It's Always Something

We mean that subject line in a good way. We've been talking about how we have the best store events in New Jersey, and all you need to do is look at our schedules. Here's a quick rundown of upcoming events at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge.

Events in Lawrenceville

We open the month of April with our regular wine tasting sessions on Friday and Saturday. The tasting menu will be posted shortly. UPDATE: We'll be tasting throughout the day, so just stop at Customer Service to inquire.

Next weekend is pretty exciting, kicking off on Friday, April 8 with a tasting of two new cream liqueurs. We can admit to having something of a sweet tooth, and sampling Brown Jug Bourbon Cream and Cinnabon Cream Liqueur could mean that we buy one of each. These treats are great on their own, in coffee, on ice cream, in cocktails, to bake with...there are no limits.

Our recent Beaujolais Villages seminar and tasting was such a hit that we're running it next Saturday and Sunday, from 1-4 each day. The wines of Beaujolais Villages have long been adored because of their lush, fruity flavors, broad appeal and natural pairings with everyday foods.

Join us during this event to learn valuable wine tasting tips, food pairing suggestions, history of the region, and discussions about the producers of these wonderfully enjoyable wines. This open tasting will be guided by our special guest, Robert Cavanaugh, an author and broadcaster from Washington, DC. Click here for more information.

Our Event Calendar has two dozen different events already on the agenda, with more being added all the time. Click here to see the full list, and check this blog regularly for updates. New this week: we're in Instagram as joe_canalslv.

Events in Woodbridge

The weekend starts tonight in Woodbridge, with our sold-out Founders Small Plates & Tasting Event. If you want to join the waiting list, please call the store at 732-726-0077.

Sake can be a bit mysterious. We all call it "rice wine," but it's actually brewed, like beer. To learn a bit more about this Japanese delight, stop in for a complimentary tasting of Hiro sake tomorrow, April 1, from 5-8pm.

We return to our wine tasting schedule on Saturday. Stop in between 1-3pm to sample up to four different wines. Click here for the tasting menu.

Throughout April, we offer a variety of craft beer, wine, spirits, and even cocktail tastings. With twenty different events on our schedule, you can stop in for more than just our low prices and superior selection. Click here for our full Event Calendar. And we're on Instagram as joe_canalswb.

Cocktail Culture

We're tired of hearing politicians talking about the culture, so we're doing something about it by emphasizing the Cocktail Culture! Over the last month or two, we've posted several installments of our Build a Bar Workshop (search by using the tags at the left). Those posts were designed to give you a good base of information in the spirits category. Like any good classroom, you start with the books, and then you get to the experiments. Test your hypothesis responsibly with these cocktail recipes.

Mint Julep. The Kentucky Derby is about a month away, so you have time to practice this drink before serving it on Derby Day. This is the traditional Derby Day cocktail, and a southern ritual crafted from bourbon, simple syrup and mint.

Ingredients
2 oz. Woodford Reserve
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
3 Fresh Mint Leaves
Crushed Ice

Method
Express the essential oils in the mint and rub them inside the glass. To the same glass, add simple syrup, bourbon, and crushed ice. Stir. Garnish with more ice and fresh mint.

Celebrate Kentucky Derby® 142 in style with the 2016 limited edition bottling of Woodford Reserve Bourbon, featuring artwork designed by artist Thomas Allen Pauly. The bottle is not yet in stock.

Pimm's Original. You've seen the bottle on our shelves, but you never bought one. We're about to give you a reason, because this is a great springtime cocktail.

Ingredients
One part PIMM’S No.1
Three parts of Lemonade
Mint, orange, strawberries, cucumber to garnish
Ice

Method
Pile all the ingredients in a tall glass, mix and sip. Best make a jugful, you never know who’ll turn up at the sound ice leaving your freezer. This will perfectly compliment your beer selections for watching the Final Four!

Moscow Mule. According to Google, this was one of the top cocktails of 2015. But what if we made Tito's American Mule instead?

Ingredients
1.5 oz Tito's Handmade Vodka
0.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
3 oz ginger beer

Method
Combine all ingredients into chilled copper mug filled with crushed ice and serve. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Meet Us at the Corner

The Craft Beer Corner, that is. Thank you for joining us for this week's edition of the Craft Beer Corner, where we explore some of the newest arrivals at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. We're only able to discuss a few of the beers that we actually do receive, so stop in or check directly with our beer team (contact info is near the end of this post) for up-to-the-minute information.

Side note: we do not have any confirmed information about KBS deliveries. Here's what we do have, in both stores, unless otherwise noted:

Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale. From New Jersey's largest craft brewer. A tribute to the

highly drinkable "every day' beers from French-speaking Belgium. Contains Belgian two-row pale malt and 7% wheat. This beer is lightly filtered with an earthy, spicy hop character from imported Styrian Goldings hops and a beautiful rich creamy head from the wheat.

Pair with spicy foods, fish, salads, and anything you can put on the grill. Also makes a great marinade. 4.6% ABV, 15.1 IBU's.

We've also just added a Flying Fish tasting to our Woodbridge calendar. Featuring

Farmhouse Summer Ale, the tasting will be April 15, from 4-6pm. That's perfect timing for anyone filing their taxes at the last minute.

Penn Brewery Chocolate Meltdown. Our Chocolate Milk Stout. A very dark, full-bodied ale.  Hints of roasted caramel malts along with luscious Betsy Ann chocolate mingle with lactose sugar for creaminess in every sip. Cited by Modern Brewery Age as "the most chocolately of them all" in a tasting panel of several chocolate beers. 5.5% ABV, 25 IBU's.

Limited availability.


O'Fallon Strawberry Best. An American Wheat Beer, with Strawberry. Try our new refreshingly

light and crisp Strawberry Best! We start with an American Wheat style recipe that’s a perfect compliment for fruit. We add real strawberry puree to the secondary fermentation, which gives the beer a naturally subtle strawberry flavor and aroma with a slight tartness. Light in color and soft in bitterness this beer is designed specifically to be enjoyed during the hot summer months. 4.4% ABV, 7.9 IBU's.

Pair with grilled chicken or brie with honey.

We have received a small allocation of Stone Enjoy By and Enjoy After 4.20.16. For availability, please check directly with out beer team. In Lawrenceville, contact skubowitz@joecanalslv.com. In Woodbridge, contact srindosh@joecanalswb.com.

Schlafly Double Bean Blonde. Darkness and romance lurk beneath the golden exterior of this ale that combines the prominent flavors and aromas of coffee and the smooth richness of chocolate. We use simple, straightforward malts and hops to keep the focus on the notable characteristics of the featured ingredients. After the beer is fermented, we let it rest on cocoa nibs sourced from Ghana—one of the world’s largest chocolate exporters. In the final stage of production we add a cold coffee toddy made from filtered water and finely ground beans roasted by St. Louis’ own Kaldi’s Coffee and sourced directly from the Shiwanda Estate in Africa’s southeastern Tanzania. 6.3% ABV, 25 IBU's. Available in Woodbridge only.

Boulevard Ginger Lemon Radler. Boulevard Ginger-Lemon Radler is a zesty,

refreshing take on the tradition of mixing beer with soda or lemonade to create a light, thirst-quenching beverage ideal for warm weather. Radler (literally "cyclist") takes its name from active German sportsmen of a hundred years ago, but our version tastes just as good even if you do nothing more strenuous than lifting it to your lips. 4.1% ABV, 12 IBU's. Available in Lawrenceville only.

Pair with citrusy salads, fried chicken, spicy Thai, or even watermelon.

New Spring Selections

Fashions change pretty dramatically in the Spring. In our business, while we see the seasonal beers change regularly, new wines and spirits arrive when they're ready, not when the calendar suggests. Here, then, is a look at some of our newest arrivals.

Ravage Cabernet Sauvignon. Inspired by the knight’s code of courage and camaraderie, Ravage is audaciously bold wine for those who never back down from a challenge and always have each other’s back. Our wines are designed by winemaker Bryce Willingham to push your sensory limits to the edge.

Our flavors are smooth, bold and audacious. Dark berries layered with luscious vanilla and mocha to round out the palate. The tannins are soft enough to add balance while giving structure and depth. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 4% aromatic reds. Only $10.99 in the Bottle Club®.

James Wyatt Untamed Red Blend. Full-bodied with a warming nose of plum, raspberry, baking spices and oak. Well balanced with ripe fruit flavors, natural acidity and integrated tannins. This classic Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blend has been aged for nine months in oak. Pairs well with game, lamb, grilled vegetables.

This is a sophisticated wine that is sure to please many wine lovers. The taste profile is approachable and elegant, which makes this the perfect gift or addition to any dinner table. The grapes for this wine are from the Precept family estate who take great pride in their vineyards from the Yakima Valley. Only $14.97 in the Bottle Club®.

Acre Twenty One Chardonnay. Fresh, soft and food friendly, this 100% Chardonnay shows flavors of bright green apple and juicy pear framed with toasty oak and spice

nuances. Aged in predominantly French oak (30% new), this well integrated Chardonnay will pair well with chicken, seafood or cream based soups and pastas.

The well balanced fruit and oak characters make this a "go to" selection for anyone looking for an everyday Chardonnay. Complex yet friendly, this wine is an easy choice for both dinner parties and simple occasions Only $9.97 in the Bottle Club®.

2011 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova. Casanova di Neri is the outcome of a process of productive and philosophical evolution, a new vision of Brunello di Montalcino that interprets tradition in a different

innovative way. A profound commitment and respect for the land, a conviction that it is the linchpin for the production of unique wines and that the care given in treating the grapes in the winery according to their varying characteristics is what we value most.

95 points from Wine Advocate, and 94 points from James Suckling. The WA review: "This is another fabulous wine from Giacomo Neri. The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is a deeply layered expression with bold tones of dark fruit that are softened and enhanced by spice, leather, tobacco and balsam herb. The wine is very beautiful and polished with slightly less depth and complexity compared the outstanding (100 point) vintage that precedes it. Despite the vintage variation, this is a wine of enormous pedigree and importance. It is generous and confident with a presentation that offers purity, intensity and persistence. Drink 2017-2030."

Limited availability. $87.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Our staff will be happy to help you find any of these selections, or a different product of your choosing. Just ask!

It's The Grab Bag

On this Good Friday, we will maintain regular business hours, but we will only be open 9am-4pm on Easter Sunday. A Happy Easter to all who celebrate.

Click here if you need wine recommendations for your Easter dinner. Our staff has some great suggestions for you.

In Store Events

We covered this topic pretty thoroughly in yesterday's blog post. Click here to review that information.

Ripped from the Headlines

Our regular readers know that this is usually the last part of our Friday blog, as we typically offer news items that are interesting, quirky, or otherwise not-so-serious. As you can probably tell by the changed placement of this section, we're covering an important topic today.

Many people were shocked by the allegations in a lawsuit filed over a year ago, suggesting that certain wine brands included dangerous levels of arsenic. Just this week, after extensive legal arguments, a judge dismissed the case. Click here for the story, from Wine Spectator.

New Products

Manayunk Moneyman. A hopbursted oatmeal IPA. Moneyman IPA has been hopbursted and dry hopped with Citra and Amarillo for maximum aroma intensity. Its tropical flavor flaunts hints of lemon, orange and grapefruit while the oats deliver a velvety mouthfeel. In certain situations, Moneyman IPA is even considered legal tender. 7.3% ABV, 70 IBU's. This is a seasonal item, so availability is limited.

Earlier in the week, we noted that it was rosé season, and we reviewed a couple of our newest deliveries. Here's another:

Bieler Pere et Fils Coteaux D'Aix en Provence Rose Sabine 2015. The classic Provence Rosé profile is what every serious winemaker around the

world attempts to mimic and for good reason. The delicate balance between floral, herbal, red fruit and acid is tricky to hit but sensational when it lines up as it does with this wine. The aromas and flavors are all so finely knit together that it’s almost hard to write a tasting note at times: from the more savory lavender and rosemary to rose petal notes to citrus, wild raspberry, and tart cherry. There’s acidity on the tongue yet a hug of richness. Sleek yet full and inviting aromatics with a touch more red fruit than the 2014 make this my favorite rosé we’ve made in several years. Mid-palate is broad yet light and dynamic, and the color is a pale but vivid pink. A spectacular vintage in the hills surrounding the beautiful and ancient city of Aix en Provence.

The blend is the following: Grenache: 40%, Syrah: 25%, Cabernet Sauvignon: 25%, Cinsault: 7%, Rolle: 3%. Only $10.49 in the Bottle Club®. Limited availability.

Siduri Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2013. Wait, Siduri is a California winery, right? yes, but they've been producing Oregon Pinot Noir since the 1995 vintage.

The 2013 is fruit forward, with bright red cherry and raspberry flavors. The wine is medium bodied, with hints of underbrush and forest floor, and a long, lingering finish. This wine is a fantastic value in a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, and is great for enjoying over the next several years. 90 points, Vinous Media.

Available in Lawrenceville only, for $22.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Juan Gil 100th Anniversary, 2013 vintage. Juan Gil is always one of our best-selling Spanish wines, and they made something really special for their 100th anniversary.

Made with grapes from some very low yielding vineyards, and managed with care for this special occasion to produce a great value wine that conveys the soul of the Gil family.

This elegantly structured wine opens with aromas of black plum and currant, mocha, leather, tobacco and a hint of anise. Dense, layered and velvety tannins on the palate. A fantastic wine, already enjoyable and will offer fine drinking for years to come. 50% Monastrell, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah. Only $17.99 in the Bottle Club®. Limited availability.

Have a great weekend!

Busy Weekends

With so many people being so busy over the next few days, we wanted to make sure you knew about our tasting events this weekend, so you can better plan your schedule. Our stores will be open regular hours tomorrow, Good Friday, and we will be open 9am-4pm on Sunday.

Before we list the upcoming events, click here for our staff Easter wine recommendations. Some of the wines on the list will be available for sampling at our Woodbridge store. The links for the tasting menus will follow as well.

Events in Lawrenceville

Per our usual protocol, there will be no official wine tastings in Lawrenceville this weekend. If time permits, we'll have something unofficial at the Customer Service desk. Our regular wine tasting schedule will resume after Easter.

In addition to our weekend wine tastings, our Event Calendar includes a dozen other upcoming events. We just added a Cream Liqueur tasting for April 8, among other fun events. Click here for the full event calendar in Lawrenceville.

Events in Woodbridge

We will maintain our regular wine tasting schedule this weekend. The hours are Friday, 4-6pm, and 1-3pm on Saturday. Click here for the tasting menu.

Also on Saturday, we have a Captain Morgan custom labeling event, 3-5pm. We're approaching gift-giving season, so this is a great opportunity to cross a few off of your list.

For some time, we've been claiming the title of Best Events in New Jersey. With well over a dozen events on our schedule, in addition to our wine tastings, we have again proven that claim. Our newest event is a Bronx Brewery tasting on April 16. Click here for the full event calendar in Woodbridge.

All New!

As the calendar moves further into Spring, we hope that the weather catches up. We know that the deliveries have and, in one of the surest signs of warm weather, the new rose wines are starting to arrive. Here's a look at some of the products that have just arrived at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge.

Selve di Rovetino Rosso Piceno. 70% Sangiovese, 30% Montepulciano, Le Marche, Italy. Grapes are organically grown; fruit is hand harvested. Wine is filtered but not fined. Aged in Tonneaux of French Oak for four months. Intense ruby color. Rich nose with a sophisticated, berry-scented bouquet with hints of almond extract, mint, and earth. Fresh and fruity palate that is well-structured with soft tannins. Only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Capriccio Prosecco. It's always Prosecco season. 100% Glera, from Veneto, Italy. Produced by soft pressing of the grapes and the Charmat sparkling method - fermentation at controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks. Fine persistent bead and creamy mousse, with fruity aromas of apples and pears. Crisp and clean  on the palate with  good acidity, and a long citrusy finish. Only $10.96 in

the Bottle Club®.

Domaine La Fage Cotes du Roussillon Miraflors Rose 2015. Pale pink, slightly iodized nose, fresh, spicy and minerally. The palate is lively in the attack; fruit and spices are present in the mouth with a nice roundness on the finish. Pairs well with shellfish and salads, of course, as well as pizza and paella. 70% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache Gris. Should arrive today, at $16.99.

Gobelsburg Cistercien Rose 2015. First, the review from Brandon Bartfalvi, Senior Wine Manager at Lawrenceville: "I couldn’t wait for this to arrive because this is one of my favorite Roses this year. This Austrian Rose offers flavors of ripe cherries, red berries and strawberries with a crisp, dry finish. I’m extremely excited about this wine and can’t wait

for you to try it (I bet you will be back for more)."

The winery gets a little more technical: For the Cistercien Rosé, the Zweigelt and St. Laurent grape varieties grown in the cooler sites of Gobelburg and Langenlois are used. After the harvest, the grapes – still with their stems – are softly pressed and then fermented. This type of rosé is somewhat similar to a white wine because no acid reduction is used to emphasize the fine fruity character with a streamlined elegance. Its fragrance and fruit nuances of wild cherry and fresh berries make this Rosé an optimal universal food companion. Only $12.99 in the Bottle Club®.

The Quiet Man 8 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Sweet and crisp floral fragrances with notes of vanilla and oak. On the nose, a hint of honey, warm vanilla and spicy oak, with

an exceptionally smooth finish.

The backstory: the owner's father was a bartender in and around Belfast. "Sometimes he would bring me in to work with him and so I grew up loving the sounds and smells of the bar, the craic, the laughter and the smell of the beer and whiskey. Especially the whiskey."

"Now that I am making my own whiskey, I am naming it after my father. As a bartender he saw a lot of things and heard a lot of stories, but like all good bartenders, he was true to his code and told no tales. My father, John Mulgrew, 'The Quiet Man', or as they say in Ireland 'An Fear Ciuin.'" Available for $39.99.

Otter Creek Citra Mantra IPL. Our spring seasonal offering brewed with 100 percent positive vibrations and single-hopped with Citra hops. The presence of the Citra hop is elevated by a clean fermenting lager yeast that allows the subtle Pilsner, Munich and Vienna malts to lay a crisp, bready foundation. The citrus and tropical fruit character of the Citra hop comes from kettle additions followed by a huge dose of ‘em again in the fermenter. 5.75% ABV, 55 IBU's.

March 22 Craft Beer Corner

Every Tuesday, we explore the Craft Beer Corner. In conjunction with our Bottle Club® email, we want to alert you to some of the freshest craft beers in town. What's listed below is currently in stock in both Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. However, we've included seasonal and allocated items here, and availability is limited for those selections. Please check with the store staff before making a special trip for any seasonal or allocated item.

Avery Perzik Saison. This is a newly-arrived summer seasonal. It's a classic saison—dry, crisp, fruity, spicy and refreshing—with a dose of summer—peaches! 6.4% ABV. Pair with a Peach & Burrata Salad: Perzik's sweetness cuts the acidic dressing and saba, and the burrata is light enough to not overtake the beer's delicate flavor profile. Available in 6-pack cans.

Manayunk PBJ Crunch. A chocolate peanut butter porter. Chocolate and peanut butter come together in perfect harmony to create Crunch, our luxurious and decadent spin on our traditional porter. With bold chocolate and coffee notes, Crunch is rich and smooth with an insane malt profile and delightful roasty peanut aroma. PBJ Crunch tastes scrumptiously similar to your middle school lunch. Notes of strawberry jelly surround our porter's rich chocolate and peanut butter base. 6.0% ABV, 30 IBU's. Available in 4-pack cans.

Two Roads Conntucky Lightnin'. The Connecticut Yankees at Two Roads have CONNjured up this moonshine inspired bourbon-like ale.

Using good ol’ USA corn grits and aged in real bourbon barrels from a famous Kentucky distillery, this unique CONNcoction includes notes of whiskey, oak and vanilla. 8.5% ABV. Seasonal, available in 750ML bottles.

Dogfish Head Squall IPA. Squall IPA is a continually hopped, unfiltered Double IPA that’s brewed with three types of malt as well as dry-hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo and Palisade hops. Clocking in at 9% ABV, this citrus-forward IPA has a hoppy aroma with floral notes of pine and grapefruit.

Bottle conditioned, Squall uses a traditional process to naturally carbonate. Additional yeast and sugar are both added just prior to the beer going in the

bottle, causing a second fermentation to occur, in turn, creating the CO2 for carbonation. This makes for a finer champagne-like experience, lending to a smoother mouthfeel and denser foam.

Between the continual hopping, dry hopping and bottle conditioning, Squall has a bright hoppiness that is adored by many! 75 IBU's. Limited availability, in 750ML bottles.

Avery The Majaraja. Maharaja is derived from the sanskrit words mahat, meaning "great", and rajan, meaning 'king'. Much like its namesake, this imperial IPA is regal, intense and mighty. With hops and malts as his servants, he rules both with a heavy hand. The Maharaja flaunts his authority over a deranged amount of hops: tangy, vibrant and pungent along with an insane amount of malted barley - fashioning a dark amber hue and exquisite malt essence. Welcome to his kingdom! 10.5% ABV, 22oz bottles. Extremely limited item. Consult our beer team for availability.





Here's a quick look at the arrivals in Lawrenceville, waiting at the loading dock.

Cheers!

Part 2, What to Drink for Easter

Let Joe Canal's help you make your Easter preparations a little less stressful (Easter is this Sunday, after all). Our wine team has offered some additional recommendations for you, so you can worry about other details instead. If you missed it, click here for our earlier suggestions.

Rack of Lamb is one popular choice for Easter dinner. Any of the following wines will pair perfectly with lamb.

Acre 21 Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium-bodied and round on the palate, with ripe currant and black cherry flavors framed with toasty oak and silky tannins. Aged for 8 months in French and American oak. This a great companion for other red meats, sharp cheeses and even dark chocolate. This smooth and fruity Cabernet Sauvignon is accessible to both the daily wine connoisseur or the occasional wine drinker. Only $9.97 in the Bottle Club®.

Infinity Cabernet Sauvignon. A favorite of Kevin Saunders, Wine Manager in Lawrenceville. His tasting notes: "Aromas of black cherry, chocolate, plum and

leather pop from the glass. Soft flavors of blueberry, espresso and black currant roll across the palate. A nice Cab with rounded tannins and sweet oak on the finish." Only $17.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Twelve Barrel Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon. Made in a fruit forward style with structure and balance, Twelve Barrel Ranch Cabernet is a crowd pleasing red wine that is perfect to pair with a host of meals from beef, to game, to grilled vegetables. Ruby red in color with an inviting bouquet of black cherry, plum and cedar box notes. Medium-bodied with a smooth palate boasting ripe dark fruits with hints of vanilla, balanced with firm tannins and a long finish. Only $9.97 in the Bottle Club®.

We understand that it's likely more of you will be enjoying ham than any other dinner

choice this Sunday. And we happen to have several recommendations that will be natural pairings with any style of ham.

Lazy Creek Pinot Noir. One of your blogger's favorites as well. "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. $24.96 in the Bottle Club®.

District 7 Chardonnay. Each vintage, we strive to craft a Chardonnay that strikes a perfect balance between rich and refreshing. Through the judicious use of oak, we seek to complement the gorgeous tropical fruit flavors that are the hallmark of District 7. Our 2012 vintage has aromas of tropical fruit and butterscotch that lead into a lively blend of pear, pineapple and citrus flavors. It is a versatile wine, pairing particularly well with grilled seafood, roast chicken, or your favorite salad. Kevin Saunders adds, "I love this wine and its beautiful aromas of mango, melon and pineapple. These transfer to the palate, along with pear, citrus and hints of butterscotch." Only $10.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Our store team members will be happy to help you find these wines, the ones we recommended in that earlier post, or anything else you'd like.

Weekend Grab Bag

Wait, what? Snow on Sunday? It's the official start of Spring, so we don't think that's right. We don't anticipate any change to our store hours due to the weather, but any changes are posted to our Twitter accounts.

Meanwhile, we've given you tons of reasons to stop in at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville or Woodbridge on Friday and Saturday. Click here for a listing of events in both stores for this weekend.

Please note that both of our stores will be open from 9am-4pm on Easter Sunday, March 27. We've posted the first part of our staff wine recommendations for Easter. Click here for that post.

New Products

Eaglewood Cellars Rutherford Cabernet. Everyone knows about the magic of "Rutherford Dust," and this has a great price:value ratio. Full-bodied, elegant and vibrant with a fragrant bouquet of ripe dark plums, violets, cigar box and black pepper. The lush palate boasts black cherries and spice with structured tannins and a memorable finish. Aged for 18 months in new French and American oak. Pair with filet mingon, roasted lamb or duck confit. Only $29.97 in the Bottle Club®.

Goose Island Four Star Pils. This golden-hued pilsner has a light, fresh body and clean finish. Bright, refreshing carbonation mingles with German and American hops to give this pilsner a unique Goose Island spin. 5.1% ABV, 44 IBU's.

We're hosting a tasting of Goose Island Four Star Pils at our Lawrenceville store this coming Wednesday, March 23, from noon-2pm.

Svedka Cucumber Lime Vodka. This has a crisp, refreshing palate, combining zesty citrus and cool cucumber flavors. Opening with a hit of cool cucumber and

tart citrus, Svedka Cucumber Lime ends with a fresh, bright lime kick. Goes great in cocktails like the Moscow Mule, and pairs exceptionally well with Asian and Mexican cuisine. Available in 750ML and 1.75L sizes.

As always, we have many more new products than we can possible include in our blog posts. If you're looking for our newest items, just ask any store associate. If you can't find something in particular, please ask at Customer Service. We may be able to place a special order for you (please note that not every product is available through our distributors).

                                Ripped from the Headlines

Resveratrol, an organic compound found in wine, may help fight leukemia. Click here for the story in Wine Spectator.

Have a great weekend!

What To Do, What To Do

Don't just deliberate - consult these schedules so that you can get the most out of your visits to Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. Our Events Calendars continue to prove that we have the best in New Jersey. See the lists, stop in, and we're sure you'll agree with us.

Events in Lawrenceville

We start the weekend with our regular wine tasting on Friday, 4-6pm. Click here for the tasting menu. One of the wines on that list, the Twelve Barrel Ranch Pinot Noir, is one of our staff recommendations for an Easter dinner pairing, so don't miss this tasting. This tasting will be repeated on Saturday, also starting at 4pm.

On Saturday, from noon-3pm, you are cordially invited to join us for an open tasting of some outstanding Beaujolais Villages wines, featuring two of the most respected winemakers from the region. The wines of Beaujolais Villages have long been adored because of their lush, fruity flavors, broad appeal and natural pairings with everyday foods. This tasting will be led by industry expert Robert Cavanaugh. Click here for more information.

Just in case all of that wasn't enough for one day, we're also hosting a tasting of the Best Damn Cherry Cola, from 5-7pm on Saturday. Hard soda is a fast-growing category, and this is your chance to find out why.

There are about a dozen other events currently on our schedule, with more being added regularly. Click here to see the full Event Calendar for Lawrenceville.

Events in Woodbridge

Robert Cavanaugh

From 5-7pm today, and going for three consecutive days, is a New Belgium tasting at our Growler station. If you haven't tried anything other than Fat Tire yet, this is your chance.

That Beaujolais wine tasting that we talked about for Lawrenceville? Your first chance to see and taste will be on Friday, 5-8pm, at our Woodbridge store. The format and the wines will be the same. Beaujolais Villages wines are great for the summer, especially with burgers or chicken off the grill. Whether or not you're new to Beaujolais Villages wines, this is a must-see program. Click here for more information.

Saturday will be the day that you may just want to stay at our store. We start with an Irish whiskey tasting, from 1-3pm. We know there will be a lot of St. Patrick's parties on Saturday, and you just may want to bring one of these selections along. Click here for more information.

From 3-5pm on Saturday, we have a Bulleit Bourbon bottle engraving session. With Father's Day and college graduations approaching, a personalized bottle of Bulleit could be a perfect present.

Finally, starting at 6pm, we have a wine tasting. Whether you're going out to a BYO on Saturday, or shopping for an Easter wine (two of our staff recommendations are on the tasting menu), these are fantastic selections. Click here for the tasting menu.

There are well over a dozen other events already scheduled for Woodbridge. New to the calendar are tastings of Pallini Limoncello, Brown Jug Bourbon Cream Liqueur and Cinnabon Cream Liqueur, along with two different Mint Julep tastings (it's only seven weeks until the Kentucky Derby, you know). Click here to see the full Event Calendar for Woodbridge.

What To Drink For Easter

Is it just us, or does it feel like Easter is a little early this year? If you're not watching the calendar, Easter is March 27, a mere 11 days away. And anytime there's a traditional family dinner, we're happy to offer some wine recommendations that will make the meal even more enjoyable. Our staff has weighed in with a number of suggestions.

Please note that our Easter Sunday store hours will be 9am-4pm.

Twelve Barrel Ranch Pinot Noir. We've always thought that a well-made Pinot Noir was hard to beat as a holiday wine. It pairs beautifully with so many different dishes, and helps bring together the different flavors that are found on a holiday table.

This California Pinot is fresh and fruity, with a warming bouquet of red berries, cherry cola, cloves and dark chocolate. The medium-bodied palate is smooth and balanced with fine acidity and soft tannins. Pinot Noir often appeals to both red and white wine drinkers, which makes it the perfect suggestion for special occasions. Only $9.97 in the Bottle Club®.

Twelve Barrel Ranch Chardonnay. We understand that some people will only drink white wine. We offer that option, as you know. Chardonnay is the best selling white varietal, and it's a choice that pairs perfectly with any ham or pork dish you might serve.

This bright Chardonnay displays aromas of buttercups, pineapple with touches of brown sugar scents. On the palate flavors are clean and balanced, with elegant notes of pear, Meyer lemon, citrus, and just a hint of honey. Also only $9.97 in the Bottle Club®.

You can serve this delicious and balanced pair of wines for under $20!

Dolciando. Maybe a little something different is on your agenda for this year. One of the wine industry podcasts that we listen to always talks about how Americans talk dry, but

drink sweet. Dolciando is a sweeter style, lightly sparkling red wine that is loved by many. This easy drinking wine is lower in alcohol with soft bubbles and pleasing flavors of sweet-dried fruit with a faint prickle on the tongue. Enjoy chilled on it's own, or pair with spicy foods or desserts.

Perfect for any newer wine drinker, it is sweet without being cloying. Only $7.97 in the Bottle Club®.

Moonbeam Sweet Riesling. This wine shows that Columbia Valley in Washington can produce amazing Rieslings. It's refreshingly sweet, with stone fruit aromas and layers of honeyed peach, ripe tangerine and hints of jasmine. The wine's natural acidity adds balance and structure with a

refreshing finish. Best of all for this discussion: it's a versatile food wine.

The wines natural acidity and stelvin enclosure help to keep the wine fresh. Only $9.97 in the Bottle Club®.

This is a nice start to our Easter recommendations. We'll have additional staff suggestions in the coming days.

Craft Beer Corner

Because you've asked for more information about our beers, the Craft Beer Corner is now a regular blog feature. The Craft Beer Corner will appear every Tuesday, in conjunction with a section of our Bottle Club® email. While we can't showcase every new arrival, we will give you a sense of the best new items every week. Please remember that many of our craft beer products, such as seasonal brews, are available in limited quantities.

This week's title might more appropriately be "New Belgium Corner,' since that's the brand that is dominating the conversation. We did get our share of Fat Tire and other New Belgium varieties, but that's only part of the story for our weekly look at craft beer deliveries.

We start, of course, with a look at the New Belgium deliveries, in alphabetical order:

On display in Lawrenceville

Citradelic: Tune in and hop out with New Belgium Citradelic. Set adrift on a kaleidoscopic wave of hoppiness brought to you by a mystical marriage of Citra hops and tangerine peel, which elevates each sip onto a plane of pure tropical, fruity pleasure. Citradelic’s namesake hop and fruit combine to jam with visions of additional hops like citrusy Mandarina Bavaria, tropical Azzaca, and fruity Galaxy for a colorful explosion that’s grounded by just a touch of malty sweetness. Bored by the status quo? Expand your palate with a pour of Citradelic. 

Fat Tire: The one New Jersey has been waiting for. Named in honor of the co-founder's bike trip through Europe, FAT TIRE AMBER ALE marks a turning point in the young electrical engineer's home brewing. Belgian beers use a far broader palette

On display in Woodbridge

of ingredients (fruits, spices, esoteric yeast strains) than German or English styles. Together with co-founder Kim Jordan, they traveled around sampling their homebrews to the public. Fat Tire won fans with its sense of balance: toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness. Fat Tire: Pairs well with people.

Rampant Imperial IPA: Burly and bitter, RAMPANT IMPERIAL IPA , pours a pure copper and carries the sheen of a rightly hopped beer. The Mosaic and Calypso hops bring stonefruit to the front seat, and the addition of Centennials nod towards citrus for a well-rounded aroma. The taste expands these hops with heavy peach tones and a profoundly bitter bite. There is some malt sweetness to stand up this IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE , and RAMPANT IPA'S finish is bone-dry.

Ranger IPA: Bring out the hops with RANGER IPA! This clear amber INDIA PALE ALE beauty bursts at the starting gate with an abundance of hops: Cascade (citrus), Chinook (floral/citrus), and Simcoe (fruity) lead off the beer, with Cascade added again for an intense dry hop flavor. Brewed with pale and dark caramel malts that harmonize the hop flavor from start to finish, Ranger is a sessionable splendor for all you hopinistas.

All of the New Belgium selections are available at both stores, while supplies last.

River Horse Roly Poly Pils. We gotta have some love for local craft brewers, too. A complex balance of malts round out Czech Saaz and German Hallertau hops, followed by a clean and crisp finish. A classic Czech-style Pilsner, our Roly Poly Pils is a super drinkable and tasty year round beer! 5.3% ABV.

Abita Big Easy IPA. The hop flavor’s big, but like life in New Orleans, we’re taking it easy. This Session IPA is brewed with lemon peels and dry hopped with Cascade, Amarillo, Centennial and Simcoe for a hoppy aroma of citrus, fruit and pine. Easy to drink and just right for long hot days, steamy nights, parades or a day on the river with friends. 4.5% ABV, 40 IBU's. 

Oskar Blues. The. Gubna. Each year GUBNA is reinvented with a new hop bill. Concurrent hop selection panels at both the Colorado and North Carolina breweries picked some of the season’s highest quality and most exciting hops to load up this formidable and complex Imperial IPA. Brewed with whole-leaf Galena hops, our brewers then add Columbus and Sorachi Ace to GUBNA 5.0, which spikes the beer with spicy, blackcurrant notes and subtle citrus overtones. GUBNA is dry-hopped with prodigious amounts of El Dorado, Comet, and Chinook hops, creating a dank, dense, pineapple & lemon zest nose and unique blend of grapefruit, apricot, and herbs, while finishing clean and bitter. The GUB sits on a base of Rye, North American Pale, and Munich malts, which offers a smooth and flavorful backbone to support the gargantuan load of hops. 10.0% ABV, 100 IBU's.