Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan gillotte <dangillotte AT gmail.com>]

Hello Wheatsville friends!

I hope that you are managing to keep from melting in this heat!
This week, scroll down for:
Parking talk
Wine action
Deli, cheese and meat deliciousness
Produce and grocery news and products

We lowered our prices on dozens of grocery items last week. Look for the signs that say, "New Lower Prices" to find some items to save on!
Parking lot, Schmarking lot! We still need you to shop!
I know that the parking is no fun right now, but I hope that you're still able to bear with us for a while longer and still shop even during this tough parking time. I kow that it's not possible for everyone to adjust when you shop, but if you can, you'll find that some days and times are better than others.

Come early OR late on any day- we're opening at 7:30am now. The parking lot is pretty easy breezy up until 10 or 10:30am. Or, come after 8pm that seems to be a lot easier as well and Supercuts is closed, so their customers aren't using any spaces then either.
Shop on Thursdays- for some reason, Thursday is our slowest sales day by far. It still gets somewhat busy during the rushes of 11-2 or 5-8, but it's better than any other day.
We are nearing completion on the first major parking phase- they will pour concrete tomorrow. It needs to cure for 7 days and then we'll begin the next phase. We're hoping to get a few more spaces opened up in this next phase, so while it won't be tons more parking, we hope that the worst is nearly behind us.
Thank you so much for your patience during this difficult part of the project! We so appreciate your support!

Wine and dine
Stop by the wine isle and you may notice some new great new  wines on the shelf. The wine isle recently expanded and we were able to bring is some cool new wines, most of them organic! One line you should check out is Fairhills Fare Trade Certified Wines. Fairhills is the world’s most well-known Fairtrade brand being sourced from three Fairtrade wine countries of origin, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa.  The Fairhills initiative benefits over 1300 beneficiaries in the three different countries and focuses on improving the living and social conditions of these producers. We have 5 wines from the winery. Fairhills Cabernet Sauvignon offers aromas of dark fruit, coffee and black tea that lead into fresh strawberry fruit.  Well balanced with good acidity and layers of smoke on the finish round out this wine. Fairhills Chardonnay offers bright citrus tones on the nose and sophisticated hints of vanilla and subtle oak.  Perfectly balanced, offering crisp acidity and lively stone fruit characters. Fairhills Merlot is medium-bodied with flavors and aromas of bright red fruit layered with blueberry and silky tannins on the finish. Fairhills Malbec offers jammy, plum aromas that lead into rich, dense fruit with a touch of cherry and cranberry. Try all of these fantastic wines and help farmers from around the world at the same time! What could be easier?

Plus, look for new chilled wines in the deli self serve case for your convenience!

From the Delil
There’s just one week left to wrap your tastebuds around our June specials! Our salsa for June is Blackened Pepper Salsa, blending roasted jalapenos with salsa standards like ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic and lime to create a gorgeous and smoky orange salsa speckled with bits of green cilantro.

If you prefer sweet to spicy, June’s Smoothie of the Month is Strawberry Pineapple, made with apple juice and frozen fruit, and never watered down with ice! If you haven’t already, now is the season to get your smoothie card started – buy nine and get your tenth smoothie free! Just have your cashier punch it on your way out!

Too hot to cook? Come in and grab a delicious, local and all-natural Rosemary-Garlic Whole Roasted Chicken from our self-serve case as well. Shred some for salads or soups, tasty enchiladas or chicken salad, or just cut it up to snack on! They’re tender, flavorful, juicy, and ready to go!

Wheatsville has begun opening our doors at 7:30am for all you early birds out there, so stop in early for breakfast, a smoothie, or an organic, fair-trade coffee to start your day the co-op way!

Don’t forget all espresso drinks are 25 cents off in June, so make your way to Wheatsville’s new Coffee Bar this week and try something fancy! The Nutella is a popular choice, a delicious latte boosted with chocolate and hazelnut syrups! Make your own combination and save this month! And remember all the espresso drinks can also be served cold, but if you’re looking for something a bit stronger, be sure to try our renowned Iced Coffee Toddy, a cold-pressed coffee that takes over 24 hours to create! It tastes great over ice, finished with milk and a shot of agave, if you order it like Merille our kitchen manager does! It is divine and guaranteed to wake you up, so come in and cool down! (Dan's wife, Rosie frequently raves about the iced coffee, too calling it "the best coffee drink in town!")
  
From Greg, In the Land of Cheese
 
The Cheese Department is running some awesome sales this week.  Morningland Raw Organic Colby is going from $8.99/lb to $7.99/lb. Pureluck Farms’ Goat Feta is dropping from $16.29/lb to $9.99/lb. Both are on a ”while supplies last” basis. Enjoy.
 
From the Meat Department:
Swing by and check out the freezer doors for some great sales.  We still have ahi tuna, salmon, shrimp scampi, & coconut shrimp on sale! Buy One Get One while supplies last.  Organic Prairie chubs are on sale:  beef, chicken, turkey and pork breakfast sausage.  We also have a great deal on salmon – everyday priced at $3.99!
Keep in mind that we are making fresh sausage in house these days.  We just introduced another great flavor – Cilantro & Lime Chicken Sausage. Our signature sausages have been getting a lot of positive feedback, so check them out!

It’s a Produce Miracle!
Last week in this e-mail, I sent out the sad story about Buena Tierra’s melon crop going the way of the dodo due to a hail storm. By some stroke of luck and good fortune, they were able to harvest the melons without them getting sun damaged. This means that you can buy their delicious melons here at the co-op. We are carrying their Israeli, Tuscan cantaloupes and Galia melons. They are certified organic and unbelievably amazing. To me this is a big deal because a few of us were as devastated as they were in losing this crop. These are seriously some of the best melons around. Enjoy!
 
What’s in Season
If the oppressive heat hasn’t been an indicator, it is officially summer in Austin. So, what’s in season? Currently our seasonal fruits and vegetables are: stone-fruits: nectarines (white and regular) peaches (Texas, yellow, white), cherries, apricots, plums, pluots (plum-apricots), grapes (red, black, green),  melons: Tuscan cantaloupe, galia, Israeli, honeydew, tomatoes, squash (yellow, zucchini), green beans, okra, eggplant (black beauty, Asian), berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry) and figs. Yum. Eating in season is great. Eating local produce in season is even better.
 
Follow Us!
The Wheatsville Produce Department is on both Twitter and facebook. If you are into those kind of things, follow us!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Austin-TX/Wheatsville-Food-Co-op-Produce-Department/171671855654?ref=ts
https://twitter.com/wheatsvilleduce
 
In The Grocery Aisle
 
Blue Sky Café Energy:
It’s getting too hot to enjoy my afternoon cup of coffee. That’s why it was exciting to get the new Blue Sky Café Energy drinks in the cooler at Wheatsville. This is a coffee drink that tastes like coffee, but has got a kick to it. Aside from the caffeine already found in coffee, there are other natural ingredients that you’d expect from an energy drink. It’s more than an afternoon pick-me-up. It’s a whole new way to enjoy a natural energy drink. We have both Mocha Mountain and Vanilla Sky flavors cold and ready to drink now. Justin Merrifield, grocery buyer
 
 BY the way, as we continue to try and get you the best possible value for your dollar, we are interested in seeing your receipts from other stores (like Natural Grocers, Whole Foods, and Newflower Market) if you happen to shop elsewhere sometimes. Just leave them at the hospitality desk!

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville
GM and e-mail guy