With the start of a new year, many like to reflect on the memorable moments of the previous year in hopes that the year to come will offer even more. There's always more to explore, more to learn, and more to savor.

In taking stock here at Merchant's Fine Wine, we've taken a look at our best selling, most inviting, most recommended selections to create a quasi “Best of 2005” list. The following is meant to offer a little a few tidbits into what you, the customers, have told you've liked and what we, as a store, have recognized as some of the best acknowledge and invest in savoring well into 2006.

Red Wine Selections

Clos de Los Siete, $14.99

40% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 20% Syrah. Rich, full-bodied Argentinian red made under the supervision of Michel Rolland.

Pietra Santa Sacred Stone, $9.99

A unique California red blend that makes a great everyday pizza, pasta, and burger wine.

Pelee Island Semi-Sweet Merlot, $7.99

A unique red that's just subtly sweet. A great everyday sipper or accompaniment to a casual dinner.

MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, $16.99

A great pinot noir for the price. The property belonged to the late actor Fred MacMurray and is now overseen by his daughter.

Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvigon, $19.99

A steady and consistent cabernet from Sonoma 's Alexander Valley . Forward black fruit and moderate tannins make this a great wine to have on hand in your cellar.

Premium Red Wine Selections

Cyrus, $59.99

An ultra-luxurious meritage style blend from Alexander Valley Vineyards with smooth and elegant notes of blueberry, blackberry, vanillin, and milk chocolate.

Stag's Leap Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $47.99

This has been a popular wine for several years and continues to be a strong seller. Notes of blackberry, cassis, and subtle earth make this a popular choice.

Barnett Vineyards Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, $64.99

This relatively limited Napa wine is full-throttle cabernet at its finest. It's full-bodied and complex with notes of cassis, blackberry, black pepper, dark chocolate, and subtle loam.

Henry's Drive Padthaway Shiraz, $37.99

Full-blown, ripe, fruit-forward Australian shiraz at its best. Rich notes of blackberry, raspberry, creosote, pepper, and vanillin in this dense and concentrated wine.

Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico, $44.99

A classic, full-bodied perennial Italian favorite. Full-bodied and dry with notes of dark cherry, raspberry, and earth.

White Wine Selections

Turnbull Sauvignon Blanc, $14.99

The addition of a little bit of Viognier to this Napa sauvignon blanc has made a splash with our customers. Relatively crisp and citrusy with notes of peach, melon, and fig it's become a summer favorite.

Frei Brothers Chardonnay, $14.99

This has been one of the most consistent whites on our shelves for the last few years. Notes of pear, citrus, and hazelnut are followed by a lusciously creamy finish.

Buena Vista Sauvignon Blanc, $7.99

This has been one of our best selling value whites for several years. It's consistently good with notes of lemon and subtle melon.

Santa Rita 120 Sauvigon Blanc, $5.99

A delightfully fresh and clean Chilean sauvignon blanc with crisp notes of citrus with subtle herbaceousness.

Yalumba Y Series Viognier, $9.99

This screw-cap sealed Australian white has delighted our customers for some time now. Award-winning winemaker Louisa Rose has once again brought us an outstanding value viognier with ripe notes of peach and honeysuckle.

Premium White Wine Selections

Rombauer Chardonnay, $29.99

This rich, ripe, buttery, tropical chardonnay is always a favorite. Very smooth with notes of pineapple, popcorn, and citrus.

Consilience Viognier, $29.99

A very unique and very limited Santa Barbara Viognier with very ripe notes of pear, peach, and honeysuckle. High in alcohol, but not overwhelming.

Cakebread Chardonnay, $43.99

A crisp, higher acid chardonnay from the Napa Valley that makes for a food-friendly white. Citrus, pear, and apple notes make this a refreshing favorite.

Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay, $54.99

A rich, flavorful Napa chardonnay with notes of pineapple, butter, baking spices, and creamy pear. Fat and unctuous.

Mer Soleil Chardonnay, $39.99

Another tropical, rich, and fruit-forward chardonnay from California. Buttery with notes of pear, pineapple, mango, and spicy vanilla.

Michigan Wine Selections

Leelanau Winter White, $5.99

A perennial favorite no matter what time of year it is. Slightly sweet.

Tabor Hill Demi Sec White, $7.99

A slightly sweet white with notes of pear and citrus.

Traverse Bay Cherry , $6.99

Our best selling Michigan cherry wine. Sweet with a subtle tartness.

Chateau Grand Traverse Late Harvest Riesling, $14.99

Our most requested, but most limited Michigan wine has a short season of availability. It's usually available from June to October. Sweet with notes of pear and citrus.

Leelanau Cellars Witches Brew, $6.99

A very unusual "mulled" wine. It's a dry red that has spices such as cinnamon and clove added to it. It's usually available from Autumn through winter.

Jug Wine Selections

CR Cellars Fortissimo (4L)
Glen Ellen Chardonnay (1.5L)
Sutter Home Chardonnay (1.5L)
Inglenook Chablis (3L)
Vendange Chardonnay (1.5L)

Deli's Best Selections

Sierra Sunrise Organic Coffee $8.99/lb.

This is blended and roasted with the true espresso lover in mind. Each cup supplies a rich, bold taste along with the knowledge that life is getting better for farming families through fair trade prices. It just doesn't get any better than this!

Boar's Head Cracked Pepper Mill Smoked Turkey Breast $5.99/lb.

It's 99% fat free, has the American Heart Association's seal of approval, and tastes fabulous! Need we say more?

Vintage Van Gogh Gouda $10.99/lb.

A handcrafted cheese that is just as unique and inspired as the artist himself! Aged 9 months with rich, complex flavors and a caramel accent … it's a blue ribbon winner.

Hog Wild Pork Wings $7.99/lb.

These wings fly out of the showcase! An outstanding cut of pork that's extra lean and so tender they almost melt in your mouth! The Thai Sesame Peanut sauce adds a taste you won't soon forget (and you'll crave over and over again!).

Green Bean and Asparagus Salad $4.99/lb.

Three separate culinary techniques go into the creation of this Tamari soy sauce & garlic based fresh vegetable salad. Yellow and red bell peppers add to the taste and enhance the presentation of this lovely dish.

Gourmet Food Selections Best-selling

Chocolates/Candy

Lindt Chocolate (pick a bar, any bar)
Nestle Coffee Crisp Bar
Knudsen Caramels
Ginger People Ginger Chews
Haribo Mega-Roulette and regular Roulette

Cookies (for that cookie monster inside us all)

Copenhagen Cookie Assortment
Walkers Shortbread
Bahlsen Hit Cookies w/Chocolate Cream
Bahlsen Choco-Leibniz Dark Chocolate
DeBeukelaer Pirouline w/Hazelnut

Crackers

Carr's Table Water
Chicago Flats All Flavor
Carr's Table Water w/Cracked Pepper
Medford Farms Garlic and Herb
Medford Farms Table Water

Essential Munchies

Cape Cod Air Popped White Cheddar Popcorn
Frito-Lay Rold Gold Pretzel Rods
Snyder's Honey Mustard & Onion Pretzel Pieces
Vic's White Popcorn

Herb, Spice or Hot Sauce

Lucas Limon Lemon-Lime Seasoning
Cholula Mexican Hot Sauce 5oz
Cerulean Seas Fine & Coarse Sea Salt
Sriracha Tuong Hot Chili Sauce
Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract

Spreads, Toppings, Relishes, Chutneys

Sander's Syrup Toppings (Milk, Bittersweet, Milk-Butterscotch, & Swiss Dark)
Nutella Hazelnut Spread
Alba Cod Roe Caviar Spread
Alba Salmon Pate in Tube
Marco Polo Bruschetta (Red Pepper & Eggplant)

Teas

Stash Fushion Green & White
Stash Premium Green & Green Decaf
Stash Double Bergamot Earl Grey
Twinings Earl Grey Loose Leaf & bags
Twinings Irish Breakfast Bags

Vinegars and Oils

Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Delallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cucina Antica Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Modenaceti Balsamic Vinegar
Villa Mondori Balsamic Vinegar

Seafood Selections

Chicken of the Sea Chunk White Albacore Tuna in Water
Haddon House Flat Fillets of Anchovies
Genova Solid Light Tuna in Olive Oil
Zoe Diva Select Ventresca Fillets of Yellow Fin Tuna
Bumble Bee Chunk White Albacore Tuna in Water

Juice or tea-based beverage

Lakewood Organic Pomegranate Blend
Ito-En Sencha Shot Green Tea
Looza Mango Nectar
Ito-En Green Jasmine, Pure Green & Green White Tea's Tea

Best Beer Selections

Bell's Brewery, Inc. ( Kalamazoo , MI ) “Batch 7000” ABV: 12.0%

Batch 7000 is part of our commemorative series celebrating our progress with special brews. Our 7,000th batch is a special recipe to be brewed only once. A rich, dark, strong brew, reminiscent of a huge Imperial Stout.

Sierra Nevade Brewing Co ( Chico , CA ) “Bigfoot Ale” ABV: 9.6%

Bigfoot Ale is an award-winning example of the traditional barley wine ale style. It boasts a dense, fruity bouquet; an extremely rich, intense palate; and a deep, reddish-brown color. This ale is superbly balanced between an almost overpowering maltiness and a wonderfully bittersweet hoppiness.

Gouden Garolus “Grand Cru of the Emperor" ( Belgium ) ABV: 8.5%

Gouden Carolus "Grand Cru of the Emperor" is brewed in a limited quantity once a year, on the 24th of February, birthday of Charles the Fifth. This exclusive beer is an adaptation of the traditional Gouden Carolus, with a fine palate of refined flavors and tantalizing aromas. It's a perfect beer to store, to give, and to taste.

Reissdorf “Kolsch” ( Germany ) ABV: 5%

The town of Cologne , the namesake for Kolsch, not only has more breweries than any other city in the world, but also has a federal law protecting its right to brew this pale, top-fermenting ale (appellation controlled). Kolsch, which has been brewed in Cologne and outlying areas since before 1300, furthermore has a brewers guild that mandates certain parameters for its brewing and protects the appellation worldwide. Reissdorf Kolsch is lighter than Pilsner in color with a slightly malty, fairly soft palate. Flavor profile includes fruit and hints of vanilla.

Fuller's “1845 Ale” ( England ) ABV: 6.3%

The partnership of Fuller, Smith And Turner was formed in 1845. In 1995, to commemorate the company's 150th anniversary, Fuller's commissioned a special, celebration bottled ale. 1845 was the result. 1845 Ale is a highly acclaimed strong ale and the winner of numerous awards. It is also also bottle conditioned, which means it is live beer that continues to ferment in bottle, adding to the complex development of flavor.

Noteworthy Liquor Libations

Lemoncello

Limoncello/Lemoncello is an Italian liqueur of the essential oils of lemons and liquor that is also available in a cream version. Serve it chilled in a small glass for the ultimate expression of this lovely, lemony liquor. Three to try:

Villa Massa Lemoncello, $ 28.98

Toschi Lemoncello, (750 ml) $ 23.96

Pellegrino Limoncello, (750 ml) $ 23.81

Single Malt Scotches

Aberlour 10 yr, (750 ml) $32.97

Aberlour 10 yr has an amber color with a malty, spicy, mint toffee nose. It's body is remarkably soft and smooth. Medium to full. Palate - Distinctively clinging mouth-feel, with long-lasting developed that caries both sweet and spicy and peppery dryness in its malt character. Nutmeg and berry fruit. Finish - Lingering, smooth, aromatic, clean.

Aberlour 15 yr, (750 ml) $53.51

A Highland single malt with a deep amber color with old gold highlights. It's nose is medium-sweet, fresh and clean with a slight green fruity note and a delicate peatiness. The flavor is Medium-sweet, medium-bodied, round and has smooth, very gentle peatiness. It's finish is long, very delicately peated, elegant and complex.

Glenrothes 1984, (750 ml) $109.97

Glenrothes is from Speyside that has a full, fruity aroma filled with ripe melon and vanilla oak aroma that develops into a full, rich sweetness on the palate and into the finish.

Calvados

This wonderful French distilled apple cider is excellent for baking, cooking, sipping and making hot toddies.

Daron Calvados (375 ml), $19.30; (750 ml) $35.40

Busnel Calvados (750 ml) $37.96

Grappa

Grappa, also known as Grappa Wine, is an Italian grape-based spirit that is made from the distillation of pomace (the residue of grapes including the stems and seeds) that were pressed for the wine making process. Grappa is frequently served cold and rarely mixed; however, particularly good quality grappas are often best when consumed at room temperature (60 degrees F.) for more aromatic appeal. Sometimes, usually in Italy, grappa is added to espresso and known as a “Caffe Corretto.” The other variation of this is the "Amazza Caffe;" literally, "to kill the coffee." The espresso is drunk first, followed by a few, downed ounces of grappa served in proper glass.

Grappa di Sassicaia (750 ml) $ 58.97

Certain Something Extra

A few products that are sought for interest and pleasure.

Leroux Jezynowka Blackberry Brandy, (1 liter) $11.72

Krupnik, (750 ml) $16.17, An imported Polish honey liqueur.

Polomos Wisniowka, (750 ml) $16.17, An imported Polish cherry cordial.

* Prices are subject to vary, please call for availability.