Making Their Debut

We do love to talk about the new products that we bring into our stores. When you think about how many beer, wine and spirits items that we already stock, we need to make sure that the new products also get your attention. Your new favorite beverage might just have arrived, and you should know about it.

This is actually a good time to pause for a reminder about our tastings. Our regular wine tastings are every Friday and Saturday, and both our Lawrenceville and Woodbridge stores. At our Growler stations, you may sample a limited number of beers before you make your purchase. We also have an assortment of other tastings throughout the year; for example, we have a Punzone tasting in Lawrenceville tomorrow, and an Irish Whiskey tasting in Woodbridge on Sunday. As always, please check our Events page and Bottle Club® emails for complete details.

Back on point, let's talk about some of the many new items we've recently added to our shelves. The critically acclaimed wine from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt is Château Miraval. For the new season, we've added their white wine, the Château Miraval Varois en Provence Blanc ''Pitt & Jolie''. Château Miraval, located in the heart of the Var, is one of the most beautiful historic domaines of Provence. With investment in the latest wine-making technology and a passion for excellence at every stage of production, Miraval is producing some of the most exciting wines in the Provence. This white blend is 75% Rolle and 25% Grenache Blanc. Rolle (called Vermentino in Italy), imparts vibrant citrus aromas while a touch of Grenache Blanc reminds one of white peach and fresh herbs. The regular price of this wine is $28.99, but it's currently in the Bottle Club® for only $25.99.

Glenmorangie is one of our best-selling Scotch brands. Their different finishes offer some truly interesting -and delicious- single malts. The newest expression to hit our shelves is the Glenmorangie 18.

The Glenmorangie 18 Years Old is a single malt Scotch whisky of serious distinction. Once it has spent fifteen years maturing in American white oak casks, approximately 30% is transferred into Spanish Oloroso casks to spend a further three years maturing. Then, when both elements have reached 18 years, they are blended back together to create a whisky with a rich bouquet and full, rounded flavor.

For a whisky of this age, this expression has maintained, thanks to the delicate floral spirit and fine Oloroso casks, an incredible degree of vibrancy, where the raisiny sweetness of the sherry has been toned down by the nuttiness of the American oak.

The taste is balanced between honey, malt and flowery scents. Dates and figs emerge in the background with a hint of wood smoke. The finish is long and enticing with the sweetness of dried fruit and subtle dryness of Oloroso nuttiness. Glenmorangie 18 is available in very limited quantities, at $116.99 for the 750ML bottle.

The weather just has to warm up, and then everyone will be looking for a white wine. Beat the rush with this newest Italian. You already know the Stella label, as their Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is one of our biggest-selling Italian red wines. The Stella Trebbiano d'Abruzzo just might be your next everyday white wine.

Made from 50% Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and 50% Trebbiano Toscano grapes from vineyards near the windy Adriatic coast of Abruzzo, the wine is fermented under temperature-controlled conditions in stainless steel tanks.  It is released on the market in the spring following the harvest.

Straw-yellow in color with delicate aromas of green apple and flowers, Stella Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is smooth, clean, dry, versatile, and always refreshing. It's excellent with fish antipasti, pasta with clams, fish-based soups, and other light fares. And it's only $4.96 in the Bottle Club®, making it perfect for both cooking and sipping.

Our food choices almost always put us in the mood for an everyday red wine. Meeting that need is the Tenuta Amalia Dolce Viola Cagnina di Romagna. This was just featured in one of our weekend wine tastings in Woodbridge. The wine is predominantly made from Refosco grapes (locally known as Cagnina, or Terrano, meaning earth), and emerges as a deep purple colored and full-bodied red with sweet fruit intensity, offering notes of strawberry and raspberry, backed by soft tannins. This will go nicely with most pasta dishes, burgers, or sausages. The Bottle Club® price is only $7.96.

As we've noted in earlier posts, Joe Canal's regularly receives new items, and we're not always able to go into each one in depth, no matter how much we'd like to. So the next time you're in one of our two stores, don't hesitate to ask one of associates to show you something new.