After the mad rush of mad wine deals to celebrate the holiday season and close out the year comes the hangover. Some wine retailers and restaurants will lick their wounds, rest and prepare for February and the celebratory Valentine’s Day.
“All the way through Christmas and New Year, it’s great for cash flow. It’s really fun,” said Nick James, marketing and sales director at in Woodinville. “January is the time to recollect and prepare for the coming year.”
However, if you know where to look, January is the ideal time to order wine out, or stock up on wine with deals aplenty from local wineries, including Mark Ryan, at retailers and restaurants in the region.
Continuing their monthly featured wineries, in Woodinville offers for $18 a flight of 2-ounce pours of four wines: 09 Alexandria Nicole Destiny Ridge Grenache, 09 OS Sheridan Vineyard Cabernet Franc, 09 Idilco Tempranillo and 09 L'Ecole Columbia Valley Red.
At all four locations, including downtown Bellevue, the northwest steakhouse bills its Luxury List, a selection of collectable wines listed at lower margins, including 06 Col Solare for $105, 08 Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon for $120, 08 Grand Ciel for $165, 09 Leonetti Merlot for $120, 09 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon for $115 and the aged 00 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon for $195.
“It’s about reminding our guests why they like good juice; we value high quality wine and know that our guests do as well,” said Chad Mackay, president and COO of the Mackay Restaurant Group, the parent company for the El Gaucho steak houses. "If selling certain brands at lower prices will allow our guest to enjoy them again, that is what we will do.”
El Gaucho also offers the ultra-premium Mark Ryan Wild Eye Syrah for $22 for a 6-ounce pour or $30 for a 9-ounce pour, and the Mark Ryan Long Haul Merlot blend for $23 for a 6-ounce pour or $32 for a 9-ounce pour.
At the Flat Iron Grill in Issaquah, wines by Woodinville producers are sold at a shade over retail. The 09 Mark Ryan “The Dissident,” retailing for $32 out of the winery, sells for $44 ($11 by the glass). The 08 424 Red, retailing for about $33, sells for $48 at the restaurant.
is the current featured Washington winery at the Flat Iron Grill, where the 10 Le Deuce Viognier and Roussane blend sells for $35 ($8 by the glass), the Chaos Red Blend sells for $48 ($12 by the glass) and the limited production Mourvedre sells for $50.
wines are also available at value prices throughout the Puget Sound region. The 08 Ross Andrew Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $11 a glass at . The 10 Ross Andrew Pinot Blanc sells for $10 a glass at Monsoon East.
“We are committed to delivering the best value wine list to go with our food,” said Eric Bahn, owner and chef of Monsoon East, Monsoon Capitol Hill and Ba Bar.
Wines by Ross Andrew, Mark Ryan and other Woodinville producers are also available at low margins at two restaurants less than a block apart in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood, Toulouse Petit and Ten Mercer. Selections and prices vary but the margins remain low.
“We price our wines very competitively,” said Brian Curry, owner and general manager of Ten Mercer. “I am always looking for great values to pass on to our guests.”
For retail value deals, Esquin in Seattle’s Sodo District is featuring many of the Woodinville Warehouse District producers at discount prices. The Ghost of 413 Red Blend, a collaboration between Mark McNielly of Mark Ryan Winery and Chris Gorman of Gorman Winery, sells for $14.99.
