Learning About Wine

For those of us who work for Joe Canal's, there are plenty of opportunities to expand our palates and learn more about our trade. Many of our distributor partners have large-scale portfolio tastings, and there are other events throughout the year where we can sample both current and new offerings. Those programs help us, and they allow us to better serve you, as we increase our knowledge of the products that we sell.

As a consumer, however, you have to be more proactive in learning about what you like in wine (this applies to beer and spirits as well, of course). We do our part to help by offering wine tastings nearly every Friday and Saturday, along with a range of additional tastings, like the Brunello Tuesday program in Woodbridge. These tastings are conveniently timed for most people, and are priced right (free!).

Occasionally there are bigger, public events that are both educational and fun. Courtesy of Oyster Bay Wines, your blogger recently attended just such an event in New York City, called the Wine Riot.

Here, you could taste wines from specific producers at their own booths. In addition, you could visit booths dedicated to specific varietals, and other booths that featured the wines of one country. The downside of an event in NYC is that not every wine tasted there is available back home in New Jersey, but that gives you every reason to sample as many wines as possible.

Over the course of a four hour event, you'll have the chance to taste nearly everything you'd care to. As you see in the photo above, the crowds can be a bit challenging, but the people at the booths were happy to talk about their wines. And to pour you a sample.

The Oyster Bay Wines booth was one of the more popular stations. Their Sauvignon Blanc is already one of our top sellers, and is zesty and aromatic with lots of lively, penetrating fruit characters. Their Pinot Noir is fragrant, soft and flavorful with aromas of ripe cherries, plums and gentle sweet fruit tannins that provide serious structure and length. Look for Oyster Bay wines is our New Zealand section.

Other producers on hand included the Wagner Family of Wines (Belle Glos Pinot Noir and Conundrum) and Cameron Hughes. It was mainly when you went to the variety- or country-specific booths that you found wines not available in New Jersey.

Having a favorite wine can be a comfort, especially when you're facing a lengthy wine list at a restaurant. Since there are so many excellent wines on our shelves, you really do miss out if you limit yourself to your one favorite red or white wine. Stop in for our tastings or find an event like this, and you'll have both an improved palate and new favorites!

Your blogger with two new favorite wines!