No More Leftovers

We're back to work today, and we hope that everyone has recovered from any holiday weekend over-indulging. We'll open this post with an important reminder: there are only 24 shopping days until Christmas. And we're closed on Christmas Day. However, if you're making a purchase for Hanukkah, the first night is this Sunday, December 6.

For our Woodbridge shoppers, click here for information about Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

There's science behind the way that whisk(e)y ages in a barrel. Click here for the article, and here's the accompanying graph, courtesy of Popular Science. The graph and excerpts were created by Lew Bryson, author of "Tasting Whiskey." He recently appeared at our Lawrenceville store, discussing his book.

Back in stock: Funky Llama Malbec. This affordable and delicious wine is great to have on hand for the unexpected guests that we often have at this time of year. It's light in feel, with flavors of citrus, plum and rhubarb. And it's still only $2.98 in the Bottle Club®. At that price, they're also an excellent choice to give as a gift.

In our area, lots of people look to give shore/beach themed gifts. One option is the Sand Dollar Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark blue violet color. Toasty aromas and flavors of roasted nuts and berry pie crust with a silky, tangy, fruity medium body and a polished, breezy finish with nuances of honey and cherry with well-integrated tannins. A nice everyday sipper or dinner wine. Only $10.96 in the Bottle Club®.

We also still have a very extensive selection of gift sets. If you can't decide, see any cashier for a Gift Card, available in any denomination.

Before the Feast

From the Joe Canal's family to yours, our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving. For your last-minute needs, we will be open until 10pm tonight, and our hours will be 9am-4pm tomorrow.

Pizza Pairings

Today is one of the biggest days for pizza sales. Whether or not you're having pizza tonight, you're likely having some in the near future. Our staff has some great suggestions for beer and wine pizza pairings. Click here for those ideas.

Thanksgiving Pairings

Click here for staff red wine recommendations
Click here for our white wine recommendations
Click here for our craft beer recommendations
Click here for whisky recommendations

                     Gift Sets

This is the time of year when we have the best selection available, but it does sell quickly. One reason is that the gift sets are a great value; many are priced the same as the bottle without the extras. For example, the Glenlivet and Chivas Regal gift sets are the same price as the 750ml bottles. The Knob Creek gift set, on the other hand, is actually lower in price than the Knob Creek 750ml bottle.

New Products

Whistle Pig 12 Year Old World Marriage. In the spring of 2014, Master Distiller Dave Pickerell began a unique experiment on the WhistlePig Farm. After studying the best techniques of the Old World – particularly Scotch whiskies – Dave and the WhistlePig team paired bonds of 12-year-old rye with premium European oak casks – Madeira, Sauternes, Port, Cognac, and Sherry. After a series of single finish releases and extensive industry feedback, the 12 Year Old World is the product of a carefully selected marriage of three finishes that highlights their distinctive flavors to create an exceptionally balanced spirit. The 2015 San Francisco Spirits Competition Double Gold award winning Old World Series unites the bold attributes of rye whiskey with the grace and elegance of the finest European casks, yielding an ultra-premium straight rye, distinctly American, but hearkening to its stately Old World roots.

Extremely limited availability, at $99.99. Please check with Customer Service to ensure we still have this in stock.

Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey refuses to be forgotten. First produced in Maryland in the 1890s, the brand, along with the rest of the once-booming Maryland Rye industry, was shuttered by prohibition. The brand reemerged after prohibition and became the last standing Maryland Rye, as the rest of the industry's production had ceased. Now produced in Kentucky from extra-aged barrels stored in prime warehouse locations, Heaven Hill keeps this historic Maryland mark alive with this award-winning six year old, 110 proof offering.

Tasting notes: Pale copper color. Dusty cocoa notes with oaky smoke underneath. Dry and spicy, with honeyed rye and cloves. Finish is soft vanilla and baking spices.

#2 on the list of Jim Murray's 2016 World Whiskies of the Year. Scheduled to arrive today, this will also have extremely limited availability, at $49.99. Please check with Customer Service to ensure we still have this in stock.

Domaine Castillon Costières de Nîmes Rouge 2014. Fresh and very fruity. A thirst-quenching wine that is a little tannic but mellow. Pair with Barbecue, T-Bone steak, lamb chops, chitterlings sausage and matured cheeses. Only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Happy Thanksgiving, and travel safely!

No Translation Needed

It not only seems like we have some amazing Spanish wines at incredible prices, but we do. Over the last couple of years, Spanish winemakers have really stepped up their game, and we have all enjoyed the results. The Bodegas Jiminez-Landi Bajondillo is another great example of a Spanish wine that over-delivers.

Bodegas Jiménez - Landi is a family project that shows a passion for the countryside and the vineyard. We are located in Mentrida, home to a great wine tradition (some of the references to vineyards in the area date back to the twelfth century). We're located west of Madrid and north of Toledo, in the foothills of the Sierra de Gredos.

Jose Benavides Jiminez-Landi began managing the winery in 2004, producing great wines based on tradition and balance with the environment. Limited production wines that represent the typical characteristics of soils and varieties (most often, Garnacha) with which we work and the nature that surrounds them.

The vines cover about 15 hectaires, and are aged between 12 and 40 years. The landscape of Mentrida is pasture and woodland. The flora is dominated by oaks, olive trees, oaks and poplars. Flowers such as lavenders, thyme, brooms, dominate the landscape. Grain fields and olive groves alternate with the cultivation of the vines.

The Bajondillo is a very clean wine with a sparkling ruby color. It has an intense and complex nose of red berries, wild herbs, licorice and violets. The palate is an explosion of strawberry; intense and balanced with vibrant acidity that lets you drink with pleasure and ease.

Only $10.96 in the Bottle Club®. 91 points from IWC.

Hi Speed Blogging

It's a short attention span week. Everyone has so much to do this week, we thought we'd make this post as concise as possible.

Thanksgiving Recommendations, by the Joe Canal's Staff

Click on the product category below for the recommendations.

Red Wine
White Wine
Craft Beer
Whisky

There's a very strong possibility that you'll be eating pizza this week. Click here for our staff wine and craft beer pairing recommendations.

Store Hours

We have extended hours for the next three days, as follows:
Tuesday, 11/24, 8am-10pm
Wednesday, 11/25, 8am-10pm
Thanksgiving, 9am-4pm

Special orders will be accepted, but none will be processed until after Thanksgiving. Plan ahead for Christmas, as there will be a similar cut-off.

Attention, Woodbridge shoppers! We know how busy you are, so we're ready to do your Joe Canal's shopping for you. Click here for the details on our online ordering/in-store pickup program.

Gift Sets

Of course, this is also the time of year for pre-packaged holiday gift sets. Right now, we have the biggest selection of the season. Most of the gift sets are available at the same price as the item is without the extras, so that's a great excuse to get something for yourself as well.

Wine gift sets are typically multiple bottles, like the Cavit Pinot Grigio/Pinot Noir pack. For spirits, like the Knob Creek (at left), glasses are often included.

Pre-Turkey Grab Bag

To paraphrase the line from "Bad Boys 2," stuffing about to get real. With only a couple of days left to make your Thanksgiving wine, beer and spirits selections, we're here to help. And we'll include our usual weekly recap  as well.

Beginning this Sunday, we have extended store hours, as follows:
Sunday, 11/22, 9am-9pm
Monday, 11/23, 8am-10pm
Tuesday, 11/24, 8am-10pm
Wednesday, 11/25, 8am-10pm
Thanksgiving, 9am-4pm

Scroll to the bottom of this post for links to our recommendations for Thanksgiving wine, beer and spirits.

The night before Thanksgiving registers more pizza sales than nearly any other night of the year. We asked our staff, who came up with some stellar pizza pairing ideas for you. Click here for their recommendations.

New Products

Bodegas Jiminez-Landi Bajondillo. Very clean wine with a sparkling ruby color. It has an intense and complex nose of red berries, wild herbs, licorice and violets. The palate is an explosion of strawberry; intense and balanced with vibrant acidity that makes you drink with pleasure and ease.  Only $10.96 in the Bottle Club®.

This time of year is important for anyone who enjoys Fine Wine. There are quite a few newly-released vintages arriving in our stores, along with some rarities, like the next wine.

Araujo Cabernet Sauvignon Altagracia 2012. Extremely limited availability. This is a perfect Fine Wine to give, to enjoy, or to cellar. WA:91-93, JS:93.

Araujo’s second wine, the 2012 Proprietary Red Altagracia exhibits beautiful blueberry, black raspberry and cassis fruit which reflects the purity that frequently comes from this vineyard.

The tannins are soft, and the wine is lighter than its bigger sibling, but it possesses medium body, velvety tannin, and a gorgeous mouthfeel. Already approachable, this seductive, plush 2012 should age effortlessly for 10-15 years.

Araujo has turned out some fabulous wines in 2012 and 2013, all incredibly young and primary, but bursting with potential. $124.99 in the Bottle Club®.

We've also just received a limited amount of Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Pedregal 2012 (WA:97) and Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Annum Diamond Mountain 2012 (WA:96).

Winter Seasonal Beers. These have started to arrive, such as Troegs Blizzard of Hops Winter IPA. Troegs created this Winter IPA to toast hop growers around the world for another successful harvest. This storm of hoppy citrus and pine notes is a bright reminder the end of the Hop Cycle is only the beginning. 6.4% ABV, 80 IBU's. Available in 6-pack bottles and 12-pack cans.

Ciroc Apple. We discussed this a few weeks ago, and it should arrive in our stores as early as today.

Holiday Gift Sets. The best selection of the season is currently in stock.

In Store Events

Both stores will have their regular wine tastings this weekend. For Lawrenceville, the hours are 4-6pm today, and 2-4pm on Saturday. Click here for the tasting menu. In Woodbridge, the hours are 4-6pm today, and 1-3pm tomorrow. Click here for the tasting menu.

Thanksgiving Recommendations

Please click on the category name for our wine, beer and spirits recommendations for Thanksgiving.

Craft Beer
Red wine
White wine
Whisky

Ripped from the Headlines

Coupon Savings. We've recently mailed out a special sales flyer. In case you didn't receive one, you can view it here for Lawrenceville, and here for Woodbridge. The flyer includes a couple of coupons, along with some exceptionally low sale prices.

Your blogger happens to live in one of the targeted zones, so we received our mailer last Friday. On Monday, we received a mailer from one of our competitors, and that gave us the opportunity to sit down and compare prices and terms from the comfort of our mancave.

As you might expect, even with a special sale, our prices were lower on most items. It was, however, the terms and conditions that set us apart. For Joe Canal's, each store sent their own mailer. For our competitor, a brand name with multiple locations, one mailer covered all the stores. You had to read the fine print for these important conditions:

1. "Products and their prices may not be available at member stores"

2. "All prices cash and carry"

Here at Joe Canal's, we value and appreciate your business. Our low prices don't change based on how you pay. And on those rare occasions when something is available at one store, but not the other, that information is clearly presented.

This is a good opportunity to remind you that we also offer new coupon savings every week. We publish coupons on our website every Tuesday. We also offer a coupon every Thursday via Twitter, so you should follow us there.

Ballast Point Brewing. Sold to Constellation Brands for about $1 Billion. Click here for the story.

Wine Spectator Top 100 for 2015. Click here for their list. Consult our store staff to see which wines we still have in stock.

Have a great weekend!

Just In Time

Today, we're featuring some of our newly-arrived products. If you need something for Thanksgiving, well, we're here to help.

Before we get there, however, please note our extended holiday hours, beginning this Sunday:
Sunday, 11/22, 9am-9pm
Monday, 11/23, 8am-10pm
Tuesday, 11/24, 8am-10pm
Wednesday, 11/25, 8am-10pm
Thanksgiving, 9am-4pm

If you need recommendations from our staff for a Thanksgiving beverage, please click on the product categories here:
Craft Beer
Red wine
White wine
Whisky

And if you're also having pizza the night before Thanksgiving, and you want some great new staff suggestions, please click here. You may want to keep that link handy, because those recommendations will always be applicable.

New Products

Gift Sets. We have a wide range of gift items in stock. If you're gifting wine, there are multi-bottle sets available. If you're looking for spirits, the gift sets might include a cocktail shaker, glasses or 50ml sample bottles, among other selections. Our beer gift sets include a mix of multi-bottle packages and add-on products. And some gift sets, like the one pictured here, are category-breakers.

While we'll continue getting new gift sets for a little while, the best selection is available right now.

Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau. Today is Beaujolais Nouveau Day. This is the first wine release of the 2015 harvest, and always sells out because of its connection to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. The Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau will be on sale today in the Bottle Club® for only $8.09.

The hallmark tasting notes of Beaujolais Nouveau are a radiant ruby red color, with fruit flavors of strawberries and jam-like fruits, accompanied by a perfumed nose. It's well-balanced, with a smooth finish.

If you like the Beaujolais Nouveau, you may want to consider some of our other new Beaujolais arrivals. For example, we've just received the Domaine de la Combe au Loup Beaujolais Village. While the Nouveau is really fresh, the Village is from the 2014 harvest, making it a more balanced wine.

This wine comes from a family owned estate that was established in 1870. The vineyards are 100% Gamay, and most of the vines are over 50 years old. The grapes are hand-picked. The wine is bottled early to capture the freshness. Pairs with cooked meat, poultry and grilled meat. And lots of people recommend a Beaujolais as the perfect burger wine.

The Domaine de la Combe au Loup Beaujolais Village 2014 is available in the Bottle Club® for only $10.46. Goes with turkey...goes with burgers...maybe 2 bottles are in order.

Bailey's Espresso Creme. A bold dark roast coffee aroma with the taste of fresh ground espresso beans on top of Irish cream and chocolate throughout the smooth classic Bailey's finish. The new flavor is available for $21.79 in the Bottle Club®.

Click here for some delicious cocktail recipes for the new Bailey's Espresso.

Smirnoff Peppermint Twist. This is available for a limited time, and is perfect for this time of year. Deliciously cool and sweet candied peppermint aroma. Perfect as a chilled shot or creatively mixed in your favorite holiday cocktail…and of course, candy cane garnish is a must!

The Other Big Dinner Next Week

According to the folks over at pizza.com, the night before Thanksgiving is one of the top 5 days for pizza sales. The others are, in no particular order, Super Bowl Sunday, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Halloween. We thought we'd take a quick survey of our staffers, to see what recommendations they had for a pizza pairing. Please note that every product mentioned is linked to the Joe Canal's website page for that item. This will allow you to learn more about that product, and see the pricing as well.


Here are their suggestions:

Toni Carver

Toni Carver, Lawrenceville Store Manager: "I love an imperial IPA with an extra cheese and garlic pie!! In general, an IPA will pair very well with cheese. The crispness of the IPA cuts the pizza grease and heightens all of the flavors."

Her recommendations:
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Elysian Space Dust IPA
Victory Vital IPA
Sam Adams Rebel Rider

Tom Broderick

Tom Broderick, Woodbridge Store Manager: "I'm a big fan of Margharita pizza and the perfect pairing is a funky, crisp Belgian saison, such as Saison Dupont or De Proef Saison Imperiale. The mellow, fresh qualities of the beer complement the earthiness of the basil and oregano while the hops cut the acidity of the pizza."

Brandon Bartfalvi, Lawrenceville Senior Wine Manager: "No question, it's Poggio Anima Samael Montepulciano D'Abbruzzo. Ripe, flavorful and generous with ample spice notes. This is my comfort wine and it is awesome with a good tomato pie. Delish!!!"

David Rudd, Woodbridge Assistant Store Manager: "I love a Zinfandel with meatsapizza! The spicy, jammy character absolutely compliment the seasonings used in cured Italian meats and sausages. Like a party in your mouth, gotta gotta get up to get down."

"Try the Carol Shelton Wild Thing or the St. Francis Old Vine Zinfandel."

Kevin Saunders, Lawrenceville Wine Manager: "I am a firm believer in the idea of 'what grows together, goes together.' When I'm eating Italian food, I'm drinking Italian wine. One of my go to wines is the Cerro Manero Rosso di Toscana 2013. It's only $9.96 in the Bottle Club® and it's rated 93 points. How could you not?"

Dave Glaubinger, Woodbridge Wine Supervisor: "I always seem to go back to Italian reds with pizza and pasta. They just have a certain texture that compliments the red sauce, cheese and various toppings. Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a really good example of an easy-drinking and affordable red from central Italy. Of course, that small grapevine they have tied to the bottle is one of the greatest marketing tools ever created !!! People come back looking for a delicious, nameless Italian wine 'with the stick'. Just to give representation to other worthy pizza pairings from elsewhere in Italy, Mastroberardino Aglianico - from the home of 'Napolitano' - is a mouthful of fruity, soft velvet, . . . . .and Altesino Rosso di Altesino, from the master Brunello maker, with it's typical Tuscan 'bite' also hits the spot with any pizza and pasta meal (spaghetti is often on my table, next to the pizza)."

Stephen Kubowitz, Lawrenceville Floor Manager/Beer Purchaser: "A bock will pair nicely with a sausage and mushroom pie.  The spice of the sausage and the earthy mushroom flavor enhances the maltiness of a bock. And my preference is Shiner Bock."

So your blogger is about ready to grab a quick slice of pizza right now. Buon appetito!

New Italian Masterpiece

In the same way that the night before Thanksgiving is a pizza-filled distraction from turkey, we're taking a break from our Thanksgiving-related topics to talk about another Italian delicacy.

Earthshaker wines come to us from the same team that brought us 90+ Cellars. Earthshaker is a collection of wines that focus on place more than points, and stories more than scores. Today, we're featuring their L'Amis Barbaresco.

Barbaresco is comprised of the rolling hills on the southern bank of the Tamaro River, northeast of the city of Alba in Italy’s Piedmont. The clay soils in these hills are a key ingredient in the famous white truffles of Alba. Like its neighbor Barolo, the wines are elegantly scented and powerful reds made from the Nebbiolo grape. The warmth derived from the proximity to the river, along with shorter aging requirements, allows these wines to express themselves at a younger age. While Barolo is a baritone, Barbaresco trends toward a tenor. For some time it was considered a "junior" to Barolo, but over the years Barbaresco has clearly revealed its own unique essence.

The grapes are hand harvested from hillside vineyards in the communes of Barbaresco and Neive. In the commune of Barbaresco, the vineyards are planted on southwestern facing slopes of marl and limestone spliced through by a rich vein of clay. Here, the deeper soil gives the wine muscles, depth, and texture. Vineyards within the township of Neive are composed of white clay marl and limestone with a bit of sand. These thinner, more loosely composed soils bring elegance and finesse to the wine.

Grape bunches are hand harvested and hand selected before a soft crushing. Selected yeasts are introduced to the must, and the wine ferments for two to three weeks in stainless steel. The finished wines are blended and aged between 16-24 months in Slavonian oak.

The wine has an intense garnet color with orange highlights. Its aroma is a dense core of blackberry and cherry fruit with overtones of withered rose petals and spices. These flavors persist after your first sip, the freshness of fruit melting into a floral and savory finish. It has a lofty elegance while maintaining its approachability, making it a wine you can have fun with now, or cellar away for years to come.

Earthshaker L'Amis Barbaresco is $19.96 in the Bottle Club®.

The Calm Before the Holidays

We're not going to do an official countdown before Thanksgiving; you know when it is. At Joe Canal's, we're ready to help make your holiday a little easier.

If you need suggestions on wine, beer or spirits pairings for Thanksgiving, our staff has some recommendations for you. Click on the product category:

Craft Beer
Red wine
White wine
Whisky

Please note our Thanksgiving week store hours:
Sunday, November 22: 9am-9pm
Monday through Wednesday, November 23-25: 8am-10pm
Thanksgiving Day: 9am-4pm

If you're looking to place a special order, the cut-off is today for Lawrenceville, and Wednesday for Woodbridge.

The night before Thanksgiving is one of the top days every year for pizza sales. We'll have staff pairing suggestions coming up within in the next few days.

New Products

You can never go wrong with a nice California Cabernet. Just in is the District 7 Cabernet Sauvignon. Concentrated blackberry and black raspberry flavors are framed by well-integrated tannins. District 7 Cabernet Sauvignon finds the sweet spot where the power and structure of this classic varietal meet elegance and finesse. The balance of fruit, acidity and moderate tannins makes this wine a perfect companion to fine cuisine. Rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Only $12.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Chateau Calon-Segur St.-Estephe 2005. Another Fine Wine that makes for a great gift. 93 points from Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and James Suckling.

The WA review: "The 2005 is a beautiful Calon Ségur, with sweet mocha, black cherry, leathery fruit, medium to full body, attractive purity, a gorgeous texture, and serious nobility, gravitas and density. Drink it over the next 20-30 years, yet it is surprisingly accessible." The WS review: "Has a beautiful nose of crushed berry, spices and nutmeg, with a hint of coffee. Then turns to licorice. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long finish of vanilla, berry and cinnamon. Beautifully crafted. Best after 2014."

We'll have about a dozen bottles available between the two stores.

Beaujolais Nouveau Day is this Thursday. This is the first wine release of the 2015 harvest, and always sells out because of its connection to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. The Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau will be on sale in the Bottle Club® for only $8.09, but you have to wait until Thursday.

Pre-Thanksgiving Grab Bag

We have a lot of information to share with you, so we'll dispense with the usual preamble and get right to it.

Holiday Store Hours and Information

Leading up to Thanksgiving, both of our stores will have the following extended hours:

Sunday, November 22: 9am-9pm
Monday through Wednesday, November 23-25: 8am-10pm
Thanksgiving Day: 9am-4pm

If you wish to place a special order, please note the following cut-off dates:
Lawrenceville: November 16
Woodbridge: November 18
Special orders placed by those dates should arrive in time (depending on supplier availability) for Thanksgiving. After those dates, we will not be able to process your special order until after Thanksgiving.

Do you need suggestions on wine, beer or spirits pairings for Thanksgiving? We have some recommendations for you. Click on the product category:

Craft Beer
Red wine
White wine
Whisky

We know that our stores will be extra busy through the end of December. In Woodbridge, we have a great way to save you time. Click here for details on our online ordering, in-store pickup program.

In Store Events

Click here for the Event Calendar in Lawrenceville.

Click here for the Event Calendar in Woodbridge.

New Products

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2004. Simply one of the world's great Champagne's; a few bottles of La Grande Dame is now available in a beautiful wooden gift box.

The Champagne itself? There is plenty of effervescence. The fine, light bead swirls up slowly and gracefully. The first nose reveals a definite mineral base, with noble fruit and remarkable intensity.

On the palate, there is plenty of body and substance. The texture is crisp and silky. The chalky

Mountains not included

mineral note resonates magnificently with this full-bodied structure and intensifies the lengthy persistence. The finish is fresh and generous, indicating a light dosage that does nothing to disturb the

wine's natural balance.

Cavit Pinot Gift Set. Cavit Pinot Grigio is the #1 Italian wine in the US. With a balanced character, bright straw gold color, appealing aroma and fruit flavors, it's no wonder Cavit is America's favorite Pinot Grigio. Cavit Pinot Noir is delicious and balanced, with bright cherry notes, hints of red berries, and a soft character. Cavit is the #1 Imported Pinot Noir in America.

$14.99 in the Bottle Club®.

We will have a variety of gift sets and holiday packs available, while supplies last. Some of these products, like the La Grande Dame above, are available in extremely limited quantities. Shop early for the best selection.

Ripped from the Headlines

The Wine Spectator Top 100. They've revealed 2 through 10 so far, with #1 coming up later today. The full list will be posted on Monday. Once it's published, a list of what Top 100 wines we have will be available in the stores. If you don't follow the Top 100 closely, there are a few important things to know:
1. The list covers wines they've tasted throughout the year. Often, a wine is sold out long before the list is published.
2. Not every wine is/was available in New Jersey.
3. Like any rating system, the list is subjective.

Survey Says. A few weeks ago, we sent a survey to everyone in our Bottle Club®. A number of issues were raised in the responses we received, and we addressed some of them in a Q&A format. Click here for Part 1, and click here for Part 2 of this Q&A.

Have a great weekend!

All About Thanksgiving

Most of us consider Thanksgiving to be kind of a big deal. For some, it's the best meal of the year, both for the food and the companionship. For us, it's a time when our stores are packed, and sometimes there can be a wait for assistance. That's where we come in, saving you time (and money).

Exclusively for our Woodbridge shoppers-you can shop and order online for in-store pickup. We can't imagine a bigger time-saver. Click here for details.

Both stores will have extended holiday hours during the week of Thanksgiving, as follows:
Sunday, November 22: 9am-9pm
Monday through Wednesday, November 23-25: 8am-10pm
Thanksgiving Day: 9am-4pm

We'll talk about What to Drink for Thanksgiving for the rest of this post. Click here for Part 1 (craft beer) of the series. Click here for Part 2 (red wine). We also have a coupon available for Block 478 Pinot Noir, one of our recommended reds. Click here for the coupon, which is valid at both stores.

Before we discuss white wine for Thanksgiving, we have a whiskey to discuss. Your blogger prefers pecan pie over pumpkin, and there are any number of great recipes for a bourbon-enhanced pecan pie. Click here for one tasty example, from Maker's Mark.

What to Drink for Thanksgiving, Part 3

Revel Stoke Pumpkin Spiced Whisky. Spiced whisk(e)y is a fast-growing category, with Fireball being perhaps the best known label. But most of us want pumpkin, not cinnamon, for Thanksgiving. And that takes us to Revel Stoke. Revel Stoke Pumpkin Spiced Whisky is made with a blend of rye, corn, and barley malt that is triple distilled in copper stills. The whisky is aged for three years in charred white oak barrels. Natural pumpkin spice flavors are then infused before bottling at 70 proof. It pours to a golden color.  The aroma is nutmeg, clove, and allspice with an eggnog backing. The sweet whisky entry has vanilla flavor. Nutmeg arrives and is joined by clove and allspice. It fades with spicy cinnamon, vanilla, and whisky taste with mild heat from the alcohol. Revel Stoke Pumpkin Spice finishes with a mild sting and natural pumpkin spice taste.

The 750ml size is available for $14.99.

White Wine for Thanksgiving

Generally speaking, we look for something on the crisp side for Thanksgiving. There are so many rich flavors on the table that a lighter, crisp white tends to provide the best balance to the meal.

Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay. Brandon Bartfalvi, Senior Wine Manager in Lawrenceville suggests this for those who have to have a Chardonnay on their table. It's "a well-balanced white, offering flavors of green apple, pear, and citrus with a touch of vanilla on the finish. An elegant style of Chard that is balanced and clean, yet retains a certain degree of richness. This is lip-smackingly good!"

The winery says "bright fruit and oak spice aromas are found in the nose; citrus, pineapple, white peach and apple flavors carry through the mid-palate and into the finish. The finish is crisp and bright."

Only $14.98 in the Bottle Club®.

Marcel Hugg Pinot Blanc and Riesling. We talked with Kevin Saunders, Wine Manager in Lawrenceville, about these new wines from the Alsace region of France. He said the Pinot Blanc has "a delicate bouquet of apricots and crushed stones that flow easily from the glass onto the palate. The finish offers hints of lychee and just a touch of sweetness. It's a great sipping wine, and perfect as an aperitif!

Only $10.96 in the Bottle Club®.

On the Marcel Hugg Riesling, Kevin said, "I love this wine. It has aromas of simple citrus fruit, crushed almonds and honey, which all transfer into light, delicate flavors of the same."

Only $11.96 in the Bottle Club®.

We've always said that the first rule of wine is to drink what you like. On Thanksgiving, however, we're often looking to satisfy a number palates that might have different preferences. We hope this guide will be helpful.

New Products and Holiday Shopping

We salute America's veterans today, November 11. Please note that our stores will be open regular hours today.

For the week of Thanksgiving, we will have extended hours at both stores, as follows:
Sunday, November 22: 9am-9pm
Monday through Wednesday, November 23-25: 8am-10pm
Thanksgiving Day: 9am-4pm
Please click here for Part 1 of our What to Drink for Thanksgiving series. Click here for Part 2. And pre-packaged holiday gift sets are arriving pretty much every day.

But we're really here today to talk about new products, so let's get started.

Jose Cuervo The Rolling Stones Tour Pick. To kick off their 1972 North American Tour, The Rolling Stones held a private party at a bar in San Francisco called The Trident. It was there that a bartender grabbed a bottle of Cuervo and introduced them to the Cuervo tequila sunrise, which quickly became their favorite drink and official cocktail of the tour, later dubbed "The Tequila Sunrise Tour."

Now’s your chance to party like a Rolling Stone. Get your limited edition bottle and taste the glitz, glam and controversy that made the 1972 tour the benchmark of an era and cemented the Stones as the world’s greatest band. The Rolling Stones and Cuervo—two rock n’ roll legends, one bold new bottle.

This will be available for a limited time only, at $19.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Chateau Leoville Poyferre St. Julien 2011. "This property, which has been on a qualitative tear over the last generation, has produced one of the most successful wines of 2011. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it is broad, rich, medium to full-bodied and dense. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as lots of concentration, silky tannins, and a bigger, richer mouthfeel than any of its St.-Julien peers. The result is one of the stars of the vintage." - Wine Advocate, 94 points. Also 94 points from Wine Enthusiast and 93 from James Suckling.

Limited quantities are available, at only $83.98 in the Bottle Club®. We've received small amounts (typically, no more than 3 cases) of about a dozen different very highly rated Bordeaux wines. Many are from the outstanding 2011 vintage, and those will only improve with cellaring. Whether you're a collector, or looking for an exquisite gift, these wines are great choices. Ask for any wine team member for assistance in locating these amazing bottles.

Baxter Phantom Punch Winter Stout. Baxter has named its winter stout in celebration of Lewiston’s 1965 Ali/Liston heavyweight championship. "Phantom Punch" is a Foreign Extra Stout with a hearty 6.8% ABV; enough to warm up winter gatherings, but not too much to prevent sipping a few by the fire. Its deep black hue and rich tan head compliment the full, but not overly-heavy body. Roasted and toasted malts dominate the flavor, with hints of caramel and strong notes of chocolate.

Meanwhile, roasted organic cocoa nibs reinforce the malty chocolate flavors, while real vanilla beans suggest a touch of sweetness without weighing down the brew. Lastly, Phantom Punch has just enough British hops to balance the stout’s maltiness, but this is Baxter’s least hoppy beer to-date.

Pairs well with Mexican mole dishes and barbecue, grilled meats, rich creamy cheeses like Gouda or tomme and, of course, chocolate; whether it’s cookies, candy or cake.

Alter Ego, Not Just for a Super Hero.

Palmer and its Alter Ego are two nuanced expressions of the Château Palmer terroir, two interpretations of the variations offered by the climatic conditions of the vintage. These variations can be likened, in music, to symphonic pieces and their jazz adaptations, in the visual arts, to a classic painting and a contemporary rendering of the same subject, and, in literature, to an epic narrative in alexandrine verse and a prose poem.

Chateau Palmer

Alter Ego was born with the 1998 vintage. It resulted from a new approach to selecting and blending devised to interpret the Château Palmer terroir differently without departing from the values that make the reputation of our wines – namely, finesse and elegance, aromatic richness, harmony and length.

Offering intense, crispy and juicy fruits, Alter Ego is a spontaneous uninhibited wine, soft and round as soon as it has finished barrel ageing. Its lush aromas and supple tannins make it a wine that can be appreciated in the first years after bottling.

This 2009 vintage makes an excellent holiday gift, if you can bear to part with it. Suitable for aging up to about 15 additional years.

91 points, Wine Advocate: "The 2009, a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, exhibits aromas of blackberries, cassis, chocolate, roasted espresso and a smoky/foresty note. This hedonistic, juicy, succulent Margaux is meant to be consumed in its first 10-15 years of life."

Wine Searcher shows this bottle available from $89.97 to $147.61. At Joe Canal's it's only $74.98 in the Bottle Club®. 51% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon.

What to Drink for Thanksgiving, Part 2

Selecting the right wine for Thanksgiving can be one of the bigger pairing challenges we face. You know that there are so many different flavors and textures that are part of the Thanksgiving feast, and that abundance makes paring even more difficult.

We are, however, professionals, and we are willing to do the work necessary to help you make some great selections without much fuss. And we're ok if you take the credit for making that great wine choice.

Last week, we discussed beer selections. Click here to review that post. Today, we'll offer you some red wine suggestions.

Concrete Old Vine Zinfandel. Since Thanksgiving is the All-American meal, a pairing with Zinfandel, the All-American grape, is a natural. This Zinfandel is a luscious, smooth, full-bodied wine with aromas of blackberry, bramble berry and Allspice. Deliciously mouth-filling, the wine opens up to sweet vanilla and toasty oak flavors, then follows with a concentrated core of well-balanced acidity, soft, but firm tannins and a lingering finish on the palate.

The Lodi wine country is defined and influenced by its proximity to the San Francisco Bay, situated directly east of San Francisco and at the edge of the Sacramento River Delta. Our head trained Old Vine Zinfandel vineyards were planted in the early 1900’s and are considered to be some of the oldest anywhere, yet they still producing high quality fruit.

$19.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Alongside Zinfandel, the most popular red wine chosen for the Thanksgiving table is Pinot Noir. The character of Pinot Noir leads it to pair nicely with the most dishes usually found on the Thanksgiving table. Whether your main dish is turkey or ham, with stuffing or sweet potato pie, you cannot go wrong with a Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir is considered the most difficult grape to grow. It's skin is relatively thin, and conditions must be just right for it to thrive. And when you add the right conditions together with an excellent

winemaking crew, Pinot will shine.

That's what we have with the Lazy Creek Vineyards "Lazy Day" Pinot Noir. This is a project by Don & Rhonda Carano, from Ferrari-Carano. The "Lazy Day" Pinot Noir comes from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County where warm, sunny days and cool, foggy mornings and nights create the ideal microclimate for producing this wine. This sustainably-farmed Pinot Noir has attractive aromas of plum, raspberry, a hint of licorice and toast. Lush flavors of bright red cherry and plum, with a nice touch of spice on the finish are perfect complements to round out this medium-bodied, easy-drinking wine. 

$29.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Cambria Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir. Cambria is a family-owned, estate winery located in the heart of the famed Santa Maria bench in Santa Barbara County. Bolstered by several decades of diligent winemaking and vineyard experience, Cambria’s wines faithfully express the unique stamp of one of the best cool-climate crus in California.

It has been said that great Pinot Noir can only reach its most eloquent expression with a good amount of vine age. We couldn’t agree more: our Julia’s bottling is anchored by one of the oldest commercial plantings of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County (1974), producing a wine that’s earthy on the nose and silky on the palate.

Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is deep, dark purple with underlying earthy character that compliments its solid tannin structure. Red fruit and dark berry aromas and flavors carry through to a long fruity fi nish. $16.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Block 478 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Finding the right microclimate for growing Pinot Noir grapes can be challenging. Fortunately, California is blessed with a handful of areas that accommodate the needs of this most persnickety varietal. These range from Santa Barbara County in the  southern sector of the state, up to the Carneros district that straddles Napa and Sonoma counties, over to Sonoma’s Russian River Valley area, and up to coastal Mendocino County. And then there’s the Sonoma Coast AVA (American Viticultural Area), which consists of approximately 2,000 vineyard acres, extending from San Pablo Bay in the south to the Mendocino County border in the north. The AVA is defined by its cool climate, which provides an ideal setting for growing perfectly ripened Pinot Noir grapes.

This is where Block 478 sources the grapes for its Pinot Noir bottling — a medium-bodied wine with both sweet and savory notes, plenty of fruit-forward flavor, and a degree of finesse that proclaims, "Special occasion!"

100% Pinot Noir. Aromas & Flavors:  Savory, Sandalwood, Cedar, Red Cherry and Assorted Red Berries. $12.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Smith & Son Wine Co. Pinot Noir. This one is a personal favorite of Brandon Bartfalvi, Senior Wine Manager at our Lawrenceville store. His review: "A ripe, forward style, offering flavors of strawberries, ripe cherries, spice and vanilla. A medium-bodied wine with good acidity and soft tannins. A real crowd pleaser, done in a lush, easy-going style."

$14.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Our final red wine falls outside of these two categories. It's not American, and it's not a Pinot Noir. It does, however, have a close association with Thanksgiving simply because of calendar proximity. We're talking here about George Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine released of the most recent harvest, so this year it's the 2015 vintage.

Georges Dubœuf's love affair with Beaujolais is no secret. His legendary palate, his ability to spot a good wine and his continuing enthusiasm made him an emblematic figure in the wine industry. His wines are renowned for their consistency, quality and value.

Georges Dubœuf turned the long-established French tradition of Beaujolais Nouveau release, the celebration of the first wine of the new vintage, into a worldwide phenomenon. Dubœuf's Beaujolais Nouveau will be available on Thursday, November 19, at only $8.09 in the Bottle Club®.

So we have a nice range of red wines for your consideration today. We'll look at white wines for our next installment.

Early November Grab Bag

We're going to be handling many different topics during this holiday season, which means the blog topic schedule will vary. We've always considered it required reading, so check in with us every weekday for important news and updated.

Events in Lawrenceville

It's a big weekend of events in our Lawrenceville store. It kicks off at 4pm today, with a special tasting of Laird's Applejack. Your blogger like to cook on occasion, and there are both cocktail and food recipes on the Laird's website. We recently made a Chutney Chicken, using Laird's Applejack, that could not have been easier, or more delicious.

Tonight is also Canvas Paint Night in Lawrenceville, where you can release your inner artist. We teamed up with Paint a Treasure to offer you a relaxing fun night out with friends and family! Come join us as we take you step by step through our Glass of Red Wine painting! No Experience Necessary! And you'll LOVE the painting you take home! Click here for details.

On Saturday, we'll have our regular wine tasting, from 2-4pm. Click here for the tasting menu. If you want to sample wines that might work their way onto your Thanksgiving table, you should definitely stop in.

The hectic weekend of events wraps up Saturday night with our Weyerbacher Small Plates Dinner. Five courses are expertly paired with different Weyerbacher beers. Click here for more information. Only a few places remain.

Events in Woodbridge

If you haven't been paying close attention, we have been ramping up the quality of wines that we offer in our weekly tastings. This week, we include the 95-point 2012 O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Click here for the full tasting menu.

New Products

Dom Perignon Brut, Vintage 2006, Bjork & Cunningham Limited Edition. The Icelandic singer, Bjork, created the limited edition bottle and coffret with her longtime collaborator, the video artist Chris Cunningham.

Bjork and Cunningham have named their Dom Pérignon creation ‘From Earth to Heart’, have worked together on several projects over the years, most famously the video for Bjork’s All Is Full of Love single. Their design on the ‘From Earth to Heart’ limited edition 2006 Blanc coffret shows a laser-like ray of green light that appears to shine down on the bottle and pierce the glass. The shield on the bottle then reflects this light as it infuses into the wine.

Very limited availability. $174.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Ridgemount 1792 Bourbon, Port Finish. The marriage of expertly crafted Bourbon and port wine barrels join together to create this distinct whiskey. This Bourbon was aged for many eyars in new white oak barrels before spending another two years extracting the subtle, yet sweet flavors from port wine barrels.

Tasting Notes: A rich aroma of apple and fruit mingling with noticeable vanilla. The taste is soft, yet balanced. Filled with toasted caramel, jam-like fruit, and a touch of licorice. A clean, somewhat lingering finish completes the taste.

We're scheduled to receive a total of six bottles of this amazing whiskey, priced at $39.99. Please inquire at Customer Service.

Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo. A spruce-infused pale ale, Pennsylvania Tuxedo pays homage to the flannel-suited hunters and gatherers who dwell deep in the backcountry of north-central PA.

Brewed in collaboration with family-run outdoor clothing company Woolrich, Pennsylvania Tuxedo is a sessionable concoction with a grassy citrus kick complemented by the resinous conifer notes of fresh green spruce tips. We went into the forests of north-central Pennsylvania and Georgetown, Del., to pick these fresh tips ourselves.

A dry yet doughy malt backbone lets the hops and spruce shine while still balancing out the bitterness, making this one an easy sipper. 8.5% ABV, 50 IBU's.

Domaine de la Pirolette Saint-Amour. A lovely ruby robe with flashes of cherry, very luminous and brilliant, with nice legs. The nose is crisp and delicious with red fruits (Gariguette strawberries, raspberries, cherries) followed by hints of black fruits (blueberries) with licorice and violets. Once opened, hints of white pepper appear.

The attack is luxuriously round and fragrant, reveling in the sinfully juicy taste of fresh fruit. The feel is harmonious and supple, well-balanced between richness and freshness, ending gracefully over a long finish. The ensemble is convincing, smooth and almost sensual with perfectly integrated, velvety
tannins.

Look for gamay Noir this in our Burgundy section, priced at only $14.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Ripped from the Headlines

In France, four tons of Comte cheese were stolen. And if you come in to buy 5000 cases of wine, we might have to alert the French authorities. Click here for the story.

Survey Says

In yesterday's blog post, we featured some comments, with our responses, from our recent customer survey. Here's a bit more:

Q. I specifically look for specialty and hard to find beers. Joe Canal's is one of my first destinations but sometimes I have to go to multiple places to find what I want.
A. As we illustrated above, we get extremely limited amounts of certain products. Often, like with the Pappy van Winkle bourbon family, there is significantly more demand than supply.

Q. I like that I can order and pay for my wine, beer or spirits online and it pick up in the store.
A. This great new service is currently available exclusively in our Woodbridge store. Click here to see how it works.

Have a great weekend!