Sarasota had a marvelous wine store that brought us an array of wines from boutique wineries and far away places at incredibly reasonable prices.  John got to know the manager, Thomas and was a frequent customer for many years.   Sadly the store closed after Thomas’s departure.

A shop in Gulf Gate has become a great replacement.  Many of you already shop here –  thewinetobuy.com.  I linked it on the Merchant page when I began this blog but it deserves more attention.  We want to spread the word about our excellent, independent retailers.  It’s at 2440 Stickney Point Road, about 2 blocks east of 41 on the right.   Thewinetobuy.com  is  a small  shop filled with great values and selections that change all of the time.  If you find a wine there that you can’t live without, get back quick and buy all you can as selections are limited and frequently sell out rapidly.

  Three of last week’s selections

The store’s website is definitely worth viewing and bookmarking.  New acquisitions  and specials are posted there and the site features  a very handy listing of local restaurants and what they charge for corkage.   The shop also produces a newsletter that you can sign up for on the site.  And don’t miss the coupon page!  Often you will find specials posted there for free or discounted corkage.   Mitch Soffer is thewinetobuy.com’s  proprietor.  Stop in, say hello and discover some exceptional buys!

I’ve become such an urban dweller that going to Gulf Gate what?, three or four miles from downtown seems like a three day bus ride to me!  We combine our trek south to restock on wines with other errands and include a stop at one of our favorite bakeries – O0h La La  or Jim’s Small Batch Bakery.  If you haven’t tried both bakeries you are  definitely missing some of the best breads and pastries created  in Sarasota.  And just a note, Ooh La La is open on Sundays now!

Salud! Debbe