Grab Bag Friday

True to our newest blogging tradition, we have quite an assortment for you today.

Ladies Night in Woodbridge

For our Woodbridge shoppers, mark your calendars for a fun, after-hours event on Sunday, April 27. We're hosting the Ladies Night Wine Tasting and Art Show. You'll have the opportunity to taste over 30 different wines, sample Di Bruno Bros. cheese, enjoy light appetizers, and shop through exhibits from local artists. Please review the graphic, and contact Debbie Miller Nelson, dnelson@joecanals.net or 732-726-0077 x310, for more information or to RSVP. All proceeds will go to Angel PAWS, a 100% volunteer animal rescue organization based in Colonia, NJ.

Ladies Night Out in Lawrenceville

Wine tasting at last year's Ladies Night Out

For our Lawrenceville shoppers, Ladies Night Out returns, also on Sunday, April 27. The after-hours program is being finalized right now, but will include wine tasting, light appetizers, and shopping opportunities. Please call the store for more information, 609-520-0008, and keep watching our Facebook page and Twitter feed for updates.

Ripped from the Headlines

We have an assortment of legal issues impacting our industry:

Tennessee has particular and specific laws that govern what can be called a Tennessee whiskey. We details some of those issues in an earlier post. Recently, Diageo sued the state of Tennessee over the part of the law that sets requirements on where the whiskey can age. Read the story here.

There seems to be a lot going on with brewers and trademarks.

Left Hand Brewery is involved in a trademark dispute. Read the story here.

Schlafly Beer is also involved in a trademark dispute. Read about it here.

Weekend Plans

We're on our regular wine tasting schedule this weekend. Friday hours for both stores are 4-6pm. Saturday hours in Woodbridge are 1-3pm, and it's 2-4pm in Lawrenceville. The tasting menu for both stores is here.

Tonight's 6pm specialty Growler tapping in Woodbridge is Clown Shoes Galactica IPA. Please note that Lawrenceville has moved their specialty tappings to 6pm on Thursday.

However, Lawrenceville does have a late addition to their Growler tapping schedule. At 5pm tonight, they will tap Ommegang Game of Thrones Take the Black Stout. You might want to queue up for that.

What Else Is New?

We've been asked to bring in more Sicilian red wines, so we've just added the Cantine Colosi Nero D'Avola to both Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. Nero d’Avola is the most important red wine grape in Sicily, and is one of Italy’s most important indigenous varieties. It is named after Avola, a town in the far south of Sicily and its wines are compared to New World Shiraz, with sweet tannins and plum or peppery flavors. “The Black Grape of Avola” seems to have been selected by growers near Avola several hundred years ago. Initially it was confined to the southern tip of Sicily, but more recently has spread throughout the island.

Aged in stainless steel, the nose shows intense fruit with heavy cherry aromas, and it's dry, full-bodied and youthful on the palate. It's perfect with red meats, pasta with tomato sauce and aged cheeses. Only $10.99 in the Bottle Club®.

One of our very popular labels is Josh Cellars, and now the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are getting some company. We're adding the Josh Cellars Merlot, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc to our shelves.

Josh Cellars Pinot Noir, made in a style reminiscent of Burgundy, offers bright, ripe cherries and deep earthy flavors with spice, subtle oak and delicate texture. The Merlot, created in a Bordeaux-style blend, offers rich plum and black cherry flavors, accented by savory spices and toasted oak, with a soft, supple texture and lingering finish. A wine that is bold and expressive but unassuming, and approachable. Bright aromas of lime and citrus are the core of Josh Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, with layers of white flower nectar, peach, and tropical melon. The palate of the wine is fresh and alive with clean fruit flavors and a perfectly balanced finish. Each new varietal is priced at $14.49.

Clearly, we've saved the best new product for last. We received the most limited of supplies: one bottle per store. At the time of this writing, the bottle remains available only in Woodbridge.

What could be that limited? Grand Marnier Cuvée 1880. Cuvée 1880 celebrates the conception of Grand Marnier, when, in 1880, Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle began blending Cognac with oranges, which were a luxury item at that time. The Grand Marnier Cuvée 1880 is a distinctive blend of aged, premium XO Cognac made exclusively from Grande Champagne, the most esteemed growing area in the Cognac region. With more Cognac in the nose of its taste profile, it is significantly less sweet than the Cuvée du Centenaire, while still incorporating wild tropical orange notes. This is priced at $279.99.

Have a great weekend, everyone! And don't miss our tastings and events.