Please Join Us on Saturday, June 13 at noon to learn about wines from Chile. Wine educator Lauren DeLuca will be at The Mercantile. We'll be talking about Chilean appellations and tasting our summer house wines from Morande's Pionero line. Our summer house wines retail for $9.99 and they are perfect to enjoy for any summer occassion. This is a marvelous opportunity to learn how wines from Chile are breaking into the American market and bringing us affordable, yet tasty selections.
This is a free event. Identification is required for anyone wishing to participate in the tasting.
See you in the shop!
Janea and Team Merc
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Red or White and Why. Wine at The Mercantile
Having the privilege of finally bringing wine and beer into The Mercantile was a huge day for us. We are so thrilled to at last add this final piece to the puzzle. We are starting small at The Mercantile, but look forward to steadily growing our wine program with unique, affordable wines from off the beaten path. For the summer, we have chosen two wines from the Jon-David Headrick portfolio out of the Loire Valley. We call them our “Summer Sophisticates” and I personally can’t wait to sit at home on my deck with a slightly chilled bottle of Jean Francois-Merieau’s “bois jacou” gamay and some Port Salud cheese from Spain. Our summer white selection is an unoaked 2007 chardonnay from Domaine de la Fruitiere. It’s richer on the pallete than you expect it to be and it’s balanced acidity knocked my socks off! I’ll definitely be finding some shellfish and oysters for this summer wine. We are introducing these wines to our guests in an educational tasting this coming Saturday, June 6 at noon. Please join us.
Wine has been one of the most basic things in life for centuries. For me, the most thrilling thing about wine is the mythology that often comes behind it. My favorite thing to say around the shop is “food is storytelling and wine is mythology.” It’s unusual to find a great wine without a good story behind it. For many winemakers, wine is about being a true expression or representation of the land from which it grows. I love this notion. When I pick up a bottle and I think about the soil from which it grew, the culture that has consumed it for ages, the climate it survived or thrived in and the hands that pampered and plucked those grapes, I figure I’m holding 750 milliliters of life and diversity in my hands. Now that is art!
Despite my philosophical ramblings about wine, it’s important to us in the shop to make an effort to take away any of the uppity or elitist notions that is often associated with wine drinking and wine buying. If someone comes into the shop and can’t find any bottles they recognize on the shelf, that doesn’t mean they are encountering anything elitist or rare. It also doesn’t mean someone is clueless. It simply means they’re encountering wines that may not be heavily produced or widely marketed. We search expressly for humble, yet special selections that have a focus on farming and land and may be a bit unusual to the mainstream market place. We find gratification in the thrill of the hunt!
The way I see it, wine drinkers and lovers span the gamut. I love talking about acidity and trying to pinpoint flavors. I fully intend to one day be able to make sense of all those minute appellations in France. Sometimes though I just want to kick back with an uncomplicated glass of something yummy and not think about it. For those kinds of days, I’ve picked out some summer house wines from Morandé’s Pinero line out of Chile. Folks can stop by and grab a bottle of zesty sauvignon blanc, a nice light pinot noir or a creamy chardonnay. We’re on a journey with wine at The Mercantile and I invite you to join us anytime in any part of that journey. It’s gonna be fun and it’s gonna be an adventure. See you in the shop!
Wine has been one of the most basic things in life for centuries. For me, the most thrilling thing about wine is the mythology that often comes behind it. My favorite thing to say around the shop is “food is storytelling and wine is mythology.” It’s unusual to find a great wine without a good story behind it. For many winemakers, wine is about being a true expression or representation of the land from which it grows. I love this notion. When I pick up a bottle and I think about the soil from which it grew, the culture that has consumed it for ages, the climate it survived or thrived in and the hands that pampered and plucked those grapes, I figure I’m holding 750 milliliters of life and diversity in my hands. Now that is art!
Despite my philosophical ramblings about wine, it’s important to us in the shop to make an effort to take away any of the uppity or elitist notions that is often associated with wine drinking and wine buying. If someone comes into the shop and can’t find any bottles they recognize on the shelf, that doesn’t mean they are encountering anything elitist or rare. It also doesn’t mean someone is clueless. It simply means they’re encountering wines that may not be heavily produced or widely marketed. We search expressly for humble, yet special selections that have a focus on farming and land and may be a bit unusual to the mainstream market place. We find gratification in the thrill of the hunt!
The way I see it, wine drinkers and lovers span the gamut. I love talking about acidity and trying to pinpoint flavors. I fully intend to one day be able to make sense of all those minute appellations in France. Sometimes though I just want to kick back with an uncomplicated glass of something yummy and not think about it. For those kinds of days, I’ve picked out some summer house wines from Morandé’s Pinero line out of Chile. Folks can stop by and grab a bottle of zesty sauvignon blanc, a nice light pinot noir or a creamy chardonnay. We’re on a journey with wine at The Mercantile and I invite you to join us anytime in any part of that journey. It’s gonna be fun and it’s gonna be an adventure. See you in the shop!
-Janea Boyles
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The Mercantile celebrates
Chef Samantha takes advantage of the new inventory
George was our first guest to purchase wine. We love you, George!
Wine Arrives at The Mercantile
Where's the defibrillator?
Janea required CPR after receiving our license
Gloria rings up our first wine buyer!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
New Summer Menu
Summer is upon us! At The Mercantile, we've been wondering where the time went and how June snuck upon us so quickly! Fortunately, we're excited for summer to get here and even more excited at all of the wonderful, fresh eats that summer's bounty can bring.
Expect some changes around The Mercantile in coming weeks. Anyday now, the Georgia Department of Revenue is going to get it in gear and issue us our state license. Once that happens, wine and beer will be available for your summer at home dining pleasures.
Picnic, concert and screen on the green season is officially in full swing. Remember The Mercantile for all of your picnic and summer catering needs. Bre Edmonds featured The Mercantile in Points North magazine as a great spot to pick up your outdoor gourmet fare. Check out her article!
Chef Samantha and I have also decided that summer is a good opportunity to change our menu format. Starting this week, The Mercantile will have a menu comprised of dinner specials for the entire week. Monday through Friday, you can rely upon a minimum of three choices to be available for dinner starting at 4:00 pm. Expect to find a set selection of items for summer out of our deli case. As always our soups will continue to rotate daily.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment for the summer are new brunch selections for the weekend! We are thrilled to announce that on Saturday and Sunday, our specials will be brunch items available ALL DAY or while they last. You can enjoy those along our snack rail or pick up and head to the park. We think a few more brunch selections is perfect for the Dekalb Avenue Corridor and we hope you'll stop in to check us out!
See you in the shop!
-Janea and Chef Samantha
Expect some changes around The Mercantile in coming weeks. Anyday now, the Georgia Department of Revenue is going to get it in gear and issue us our state license. Once that happens, wine and beer will be available for your summer at home dining pleasures.
Picnic, concert and screen on the green season is officially in full swing. Remember The Mercantile for all of your picnic and summer catering needs. Bre Edmonds featured The Mercantile in Points North magazine as a great spot to pick up your outdoor gourmet fare. Check out her article!
Chef Samantha and I have also decided that summer is a good opportunity to change our menu format. Starting this week, The Mercantile will have a menu comprised of dinner specials for the entire week. Monday through Friday, you can rely upon a minimum of three choices to be available for dinner starting at 4:00 pm. Expect to find a set selection of items for summer out of our deli case. As always our soups will continue to rotate daily.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment for the summer are new brunch selections for the weekend! We are thrilled to announce that on Saturday and Sunday, our specials will be brunch items available ALL DAY or while they last. You can enjoy those along our snack rail or pick up and head to the park. We think a few more brunch selections is perfect for the Dekalb Avenue Corridor and we hope you'll stop in to check us out!
See you in the shop!
-Janea and Chef Samantha
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Mercantile is voted Best New Local Business!
Team Merc is thrilled to learn that we were voted Best New Local Business in The Sunday Paper's Reader's Choice Issue. We are so grateful to all of our guests and fans who took the time to vote! Thank you! This exciting news has inspired us to continue working towards being the best we can be for you! We look forward to being of service as your local specialty grocer.
We are also pleased to share that the City of Atlanta has approved our license for beer and wine. We are awaiting the mayor to put her signature on it. We are hoping to have wine and beer in The Mercantile within a couple of weeks.
See you in the shop!
Janea, Chef Samantha and Team Merc!
We are also pleased to share that the City of Atlanta has approved our license for beer and wine. We are awaiting the mayor to put her signature on it. We are hoping to have wine and beer in The Mercantile within a couple of weeks.
See you in the shop!
Janea, Chef Samantha and Team Merc!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
P.B. Loco is back in!
Hello, friends and fans! P.B. Loco has at last arrived back at The Mercantile. We apologize for the delay and our good friends at P.B. Loco have assured us we should not suffer any more severe delays. Drop by the shop and pick up your favorite flavor today. I've got dibs on the Double Chocolate Duo!
www.pbloco.com
See you in the shop!
-Janea
www.pbloco.com
See you in the shop!
-Janea
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