Resetting your biological clock

Dr. Mark Houston, discusses steps anyone can take to help combat the aging process.

 "Consumption of small amouns of alcohol per day may increase life span and reduce the incidence of cardio disease.

Although any alcohol may be effective, red wine, especially those with high resveratrol content such as Pinot Noir, Carbernet and Merlot may be most effective.
 About a six ounce glass a day."

Read the entire article, some very interesting things here.

http://www.hypertensioninstitute.com/pdf/TOWNSEND_NEWSLETTER.pdf

...........................MERCY!!!

Last Minute Holiday Gift Shopping

The holiday season has become a hectic race as harried shoppers hit the stores in search of the perfect gift for those on their holiday gift giving lists.  Might I suggest another alternative to hectic holiday season.  Come into Mercy and while you are enjoying a fine meal accompanied by your favorite wine,  instruct your server to prepare a Mercy Gift Certificate for those special people on your shopping list.

Mercy Gift Certificates are available in any specific denomination you would like AND from now till December 31st,  any incremental purchase of $50 in Mercy Gift Certificates,  you will receive a $5 coupon for lunch at Mercy any weekday from 11 am on.

New Year's Eve at Mercy will feature the engaging performance of the Orlando Salinas band beginning at 9 pm. Orlando is a dynamic presence and he really draws the audience and we are pleased to have him and his band to help us ring in the new year.

Mercy is now accepting reservations for dining on new year's. As in past years,  we will serve from our normal dining and wine menus (at our standard pricing).

Now Open for Lunch

With the addition of new dark shades covering the windows to help preserve the ambiance and printing of lunch menus, Mercy began offering patrons a new business week lunch alternative. Service is Monday - Friday beginning at 10:57 am.

Reservations all always welcomed and encouraged. Mercy will offer our traditional dining fare of appetizers, soup and salads, sandwiches, pasta, and cheese plate selections.

Where do you want to go for lunch ?

It's the age old question for Addison area residents, employees and shoppers.

Mercy Wine Bar and Restaurant answers that question beginning on Tuesday, September 4th as we inaugurate luncheon service.

We will present service Monday to Friday gearing our luncheons towards a fast delivery of service for busy people.

Mercy will offer our traditional fare of Appetizers 'To Share', Daily Soup, Salad and Sandwich selections, Pasta Plates, Imported Cheeses, and Desserts.

Mercy's Happy Hour wine list, which is available seven days a week, will be extended to cover the Monday through Friday luncheon service. Dinner service will begin normally at 3:59 pm when we include our Entree 'Plates' offerings of fresh Seafood selections and Grilled Meats.

A very busy week ahead

We are in for a very busy week at Mercy. What a way to kick of 2012!!!!

Saturday at 9 pm Mercy will be featuring award winning, Nashville song writer and performing artist, Karen Waldrop. Karen first played Mercy in the fall of last year and had a blast. She packed the house. She is currently on tour and called to say if she was coming to Dallas, she HAD to play Mercy. We are honored to have this soulful, rockin’ voice back at Mercy for an encore performance.

Sunday, Jan 29, we will be launching a brand new program. We will be hosting an art show by the artist Brian Hilson. You may know Brian from the work he has had on display at Mercy in the restrooms.

We are excited to kick off this new program with Brian. He will be at Mercy on Sunday from 6:00-9:00 pm showing lots more of his work. You won’t want to miss this one ! Don Brown and Bob Reister (Brown and Wild Reister) will also be performing that same night. It is going to be a packed night of great music and artwork.

Over the next year we will be featuring local Dallas artists and their work. Look for more info. Hope to see you on this Sunday.

MERCY!
Glen Agritelley
Owner

Kicking off a new year

Oh behalf of the entire Mercy staff, we hope you have had a wonderful holiday season and New Years!! Kicking off a new year is always exciting and we have some great things planned for this coming year. We are coming off a great year for Mercy with the highlight having to have been selected Wine Bar of the Year for the US from NightClub and Bar Magazine.

We are about to enter our 9th year and very excited about bringing a great experience in wine, food, music and now ART to our Mercy family of guests. Mercy will continue with live music every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Mercy is very proud to host some top Dallas musicians such as The Brehms, Hard Nights Day, David Gallegos, Milissa Medlock, Orlando Solinas, Brown and Wild Reister, Ricky Derek and master magician, Jared Brandon. This year we will be adding a new group to the Thursday evening list, a group called My Generation. 60’s music from across the pond and the US!! You won’t want to miss these guys. We also have a few surprises in store, the first is Nashville recording artist, Karen Waldrop. Karen performs Saturday Jan 28. She performed later last year and brought the house down. You don’t want to miss her!

We are also very excited about kicking off something totally new for Mercy. We will be hosting local artists doing a 1 night show at Mercy on a Sunday evening. We will debut this new program on Sunday Jan 29 with Brian Hilson. You all know Brian for his artwork that Mercy has had on display for many years now in our rest rooms. Brian has built a reputation from the Mercy’s Bathroom Art. You won’t want to miss this exciting evening where Brian will be showcasing a lot more of his work. The show begins at 6 pm. Throughout the year we will be hosting artwork from local artists and watch the website throughout the year for these. (mercywinebar.com)

2012 promises to be a great year and we look forward to sharing it with you and hoping to help make it a great year for each of you.

Happy New Year and MERCY………………

Glen Agritelley
Owner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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