Odds & Ends

We don't seem to have enough material for a blog post devoted to a single topic, so we'll touch on a number of different things today.

Instagram. Our Lawrenceville store is on Instagram as joe_canalslv, and Woodbridge is joe_canalswb. We're still getting the hang of it, but we just posted a few pictures from the Founders Small Plates & Sampling event at Woodbridge.

Timely Reminder. Passover starts on April 22. For the best selection of Kosher for Passover wines, we suggest you start shopping soon. We'll have a post on the topic soon. Vodka made from potatoes is also an acceptable Passover treat, even without any Kosher markings.

Our potato vodka brands include (alphabetically) Blue Ice, Chopin, LIV and Luksusowa.

KBS and other limited craft beer. We anticipate deliveries this week, maybe as soon as today. The most up-to-date information will come from our beer team. To sign up for alerts, send your complete contact information as follows:
-for Lawrenceville, to skubowitz@joecanalslv.com
-for Woodbridge, to srindosh@joecanalswb.com

Rose season. Seriously, the warmer weather is going to get here, and you'll want to enjoy some rose. The latest of the 2015 vintage to arrive is the Domaine des Grandes Perrieres Sancerre Rose. We sold out of this last year, so don't miss out. Only $14.96 in the Bottle Club®. Check the New Products filter at the left for additional, noteworthy rose's. Otherwise, our store team can help you find the 2015's.

How to Pick a Wine Store. The New York Times recently ran an article on this important topic. Some important points within the article:

-"Are bottles displayed standing up or lying down? It doesn’t really matter."
-"Big stores have to work harder to offer personal attention." (Our recent survey said that we are meeting this goal, but we always look to improve our service)
-"More important than the physical characteristics are a store’s atmosphere and point of view." (Our goal is to offer a welcoming experience, where we can accommodate the novice, the collector, and everyone in between)
-"Some stores track what their shoppers buy, which is great service." (If you're in our Bottle Club®, that's standard.)
-"Good shops understand that the best values are around $15 to $25, so they ought to have a lot of good selections in that range." (We disagree, to an extent. There are so many wines rated 90 points or higher at below $10 that you can enjoy an outstanding wine every night of the week)
-"The best merchants can teach you about wine, but they understand that a little information is often enough." (We think our staff delivers exactly what's needed here-a little or a lot)

Of course, you could just shop at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville or Woodbridge, and be secure in knowing that we meet or exceed every point made in that article.