Wine Enthusiast's Top 25 Beers of 2012

Wine Enthusiast magazine has released their Top 25 beers of 2012! You can view the full list here! Joe Canal's in Woodbridge and Lawrenceville are stocked with quote a few of these high-ranking brews, including the #1 beer of the year: The Bruery Saison Rue.


Stop in today and try a few of these great beers!

New Beer to spice up your weekend!

We just got some great new beers in both our Woodbridge and Lawrenceville locations! Is anything you've been waiting for on these lists? Some of it is very limited, so hurry in to make sure you get what you're looking for!

WOODBRIDGE
Elysian Omen
Elysian Valhalla
Stone Enjoy By (limited)
Dogfish Head Olde School
Dogfish Head Hellhound
Dogfish Head Burton Baton back in stock
Terrapin Moo Hoo
Terrapin Liquid Bliss
Maine Beer Co Mo
Maine Beer Co Lunch
Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout
Schlafly Christmas
Schlafly Coffee Stout

And don't miss out on our specialty tapping, Friday November 30 at 6:00 pm -- Dogfish Head Chicory Stout! Read more...

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LAWRENCEVILLE
Stone Enjoy By (limited)
The Bruery Rueuze (limited)
The Bruery 5 Golden Rings (limited)
The Bruery Smoking Wood (limited)
Terrapin Moo Hoo
Dogfish Head Hellhound
Dogfish Head Olde School
Rogue Roguenbier
Schlafly Christmas
Schlafly Coffee Stout
Ballast Pt Sculpin
Ballast Pt Big Eye
Ballast Pt Victory at Sea

And don't miss out on our specialty tapping, Friday November 30 at 6:00 pm -- Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti! Read more...

Interrogating Your Wine

If wine could talk, the article that follows lists some questions you might want to ask to help you choose the perfect bottle. Wine doesn't talk, but fortunately for you the wine staff members at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge do! Feel free to come in and interrogate them instead!

To some folks, wine is a one-way street. You buy a bottle, open it and drink up. Seemingly, the wine does all the work. All you do is decide whether you like it or not. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Our appreciation of wine is much more interactive.

Oh sure, if the wine is just an everyday item, one that neither deserves nor rewards any attention, then the buy-unplug-and-glug approach is just right.

But at the fine-wine level, a whole lot of discussion goes on, whether consciously or otherwise. With wine, as with so much else, we get what we ask for.

What, then, should you ask of a wine? This question is more key than you might imagine. It will determine not only the kinds of wines you choose, but also the kind of taster that you become.

Let me give you an example. Some wine critics say that an essential question to ask a wine is: "Are you delicious?"

This sets the bar awfully low. It empowers the "If I like it, it is good" approach to wine appreciation. As a taster you're asking nothing more of a wine than that it please you. In high-falutin' terms, this is known as the hedonistic approach.

The "Are you delicious?" demand ensures that as a taster you will prize ease over challenge. If this question is primary, you will choose wines that are soft, rich, fruity and devoid of the rasp of tannins or a poke of acidity.

So what should you ask? Allow me to offer five such questions that I, anyway, think good tasters might ask of any wine they come across. Next time you try a wine, ask these questions and see how the wine answers.

1. Are you characterful? If I had to nominate one question as preeminent over any other, this is the question I would choose. Why? Because characterfulness in a wine is the proverbial fork in the road.

If you decide that a wine lacks character, then however pleasing it may be—however, dare I say, "delicious"—it ultimately is banal. A wine without character will never—indeed, can never—invigorate. It cannot sustain your repeated attention. It is interchangeable with many other wines and therefore is, well, a simple commodity.

2. Are you unique? This is the next (big) step up from the character question. It's also a more difficult question to ask if you lack context. If, for example, you're tasting your first Meursault or Malbec, then it's pretty much impossible to say with assurance that the wine is unique. You need more experience with other wines of the same type.

That acknowledged, even novice tasters can hazard a guess. Some wines are so astoundingly original-tasting, so sense-filling, that you can't help but conclude that if this baby isn't unique, there surely can't be many more at home quite like it.

I remember just that sensation upon first tasting the Rieslings of Egon Müller's Scharzhofberger and von Schubert's Maximin Grünhäuser, to say nothing of the likes of La Tâche or Hanzell Chardonnay.

3. Are you a knockoff? Sometimes you can get the answer you're looking for by asking what might be called a reverse question. Here, instead of inquiring about uniqueness, you might instead ask whether you've already been there and tasted that.

For all of the wonders of our wine era, one of its features is the ability of winemakers to copy the style of successful or lauded wines. Modern technology and scientific winemaking training allows winemakers to mimic at least the manners, if you will, of other wines. And they do—all the time. (This is why question No. 1 is so critical.)

If you taste a wine and you have a nagging sense that, hey, I've had a wine like this before, then you're on to something. Trust your gut instinct on this. And know that knockoffs, by definition, lack originality.

4. Do you offer insight? For what it's worth, this is the question I ask more often than any other. Really fine wine can (and should) deliver a lot more than mere pleasure. It's precisely this ability to go beyond the merely pleasing that vaults a wine into the "really fine" category.

Really fine wines offer insight. If you can taste a wine and say, "I had no idea that the earth could speak this way," then, Bingo!, you've found a wine that offers insight. A wine that can tell you something about the mysteries of the natural world (call it terroir, if you wish) is an experience like no other.

I would submit that there's no more gratifying experience in wine-loving than drinking a wine that offers insight. Asking if a wine offers insight is arguably the highest demand you can make—and it is the hardest question for most wines to answer affirmatively.

5. Do I want more of you? Here, finally, we come to pleasure. (Yes, pleasure is essential. It's just not the sole measure.) The best wines—for whatever reason—make you want more. I've written often about my love of magnums. The best magnum bottles are filled with the wine you want yet more of.

If you ask a wine, "Do I want more of you?" and the answer is a resounding "Yes!", then you've arrived. Personally, the wines from which I get this answer are also the ones that I've concluded are characterful, unique, original and offer insight. That’s what I always want more of.

But whatever is on your list, if a wine answers this question to your satisfaction, then nothing else matters, does it?

This article was originally written by Matt Kramer and published on winespectator.com.

New for the holidays: Absolut Tune

New to our stores this holiday season is Absolut Tune, the perfect guest at your holiday parties.

The name Absolut Tune refers to its distinctive taste experience: dual notes combining the energy of Absolut Vodka with the sophistication of a crisp Sauvignon Blanc wine. The taste is well balanced, fresh, rich, floral and fruity with a very clean premium vodka note in the finish.

Try Absolut Tune simply chilled in a Champagne Flute, or mix it up! Absolut Tune's vodka base makes it perfect for cocktails.

Mix it with a splash of orange juice and orange liqueur for a Screwdriver Mimosa, or 3 parts Absolut Tune and 1/2 part Absolut Citron for a Tune Martini. Or simply add a splash of your favorite liqueur such as blackberry, peach or apple for an unexpected treat!

Craft Beer and Cheese Pairings

There's no easier start to a meal than a brew and a cheese plate, so find out which styles of beer go best with your cheese!

We know that in the chaos of the holidays and entertaining, it can be overwhelming to plan a full menu — much less a menu that pairs well with your drink of choice. Let us do the explaining, and share with you the easiest way to start a meal: beer and cheese.

Hear us out: Beer is quickly becoming the drink of choice when pairing foods, because it's just as versatile as wine. As Julia Herz, a certified cicerone from Craftbeer.com (and the Brewer's Assocation) explained to us, beer is a more sessionable drink of choice (5 percent ABV compared to 12 percent ABV), and has the magic of wine when paired with food — it complements, contrasts, and cuts the taste of the food you're eating. Take a spicy food, Herz says: beer easily tames the capsaicin heat because of its lower ABV, while wine can actually clash with that same heat.

Herz and Craftbeer.com gave us loads of suggestion for foods that can easily be paired with beer, and that includes lots of our favorite cheeses. So instead of stressing over making apps for the hungry army about to attack your Thanksgiving dinner, cut up a hunk of cheese and call it a day. Here, the best craft beers for your cheeses:

If you are drinking: IPA
Pair with: Blue cheeses, gorgonzola, or cambozola. An IPA, the top selling type of craft beer, needs a cheese to pair with the umami flavors of the beer. The hops complement, and calm, the richness of a blue cheese.

If you are drinking: Porter
Pair with: Cow milks, like Gruyère and tilsit. A porter can stand up to heavier foods, like roasted and smoked meats, but can be easily tamed with a Gruyère.

If you are drinking: Pilsener
Pair with: A mild white Cheddar from Vermont, or feta. You get the creamy and salty flavors together, while the bitterness of the beer calms the richness in a fattier cheese like feta.

If you are drinking: Hefeweizen
Pair with: Chèvre goat cheese. Hefeweizens are meant to be paired with lighter foods, which makes goat cheese a no-brianer pairing.

If you are drinking: Brown Ale
Pair with: A mild Cheddar; the flavors of the Cheddar will go nicely with the dark fruit and malt flavors of the beer.

This article was written by Marcy Franklin and originally published on thedailymeal.com.

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Joe Canal's!

From the Joe Canal's family to yours, we wish all our customers a happy Thanksgiving! Both our Woodbridge and Lawrenceville locations will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 9:00am - 4:00pm.

Joe Canal's Top 5 Thanksgiving Wines

Still searching for the perfect wines for your Thanksgiving table? Woodbridge Wine Manager Debbie Miller Nelson has compiled this list for your last-minute shopping trips. These wines will compliment your turkey and trimmings perfectly and leave your guests smiling! Both our Lawrenceville and Woodbridge locations are open from 9:00am to 4:00pm on Thanksgiving Day!

Georges Dubeouf Beaujolais Nouveau
It's Here! Released every third Thursday in November, this wine marks the very first wine to be released in 2012. Yields were exceptionally low this year, but this wine is softer and fruitier than recent vintages with notes of cherry and strawberry. It's only here for a limited time!!! Get it while you can!! A perfect wine for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays to come!
Bottle Club Price: $7.33

Joel Gott Zinfandel
This Zin has always been one of my favorites and each new vintage does not disappoint. The 2010 has subtle aromas of black cherry and licorice. It is full and juicy with ripe boysenberry, black cherry and mocha. This has a superb, long and luscious finish. Perfect for the turkey dinner and all the trimmings.
Regular Price: $13.99

Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a high style Pinot Noir that is shaped, more than anything else, by the fruit sources that lay the foundation of the blend. A pure bred enjoyment wine, built to accommodate any pairing from food to friends. Unifying California’s most noteworthy coastal areas opens the door for a dynamic and opulent wine that is ready to enjoy whenever you are.
Bottle Club Price: $19.99

Francis Coppola Director's Cut Chardonnay
Buttery aromas with white peach and floral notes lead to a medium-weight buttery flavor with nice citrusy and hazelnut flavors. Superb with lobster, crap shrimp and clams. Try this with your next clam bake or family gathering.
Bottle Club Price: $11.98

Cht Petit Guiraud Sauternes (for dessert)
This has honeyed and dried fruit aromas and great flavors of dried apricot, honey, cinnamon, tangerine and orange blossom on the finish. What a great find to enjoy Sauternes at an affordable price!
Regular Price: $14.99

Thanksgiving Turkey and Wine

Len Santamaria, Wine Sales Associate at our Lawrenceville store, share his thoughts on which wines pair well with Thanksgiving dinner. Feel free to ask any of our knowledgeable staff members for ideas for this, or any other special occasion!

I knew it would happen. I knew someday someone would come into the store and ask the question, and that question would open the flood gates. However I never thought it would happen so soon. What's the question you wonder? Simply, this one: What wine do I serve with turkey? To answer this question, first ask yourself what is it that you and those eating with you usually prefer.

If you prefer a white wine a nice Chardonnay will be a good selection to go with your Thanksgiving bird. Don't go crazy trying to pick the prefect wine here, simply pick a Chardonnay you already know and like, and enjoy your meal. Choose a wine in your price range and because there are so many good ones available it's hard to make a poor choice.

If you prefer red wine by all means select a Pinot Noir for Thanksgiving. Pinot Noir will be fuller than a white wine but will have very few tannins. Because of the tannins, or lack thereof, this wine will not overpower your meal. Incidentally, Pinot Noir will match very well with the turkey's dark meat.

Finally, should you enjoy wine with a small level of sweetness, Vouvray or White Zinfandel would be good choices. I might even suggest a Gewurztraminer or Riesling. All of these wines will pair nicely with your Thanksgiving dinner and the turkey will not take offense.

Moreover, don't feel limited by what you see here. A dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or White Burgundy would all do well as wine to pair with your Thanksgiving feast. Simply, drink what you like and what you think your quests will enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!

A Yearly Tradition: Beaujolais Nouveau

Georges Dubeouf Beaujolais Nouveau 2012
Beaujolais, France

Beaujolais Nouveau is a young red wine made from handpicked Gamay grapes grown in the Beaujolais region of France. While most red wines improve with age, Beaujolais Nouveau is all about freshness. Many producers, including regional giant Georges Duboeuf, race to deliver the first of the vintage to celebrations throughout France and the world.

Under French law, the wine may be released at 12:01 a.m. on the third Thursday of November, just weeks after the wine's grapes have been harvested. Fermentation is so short that the resulting wine exhibits fruity flavors and light tannins. Beaujolais Nouveau should be consumed right away (or within a year of being made), and is best served slightly cooled. Nearly half of the wine's 70-million-bottle production is exported abroad, mainly to Japan, Germany and the United States (where it is popularly enjoyed with Thanksgiving dinner).

This vivacious fruity red wine is a favorite of both wine aficionados and style setters. Versatile with many popular dishes, Beaujolais Nouveau is the ideal accompaniment for holiday entertaining.

Joe Canal's is excited to announce the tomorrow's arrival of the 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau!

Regular Price: $9.49 - BottleClub Price $7.33

Thanksgiving Cocktail Ideas

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away! If you're looking for some fun, festive cocktails to serve your guests on Turkey Day, or just something to put you in a thankful mood, here are some recipes to get you in the holiday spirit!

Double Apple Martini

-1.5 oz. Smirnoff Green Apple vodka
-Splash of apple juice

Fill shaker with ice. Add Smirnoff Green Apple Vodka and apple juice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with an apple wedge.

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Gobble-tini

-3 Raspberries
-1.25 oz. Smirnoff Cranberry Vodka
-.25 oz. raspberry liqueur
-.5 oz. cranberry juice

Fill shaker with ice. Add cranberry juice, raspberry liqueur and Smirnoff Cranberry Vodka. Shake with ice and strain into a pre-chilled martini glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries.


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Mcintosh

-1.5 oz. Johnnie Walker Red Label
-2 oz. apple juice
-2 oz. ginger ale
-1 dash grenadine

Add Johnnie Walker Red Label, apple juice and ginger ale in a collins glass over ice. Ad the slightest dash of grenadine and stir. Garnish with a cherry.

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Hot Apple Cider

Hot apple cider can be the base for many a festive cocktail. Served by itself with a cinnamon stick, it's a delicious treat for the kids. However, the adults will enjoy the same, but with a splash of spirits added. Try warming up a pot of cider on the stove and offer your guests a variety of spirits to mix into it. Some recommended spirits include: Rumple Mintz, Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Stoli Vanil, Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka, Absolut Brooklyn (Limited Edition), Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur or Dekuyper Buttershots.

If you try any of these cocktails, or have some suggestions of your own, we'd love to hear about it! Just leave us a comment below!

Joe Canal's Supports Sandy Victims

When Hurricane Sandy hit late October, the devastation left in the wake of the storm has affected us all. Our area has begun recovering restoring the damage, but it will be a slow process, for sure. The Joe Canal's family sends our thoughts and love to the victims of Hurricane Sandy. To show our support and solidarity, for every bottle of our exclusive "The Shore" wines sold, we will be donating $1 to the American Red Cross, through December 31st.


The Shore Moscato: The Shore Moscato is light and slightly sweet with notes of peaches. A great wine to drink as an aperitif on a hot summer night or to pair with peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.
Bottle Club Price $9.96

The Shore Red Blend: The Shore Red Blend is 38% Zinfandel, 34% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petite Sirah and 2% other grapes. It is light and fruity and easy drinking. Great on its own with casual cuisine or use it to make a perfect Sangria!
Bottle Club Price $9.96

The Shore Chardonnay:The Shore Chardonnay is clean and crisp with notes of grapefruit reminding you of Chablis. This medium bodied white is perfect with crabs, lobster, clams and all other summer offerings.
Bottle Club Price $8.96

The Shore Cabernet Sauvignon: The Shore Cabernet is full bodied and fruit forward with hints of vanilla and red currant. A great wine to pair with grilled steak and hamburgers. Open this at your next get-together!
Bottle Club Price $8.96

Joe Canal's Presents Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood

With the holiday shopping season right around the corner, why not cross the single malt Scotch lover off your gift list early and pick up a bottle of The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood, recently added to our lineup!

To craft The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood, Scotland's longest-serving Malt Master, David Stewart, returned to one of his most celebrated achievements – consecutive maturation in two different types of cask, a process often referred to as 'cask finishing'. This technique is at the heart of The Balvenie DoubleWood – it sees the whisky matured first in American oak barrels, which impart soft, sweet vanilla notes, before being transferred to European oak sherry casks, where the second cask ageing adds rich spicy flavors to enhance the depth and fullness of the whisky.

"It has been a real pleasure to create the DoubleWood 17 Year Old, and I am delighted with the way it has turned out, as I hope Balvenie enthusiasts will be," said Malt Master David Stewart. "Wherever I travel in the world, DoubleWood 12 Year Old is the expression that people are most likely to have enjoyed. It is also one of the whiskies I am most proud of when I look back over my 50 years at the distillery, which is why it has been so exciting to create this new older version."

The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood is an expertly proportioned single malt with distinctive rich vanilla oak, honeyed sweetness and layers of spices. On the nose, it is elegant and complex with oak, vanilla, honey and a hint of green apple. To taste, it is sweet with dried fruits, sherbet spice, toasted almonds and cinnamon, layered with a richness of creamy toffee notes and traces of oak and deep vanilla.

The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood is available now for only $129.99 in our Bottle Club!

Hurricane Sandy Update

Updated Friday 11/2

After three days in the dark, we are very happy to report that both our Woodbridge and Lawrenceville locations are now open for business! We're fully stocked with all the wine, beer and spirits that you love, including cold, draft beer at our Growler stations.

Store specific updates are as follows:

In LAWRENCEVILLE: All wine tastings have been cancelled for this weekend. We had ice delivered yesterday and are expecting a shipment of ice today (Friday.) Our Specialty Tapping - Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale - is still on as scheduled for 6:00pm tonight.

In WOODBRIDGE:There will be no Saturday tasting. Our phone system is now fully operational. We still do not have any ice in stock and are unsure when we can expect our next shipment. Our Specialty Tapping - Carton Harvest - is still on as scheduled for 6:00pm tonight. The Growler menu at jcanals.com was updated this morning.