights to use the name, you are not allowed to use *uper *owl, in your advertising statements ?

Even though the local team is not going to be featured, I am still looking forward to what should be a very entertaining game. I have never been to a city which had hosted the big game before but I have heard some interesting stories. I think the most interesting stories, (which have been backed up by numerous advertisements around town) concerns homeowners which have leased their residences for the week long festivities at......pretty exorbitant rates. Some fortunate homeowners, if successful, could garner enough income to satisfy their mortgage payments for several months.

Also, supposedly there is a local motel chain in the Arlington area (rated two stars) which has rented out their rooms at a whopping $600 a night. Unbelievable ! From the media, I have heard reports from prior years events in which they condemned restaurant operators for issuing brand spanking new menus with a greatly inflated pricing structure. Mercy actually may re-print some of our own menus this week as well. In our case, it will be more for cosmetic reasons as a white menu collects a variety of splashes from wine glasses.

Another item of note: Mercy will be "Open For Business" at 2:00 pm instead of our customary 3:57 pm during this week of big game festivities. Addison is a major hotel venue so we anticipate numerous visitors to the area. So, for those of you that are staying in town and have not leased out your residence, stop in for a glass of wine and something to eat during our extended hours of operations.

Mike Castagne
Operations Manager

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

In Great Company

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and New Year. Like most, we are all happy to see 2010 etched into the history books.

We started off 2011 at Mercy off with a bang!!! We received notification from one of the top industry periodicals, Bar and Nightclub Magazine, that they once again named Mercy as a finalist for Wine Bar of the Year for the entire country.

Last year we were voted in the top 4 and this year we made it to the finals. The winner will be announced in early February. We sure hope this represents the tone of 2011. The panel of judges reviews our wine list, our menu, overview of our web site and traffic on the site. They look at on line guest reviews as well as a lengthy write up of our concept. I am thrilled we made it this far and we are all keeping our fingers crossed that we will receive positive news in the next few weeks.

We were absolutely thrilled this past year when D Magazine voted us Best Wine Bar in Dallas. These recognition awards continue to motivate us and supports that we are moving in the right direction in providing a high quality service to our guests. We so want Mercy to be “the best part of your day”!! Will keep you posted!!!

Mercy !

Glen Agritelley
Owner

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

You might need a doctor's prescription

I always believe a winemaker is an artist and what a perfect locale like Sedona, Arizona to implant a boutique winery. Owner and winemaker Maynard Keenan, from the rock band Tool, opened Caduceus Cellars winery. With a name which is akin to the Greek symbol of medicine; you might think that you would need a doctor's prescription to partake in this wine.

Their web site is amazing. It has great animation and interaction and I spent an hour exploring and learning about their offerings. Mr. Keenan really has a passion for food and wine having spent months in Europe learning and cooking to experience the diverse culinary paths of the old world.

At Mercy now is Caduceus Primer Paso 2008 : a blend of Syrah and Malvasia Bianca. It like a Côte-Rôtie from the desert of Arizona. You can enjoy Caduceus Primer Paso 2008 for $90 a bottle (in limited avaibility).

Vincent Havard
General Manager and Operating Partner .

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The holidays seem a distant memory already

2011 is in full swing and the holidays seem a distant memory already. I am very excited about 2011. I really think great things are going to happen this year. We are off to a great start at Mercy and looking forward to new and exciting things for this year. This past Sunday we kicked off our Sunday night live music nights. We will be doing two a month. We will be having live music every other Sunday from 7-9 pm. This is a great way to end your week. An early night with dinner out, a nice glass of wine and some mellow music to relax by. Don Brown and sidekick Bob will be playing Sunday nights. Stop by and catch them. I can’t think of a better way to wind down the weekend!

Now that the liquor laws have been updated and we are allowed to sell wine for off premises consumption we are gearing up to add this service to our Mercy guests. Vincent continues to do a great job at sourcing hard-to-get wines from smaller boutique wineries. You will now be able to get those wines directly from Mercy. We are busy, right now, working on sourcing several really quality Mercy logo items, such as stemware, wine keys, wine boxes as well as Mercy apparel. We expect everything will be in place for us to launch this in the March timeframe. You will also be able to order directly from our website. For those of you that haven’t had a chance to visit our site lately please do. (mercywinebar.com) I think you notice some very appealing changes. The Music of Mercy has been added throughout the site. We have added some recommendations on food and wine pairing as well. Also as reminder that this is a great source to stay updated on who is performing at Mercy each week. Our calendar lists all of the activities at Mercy you will need to know about. For those of you with iPhones we also have a Mercy mobile app that you can easily download and stay updated via your phone.

We hope you are optimistic about the coming year and look forward to serving you at Mercy!!! Make this the “best part of your day”!! Happy New Year from all of us at Mercy Wine Bar!

Glen
Owner

Monday, January 3, 2011

Breathing a big sigh of relief

I love the holidays; I really do, but they do wear you down, don't they ? Mercy has a lot to be thankful for this past holiday season. We do want to extend our thanks again to all the companies and individuals that came to Mercy for their holiday parties. To those regular guests that we displaced (because of these holiday parties), thank you for your understanding.

The hidden benefit to hosting large scale events as it allows Mercy to directly market a large captive audience. We get to show what we are capable of providing on a large scale and as we always distribute Mercy brochures, we are permitted to introduce ourselves to a new group of potential guests.

Mercy will be closed to the public this Saturday, January 8th as we will host another large private function. We will resume normal operations on Sunday, January 9th.

The first week in February will approach us very shortly as football fans from around the globe will make their journey to our area. We are excited at the prospect of showing new guests what we offer at Mercy and to give the world a taste of some Texas-style hospitality.

We will have just enough time to recover from the Big Game to start making preparations for Valentine's Day !

Thank you for being part of the Mercy family.

Mike Castagne
Operations Manager