Locavore, Locavino

The term "locavore" traces all the way back to 2005, and its central concept is eating food that's locally produced, typically within 100 miles of one's location. This perspective is considered to be beneficial to the environment, while also being supportive of local businesses.

On the other hand, there are any number of important products that are just not grown here in New Jersey, or in nearby parts of Pennsylvania and New York. Coffee and pineapple top my list, and you probably have your own list as well. In our business, we are fortunate to have a range of excellent choices in local products. So while we're pleased to be able to offer the best wines, beer and spirits from around the world, some of the top selections are found in our general area.

Come in to Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville or Woodbridge and you can find New Jersey brewers such as Cricket Hill, Kane, Carton, Flying Fish, and River Horse. Our neighboring states offer us Weyerbacher, Brooklyn, Bronx, Fegley's, Yards, Neshaminy Creek, Prism, and Victory. Several craft brewers are just outside of that 100 mile limit, including Butternuts, Ithaca, Ommegang, Sly Fox, Southern Tier, Troegs, and, of course, Dogfish Head. There are major national brands brewed close by, with Anheuser-Busch being one. And Yuengling falls just outside that 100 mile limit as well.

While you can brew, package, ship and sell beer within a few days, it generally takes just a bit longer with spirits. Most people prefer spirits that have aged for a while, but white spirits (vodka, rum, etc.) don't need aging. We've also seen a renewed interest in unaged whiskeys, especially rye. Dad's Hat Rye Whiskey comes from nearby Bucks County, PA. We also sell Busted Barrel Rum, from Jersey Artisan Distillery, the first distillery to open in NJ since Prohibition. Brooklyn Gin? Bluecoat Gin (Philadelphia)? On our shelves.

We also need to give props to the local wine industry. According to the New Jersey Winegrowers Association, there are roughly 50 wineries across the state. To be sure, visiting a tasting room is a great experience, but not always a convenient one. So we keep all of our New Jersey wines (and New York too!) together in one part of the store. We carry some of the sweet, fruit wines that are produced here, as well as more traditional table wines. Currently, we stock wines from Alba Vineyards, Four Sisters, Tomasello and Valenzano Wineries.

Falling into the sweeter category is one of our newest wines, Tomasello's Cranberry Moscato.

Tomasello Cranberry Moscato is a blend of 100% Cranberry wine and Moscato. This blend combines the fruity and delicate character of New Jersey Cranberries with the spicy perfume of Moscato. So easy to drink character with a hint of sparkle. Priced at only $8.99, this is an easy and delicious decision.

Great when served chilled and garnished with fresh Cranberries.

So what's your perspective on the locavore/locavino question, and our regional offerings in wine, beer and spirits? Please post your comment on this blog.