Zack's Top 5 Winter Beers

The date is October 26th and I would like to share everyone a list of my favorite... Christmas Beers! Yes, Christmas beers have landed and we haven't even hit Halloween yet! So, please join me in looking forward to snow covered trees, hot cocoa by the fire and black ice on the roads as I count down my Top 5 favorite Christmas and Winter Beers.

5. Sam Smith Winter Welcome. What a perfect way to begin this list. This beer is probably the first winter beer I have ever had and it is the one seasonal that I have continued to love every year. So why is it only number 5? While I love this beer and all of the Winter Warmer spices that you would come to expect from a Winter Seasonal: malt, caramel and allspice, this particular beer has a large amount of carbonation which doesn't really warm me up and give me that cozy "Winter" feeling. Still a fantastic choice from one of the greatest breweries in the world! Beer Advocate Score: 83

4. Troegs Mad Elf. This is probably one of the most popular seasonal beer... PERIOD. People wait all year for this one to come out and while it is a fantastic choice, its only number 4 to me. Mad Elf is a perfect combination of Cherries, Honey, and Chocolate Malts paired with spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. This is a definite beer to sip on a cold winter night by the fireplace. Beer Advocate Score: 87

3. Great Divide Hibernation. Every year this beer gets better and better! This English-style Old Ale is Colorado’s original strong ale and has been Great Divide’s winter seasonal each year since 1995. Hibernation’s massive flavors are so intense that it requires over three months of aging each year. This lengthy aging process gives Hibernation its malty richness, complex hop profile and hearty warming character, which is perfect right out of the bottle or cellared for longer periods of time. Beer Advocate Score: 90

2. Fegley's Rude Elf. Fegley's Brew Works is one of my favorite breweries. They absolutely never disappoint and this brew is no exception. Rude Elf is a Belgian style ale brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet gale, cloves, coriander and allspice. There is a subtle sweetness that hides the massive 10.5% abv. It's definitely a beer that will warm you up on a frigid winter's eve! Beer Advocate Score: 83

1. Goose Island Christmas Ale. This year is the first time I have ever had this amazing brew. When Goose Island first hit Jersey I was extremely excited! I have heard amazing things about their seasonals. When I tried last season's offering, "Harvest Ale" was my favorite of the fall season. When I saw the Christmas Ale I was absolutely intrigued. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Specialty Belgian malts create a deep garnet color and a truly rich old European flavor. The generous amount of crystal hops adds that extra spicy aroma to your pint, perfect for the season. Goose Island's Christmas Ale is a two-time Gold Medal Winner in the World Beer Championships. Beer Advocate Score: 86

Do you have a different top 5? Please stop into the Woodbridge location and tell me your top 5. Tis the season for sharing! I would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season on behalf of the entire staff here at Joe Canal's!

Joe Canal's Presents Thorny Rose Wines!

New to both our Lawrenceville and Woodbridge locations this week are two great everyday red wines from Washington's Thorny Rose: Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Blend

Thorny Rose wines are savory with complex flavors and balanced acidity to be enjoyed with or without food.

The 2009 Red Blend: dry, juicy, full body, black cherry, dark plum, chocolate, and medium mocha oak. "Black cherry cherry, quite contrary. Raspberry and blackberry marry. Graham crackers and sassafras get to know vanilla and cocoa."

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon: dry, juicy, medium-full bodied, intense, blackberry pie, cherry cola, clove spice, dark chocolate oak. "Smooth and delicious. Blackberry, strawberry and cherry, oh my! Cocoa and spice and everything nice."

Try both these wines today! They're both available now for only $10.99 in our Bottle Club!

The Real Reason Wine Goes with Cheese Revealed

While most of us don't think twice while we sip wine and nibble on cheese, there actually is a real, chemical, biological reason as to why it tastes so good!

Wine goes with cheese. Meat sandwiches go with a pickle. Green tea goes with Asian food. Sushi goes with pickled ginger. Oil goes with vinegar. Soda goes with chips. Many of the world's most beloved food combinations pair an astringent food, which causes the mouth to pucker up, with a fatty food, which makes the mouth feel slippery.

But why? "The kernel of this idea of pairing astringents with fats is found in gastronomies all over the planet, but it's never been clear how or why these pairings work," said Paul Breslin, an experimental psychologist at Rutgers University and Monell Chemical Senses Center who studies taste perception.

In a new paper published online Oct. 8 in the journal Cell, Breslin and colleagues propose a theory of food pairings that explains for the first time how astringent and fatty foods oppose one another to create a balanced "mouthfeel."

Because fat is oily, eating it lubricates the mouth, making it feel slick or even slimy, Breslin said. Meanwhile, astringents, chemical compounds such as the tannins in wine and green tea, make the mouth feel dry and rough. They do this by chemically binding with lubricant proteins present in saliva, causing the proteins to clump together and solidify, and leaving the surface of the tongue and gums without their usual coating of lubrication.

We don't like slimy, but we don't like puckered up, either. "We want our mouth to be lubricated but not overly lubricated," Breslin told LiveScience. "In our study, we show that astringents reduce the lubricants in the mouth during a fatty meal and return balance."

Although this food-pairing idea had been proposed before, it was a mystery how that balance might actually be struck, because wine, green tea and the other widely consumed astringents are only mildly astringent. No one knew how they managed to cut the fat as well as they do.

The researchers discovered that astringents have a stronger effect each time the mouth is exposed to them. Every time study participants took a sip of green tea, for example, they perceived it to be more astringent than during the previous sip, indicating that the astringents were reacting more strongly with the lubricating proteins in their mouths upon each exposure. This growth in astringency is why, even though tea and wine have only a weak effect at first, sipping them throughout a fatty meal eventually enables the astringents to counterbalance the strong lubricating effect of the fat.

A second experiment supported this conclusion. When the study participants alternated their sips of tea with bites of salami, the perceived slipperiness of their mouths (caused by the fatty salami) gradually decreased as they took more sips. When they sipped water, by contrast, the slimy feeling in their mouths continued to build.

The importance of repeated exposure explains why we don't tend to gulp down an entire glass of wine then eat our entire steak. Nor do we polish off our whole pickle before setting into our sandwich. The new research justifies the widespread use of astringent foods as "palate cleansers" that people sample throughout a meal.

This general principle of yin and yang food pairings goes part of the way in explaining gastronomy, but what about the specifics? Why do we pair sushi with pickled ginger rather than with a soda, despite the fact that they're both astringents? And why does cheese seem to taste better with red wine than with green tea? As Breslin put it, "Is there something to the idea that a particular astringent and a particular fatty food go together?"

The famous pairings could simply be cultural accidents — a matter of which foods were available in which regions. But Breslin said it's also possible that cultures have unknowingly worked out the most balanced pairings based on the chemical properties of the foods.

"Different kinds of astringents give rise to different rates of growth of astringency. As you repeatedly sample them, one will have a steep rise and the other a shallow rise," he said. "It could be that there's a particular mixing of an astringent and a fatty food that determines how strong the astringent is going to be and how quickly it gets there. This is a mystery of gastronomy."

This article was originally written by Natalie Wolchover and published on livescience.com

Now Available - Green Fairy Absinth

If you're looking for a unique and different spirit to liven your Halloween festivities, we've got just the thing. This haunting glowing-green spirit was just delivered to our stores and is waiting for you on our shelves.

Produced and bottled in the Czech Republic where they have been making absinth continually since the 1800s. This is the absinth by which all other absinth are judged.

Tasting Notes: Strong herbal qualities come through more intensely with some dilution. A subtle and pliable star anise presence throughout the palate. inherent bitterness from the wormwood and hyssop is ever-present burt does not overwhelm the palate.

Absinthe (or Absinth) is an alcoholic drink made with the pounded leaves and flowering tops of one species of wormwood plant (Artemisia absinthium) together with other herbs such as angelica root, fennel, nettles, parsley, balm, sweet flag root and hyssop. Emerald green in colour and usually very bitter, Abisinthe is traditionally poured over a perforated spoonful of sugar into a glass of water – or vice versa. The drink then turns into an opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution.

Take the Green Fairy home today for the amazing price of only $29.98 in our Bottle Club!

Brand New Brew - Maine Beer Co.

A very limited amount of beer from a brand new (to us) brewery has arrived in both of our stores. We're happy to bring to you Maine Beer Company!

Maine Beer Company is a small brewery out of Portland, Maine, that specializes in hoppy American Style Ales. They're very eco-minded, supporting such organizations as 1% For The Planet and The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

Featured for a limited time in both of our stores is the awesome Zoe Amber Ale. "Our take on an American amber ale. Complex malt bill delivers notes of dark raisin, chocolate and biscuit. Copious additions of American hops yield notes of pine and citrus. 7.2%ABV"

Our beer customers will want to take advantage of this while it's here and stop in to pick up a few bottles straight from Maine!

New Product Feature: Tikves Vranec Special Selection 2010

Looking for something new, different and interesting to try with a hearty cool-weather meal? Just arrived in both of our stores is this highly-rated Macedonian gem that's good for your taste buds and great for your wallet.

Hand-crafted with passion and patience, Tikveš wines are emblematic of Macedonia’s ancient tradition of winemaking. Located in the heart of Macedonia’s wine country, their wines reflect over 120 years of a culture that celebrates the entire wine experience – from growth, to harvest to fermentation to the most significant part, enjoyment with family and friends. The Tikveš winery is the oldest winery in Macedonia; it began in 1885. Today is the exemplar of a modern and innovative winery. The winery uses sustainable practices throughout its operations including limiting the use of treatment of the vines, reducing consumption of both energy and water, building solar panes for self-sustainable energy and a commitment to recycling waste and turning it into natural fertilizer. Philippe Cambie is an advisor for the property.

Aged in premium quality oak barrels this dry red wine has luscious aromas of overripe berries and dry plums, with hints of oak, smoke, chocolate and fresh spices. The taste of the wine reveals excellent balance of alcohol, acids, tannins and extracts that reach their peak in a perfectly harmonious finish.

Tasting Notes: Intense ruby red color with rich aromas of wild berries. The taste reveals dry plums and matured morello cherries in good harmony with sweet tannins. Overall, this wine is complex and intense. It pairs well with spicy and strong dishes and grilled meat, including beef, lamb, duck and wild game.

Pick up this wine today at the amazing price of only $9.99!

Now Available: Crystal Head Vodka Gift Sets!

Want to make a big splash at your Halloween parties? Check out this awesome set, due to arrive this week!

Crystal Head Vodka was founded by Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander. Dan Aykroyd is a well-known actor, musician, entrepreneur and spiritualist; a believer in what he calls the "invisible world" where otherworldly presences are a "form of reality as valid as our normal reality." Partner and veteran fine artist John Alexander has exhibited extensively in the United States and around the world. Together, they were avid researchers of the legend of the 13 crystal heads. And from this inspiration, an idea was born.

Aykroyd and Alexander wanted the opportunity to get closer to the myth of the 13 crystal heads. After more than two years in development, their moment finally arrived. When their glass depiction of a head was complete, Milan-based manufacturer Bruni Glass declared it to be a bottle of unsurpassed complexity and quality. Now, what to put in it? Vodka became the drink of choice. But with it, a commitment to do something enlightened and different.

Naturally pure vodka had to be born of an equally pristine primary ingredient. The deep glacial aquifer water of Newfoundland, Canada became the perfect choice. As the easternmost landmass in North America, this vast and largely untouched island shares a mystery and fascination not unlike the crystal head legend itself. Fitting that the Crystal Head distillery chose ‘The Rock’ as its new home.

A quadruple-distillation process made Crystal Head as pure as vodka can be, but the quest for an almost mystical purity continued. As a final stage, the liquid was filtered through 500-million year-old crystals known as Herkimer diamonds. These quartz crystals are found in very few places in the world, including Herkimer, New York and regions in Tibet and Afghanistan. Perhaps because they share the raw material from which the original crystal heads were carved, they are thought to have similar spiritual qualities.

The result was perfect vodka, with absolutely no additives. No glycol (an ingredient for engine anti-freeze); no citrus oil (used in its raw form as an insect exterminant); and no raw sugar. Nothing was needed, because it was abundantly clear that finely produced vodka came by its smoothness and flavor naturally. So in the end, the only things required were a glass and a pure spirit of one’s own.

Just in - a shipment of Crystal Head Vodka Gift Sets! -The sets include a 750ML bottle of Crystal Head Vodka, and two collectible skull shot glasses. These would make a great gift for Any Dan Aykroyd fan, or a great conversation piece this Halloween!

Pick up this awesome gift set for only $44.99 in the Bottle Club!

Steve Wernick's Trip to Italy, Part 1

Working in this business can present some great opportunities for professional development. We really do have to taste hundreds and hundreds of products every year, so that we can properly represent what we sell. With our weekly wine tastings and presentations from the sales reps, we work hard to stay informed.

That’s the mind-set I took on a recent vacation to Italy. Prior to reaching the Tuscany region, I’d made appointments to visit several wineries. Seeing the grapes growing and talking with winery workers would give me important additional insights into Italian wines generally, and wines that we sell specifically.

Let me say this about wineries in Tuscany: They’re not easy to find. Castello Banfi has an enormous property by any standard, and even that was a challenge. Getting from town to town was a relatively simple process, but finding that one turn on a country road that isn’t well-marked can be, well, interesting. On the other hand, there are tasting rooms all over Tuscany, and wine is sold in virtually every place of business, including rest stops on their turnpike, the Autostrada.

Our first winery was Castello di Bossi. The winemaker lives in a beautiful old castle on the property, where they’ve been making wine since the 1980s. Wine-making at that parcel, however, goes much further back. We carry their Chianti Classico, as well as their Corbaia blend, and they were among the wines I tasted there.



Before we tasted, of course, there was time to walk around the property. We had the chance to grab a couple of grapes right off the vine, and the Sangiovese tasted surprisingly sweet. Coming back into the main building, we got to walk through their old bottle room. Here, there were stacks of wine bottles that were filled as far back as the 1960s. Some were simply stacked one bottle atop another, rather than sitting in a rack.



These preliminaries were useful, but the main event, the tasting, awaited us. First up was the Chianti Classico, which we sell for about $17.00 in the Bottle Club. The Chianti starts with notes of toasty oak, joined by ripe cherry and a touch of violet. It’s a well-balanced wine, with the tannic structure helping to integrate the alcohol and the darker fruit notes that cross the palate ahead of a long finish.

Next, we stepped up to the Berardo, their Chianti Classico Riserva. This was, by a very slim margin, my favorite of the table wines we tasted. Hints of menthol are intertwined with decadent spices. It’s full-bodied and structured, with loads of dusty black fruit. 100% Sangiovese, Berardo spends 18 months in barriques.

Castello di Bossi also does some great work with international varieties, as evidenced by the outstanding Girolamo, which is 100% Merlot. Ripe red and blue fruit jump out of the glass, with raspberry being especially notable. It’s medium- to full-bodied, yet silky across the palate.

The final table wine was the Corbaia, their Super Tuscan, which blends Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a complex wine, with a black fruit jamminess beautifully co-existing with notes of tobacco and coffee. Corbaia is strong across the palate, and the sharp tannins suggest cellaring for a couple of years. Corbaia spends 24 months in barriques. The 2004 vintage is currently on the shelf in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge, and it earned 94 points from Robert Parker. The ensuing three vintages scored 94, 95 and 96 points respectively, showing clearly that Castello di Bossi’s Corbaia is a true world-class wine.

Castello di Bossi is located in Castelnuovo Berardenga, the warmest and most southerly of the Chianti Classico villages in Tuscany. That’s why they don’t offer a white wine. They do, however, offer an amazing dessert wine called Vin San Laurentino. This was the final wine in our tasting, and well worth the wait. This more resembles a port than a traditional Italian Vin Santo, with notes of sweet stewed plum, and a softness that is irresistible. The blend is Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca. It offers a kind of basalmic sweetness and freshness, which is stunning when you consider that it spends 8 years in a barrel called a caratelli. The 1999 through 2003 vintages scored from 93 to 96 points from Robert Parker. The bottle is hard to find in the US, but it’s as good a dessert wine as you can find.

A few words about our host, Lauretta Pianigiani. According to her business card, her title was “Sales,” but she was more of a brand ambassador. Of course, she knew the wines we were tasting, and could explain the nuances in perfect English. She was very accommodating with regards to our running a bit late (I did say the wineries aren’t easy to find), telling us that in Italy, 15 minutes late is actually early.

As our time at Castello di Bossi drew to a close, we were able to take a few pictures before piling back into the Fiat Panda for the next stop, Poggio San Polo.

Barbara Frank Visits Joe Canal's Woodbridge

Barbara Frank, the granddaughter of Dr. Constantine Frank, of Dr. Frank wines in the Finger Lakes, NY, visited Joe Canal’s on Friday, September 28th to talk with customers and let them taste through the Dr. Frank wines. Woodbridge Wine Manager Debbie Miller Nelson met Barbara Frank at a trade show last Spring where they talked about Debbie’s July trip to the winery. Barbara offered right then and there to set up a date for the fall in our store. (Read Debbie’s blog here about her trip to the Finger Lakes: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4)

Three generations of Franks have all brought a new line to their portfolio. The flagship Dr. Frank was the original followed by the sparkling wines and then the Salmon Run wines. Barbara was super knowledgeable and friendly and we were lucky to have her stop in to share her experiences with us. Stop in and pick up one of the Dr. Frank wines today!

Why red wine and red meat pair so well

It's always interesting to explore the science behind why some things are so darn delicious!

For any gourmand who has ever wondered why certain wines pair so well with a hearty steak, or how a palate-cleansing sorbet works its magic between courses, science has an answer now.

Oral astringents -- substances that elicit a "rough" or "dry" taste, such as high-tannin wines -- occupy the exact opposite end of a taste spectrum relative to substances with fatty, or "slippery" qualities, such as steak, according to a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology.

Because the dry wine and slippery beef tastes are opposites, they are constantly working to undercut, or reduce, the opposing sensation during the course of a meal, the study said. If diners sipped only water with their steak, they would perceive much more quickly the sensation that their mouths had become coated with fatty, or slippery, substances, it said.

"The opposition between fatty and astringent sensations allows us to eat fatty foods more easily if we also ingest astringents with them," said study author Paul Breslin of Rutgers University and the Monell Chemical Senses Center.

The researchers found that astringent sustances such as wine, tea, sorbets and pickles need not be strong to oppose fatty sensations. That's because the overall sensation of dryness or roughness builds with each bite or sip.

The affinity that people have for oppositely paired tastes may be due to the body's need for a diverse diet, according to Breslin.

"The mouth is a magnificently sensitive somatosensory organ, arguably the most sensitive in the body," he said. "The way foods make our mouths feel has a great deal to do with what foods we eat."

This article was written by Monte Morin and originally published on latimes.com.

Top 5 Halloween Cocktails

Halloween gives everyone a chance to be something they're not for just for one day. Since we're no longer at an age where we can go knocking on doors for candy, we celebrate this fun holiday like (responsible) grown-ups. Here are Joe Canal's of Woodbridge and Lawrenceville's Top 5 Halloween Cocktails!

1. Corpse Reviver - This classic of the 1930s has both a fun name and a retro cocktail vibe. The drink is primarily a cognac cocktail that is very easy to build and only requires three ingredients. You will need 2 oz. of Cognac, 1 oz. of Calvados (or any apple brandy) and 1 oz. of sweet vermouth. Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass then stir with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. This cocktail looks great with its deep brown red hue and has an easy sipping nature.

2.Dracula’s Kiss - If there is one name that screams Halloween, it’s Dracula. This cocktail does not dishonor the name. To make this dark and delish drink you will need 1 oz. black cherry vodka, ½ oz. grenadine, cola, and two maraschino cherries. Start by coating the bottom of the glass with the grenadine, then fill the glass with ice and add the vodka, followed by topping off the drink with cola. The last part of the build is to skewer two cherries over the drink for the look of glowing red eyes staring back at you.

3. Almond Joy - This drink pays homage to a favorite classic Halloween candy. The Almond Joy cocktail is decadently light and sweet with just a touch of chocolate flavor, which makes it a hit with most crowds. To make, you will need the following ingredients: 2 oz. Coconut rum, 1 oz. Dark crème de cacao, and a splash of cream. Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice, give a light shake, and strain into a well chilled cocktail glass.

4. Jack-o-Lantern - It may not taste like a pumpkin, but you'll be hard pressed to find another cocktail that is this close, visually. The “jack” uses four easy ingredients plus one creative garnish; you will need 1 oz. VSOP Cognac, 1 ½ oz. orange juice, ½ oz. of ginger ale, ½ oz. Grand Marnier, and finally one orange wheel with a rolled sprig of mint or lime stabbed though to look like a pumpkin top. To build this drink, combine all ingredients except the orange slice in a mixing glass, stir with ice (DO NOT SHAKE!), strain into a rocks or lowball glass, then top with your pumpkin top lid. The drink is fun, tasty and visually striking. You will love making them, and your guests will love drinking them!

5.Broken Leg Punch - Don’t let the name fool you, this spiced punch is an amazing fall drink. The dark brown cider is well represented here and uses a lot of the spices you may already have in your home. To make this you will need the following: 3 cups apple cider, 1 tbls. raisins, 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 lemon slices, and finally 1 cup of bourbon. To make, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and slowly bring to a boil, then remove from heat and remove the cinnamon sticks. The recipe makes enough for about 6 punch cups worth, but you may want to double the amount when you make it, this goes fast!

We hope that with these festive cocktails in hand, you show your guests that you don’t have to be a kid on Halloween to receive some fun treats!. Here’s to the holiday that should make every one happy to indulge even if just for one day!

Cooking with Beer: Wasabi-Beer Braised Brisket

Came across this fun and simple recipe in my beer-related internet travels, and I thought it would make a great one to tuck away for a cold winter dinner, or to serve at a Super Bowl party in just a few months. It might be fun to experiment with different kinds of beer!

Total Recipe Time: 4-4.5 hours
Makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:
-1 boneless beef brisket, flat cut (4 to 4-1/2 pounds)
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-2 medium onions, each cut into 12 wedges
-1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
-1 bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce
-2 teaspoons wasabi paste
-Coleslaw (recipe follows)
-3 whole wheat baguettes, cut into 10 to 12 pieces (4-1/2 to 5 inches each), split

Preheat oven to 325°F. Press garlic evenly onto all surfaces of beef brisket. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Place brisket in skillet; brown evenly. Remove brisket from skillet; season with salt and pepper.

Add onions to large stockpot or large baking pan. Place brisket over onions. Stir in beer and chili sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly. Continue cooking in 325°F oven 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until beef is fork-tender.

Meanwhile, prepare coleslaw (below).

Remove brisket; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in wasabi paste.

Carve brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Return beef to cooking liquid; keep warm. Divide beef and onions evenly over roll bottoms; close sandwiches. Serve remaining sauce for dipping, if desired. Serve with coleslaw.

Coleslaw: Combine ½ cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger and 2 teaspoons honey in large bowl. Add 1 package (16 ounces) coleslaw mix and 1 package (8 ounces) shredded red cabbage; toss to coat. Season with salt, if desired.

Rick's Excellent Adventures in Argentina - Part 4

We started the day packing and getting ready to spend the night in Mendoza. There, we would take our test and have our last meal with the fantastic folks from the Catena Winery and Vineyards. We also had to say goodbye to the wonderful staff at the family home that took such great care of us over the past three and a half days. They cooked all of our meals kept the house clean and were always there if we needed something.

We loaded into the van and were off to the Tupungato valley and the high altitude vineyards. The trip was about 2 and half hours long but the sights were unreal as you see from the pictures.


Once we arrived at the vineyard we were met by Belen Iacono, the Vineyard Manager. She explained the history of the High Altitude vineyards that were developed by Nicolas in the 1980s. The first planting was in 1989 and the first Malbec from this vineyard was in 1994, a five year period before Nicolas was satisfied with the quality.


Our first lesson was on pruning the vines and staking them out for the next year’s growth. Our task was to select a cane to act as the Loader Cane for next year. The diameter should not exceed that of a pencil. It should also have good spacing between the buds to avoid congestion. The vineyard manager will determine how many buds will be left on the cane based on the previous year’s yield. The selected cane should be as close to the trunk as possible to avoid interfering with the growth of the other vines. Once this selection process is done all of the unwanted canes are pruned away and the selected cane is laid flat against the first wire and tied down. We each did about 4 vines, and in the same amount of time it took us to do these four vines, a worker about twenty feet from us did and entire row. His job was very secure.




Soil composition is one of the most important elements of a successful vineyard. The structure of the soil must stress the vine. The staff dug a large hole in one of the rows in the vineyard to show us the soil. As you can see from the picture, it starts with rather soft sandy soil and then turns to clay and then very rocky soil. This makes the vine really fight for every drop of moisture and causes the fruit to become very hearty. This along with proper trimming makes for a yield of very healthy and juicy fruit.


We went over to another section of the Vineyard and there was a pavillion there with the two flagship single vineyard Catena Zapata wines, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. We tasted the wines and they were fantastic, rich dark fruits with well structured tannins with a finish that went on for minutes.

Of course next was lunch and boy what a lunch. We had about 9 different appetizers and then the main course. Along with the meal there were several different wines from the Catena Winery. I learned how to use a knife (didn’t have a saber around) to stroke the neck of the champagne bottle and slice the neck open.

We arrived at the hotel with enough time to shower and change then off to Francis Mallmann 1884 Restaurant in Mendoza for testing, graduation and of course dinner. The test was about 50 challenging questions ranging from dates to names to terms, but if you read the study guide and listened you would be able to pass. We all did and we received our Certificate of High Altitude Malbec Ambassadors. We then had dinner with a couple of folks from the vineyard and then back to the hotel to get ready for our flight to Buenos Aires.

Joe Canal's Woodbridge & Lawrenceville Breast Cancer Awareness Events

Our Woodbridge and Lawrenceville stores are all decked out in pink and are preparing for a very busy month of events ahead! Kicking off in both stores on Thursday, we have a full slate of tastings and appearances for you to enjoy.

Please click here to visit our events page at jcanals.com to see all the happenings. To show support, $1 for every bottle or case sold during the special events is being donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation. In addition, you will be able to purchase a paper ribbon for $1 to add to our total donation amount.

Spirit Feature - Grand Marnier Cherry

Joe Canal's of Woodbridge and Lawrenceville is proud to announce that our shelves are stocked with Grand Marnier Cherry!

An icon was born over 150 years ago when the world-renowned House of Marnier Lapostolle created Grand Marnier which is a rich blend of wild oranges and fine aged Cognac. Now, for the first time, the Grand Marnier family is proud to introduce an intriguing new flavor, Grand Marnier Cherry.

Grand Marnier Cherry is an elegant, yet complex blend of wild tropical oranges, European Griottes cherries and exceptionally smooth Cognac. The result is an alluring, smooth, delicious and ultra-mixable spirit that stirs up unforgettable experiences.

Grand Marnier Cherry will be available Fall 2012 in limited quantities! USA Release Only!

Try Mixing Grand Marnier Cherry into a Grand Cherry Vanilla for an amazing sweet sipper:

Grand Cherry Vanilla
-2 oz. Grand Marnier Cherry
-1 oz. Vanilla vodka
-1/2 oz. Simple syrup
-8-10 Mint leaves

Combine ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake very well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a floating mint leaf.