Thursday Grab Bag

We're a day early this week, but there's so much going on at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge that we didn't think you'd mind.

Lawrenceville Tastings and Tappings

Tonight, at 6pm, we're tapping Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet Black IPA for our weekly specialty Growler.

Friday, from 4-6pm, we're having a tasting of Lost Distillery whisky. The Lost Distillery Company is an independent boutique Scotch Whisky company. They are obsessive about the craft and uncompromising when it comes to whisky quality. Their mission is to create present day expressions of legendary whiskies that belonged to the craft of whisky distilling almost a century ago.

This is illustrated in their icon – the Triskele (above), an ancient Celtic symbol depicting reincarnation. Their interpretation of the Triskele incorporates the core components of the whisky making process – the barrel, the water and the barley.

Saturday, from 2-4pm, will be our regular weekly wine tasting. We just made an incredible purchase on Beringer Napa Chardonnay, one of the wines on the menu. Leading up to Easter, this is a value you need to sample. A Napa appellation Chardonnay for under $10? Yes. The full menu is here.

Woodbridge Tastings and Tappings

Woodbridge will host its regular wine tastings on both Friday (4-6pm) and Saturday (1-3pm). With Passover starting Monday night, you'll have the opportunity to taste two different wines that are Kosher for Passover. The full menu is here.

Immediately after the wine tasting wraps up on Friday, head over to the Growler station for the specialty tapping of Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet Black IPA.

Please note that there are no wine tastings scheduled at either store on April 18th or 19th.

Upcoming Events

In Lawrenceville: Ladies' Night Out will be after hours on Sunday, April 27. Details will be posted on our web site shortly. The Joe Canal's Fest will be Sunday, June 22. Again, details will be posted shortly.

In Woodbridge, the Ladies' Night Wine Tasting and Art Show will also be after hours on Sunday, April 27.  See our web site for details. The Joe Canal's Fest will be Sunday, June 15. Details will be posted shortly. 

Ripped From The Headlines

Thankfully, no one brought any crazy lawsuits to our attention this week. Instead, we'll direct your attention to a story from Fox News about five lesser-known grape varieties. At Joe Canal's, we stock several brands of each varietal highlighted in the article: Chenin Blanc, Gamay, Mourvedre (also called Monastrell), Tempranillo and Barbera. Read the article here, and ask to see some of those wines when you're in the store next. There are some great wines at very affordable prices among those varietals.

New Stuff

The following products have either just arrived, or will within the next couple of days:

Dashwood Pinot Noir. You've enjoyed New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir is the next varietal that they'll conquer. Dashwood wines bring the luscious, clean fruit characters of the Wairau Valley into harmony with the flinty, or mineral, characters of the Awatere (resulting from the comparatively cooler but drier temperatures and slightly less fertile soils).

Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja Crianza 2008. This wine will be in Lawrenceville within a couple of days, but might not reach Woodbridge at the same time. This is one you definitely should look for. Rioja is hot now anyway, but this wine scored 91 points from Wine Advocate, but will sell for only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.

From the review: “The 2008 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Crianza is a blend of 93% Tempranillo and 7% Garnacha aged for 18 months in French and American oak. It has a mellow bouquet of dried herbs, terracotta tiles and dusky black fruit that is very well-defined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin: tart red berried fruit, laced with tobacco and dried herbs on the dry, crisp finish. This is a superb classical Rioja Crianza.” 

Odds & Ends

Passover starts at sundown on Monday. We offer some helpful advice here.

Both stores will have limited hours on Easter Sunday, April 20. Operating hours will be 9am to 4pm.