It's Ladies Night!

On occasion, Joe Canal's in Woodbridge will hold an after-hours event that provides a focus that we just cannot offer during the course of a normal business day. Given that we normally close at 7:00pm on Sunday, that's the one night of the week that an after-hours event is possible.

Save the date: Sunday, April 27. It's the Ladies Night Wine & Art Show in Woodbridge, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. There is a modest registration fee ($15 in advance, $20 at the door) to participate. All proceeds for registration fees go to Angel PAWS, a 501(c)(3), non-profit, all volunteer organization dedicated to relieving the suffering of and finding permanent homes for stray, abandoned and homeless animals. They are based in Colonia, NJ.

The evening will include a sampling of about 20 wines, light hors d'oeuvres, after-hours shopping, the art exhibit and sale, and more. There will also be cocktails available for purchase.  A portion of those proceeds will also go to charity. And the Ladies Night Wine & Art Show soundtrack will be supplied by WDHA radio!

This event will fill up quickly. To register, or get more information, please contact Debbie Miller Nelson at 732-726-0077 x310, or dnelson@joecanals.net.

A Dave Matthews Thanksgiving

No, it's not his latest CD. But if you like Dave Matthews, you can bring his wines, The Dreaming Tree, home for your Thanksgiving Feast! 

On Tuesday, November 19^th, Sean McKenzie paid us a visit at our Woodbridge store.

L to R, Chris Sletvold, Operations Manager; Tom Broderick, Woodbridge Store Manager; Sean Mckenzie;

 Debbie Miller Nelson, Woodbridge Wine Manager

Who is Sean McKenzie?  He’s the winemaker for Dreaming Tree wines and partner with Dave Matthews.  There are technically, three of them, Matthews, McKenzie and Steve Reeder, and together they call themselves Co-Conspirators. 

McKenzie, a native New Zealander, brought his wines for us to sample and educated our staff on four selections.

The Dreaming Tree Everyday White 2012 $13.99 in the Bottle Club®

This wine was a clear staff favorite.  This is the newest wine in the portfolio, showing off a blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Albariño and Viognier.   The Gewurztraminer really shines through and the wine has a mild minerality, floral notes and is very fruit forward.   The wine is light and very food friendly. 

The Dreaming Tree Chardonnay 2012 $13.10 in the Bottle Club®

McKenzie told us that they are always trying to make a wine that pleases the Matthews fan and the new millennial.  The Chardonnay has just a kiss of oak with tropical fruit flavors.  This is a delicious Chardonnay, sure to please the discerning palate.

The Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 $13.99 in the Bottle Club®

This is a perfect wine for the Merlot drinker looking to take a step up.  This Cabernet is not very heavy in texture, but the flavors are bursting with plum, dark fruit and licorice.  This is definitely more delicate than, say, the quintessential Napa Cabernet, but the flavors are spot on.

The Dreaming Tree Crush 2011 $13.99 in the Bottle Club®

This is the most well-known of the 4 wines and clearly a Joe Canal’s hot seller today.  The blend is predominantly Merlot, with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah and a small percentage of other grapes.  Red blends are all the rage today and this one is a leader in the category with ripe blackberry, ripe raspberry and a touch of smokiness on the finish.

Ready to taste

Stop in Joe Canal’s Woodbridge or Lawrenceville locations to take Dave Matthews home with you today.  His wines that is!

Brad and Angie's Wine

Today Debbie Miller Nelson, Wine Manager of our Woodbridge Location, tells us about a new rose from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie!

I wanted to hate this wine. After all the owners of Miraval Estate, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, aka Brangelina, seem to have everything. Except, the Miraval Rose 2012 is a lovely rose from Provence, France made with a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Vermentino and I simply adore it.

It has a beautiful salmon color with fresh floral aromas and white peaches. It is dry, light, and tangy with faint cranberry and pomegranate flavors. The wine is well made with a soft finish and I simply can't get enough of this wine in the adorable, Cognac style bottle. It's only $20.99 in the bottle club and it’s sure to grace your table this summer for all your backyard get-togethers. It's sold out most everywhere else, so hurry up and get this wine before we sell out!

Grand Tasting in Atlantic City

Each year, our staff gets to go to one of several trade tastings and this year I attended the Fedway tasting at the Taj Majal in Atlantic City, NJ with several of my colleagues.  This is one of the largest tastings of the year where wine and liquors are sampled and it takes place in the largest event space available, the Mark G. Etess Arena.

While sampling high end wines like Armand Brignac Ace of Spades Champagne or 1964 Faustino Grand Reserve Rioja you never know who you might see.  From old colleagues, vendors and even a celebrity or two, there is a lot of excitement in the room.

My colleagues were fortunate enough to hang out with Teresa Giudice from the Real Housewives of NJ who was at the tasting showing us her new sparkling wines.  Some other colleagues were fortunate to meet athlete John Starks from the NY Knicks.

These tastings are a great opportunity for the Joe Canal’s Staff to keep up with wine vintage changes, help them to make excellent recommendations, and enable them to sample new products that we think our customers would love.  Stay tuned for some new products sure to hit our shelves soon!

Joe Canal's Top 5 Thanksgiving Wines

Still searching for the perfect wines for your Thanksgiving table? Woodbridge Wine Manager Debbie Miller Nelson has compiled this list for your last-minute shopping trips. These wines will compliment your turkey and trimmings perfectly and leave your guests smiling! Both our Lawrenceville and Woodbridge locations are open from 9:00am to 4:00pm on Thanksgiving Day!

Georges Dubeouf Beaujolais Nouveau
It's Here! Released every third Thursday in November, this wine marks the very first wine to be released in 2012. Yields were exceptionally low this year, but this wine is softer and fruitier than recent vintages with notes of cherry and strawberry. It's only here for a limited time!!! Get it while you can!! A perfect wine for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays to come!
Bottle Club Price: $7.33

Joel Gott Zinfandel
This Zin has always been one of my favorites and each new vintage does not disappoint. The 2010 has subtle aromas of black cherry and licorice. It is full and juicy with ripe boysenberry, black cherry and mocha. This has a superb, long and luscious finish. Perfect for the turkey dinner and all the trimmings.
Regular Price: $13.99

Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a high style Pinot Noir that is shaped, more than anything else, by the fruit sources that lay the foundation of the blend. A pure bred enjoyment wine, built to accommodate any pairing from food to friends. Unifying California’s most noteworthy coastal areas opens the door for a dynamic and opulent wine that is ready to enjoy whenever you are.
Bottle Club Price: $19.99

Francis Coppola Director's Cut Chardonnay
Buttery aromas with white peach and floral notes lead to a medium-weight buttery flavor with nice citrusy and hazelnut flavors. Superb with lobster, crap shrimp and clams. Try this with your next clam bake or family gathering.
Bottle Club Price: $11.98

Cht Petit Guiraud Sauternes (for dessert)
This has honeyed and dried fruit aromas and great flavors of dried apricot, honey, cinnamon, tangerine and orange blossom on the finish. What a great find to enjoy Sauternes at an affordable price!
Regular Price: $14.99

Barbara Frank Visits Joe Canal's Woodbridge

Barbara Frank, the granddaughter of Dr. Constantine Frank, of Dr. Frank wines in the Finger Lakes, NY, visited Joe Canal’s on Friday, September 28th to talk with customers and let them taste through the Dr. Frank wines. Woodbridge Wine Manager Debbie Miller Nelson met Barbara Frank at a trade show last Spring where they talked about Debbie’s July trip to the winery. Barbara offered right then and there to set up a date for the fall in our store. (Read Debbie’s blog here about her trip to the Finger Lakes: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4)

Three generations of Franks have all brought a new line to their portfolio. The flagship Dr. Frank was the original followed by the sparkling wines and then the Salmon Run wines. Barbara was super knowledgeable and friendly and we were lucky to have her stop in to share her experiences with us. Stop in and pick up one of the Dr. Frank wines today!

A Toast for any Occasion

Wine Manager Debbie Miller Nelson is always getting questions on her recommendations for gift wines for various special events. She put together this blog for you to help guide you along your way! If you don't see anything here that suits your fancy, see Debbie, Brandon or one of our other knowledgeable managers to help you out with some more suggestions!

Women are doing some cool things with wine. Many of you may have never attended a bridal shower before, since this is largely a female-oriented party for new brides, but I want to share with you a popular gift given to the bride at her bridal shower, the wine poem.

A typical bridal shower poem can be Googled and there are several to choose from that highlight different milestones in a couple’s journey from first kiss to first house, first baby, etc. I wanted to blog about this, because it’s VERY popular and I’m often asked by various female customers to help them select the wines to go with the poem. I’m not a poet, so here is a sample excerpt I found on amazingbridalshowers.com:

Wedding Night
The night you have dreamed of is finally here
The future surrounds you with hope and yet fear
You’ve wanted so long to find your perfect mate
Sip this wine and toast this perfect date
The night is meant for you to share
Enjoy each other – a perfect pair!!

First Fight
When fights occur and tempers get hot
Pour a glass and be thankful for what you’ve got
If you always agreed it would certainly be a bore
And by asking for Krissy’s hand Bernie is surely
in for more!

First Anniversary
Been married a year, where did the time go?
No longer newlyweds, now you are pros
Hope the days found you in good health and good spirit
Keep saying I love you –
one always needs to hear it!
Now toast this first date, it’s certainly not the last
And as you build your future don’t ever forget the past!

You get the idea? Below are some wines I put together to help you with your next poem and to give you new ideas to help write your own, unique and personal poem.

First Kiss: Butterfly Kiss Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Pink Pinot Grigio (California)
Engagement: Little Black Dress Wines (California)
Wedding Day: Monogamy Cabernet Sauvignon (California)
First Fight: Fisticuffs Cabernet Sauvignon (California)
First Winter Holiday: Four Sisters Holiday Seasoned (NJ)
First Anniversary: Chocolate Box Dark Chocolate Shiraz (Australia)
First House: House Red and House White (Washington)
First Summer Vacation: The Beach House Red and White (South Africa) or The Shore Wines (California)
First “Honey-do” List: Tait “The Ballbuster” Red (Australia)
First Baby: Mommy’s Time Out and Dad’s Day Off (Italy)

Let the Joe Canal’s Wine Staff help you pick out some of these selections when planning your next Bridal Shower or other unique selections for the big day!

Winemaker Bruce Taylor Visits Joe Canal's Woodbridge

We had a very special visitor stop by our Woodbridge store yesterday! New Zealand Winemaker Bruce Taylor found time in his busy schedule to come and see us and speak with us about the award-winning Sauv Blanc from TOHU! Check out the video shelf talker with Wine Manager Debbie Miller Nelson, below!

Debbie's Guide to the Finger Lakes - Part 4

We awoke to bacon and eggs for breakfast with all the trimmings. We had one appointment for the day. This was an actual appointment that one of my distributors arranged for us for a VIP tasting at the one and only Dr. Frank’s on Keuka Lake. Keuka Lake is about an hour from Seneca and we got an early start heading west to the west side of Keuka Lake.


We were met by Susan Eisenhart who is one of Dr. Frank’s extremely knowledgeable sales ambassadors and she guided us through an amazing 22 wines.

Dr. Konstantin Frank founded the winery in 1962, making this year, 2012, their 50th anniversary celebration. Dr. Frank’s flagship wines are the gold labeled wine portfolio with everything from Riesling and Cabernet Franc to Rkatsiteli, Muscat and Gruner Veltliner. Dr. Frank is considered to be the Robert Mondavi of the East Coast. He is the one who jump-started the NY wine regions into the gold medal standard it is today.

Konstantin’s son Willy, continued the family tradition by adding Chateau Frank to the portfolio, a line of sparkling wines that could rival any Champagne house. Willy’s son Fred is the current President and his legacy is the Salmon Run label using grapes sourced locally.

Joe Canal’s is a proud carrier of these wines. Of the Salmon Run wines we carry the Riesling (one of my favorites), Chardonnay and the Coho Red. Of the Dr. Frank flagship wines we carry the Gewurztraminer, Dry Riesling, Semi-Dry Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. All are definitely worth a try to get a real flavor for NY wines. I’d be happy to make a recommendation for you or just put them all in your cart!

After leaving Dr. Frank with a case of delicious wines, we headed into the town of Hammondsport, voted one of the coolest small towns in America by Budget Travel Magazine, and enjoyed lunch in the town square in what looks to be their only restaurant. And yes, it was pretty cool.

Later that night, we ate dinner at the Wildflower Café, the restaurant attached to Rooster Fish Brewing. We enjoyed local scallops, organic burgers and of course, the local brew on tap.

Debbie's Guide to the Finger Lakes - Part 3

I had 3 destinations on the way back to Watkins Glen. First up was Red Tail Ridge, a winery we carry at Joe Canal’s. It doesn’t look like much from the outside.


But, the inside is modern and clean.


Notice the guy in front with the red shirt? He has two leashes for his Greyhounds. We saw them everywhere from dinner, to the streets to the wineries. We finally had to ask. The Finger Lakes hosts a weekend for people to bring their Greyhounds to promote Greyhound adoption. Wineries such as Red Tail Ridge allow the dogs inside, provide them dog treats and their own rest stop outside. Oh and the wines? Superb. We carry their Semi-Dry Riesling 2009 which is light with just a touch of sweetness, but their red winner was their Blaufränkisch.

Check out the view of their vineyards along their driveway.


My next two destination spots were Heron Hill and Hermann J Weimer. Weimer had some of the best domestic Rieslings I have ever tasted. It’s important to note that not all of these wines are available in NJ and most will not ship direct to consumer for you, so if you have the opportunity to buy them while you’re visiting, make sure you do!

That night was our anniversary so we headed to a restaurant called Suzanne’s. This is a Victorian home converted into a restaurant and the cuisine is local, fresh and delicious. Out back is the huge vegetable and herb garden and we dined on the wrap-around porch feasting on crab, onion soup, duck breast, duck sausage, pork tenderloin, cheese and dessert with local wine. As the dinner ended, we watched the sun set over the lake making this one of the most enjoyable days we’ve had in several weeks.

We topped the night off with a 2001 Brunello Reserve on the porch of the Inn from my personal collection.

Debbie's Guide to the Finger Lakes - Part 2

Mike made us the most amazing breakfast. We feasted on pancakes with fresh picked blueberries, organic syrup, sausages, fresh fruit and muffins with orange juice, coffee and tea. We found an amazing, accurate map at the Village Marina and after breakfast we headed out to the west side of the lake.

What you should first know about these wineries is that they charge for a tasting. Some are as little as $2 per person and up to $6 depending on the vineyard. Some will credit you back if you buy any of their wine. And, if you go to taste and not consume, some pourers will allow you more than the 5-6 wines you get for your tasting price. When I say taste, I mean, utilizing the spit bucket. Yes, you sip, swish and then spit. By doing this, you don’t get drunk especially when you’re driving, you can taste more and some people will pour you a few more sampless of other wines in their portfolio.

Our first stop was Lakewood Vineyards, where we were the first people in the door. In fact, we were early and we were waved in before opening time. This was probably one of the most educated group of people we met of the day. Our pourer knew everything about his wines and was able to guide us through 15 wines or so. Remember the spitting part? We should have only had 10 wines between the two of us. It was here that I was introduced to a grape called Lemberger. I had never had it before and it was just my style – big, dry and earthy.

One of the other things you should know about the Finger Lakes is that it is a popular venue for Bachelorette parties. So, if you want to avoid these groups meeting you at every other winery, you may consider tasting during the week instead of the weekend.

After leaving Lakewood, we stopped at Rock Stream Vineyards, Glenora, Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars, Villa Bellangelo, Ashley Lynn, Miles and Anthony Roads. Our goal was to head up to Belhurst Castle for lunch so once our bellies started growling, we passed a few others in search of food. Tasting really can make you hungry, so it is very important to eat before you go and don’t skip meals. If crackers are offered while you are tasting, take them!

Belhurst Castle is beautiful former private residence in Geneva at the north side of Seneca Lake. Of course, it is the destination spot for weddings, so we did get to watch a newly married couple take photos outside while we dined at one of their restaurants called Stonecutters. After lunch, we walked around the beautiful property before heading south to visit the wineries on the other side of the road.

Debbie's Guide to the Finger Lakes - Part 1

So far this year I have not been on any of the company wine tasting trips, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and book a 3 night vacation in Watkins Glen, NY touring Seneca Lake. This was a perfect way for my husband and I to spend our 11 year wedding anniversary. On Friday, July 27th we took the 4 hour drive to Watkins Glen where we booked “The Merlot Room” at the 1892 Seneca Inn Bed & Breakfast. The Inn was a clean, rustic, old Victorian home operated by Susan and Mike Gilbert. We especially enjoyed the large, wrap-around porch where we spent each evening listening to music, drinking wine and watching life pass by.

It’s important to me to find a place that is centrally located to everything. This Inn was 4 blocks from the Lake and walking distance to all nearby restaurants, breweries, beaches, water sports and shops. It’s also a great location to start wine tasting at!

The house was built in 1892 and was a private home for the next 65 years. The house changed hands over the next 40 years converted into a nursing home, state clinic and family home until being purchased by the original owner’s descendants as Hannah's 1892 House, but it was sold again and restored to be the Inn it is now.

After we settled in, we decided to walk around town and see where the wind blew us. We walked a few blocks to the base of the lake taking in the beautiful sights of the water and the sail boats. After walking the pier, we headed out to the jetty. From there I was able to get a good look at the shore line and I found what I was looking for - a bar right on the water. The Village Marina was just what the doctor ordered. We ordered some beers (yes, I drink beer, too!) and headed out to some chairs to watch the water and relax. We then headed over to the local VFW to talk to the locals and enjoyed some more beers to get a lay of the land and see which restaurants were recommended. For dinner we found a restaurant called the Seneca Harbor Grill where we sat outside dining on seafood chowder, lobster and shrimp dip, a lobster tail with grilled shrimp and a lobster pasta. The night was complete with a blues band who serenaded us during dinner and it was a great time!

We made it an early evening and went back to the house to sip some wine I brought from a home a Colin-Morey Les Chenevottes Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 2010, listen to music on the porch and prepare for our wine tasting journey the next day.

Winemaker Jeffrey Stambor Visits Joe Canal's Iselin

I love my job! I know I just said that a few days ago! On the heels of a visit from winemaker David Moreau, Jeffrey Stambor, winemaker for Beaulieu (pronounced Bull-U) stopped in today. This was by appointment, and boy were we excited to meet him.


Jeffrey walked our staff through a tasting of the 2009 BV Napa Cabernet (in stock for $18.99), 2009 BV Rutherford Cabernet (coming soon - the 2008 is in stock for $25.99), 2008 BV Tapestry Reserve red blend (in stock for $38.98 in the Bottle Club), 2009 BV George de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet and a new product not yet in the market. Jeffrey was nice enough to lead our staff through this tasting two separate times so we didn't leave our customers in the store stranded with no help while we were all enjoying his delicious wines.


After the tasting, Jeffrey signed 12 bottles of BV Tapestry. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot and made mostly with French oak. I enjoyed the character of this wine with notes of dark fruit, clove, licorice and leather. It has warm, earthy aromas and this blend is drinking fantastic right now. Wouldn't this make a great gift for mom or dad for Mother's Day or Father's Day? Hurry! He only signed 12 bottles and they are only available in the Iselin store! They are on sale in the Bottle Club for only $39.98.


And, of course, we couldn't let Jeffrey leave without getting him to make one of our new video shelf talkers. I asked Jeffrey about both the Napa & Rutherford Cabernet's. Click below to watch us!

David Moreau Visits Joe Canal's Woodbridge

I love my job. I know I say that a lot, but today, after a day off, I come into a regular day at the store and in walks Winemaker David Moreau, unannounced, to just say hi and let us taste some of his 2010 wines. It happened to be a day when we were all fortunate enough to be here. The General Manager, the Woodbridge Store Manager, both Woodbridge Wine Managers, Internet Manager, Website Manager, Wine Sales Associate and the Senior Wine Manager from the Lawrenceville store all happened to be here. What luck!



David Moreau is the Winemaker of Domaine de la Buissere in Burgundy’s Santenay region. He took over the winemaking duties from his father and the 2010 vintage marks his 2nd vintage. And what a stellar vintage it is! We tasted through 5 of his 2010s and each one was better than the last.



While the 2010s have not yet been released, the 2009 David Moreau Santenay Vieille Vignes is still available for $29.99 at both the Iselin and Lawrenceville stores. The Vieille Vignes is a single vineyard wine made with small berries that do not have seeds. The wine, therefore, becomes really concentrated and spicy. Grab a 2009 before they disappear and get geared up for the 2010 Burgundys!



David has a flight back to France tonight, and on his way out said, "See you in Santenay!" Is my boss reading this?

Drink Wine and Support the Military

I'm already really passionate about wine, but I'm also really passionate about our military. For those of you who may not know, I am the proud of wife of a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corp. He is recently retired after 21 years, but our military life has been less than quiet. Right after we married, 9/11 followed and my husband was called to duty three times totaling about 3 years in all. One of those calls was a trip to Iraq and while he came home safe, not all families can say that their family member returned home or returned home in the health they left with. So, I'm really proud to support two new wines that we just brought in to our Woodbridge store.

Let me introduce U.S. Warrior Defender Red and White from California. Here is why it is extra special.

"U.S. Warrior Wines was built on a promise. While serving in Bagram, Afghanistan, Explorer Wines President, Jeff Cantor, visited with several wounded warriors at Craig Hospital. It was during these interactions that he decided he would take action on providing support and resources to our Military Warriors and their families. U.S. Warrior Wines was born. This brand offers a way to enjoy great wines while also giving back to those who protect and serve.

A portion of the sales of U.S. Warrior Wines will go to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Since 1980, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation has pledged support and assistance to the families of some 67,000 Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine special operations personnel

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation is a top-rated 501 c (3) nonprofit organization that offers three primary programs:

1. Full college educations to the sons and daughters of fallen special operations personnel,
2. Educational and family counseling to ensure the success of special operations families, and
3. Immediate financial assistance to the families of severely wounded special operations personnel so their family can be bedside during their loved one’s recovery"

We tasted both the red and white amongst our staff. They are light, easy and should be great crowd pleasers. The red is 100% Petite Sirah and is fruity enough to be enjoyed all summer long. It’s the perfect hamburger wine. The white is a blend of Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc and will be ideal with fish or salads. So, for only $9.99/bottle in our Bottle Club, you can buy a bottle, raise a glass and support the families of our American heroes.

Debbie Miller Nelson's DRC Tasting Experience

I'm always telling everyone how much I love my job, And, it really is true. A rare opportunity was presented to me last week and I would have been a fool to say no. Some of my best customers are now oozing with jealousy. The opportunity was so prestigious that the hosts only allowed us one seat for our two stores.


I attended the 2009 Domaine Romanee-Conti tasting in New York City at the New York Palace Hotel. This Burgundy producer is commonly referred to as DRC. For those of you not familiar with these wines, they are some of the rarest, most collected, most sought after wines in the world. They are also probably some of the most expensive. Why? Small vineyards, not many bottles produced and exceptional wines. These wines are really hard to obtain and highly allocated.

When I was in France last summer, we passed the DRC winery a few times and even stopped to take a picture in front of one of their vineyard sites. Remember this picture? That trip made me appreciate this tasting so much more.



At the tasting I met the current DRC Co-Director, Aubert de Villaine. Aubert led a group of 90 people in the industry including retailers, Sommeliers and press like Ray Isle from Food & Wine Magazine. This was a seated tasting with 8 red and 1 white pre-poured. After Aubert said some words, he left the group to taste on our own. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Seriously, if each glass was one bottle, I probably had about $30,000 worth of wine in front of me. Me excited? You betcha!

From left to right, the line-up was the Vosne-Romanee, Corton, Echezeaux, Grand Echezeaux, Romanee-St.-Vivant, Richebourg, La Tache, Romanee-Conti and Montrachet. In layman's terms, these names are villages classified as Grand Cru or Premier Grand Cru, the highest government classsification for the best of the best. DRC has 25 hectares around the village of Vosne-Romanee and La Tache and Romanee-Conti are monopoles (not owned by anyone else). Each single vineyard is very distinctive and this is the first year that Corton has been produced, Corton is a cuvee of three vineyards in the Cote de Beaune, not near the other villages which reside in the Cote de Nuits. When the vines are more mature, DRC intended to bottle the three vineyards separately,

Aubert compared the 2009 vintage to the 1959 vintage because it was plentiful, enjoyable and have the same characteristics. These wines are exactly 50 years apart and Aubert said they are both tender, feminine, and full of charm and seduction.

I started by smelling each wine to see how one was different from the other. Then I went back and re-smelled and tasted. At these tastings, spitting out the wine is common practice, even expected from people in the business. But, I have a secret. No one did! After taking all my notes, I went back and tasted more for the enjoyment and to appreciate them They were all delicious, but my favorite was the Richebourg which constantly changed aromas in my glass and the one white, Montrachet which was heaven in a glass. It was probably the best wine I think I have ever had in my entire life. But at almost $4000/bottle, it had better have been!

Preventing Breakage at Joe Canal's

If I had a nickel for every time a customer said "what a waste" or asked "do you have a straw?" when they saw a broken bottle pooling on the floor, I'd be a wealthy woman. It's a fact of life here at Joe Canal's. When you are surrounded by liquid in glass containers, broken bottles are going to happen.... a lot. It happens to some of us so often that we get nicknames from our colleagues such as Betty Breakage (ok, that's just my nickname).

Mostly we break inexpensive items like beer or wines around $10, but every once in a blue moon we break something expensive. One day I came back from a luncheon dressed in my best suit with my purse hanging on my shoulder. My purse strap grabbed hold of a $50 bottle of wine and threw it to the floor in such force that it exploded all over me and my suit. I even managed to get it in my hair. Another time I was filling the fine wine box and a bottle of Dom Perignon jumped right off the top shelf and crashed down on a $600 bottle of Leflave white Burgundy. There were a lot of tears that day. Some days like the one pictured here, our employees are just doing their job when one of these bottles of red decides to break. At least there was nothing to mop up.

Most commonly our shopping carts are the culprits. They were designed to have small children sit in the front and put their legs in the holes provided. But, when no child is there, those holes become our enemy. Customers place bottles in this area and the bottles like to slip quietly out the back smashing to the floor. This happens most near the check out registers when customers back up and the bottles back up with them. So, you'll often times see the staff putting their hands in your cart to arrange the bottles and flip up the flap in that top cart area to block the holes and protect the wine. We do it to protect the wine and keep you safe from the shattered glass.

So flip the flap when you grab a cart and help us avoid the spills. Or, we may have to invest in some really long straws!

Debbie Miller Nelson's Trip to France, Part 14

All of our managers and wine staff travel at least once a year to a wine-growing region somewhere throughout the world. Traveling is one of the many aspects of Joe Canal’s that sets us apart from other wine shops. We know that by meeting the winemakers, walking the vineyards and tasting new wine from the barrel, we can see first-hand the passion that goes into each bottle. We can then convey this commitment to quality to our customers. Rather than having you just looking at a label and a score, we believe it is our responsibility to bring you closer to how the wine was made and the people who made it. We'll be sharing their trip reports with you here on the BottleBlog.

In June 2011, Debbie Miller Nelson, Wine Manager of the Iselin store had the privilege of traveling to France and immersing herself in French food, culture, and most importantly, wine! Here is the 14th installment and conclusion of Debbie’s trip.

Saturday, June 16th

Off to Paris! This is it! Our last full day in France. We leave bright and early Sunday morning for home. It was exciting. It was exhilarating. Except it rained all day. John, our host has parents who have an apartment in France so he suggested we go to the market, get lunch and go up to the apartment.

The market was HUGE. If you have ever been to the Union Square Farmers' Market in New York City, multiply that by 30. In this market, there are cheese vendors, vegetable vendors, vendors making whole rotisserie chickens, vendors selling foie gras and pate, etc. It was enough to make your head spin. Everyone was assigned an item to purchase and we split up, purchased, met back up and headed to the apartment for our feast.


Outside the apartment on the balcony, I saw the Eiffel Tower. Ok, I can say that I saw it. Good enough!


We all ate a great meal with John’s parents, a retired surgeon and a retired scientist, took turns napping, sang to 80s music and drank until dinner. During the afternoon, one of the Sommeliers opened a bottle of Champagne and sent the cork flying over the balcony.

As we headed to dinner, it finally stopped raining and we walked to the restaurant while John pointed out some landmarks. The same Sommelier mentioned earlier knew the Sommelier at a restaurant named Il Vino that had an interesting theme to it.


Either you could pick your meal and the Sommelier would pair wines or you could pick the wines and the chef would pair the food. Or, you can just do the whole thing blind. And, we did!

It is here that I achieved victory. I bested the current best Sommelier in the US by guessing the Barbaresco that no one else could. Happy dance!

One of John’s friends joined us and she arranged to go to a private, members only club for dancing after dinner. The crazy Americans set the stage for a fun night of Moet Champagne toasts and clubbing. Only the aforementioned Sommelier, me and John with his friend went out and boy, did the others miss a good time! We left the club at 2am and arrived at our hotel near the airport around 3:30. A few hours of sleep and then off to the airport to get back to reality.

As you can see, this was a who’s who of Burgundy and it was the single most exciting trip I’ve ever been on. If you see me in the store, I’ll be happy to tell you more about my trip and pick out a great selection of wine from this adventure for you to enjoy at home. Viva la France!

Deb’s Spotlight

Since Champagne was a common demoninator among all the Burgundy producers, I wanted to highlight a wonderful Champagne from Pol Roger.

Pol Roger Extra Cuvee de Reserve NV
This is one of the best Champagnes for the buck. Try this Champagne with sushi or Thai food or even to kick back with on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Dry, zesty, tangy and citrusy, this wine is even fun to drink! Champagne is not just for special occasions anymore and this one is too tasty to wait for! Enjoy it today!

Debbie Miller Nelson's Trip to France, Part 13

All of our managers and wine staff travel at least once a year to a wine-growing region somewhere throughout the world. Traveling is one of the many aspects of Joe Canal’s that sets us apart from other wine shops. We know that by meeting the winemakers, walking the vineyards and tasting new wine from the barrel, we can see first-hand the passion that goes into each bottle. We can then convey this commitment to quality to our customers. Rather than having you just looking at a label and a score, we believe it is our responsibility to bring you closer to how the wine was made and the people who made it. We'll be sharing their trip reports with you here on the BottleBlog.

In June 2011, Debbie Miller Nelson, Wine Manager of the Iselin store had the privilege of traveling to France and immersing herself in French food, culture, and most importantly, wine! Here is the 13th installment of Debbie’s trip.

After leaving Domaine Faiveley, we drive to Chablis while I take a much needed nap for most of the 4 hour trip.

Upon arriving in the quaint hamlet of Chablis, we check into our hotel Hostellerie des Clos (that has no ac – yikes!) we head over to Christian Moreau’s winery down the street. We meet Christian himself and his son Fabian. I should mention that I did get a bottle of Grand Cru Valmur in my room that made it back home safely. Yay me!

The Moreaus own 11.5 hectares of vineyards. Christian said that Chablis is NOT Burgundy. It is the golden gate! They gave us a tour of the vines in the rain but I don’t think anyone really cared about getting a little wet. As we talked about the vines, we stood at the top of the hill overlooking the town of Chablis.


It’s interesting to note how close a forest of pine trees is to the vines as that flavor profile really stands out in their wines. I grabbed Fabian’s ear about the US misconceptions of Chablis thanks to California jug and box wine bearing the wines and how we can change that. He said, look, Chablis is a village in France making Chardonnay. That’s it. Well, ok, then!



We head back to the winery to sit at a table in the main part of the winery to taste samples.


During the tasting I notice that Christian has the most pimped out phone with the most apps I’ve ever seen. He took pictures and videos of US. Oh yeah, he’s on Facebook and he even has a device in the vineyards that calls him when the humidity or temperature is in a danger zone. How can I get a vineyard to call me? As we were tasting one wine, I wrote in my notes that this wine had more finesse. Then Christian said, this wine has more finesse.


I said, “I just wrote that down!” He high-fived me! This guy rocks. Although he claims to be officially retired, Fabian now runs the operation, but Fabian says his dad still annoys him, er, I mean, is involved in the operation.

We have dinner at the hotel and Christian and Fabian join us. Christian told us his history over cocktails He left France at an early age because he had no direction and didn’t want to work for his father in the vineyards. He lived in Canada where he met his wife. He refused many times to go back, but finally did to run the operation. He was a bit of a wild child and still quite sassy today.

Dinner consisted of Magnums -6 of them all compliments of the Moreaus.


After dinner, Christian invited us back to his house, walking distance to hang out in his personal wine cellar. How could we refuse?


He cracked open vintage Chablis for us and we all sat together enjoying his wine.



Remember when I said the French love California wine? Opus One here, too!


When he kicked us out around 2am, he gave us the leftover wine and we all went singing and dancing down the street back to the hotel. We drank the leftovers of the vintage and the magnums until the wee hours of the morning. Life is good!

Tomorrow we head to Paris for our last day!

Deb’s Spotlight
Christian Moreau Chablis 2009
This Chardonnay from Moreau is classic to the core - clean, crisp, great minerality and some zesty acidity with loads of citrus aromas and flavors. Drink straight on a hot day or while cracking crabs.

Also Available:
Christian Moreau Vaudesir Grand Cru Chablis 2008 $66.99
Christian Moreau Les Clos Grand Cru Chablis 2009 $67.49

Debbie Miller Nelson's Trip to France, Part 12

All of our managers and wine staff travel at least once a year to a wine-growing region somewhere throughout the world. Traveling is one of the many aspects of Joe Canal’s that sets us apart from other wine shops. We know that by meeting the winemakers, walking the vineyards and tasting new wine from the barrel, we can see first-hand the passion that goes into each bottle. We can then convey this commitment to quality to our customers. Rather than having you just looking at a label and a score, we believe it is our responsibility to bring you closer to how the wine was made and the people who made it. We'll be sharing their trip reports with you here on the BottleBlog.

In June 2011, Debbie Miller Nelson, Wine Manager of the Iselin store had the privilege of traveling to France and immersing herself in French food, culture, and most importantly, wine! Here is the 12th installment of Debbie’s trip.


Domaine Faiveley is a huge operation that started in 1825. This was the only place we visited that had a modern office not run by family and not connected to a home.

We were met by Vincent Avenel, the Export Director. He gave us the cellar tour and operations tour.


Along the way, I even saw a wrapped pallet of wine that was heading to northern NJ!

Domaine Failveley is one of the largest land owners in Burgundy and one of the biggest companies. During the tour, we saw a state of the art grape crushing machine. When we asked Vincent why they had that, he said, “because we can.” That’s money talking!


We are led to a modern tasting room, not in a cellar, not cold and damp and we even get to sit down. They even provided us a tasting sheet! What luxury!


Here we meet the youngest CEO in Burgundy, Erwan Faiveley.


Erwanis a Columbia MBA business graduate, has GQ good looks and is one of the largest land owners in all of Burgundy (120 hectares across 100 different appellations). Quite the good catch! He should probably be in Wine Spectator’s next issue of Burgundy’s most available bachelors if that issue is ever made! Erwan has started what they call the next generation of wines – a new approach starting with 2007 to make their wines softer and more approachable.

The men in my group were amused that every office workedrwas female, about a dozen in all and they even have a female oenologist. Gotta love the French men! They have 50 employees in all and 8 monoples (vineyards in areas that no one else owns).

After the tasting, we walk through a maze of cellars where the back vintages are.


There is a reason why both Vincent and Erwan escort us – one up front and one in the back. Did I mention I have my back pack and those wines would fit nicely in them? We walk for what seems like 30 minutes through endless hallways and underground cellars until we finally enter into a beautiful, cellar room for lunch where Erwan regales us about stories of his family and of course, NYC comes up as Erwan has lived there during college.


We say goodbye to Erwan and Burgundy, pile into the van and head to Chablis.

Deb’s Spotlight
Domaine Faiveley Mercurey 2007
A perfumed nose of raisin, stewed fruit, cherry and strawberry. The 2007 vintage marks the current owner, Erwan Faiveley's first vintage as CEO and a move to make the wines softer. He has succeeded. The wine is elegant with cola flavors and a much softer vintage. Enjoy with a roast pork with green beans.

Also Available:
Domaine Faiveley Pinot Noir 2007 BC $14.99
Domaine Faiveley Chardonnay 2008 BC $14.99
Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 2009 $53.99
Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 2005 BC $49.99