We’ll be open regular hours leading up to New Year’s Day:
2020Mon. Dec 30, 2019, 10 AM – 6 PM
Tues. Dec 31, 2019, 10 AM – 6 PM (New Year’s Eve)
Wednesday, January 1, 2020 – CLOSED  (New Year’s Day)
Regular hours resume on Tuesday, January 2.

Have a safe and happy New Year celebration!

GriottinesThrowing a party?
If you like craft cocktails, our wide selection of bitters, French-made cherries soaked in liqueur (Griottines), vermouth from France and Spain will definitely expand your repertoire.  New Year’s Eve is a fancy celebration, right?
We’ve got a superb assortment of pâtés, duck and pork rilletes in jar and tins from France – these are easy to transport to multiple gatherings.  In our deli case, we stock fresh Pâté de
Campagne and  Duck Mousse au Porto which we slice to order.   Pick up cornichons, mustards, and French mini toasts to accompany the spreads.
Pescetarians, we carry stellar fish spreads from French producer Les Mouettes d’Arvor.    Rillettes of Mackerel in mustard sauce are a classic, Rillettes of Tuna  and Rillettes of Sardines with Tomato are divine.

Chateau Haut-Mayne Sauternes We carry Rougie brand ready-to-eat foie gras in cans.  We also have frozenRougie Foie Gras foie gras from New York’s Hudson Valley which is easy to prepare.  Thaw, sear and serve.
A classic and decadent French wine pairing with foie gras is Sauternes.   One of the best is Chateau Haut-Mayne 2016 ($24.99). Valerie says “This Sauternes tastes exactly as the gods intended! Orange marmalade, honey, ginger, and rye with a medium sweetness. It is luxurious on the palate and is meant to be savored. Of course, you can’t drink Sauternes without foie gras! Ask me about my vegetarian recipe if meat isn’t your thing. C’est délicieux!”

The Staff’s Favorite Bubbles:
Vinyes Singularis cavaValerie’s Pick:  Vinyes Singulars Cava Brut Nature ($16.99) – When organizing your lineup for the evening, it’s best to start with dry and move to sweeter wines as the night progresses. There is no other wine to get your night started right than with this Cava Brut Nature. With no added dosage, this bubbly is bone dry. It pairs great with a cheese and charcuterie plate as the bright acid cleans your palate between bites. At this price, just go ahead and get two. You won’t regret it.

Mestres Clos SenyorMercede’s favorite:  Mestres Clos Nostre Senyor Brut Nature Gran Reserva 2004, Penedes ($38.00)   I like the Cava Mestres Clos Nostre Senyor because is a classic cava to celebrate a special occasion.  This is a Brut Nature, like Vinyes Singulars, but Clos Nostre Senyor has aged an astonishing 100 months on the lees which gives this cava an incredible richness.  It is elegant, profound and complex, with a silky texture. Clos Nostre Senyor de Mestres has excellent acidity and very nice bubbles, dry and full-bodied, The finish of this Cava is long and creamy, with some toasted and mineral hints, a hint of aromatic herbs and a beautiful golden color.   Enjoy it and Happy New Year 2020!

Aubry BrutSharon’s choice:  NV Aubry Champagne Brut Premier Cru $45.00   Highly recommended!  This value-priced Champagne is a crowd pleaser, with toasty brioche notes, fine bubbles, and nuanced complexity.  “The NV Brut is a gorgeous entry-level offering. The flavors are brisk and finely cut in this chiseled, crystalline Champagne from the Aubry brothers. Pear, green apple, lemon oil and white flowers add to an overall impression of brightness and tension. Aubry’s straight NV Brut is once again one of the very finest wines in its peer group. I rarely miss a chance to drink it. The current release is a blend of 50% 2014 and 50% reserve wines, with a bit more Meunier in the blend than is the norm. ”  92 points Vinous

Saint Gall ChampagneEthan loves:  NV Champagne De Saint Gall Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Brut ($50.00)  De Saint Gall owns 1300 hectares of gran cru and premier cru vineyards in Champagne’s Côte des Blancs and this enviable position means that every luxury-brand Champagne house buys grapes or reserve wines from them.  De Saint Gall owns two-thirds of the total gran cru vineyards in Champagne; the big houses have built the reputation and identity for French bubbly.  De Saint Gall has begun to bottle and market their own Champagne, and we were blown away by the quality to price ratio of this fantastic bubbly.  Rich and gorgeous with lovely floral notes and light toast.  Very delicate, this is a sparkling wine with fantastic balance and a seemingly never-ending finish will leave you wanting another glass.

eu tariffs100% E.U. Tariffs in early 2020?   Are you familiar with the proposition to impose 100% tariffs on all wine, cheeses, pork products, tinned, fresh or frozen seafood and shellfish, olive oil, olives, butter, pasta, jams, whiskey and spirits from all E.U. countries?  You may have heard about the more limited 25% tariff imposed in October of 2019 which is just now being felt by retailers like us.  The 100% tariff is a separate, broader and higher tariff that will double the wholesale cost of these products in the U.S..  The tariffs are part of a dispute concerning Airbus subsidies and a new French tax on technology firms.   Click Federal Register for complete details and how to submit comments.
We are opposed to this prohibitive tariff increase which, if imposed, will bring calamity to food and wine importers, distributors, and retailers resulting in insupportable price increases and will end the importation of many artisanal products.  (Read an insider’s post from wine importer Grape Expectations, laying out the impacts on the wine industry should 100% tariffs take effect.   Food importers will experience similiar impacts).  There simply are no domestic substitutes for many of these products, especially in sufficient quantity and at comparable prices to fill the product demand, should 100% tariffs be implemented.
If, like us, you oppose these new tariffs, please write to the US Trade Representative before January 13, 2020, and make your opinions known. To comment, visit www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR–2019–0003 on the home page and click ‘‘search.’’ The site will provide a search results page listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice and click on the link entitled ‘‘comment now!’’

Thank you for reading.