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
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
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
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
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
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
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
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
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)