Cool off this Warm Late-Summer Weekend with our Free Tastings!

Your weekend wines are in!  We hope you'll join us this weekend at our Woodbridge or Lawrenceville stores, were we'll be sampling lots of great wines!  Our weekend staff picks wine tastings are always free so come out and enjoy!

On Friday, September 9th in Lawrenceville from 5pm - 8pm we have a special tasting of Magic Moments Vodka. 

How does Magic Moments make it possible for you to embark on such lovely flights of fantasy? By choosing only the finest grain, triple-distilled to create a smooth and crystal liquid that's more than a just a drink... it's a moment of magic in every sip!

With a wide variety of interesting flavors to choose from, including Peach, Chocolate and Lemongrass, we know Magic Moments will quickly become every vodka lover's new go-to.

Saturday, September 10th from 12noon - 2pm, our friends from Strongbow Cider will be here sampling their crisp new hard cider line.

Afterwards, from 2pm - 4pm, our staff will be pouring their selections:

Marcel Hugg Riesling
Information coming soon.

Tivo Primitivo
Enticing aromas of blackberry, prunes and cedar flow from the glass. Beautiful flavors of vanilla, blueberry, licorice and chocolate with hints of black pepper on the finish. A must for primitivo lovers.
Price: $11.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $7.97

Andretta Esa Toscana
A blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Sangiovese which delivers aromas and flavors of blackberries and dark cherries followed by leather, spices and a hint of cedar. This possesses a medium to full body with a velvety texture that ends with another layer of dark berries and spices.
Price: $19.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $15.97

Chateau Pontet Bayard - St Emilion
Deep, dark red in color with aromas and flavors of red fruit, vanilla and black licorice.  The wine is full-bodied and mouth-filling, with toasty oak notes leading to a lingering finish.  Pair with rich dishes such as roasted red meats, duck, or soft cheeses.
Price: $19.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $14.97

* * *

On the other side of Route 1, our Woodbridge staff has chosen these wines for you to try on Friday the 9th between 4pm and 6pm, and Saturday the 10th from 1pm - 3pm.

Tivo - Primitivo
Enticing aromas of blackberry, prunes and cedar flow from the glass. Beautiful flavors of vanilla, blueberry, licorice and chocolate with hints of black pepper on the finish. A must for primitivo lovers.
Price: $11.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $7.97

Il Prescelto - Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Young and vibrant with fruity aromas of ripe blackberry and hints of liquorice. Medium-bodied with balanced ripe dark fruits and velvety tannins. Enjoy by the glass, or pair with red meats or grilled vegetables.
Price: $13.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $7.97

Santa Martina - Pinot Grigio
Made by the Folonari family who has been making wine since the 1700's, this is from the Veneto region in northern Italy where the Pinot Grigio grape has thrived for decades. Santa Martina is made from hillside vineyards rich in minerals and volcanic rocks. The fruit is picked by hand and the wine made in small quantities. With its dry, crisp, vibrant texture and notes of white fruits, flowers and hints of almonds, this is thirst-quenching and delicious as an aperitif or with lemony white fish dishes, clams & oysters, salads, soft cheeses and more.
Price: $14.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $9.96

The Pinot Project - Pinot Noir
The Pinot Project has a full and silky mouth feel, with just the right amount of acidity to complement a variety of dishes. The wine is 100% stainless steel fermented with the caps receiving periodic punchdowns, before finishing dry with just a kiss of oak.
Price: $11.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $9.96 

Your Weekend Events!

It's a special weekend at our stores!  Visit the Events Page at Lawrenceville for details on special
tastings we have for you this weekend featuring vodka, rum, premixed cocktails and more!

At Woodbridge, on Friday from 4 - 6 and Saturday 1 - 3, we've got these great wines on the table.  Don't forget that you can save $1.00 with the in-store coupon for Preferred Selection wines and spirits!

Acre Twenty One - Harvest Blend Red
Here's a tasty Washington red blend, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. It's dry, fruit-forward, with berry and spice flavors and a smooth finish. A great pizza-pasta wine at an attractive price.
Price: $14.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $9.97

Dr Volkmar - Kabinett
A pleasing bouquet of apple, peach & citrus fruits followed by a medium-bodied palate with ripe fruit flavors. Enjoy on its own or with white meats.
Price: $13.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $7.97

Dr Volkmar - Spatlese
A fragrant swirl of apricot, peach, tropical fruit & citrus notes followed by round & supple palate ending in a long finish. Enjoy with strong cheeses or Asian Cuisine.
Price: $15.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $9.97

Trompeur - Napa Chardonnay
Medium-bodied with an enticing bouquet of fresh citrus, melon and tropical fruits, framed with hints of spice, vanilla and a touch of butter. This elegant Napa Chardonnay can be enjoyed on its own, or paired with white meats, seafood or Asian Cuisine.
Price: $24.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $16.97

And you'll especially want to stop by fron 4 - 6 on Saturday for a special evening of Wine Tasting and delicious food!  Enjoy Faust wines and the Fork in the Road food truck.

A Wild & Crazy Weekend!

Join us this weekend at our Woodbridge and Lawrenceville locations for a great time!

Visit our events page at Woodbridge or our events page at Lawrenceville for full information!

Here are the wines we're pouring for you this weekend at Woodbridge!  Also sampling on Friday will be our friends at Magic Hat and their awesome craft beer.

Block 478 Pinot Noir
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.
Regular Price: $16.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $12.96

Block 478 Chardonnay
The Santa Barbara County Chardonnay was picked early to get the acidity and excellent citrus and honey flavors. We wanted to keep as much of the fruit flavors as possible so the wine has only received a little bit of malolactic fermentation and no oak. The wine has such a rich mouth feel we didn't think it was necessary to try and add anything to distract from the natural acid, fruit and round quality of the wine.
Regular Price: $15.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $11.96

Viamora Pinot Grigio
Straw yellow in color with a pleasing bouquet of tree fruits, wild flowers and acacia. The light-bodied palate is straight forward and simple showing hints of citrus, tree fruit and mineral notes. Enjoy on its own, or serve with seafood, salads or poultry dishes.
Regular Price: $10.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $6.77

Chateau la Terriere - Beaujolais Villages
A deep garnet with purple highlights . Expressive nose, featuring pretty fresh red fruits and violets.  Fruit forward with beautiful freshness and lively, supple tannins and a slightly spicy finish. A very friendly wine.
Regular Price: $14.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $11.96

And at Lawrenceville, we've got a whole lot happening!  On Friday, we'll be pouring the following wines:

Block 478 Cabernet Sauvignon 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. Regular Price: $22.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $15.96 Rombauer Chardonnay Enticing aromas of bright citrus and melon are layered with spice, vanilla and a touch of butter. Vibrant flavors of mango and guava meld with vanilla and soft spice on the creamy, rich palate. The finish is juicy and satisfying with refreshing acidity that makes you crave another sip. Regular Price: $33.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $29.99 Viamora Pinot Grigio Straw yellow in color with a pleasing bouquet of tree fruits, wild flowers and acacia. The light-bodied palate is straight forward and simple showing hints of citrus, tree fruit and mineral notes. Enjoy on its own, or serve with seafood, salads or poultry dishes. Regular Price: $10.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $6.77 Chateau la Terriere - Beaujolais Villages A deep garnet with purple highlights . Expressive nose, featuring pretty fresh red fruits and violets.  Fruit forward with beautiful freshness and lively, supple tannins and a slightly spicy finish. A very friendly wine. Regular Price: $14.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $11.96

And don't miss out on the festivities on Saturday, beginning at 9am with a special tapping of Sunday Morning Stout for a limited amount of growler fills!  We'll also be sampling Heineken and Kir Rose cocktails, beginning at noon, and from 1pm - 3pm WPST will be here broadcasting live!

Tastings Galore!

We just updated our event calendar pages with a ton of great tastings!

Check out our upcoming Woodbridge events here, and our Lawrenceville events here.

August in Woodbridge is all about craft beer! Come out and taste some Magic Hat, Two Roads, Brooklyn and more!  We've also got tastings featuring our selection of the new Magic Moments Vodkas and a Bartenders Cocktails tasting!

In Lawrenceville we've got a full day of fun on August 13th, featuring a live broadcast from WPST, a Heineken tasting, and a Kir Rose cocktail tasting that will be sure to delight any cocktail enthusiast!  Also in August we've got Blue Point Brewing, VDKA 6100 and more!

Always be sure to keep an eye at jcanals.com as well as Facebook and Twitter for the latest and greatest happenings at Joe Canal's Woodbridge and Lawrenceville!

Weekend Tasting Fun!

Join us this weekend, in Lawrenceville from 4-6 on Friday and 2-4 on Saturday, or Woodbridge from 4-6 on Friday and 1-3 on Sunday and sample some of these amazing value wines!  We know that if you try them, you won't be able to leave without grabbing a bottle (or two!)

This Weekend's Wines in Lawrenceville:

Pierre Dupond Macon Villages
The Pierre Dupond Macon Villages boasts excellent ripe peach flavors that linger nicely on the palate; perfect with rosemary accented baked chicken.
Regular Price: $15.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $12.96

Nightstar Riesling
An easy drinking white with a bouquet of apple, citrus & tropical fruits. A medium-bodied palate with juicy flavors & natural acidity. Enjoy on its own or pair with poultry.
Regular Price: $9.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $7.97

Wakefield Bay Pinot Noir
An elegant, light-bodied Pinot Noir with smooth flavors of ripe dark cherry and hints of cola, balanced with natural acidity and soft tannins for structure and length. Enjoy by the glass, or pair with a multi-course meal including poultry, ham or mushroom risotto.
Regular Price: $21.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $14.97

Fleur de Charme Sauternes
An elegant dessert wine with seamless flavors of golden honey and dried tropical fruits, balanced with underlying acidity for structure. Medium-bodied with a smooth mouthfeel, this versatile dessert wine can be enjoyed on its own, or paired with pate, high fat cheeses (blue cheese), cashews, fried or spicy dishes, and desserts.
Regular Price: $18.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $14.97



This Weekend's Wines in Woodbridge:

Nightstar Dornfelder
A semi-sweet red wine with red cherry, raspberry and blackberry aromas. Medium-bodied with ripe red fruit flavors balanced with a lively acidity and clean finish. Serve slightly chilled with roasted chicken, pork, or chocolate-based desserts
Regular Price: $9.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $7.97

Nightstar Riesling
An easy drinking white with a bouquet of apple, citrus & tropical fruits. A medium-bodied palate with juicy flavors & natural acidity. Enjoy on its own or pair with poultry.
Regular Price: $9.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $7.97

Campana Pinot Grigio
Crisp and refreshing, with notes of citrus and fresh green apple. Nicely balanced.
Regular Price $8.49 / Bottle Club® Price: $6.96

Squadra Prosecco
This is a delicious, crisp wine with attractive spices, flowers and white peach aromas. Flavors of green pear, melon, almond skin and ground spices linger on the palate. Made in an irresistible, pleasurable style, this medium-bodied Prosecco is a terrific choice for casual drinking.
Regular Price $19.99 / Bottle Club® Price: $12.96 

All-in-One Calendar

Because so many people will travel to one store or the other for our special events, it's been pretty useful for us to list all of our upcoming events in this one place. That, plus the fact that the store calendars are filled in quite nicely.

Events in Lawrenceville

We start the weekend on Friday, 5-7pm, with a special tasting of Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky. This is a new Single Grain Scotch whisky, developed in partnership with Diageo and global sporting icon David Beckham and British entrepreneur Simon Fuller.

The House of Haig is built on nearly 400 years of distilling heritage and the House of Haig can trace its whisky producing roots back to the seventeenth century.

Haig Club™ is made at Cameronbridge distillery in Scotland. The whisky has been crafted using a unique process that combines grain whisky from three cask types. This creates a fresh, clean style that showcases butterscotch and toffee for an ultra-smooth taste.

Haig Club™ is hugely versatile and delicious served neat or in a cocktail. The whisky's subtle taste pairs very well with food, especially seafood.

On Saturday, enjoy our regular wine tasting, from 2-4pm. In the same time slot, we're offering complimentary Gift Tag Wax Sealing on Dewar's Higher Marques. Click here for more information on that perfect last-minute gift idea.

We're extending the weekend to Monday, June 22, with our Bourbon Dinner at Vidalia Restaurant in Lawrenceville. Hosted by Toni Carver, our Store Manager, you'll enjoy a delicious dinner paired perfectly with an assortment of bourbons. And since it's the day after Father's Day, a ticket (or two) to this dinner would be an amazing present for the bourbon-loving dad in your life. Click here for details.

Looking ahead, July will include tastings from Cooperstown Distillery and Flying Fish Brewing Co., as well as a mixology event, featuring Crop Vodka. In addition, look for Christmas in July, which will be all about Growler station specials. More details will be available shortly.

Events in Woodbridge

We start the weekend early in Woodbridge, with tonight's free tasting from Flying Fish, 5-7pm. Established in 1996, Flying Fish is New Jersey's largest craft brewer.

Tomorrow is a tasting double-header. We offer our Friday wine tasting a little earlier than usual, from 3-5pm. Click here for the tasting menu.

The second half of our Friday agenda is a tasting of Guinness Blonde, from 5:30-8pm. Guinness Blonde is an American Lager.

On Saturday, we'll have overlapping events. Our wine tasting will be held at the regular time, from 1-3pm, with the same tasting menu as Friday. From 2-4pm, we're offering the Gift Tag Wax Sealing on Dewar's Higher Marques.

In addition to our wine tastings, July brings a number of other special events. Look for a Senor Sangria tasting on July 2, and a tasting from Cooperstown Distillery on July 11. We're having an after-hours event on July 12, our Christmas in July Toy Drive & Tasting. Details will be available shortly for that fun evening.

And there's more. We'll host tastings of Troeg's and Shiner Beers later in July. We'll close out July with a Weyerbacher Small Plates Dinner on July 31. Four courses will be expertly paired with five beers. Additional details will be coming soon.

We hope to see you this weekend!

Friday Grab Bag

Before everyone takes off for the long weekend, allow us to present our weekly round-up of stuff.

Memorial Day

This holiday was created to honor those who died while serving in the armed forces of the United States. We pause to remember those who gave all.

Special Events

Our calendars are filling rapidly.

Lawrenceville:  Today, please join us for a free tasting of Michter's Whiskey, 4-6pm. Tomorrow, we have free hot dogs (while supplies last), from 1-3pm, along with a visit from the Bud Light lime-a-Rita car.

Our regular Friday (4-6pm) and Saturday (2-4pm) wine tastings resume next weekend.

Eligible for engraving on June 8

On Saturday, May 31, from 2-4pm, we're offering free engraving on Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottles. On Sunday, June 8, from 2-5pm, we're offering engraving on a select number of bottles. Click here for details on the June 8 event.

We have a special After Hours Beer & Burgers fundraiser for Ryan's Quest on June 22, 7:30-9:30pm. Get the details for this fun event here.

Carla Facciolo

 Woodbridge: Tomorrow, we have free soft pretzels (while supplies last), from 1-3pm.

Our regular Friday (4-6pm) and Saturday (1-3pm) wine tastings resume next weekend.

On Saturday, June 7, from 1-3pm, we're offering free engraving on Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottles.

Mob Wives star Carla Facciolo will visit on Saturday, June 21, from 1-5pm, for a bottle signing event.

There will also be an After Hours Beer & Burgers event in Woodbridge on June 22, from 7:30-9:30pm. Details will be posted shortly.

Ripped From The Headlines

-According to the U.S. Beer Market Impact Databank Review and Forecast, total U.S. beer volume—excluding non-alcoholic brews—fell 1.5% between 2009-2014. However, specialty beers rose by 14% in that same time frame. IPA's have been a key growth area. (Source: Shanken Daily News)

-Former NFL quarterbacks Dan Marino and Damon Huard are now in the wine business. Click here for details.

-After the recent news that maybe resvaritrol didn't work as first suggested, a new bit of research offers better news. This bit of scientific research found that red wine was effective at removing the bacteria which causes cavities and tooth loss. Click here for the article, but we think more extensive study should be undertaken.

Enjoy the holiday weekend. Be safe and have fun.

Here's What's Happening

It seems like there's always something going on at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. From celebrity appearances to wine and spirits tastings, specialty Growler tappings to special events, plus free food and other give-aways, you're sure to find something interesting at our stores. As if our state-leading low prices and excellent service wasn't already reason enough to bring you in.

This coming Sunday, April 27, both stores are hosting after-hours events that you really should know more about.

In Lawrenceville, it's Ladies' Night Out.  Running from 7:30 to 9:30pm, Ladies' Night Out features wine tastings, free food, and much more. The advance registration is $8, and $10 at the door, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Womanspace.

Ladies' Night Out in Lawrenceville, 2013

There will be 20 wines available for tasting, with wine experts on hand to guide you through the selections. You can sample Di Bruno Bros cheese, and see demos from Mary Kay, Thirty-One Gifts and other vendors. You'll also be able to shop anywhere in the store in a more relaxed environment.

To RSVP, please call the store at 609-520-0008, or email Store Manager Toni Carver. Click here to visit our web site for additional details.

In Woodbridge, it's the Ladies' Night Wine Tasting and Art Show. There will also be 20 wines to sample, as well as exhibits from local artists that you can also purchase. You can sample cheese from Di Bruno Bros and enjoy music by WDHA. Cocktails will also be available for purchase. Advance registration is $15 ($20 at the door), with all proceeds being donated to Angel PAWS of Colonia.

Take advantage of the opportunity to shop on a Sunday night. With Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day and graduations coming soon, you can have a fun night and get important shopping out of the way at the same time.

To RSVP for the Ladies' Night Wine Tasting and Art Show, please call the store at 732-726-0077, or email Wine Manager Debbie Miller Nelson. Click here to visit our web site for additional details.  

Whether you attend Ladies' Night Out in Lawrenceville, or the Ladies' Night Wine Tasting and Art Show in Woodbridge, you'll have a fun and memorable evening.

Ladies' Night Out in Lawrenceville, 2013

There are other events coming up in the next few weeks that we'd like to bring to your attention, since they're new to our calendar.

There will be Cinco de Mayo margarita samples in Lawrenceville on Saturday, May 3, from 10am to 2pm.

Lawrenceville will host a tasting of Michter's whiskey on May 23. Michter's is one of the oldest whiskey brands on the market, having been established circa 1750. Michter's is now distilled in Kentucky, where the climate and water are perfect for whiskey. Joe Canal's carries Michter's Small Batch, Sour Mash, and Straight Rye.

For Memorial Day weekend, both stores will have food give-aways, on Saturday, May 24, from 1-3pm, while supplies last. You can grab hot dogs in Lawrenceville, and soft pretzels in Woodbridge.

Except for May 23 in Lawrenceville, we will have our regular Friday/Saturday wine tastings in each store.

No purchase is necessary to sample the items listed above. 21 and over, with proper ID, for all events and tastings.

Grab Bag, Good Friday Edition

It's the Good Friday Grab Bag. Both stores are open normal hours today.

Easter Sunday Store Hours

Both our Lawrenceville and Woodbridge locations will be open from 10am to 4pm on Easter Sunday.

Tastings and Tappings

Neither store has a scheduled wine tasting this weekend. The regular schedule will resume next weekend.

Tonight, at 6pm, the Woodbridge store will tap Clown Shoes Clementine White Ale.

Events

Lawrenceville will host Ladies' Night Out on Sunday, April 27, 7:30pm - 9:30pm. The details are here, and you can RSVP via email to Store Manager Toni Carver.

At Woodbridge, it's the Ladies' Night Wine Tasting & Art Show, also on Sunday, April 27, 7:30pm - 9:30pm. Details are here, and you can RSVP via email to Wine Manager Debbie Miller Nelson.

Please note that both events are after regular store hours, and you'll be able to shop throughout the stores.

The Father's Day bottle engraving will arrive on Sunday, June 8, from 2-5 in Lawrenceville, and 4-7 in Woodbridge. Eligible for engraving are purchases of Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel, Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select, Woodford Reserve, Woodford Reserve Double Oak, and Herradura Tequila.

Joe Canal's Fest will be held in Woodbridge on June 15, and in Lawrenceville on June 22. Details will be released soon.

New Products

Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja Reserva 2005 is now in stock. With an impressive 92 point rating from Wine Advocate,  Hacienda Lopez de Haro is a great choice for any day, because it's an outstanding wine that carries a Bottle Club® price of only $11.96. 

Hacienda López de Haro Reserva is a round, gentle and complex wine, made with Tempranillo and Graciano varieties, and with a classic aging of 20 months in French and American oak barrels. A medium depth wine featuring an attractive ruby red color, which denotes a long aging in barrel and bottle. Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja Reserva presents a complex aroma, highlighting red fruit, perfectly combined with spicy notes and a slight char, which is provided by its long aging in French and American oak barrels. Fruity sensations and the complex character provided by its good aging dominate on the palate, with vanilla and spicy notes given by the French and American oak. 

Grey Goose Le Melon is the latest addition to the flavored vodka category. It has a strong bouquet of freshly cut melon, subtle notes of melon rind, and hints of banana and pears. It's very bright on the palate, with strong overtones of juicy melon leading into lighter notes of white citrus and almond. This might be your next summer vodka. Only $29.99 in the Bottle Club®.

We already carry a number of Captain Morgan products, with the Captain's Spiced Rum being a strong category leader. We've just added Captain Morgan White Rum to both Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. 

The pristine waters of the Caribbean inspired the creation of Captain Morgan White Rum. A white rum that is five times distilled and made with fine cane molasses, Captain Morgan White Rum is as smooth as the Captain himself. The 1.75L size is on sale in the Bottle Club® for only $25.94.

If you're a connoisseur of fine whiskey, then the next new product is for you.

We now have an extremely limited supply of Crown Royal XR (Extra Rare).  Taste the rarest in the Crown Royal Extra Rare Whisky Series, handcrafted with a unique blend that includes the final batch of whiskies from the renowned LaSalle distillery (that distillery operated from 1924 to 1993). Located on the island of Montreal, the LaSalle distillery produced whiskies with a unique richness, attributed to the fine water surrounding the island. The resulting whiskies were full-bodied and exceptionally smooth. This 750ML bottle is priced at $159.99.

Ripped From The Headlines

For brewers and distillers, it's common practice to provide leftover grain to farmers as cattle feed. The FDA is proposing changes. Read about it here.

The Wall Street Journal - Europe discusses Barolo as a great wine that is still reasonably priced. Read the article here, then seek out a Barolo from our wine team.

From the Joe Canal's family to yours, our best wishes for a Happy Easter.

Thursday Grab Bag

We're a day early this week, but there's so much going on at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge that we didn't think you'd mind.

Lawrenceville Tastings and Tappings

Tonight, at 6pm, we're tapping Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet Black IPA for our weekly specialty Growler.

Friday, from 4-6pm, we're having a tasting of Lost Distillery whisky. The Lost Distillery Company is an independent boutique Scotch Whisky company. They are obsessive about the craft and uncompromising when it comes to whisky quality. Their mission is to create present day expressions of legendary whiskies that belonged to the craft of whisky distilling almost a century ago.

This is illustrated in their icon – the Triskele (above), an ancient Celtic symbol depicting reincarnation. Their interpretation of the Triskele incorporates the core components of the whisky making process – the barrel, the water and the barley.

Saturday, from 2-4pm, will be our regular weekly wine tasting. We just made an incredible purchase on Beringer Napa Chardonnay, one of the wines on the menu. Leading up to Easter, this is a value you need to sample. A Napa appellation Chardonnay for under $10? Yes. The full menu is here.

Woodbridge Tastings and Tappings

Woodbridge will host its regular wine tastings on both Friday (4-6pm) and Saturday (1-3pm). With Passover starting Monday night, you'll have the opportunity to taste two different wines that are Kosher for Passover. The full menu is here.

Immediately after the wine tasting wraps up on Friday, head over to the Growler station for the specialty tapping of Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet Black IPA.

Please note that there are no wine tastings scheduled at either store on April 18th or 19th.

Upcoming Events

In Lawrenceville: Ladies' Night Out will be after hours on Sunday, April 27. Details will be posted on our web site shortly. The Joe Canal's Fest will be Sunday, June 22. Again, details will be posted shortly.

In Woodbridge, the Ladies' Night Wine Tasting and Art Show will also be after hours on Sunday, April 27.  See our web site for details. The Joe Canal's Fest will be Sunday, June 15. Details will be posted shortly. 

Ripped From The Headlines

Thankfully, no one brought any crazy lawsuits to our attention this week. Instead, we'll direct your attention to a story from Fox News about five lesser-known grape varieties. At Joe Canal's, we stock several brands of each varietal highlighted in the article: Chenin Blanc, Gamay, Mourvedre (also called Monastrell), Tempranillo and Barbera. Read the article here, and ask to see some of those wines when you're in the store next. There are some great wines at very affordable prices among those varietals.

New Stuff

The following products have either just arrived, or will within the next couple of days:

Dashwood Pinot Noir. You've enjoyed New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir is the next varietal that they'll conquer. Dashwood wines bring the luscious, clean fruit characters of the Wairau Valley into harmony with the flinty, or mineral, characters of the Awatere (resulting from the comparatively cooler but drier temperatures and slightly less fertile soils).

Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja Crianza 2008. This wine will be in Lawrenceville within a couple of days, but might not reach Woodbridge at the same time. This is one you definitely should look for. Rioja is hot now anyway, but this wine scored 91 points from Wine Advocate, but will sell for only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.

From the review: “The 2008 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Crianza is a blend of 93% Tempranillo and 7% Garnacha aged for 18 months in French and American oak. It has a mellow bouquet of dried herbs, terracotta tiles and dusky black fruit that is very well-defined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin: tart red berried fruit, laced with tobacco and dried herbs on the dry, crisp finish. This is a superb classical Rioja Crianza.” 

Odds & Ends

Passover starts at sundown on Monday. We offer some helpful advice here.

Both stores will have limited hours on Easter Sunday, April 20. Operating hours will be 9am to 4pm.

Grab Bag Friday

True to our newest blogging tradition, we have quite an assortment for you today.

Ladies Night in Woodbridge

For our Woodbridge shoppers, mark your calendars for a fun, after-hours event on Sunday, April 27. We're hosting the Ladies Night Wine Tasting and Art Show. You'll have the opportunity to taste over 30 different wines, sample Di Bruno Bros. cheese, enjoy light appetizers, and shop through exhibits from local artists. Please review the graphic, and contact Debbie Miller Nelson, dnelson@joecanals.net or 732-726-0077 x310, for more information or to RSVP. All proceeds will go to Angel PAWS, a 100% volunteer animal rescue organization based in Colonia, NJ.

Ladies Night Out in Lawrenceville

Wine tasting at last year's Ladies Night Out

For our Lawrenceville shoppers, Ladies Night Out returns, also on Sunday, April 27. The after-hours program is being finalized right now, but will include wine tasting, light appetizers, and shopping opportunities. Please call the store for more information, 609-520-0008, and keep watching our Facebook page and Twitter feed for updates.

Ripped from the Headlines

We have an assortment of legal issues impacting our industry:

Tennessee has particular and specific laws that govern what can be called a Tennessee whiskey. We details some of those issues in an earlier post. Recently, Diageo sued the state of Tennessee over the part of the law that sets requirements on where the whiskey can age. Read the story here.

There seems to be a lot going on with brewers and trademarks.

Left Hand Brewery is involved in a trademark dispute. Read the story here.

Schlafly Beer is also involved in a trademark dispute. Read about it here.

Weekend Plans

We're on our regular wine tasting schedule this weekend. Friday hours for both stores are 4-6pm. Saturday hours in Woodbridge are 1-3pm, and it's 2-4pm in Lawrenceville. The tasting menu for both stores is here.

Tonight's 6pm specialty Growler tapping in Woodbridge is Clown Shoes Galactica IPA. Please note that Lawrenceville has moved their specialty tappings to 6pm on Thursday.

However, Lawrenceville does have a late addition to their Growler tapping schedule. At 5pm tonight, they will tap Ommegang Game of Thrones Take the Black Stout. You might want to queue up for that.

What Else Is New?

We've been asked to bring in more Sicilian red wines, so we've just added the Cantine Colosi Nero D'Avola to both Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. Nero d’Avola is the most important red wine grape in Sicily, and is one of Italy’s most important indigenous varieties. It is named after Avola, a town in the far south of Sicily and its wines are compared to New World Shiraz, with sweet tannins and plum or peppery flavors. “The Black Grape of Avola” seems to have been selected by growers near Avola several hundred years ago. Initially it was confined to the southern tip of Sicily, but more recently has spread throughout the island.

Aged in stainless steel, the nose shows intense fruit with heavy cherry aromas, and it's dry, full-bodied and youthful on the palate. It's perfect with red meats, pasta with tomato sauce and aged cheeses. Only $10.99 in the Bottle Club®.

One of our very popular labels is Josh Cellars, and now the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are getting some company. We're adding the Josh Cellars Merlot, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc to our shelves.

Josh Cellars Pinot Noir, made in a style reminiscent of Burgundy, offers bright, ripe cherries and deep earthy flavors with spice, subtle oak and delicate texture. The Merlot, created in a Bordeaux-style blend, offers rich plum and black cherry flavors, accented by savory spices and toasted oak, with a soft, supple texture and lingering finish. A wine that is bold and expressive but unassuming, and approachable. Bright aromas of lime and citrus are the core of Josh Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, with layers of white flower nectar, peach, and tropical melon. The palate of the wine is fresh and alive with clean fruit flavors and a perfectly balanced finish. Each new varietal is priced at $14.49.

Clearly, we've saved the best new product for last. We received the most limited of supplies: one bottle per store. At the time of this writing, the bottle remains available only in Woodbridge.

What could be that limited? Grand Marnier Cuvée 1880. Cuvée 1880 celebrates the conception of Grand Marnier, when, in 1880, Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle began blending Cognac with oranges, which were a luxury item at that time. The Grand Marnier Cuvée 1880 is a distinctive blend of aged, premium XO Cognac made exclusively from Grande Champagne, the most esteemed growing area in the Cognac region. With more Cognac in the nose of its taste profile, it is significantly less sweet than the Cuvée du Centenaire, while still incorporating wild tropical orange notes. This is priced at $279.99.

Have a great weekend, everyone! And don't miss our tastings and events.

Grab-Bag Friday

We round out the week with an assortment of items that you should know about, but won't fill a blog post on their own.

Ommegang Game of Thrones Fire and Blood

Each new season of Game of Thrones is partnered with a special, limited release from Ommegang. This season's brew, Fire and Blood, will be available Monday. Call the stores for direct purchase information, which is limited to one bottle per person. Lawrenceville is 609-520-0008, and Woodbridge is 732-726-0077.

Weekend Tasting Schedule

In Lawrenceville, the wine tastings are on the regular schedule of 4-6pm Friday, and 2-4pm Saturday. The specialty tapping tonight is DuClaw Serum Double IPA, at 5pm.

In Woodbridge, tonight we're tasting Dad's Hat Whiskey, from 5-7pm. The specialty tapping, normally at 6pm, is moved to 7pm just for tonight. And we're also tapping DuClaw Serum Double IPA. The Saturday wine tasting will be at the normal time of 1-3pm.

Starting in April, the Lawrenceville specialty tapping will move to Thursdays at 6pm. For both stores, the featured brewery in April is the Clown Shoes Beer Company.

Additional New Products

Although we've already highlighted several new products this week, we want to bring some others to your attention.

Unico Pinot Grigio is now available in both Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. It's a delicious, crisp, fruity white wine. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and perfectly balanced, supple and refreshing. This is a versatile wine that matches well with a great variety of dishes, but is also excellent served on its own as an aperitif. Delicious with seafood linguine or grilled tuna. Only $13.96 in the Bottle Club®.


Both stores have also received very limited quantities of the latest addition to the Robert Biale line, the 2012 Bedrock Vineyard Sonoma Zinfandel.

The Biale family, immigrants from Northern Italy, began growing grapes in Napa in the 1930’s – Zinfandel only. Zinfandel, California’s adopted grape, was widely planted by immigrants throughout the state’s history as a highly flavorful red grape well-suited for its expansive range of arid climates and diverse soils. In the 1940’s Aldo Biale sold bottles of illicit homemade Zinfandel known as “Black Chickens” over his party line phone service.  

Their Bedrock Vineyard has quite a history, as people ranging from General Tecumseh Sherman to William Randolph Hearst to the Parducci family have either owned the property, or made wine there. This vintage is Biale's first at the property.

The wine itself is aromatic, finely textured, and expressive of warm blackberries, cherry pie, stony minerals and baking spices. Its elegant and hedonistic style can be enjoyed now, or cellared for a long future. Only 300 cases were produced, and it's priced at $48.99.

And one for the whisky lovers...

Tullibardine Aged 20 Years

Matured in first fill Bourbon Barrels, this is a wonderful, charming, single malt that delivers vanilla, cocoa, honey, and oatmeal in equal measure, while finishing smooth and dry on the palate. There is a complexity from its age, but there is still that hint of subtle sweetness that Tullibardine has in its malts.  Only about 3 bottles will be available in each store, priced at $136.99 in the Bottle Club®.

And while you're thinking about a single malt, look for the Tullibardine 225 (Sauternes finish) and Tullibardine 500 (Sherry finish), each priced at only $54.99 in the Bottle Club®.

News You Can Use

Every week, we're happy to assist people looking to stock their home bar with quality spirits, beer and wine. But you can't forget the bar tools, if you want to make quality cocktails at home. Click to read what you might be missing.

Waiting for a $100 cocktail? It's in Boston. Click for the article. 

Have a great weekend, everyone.

 

Friday Grab Bag

A look at industry news and Joe Canal's updates that we couldn't fully cover earlier in the week.

Ripped From The Headlines

There are laws that spell out the requirements for a Tennessee whiskey. The elements include the mashbill, the specifics of the barrel used for aging, and so on. Lawmakers in Tennessee are considering changes to the current law. Read about it here.

A trailer-load of a rare Canadian whiskey is missing. That's 1532 cases of Mastersons 12 year old, with a value of about $700,000. Read the whole story here, which includes tasting notes on a 12 year old whiskey that we'll probably never see.

Hungary abolishes three and four Puttonyos Tokaji grades, effective later this year. While this change won't have an immediate impact, if your favorite Tokaji falls in that range, you might want to stock up. The Puttonyos scale refers to sugar levels. Read about it here.

In California, a warehouse worker was arrested, accused of stealing over $400,000 worth of wine. That's about 350 cases. The story, with snark, is here.

In-Store Tastings

We're covering all of our product categories in Lawrenceville this weekend. On Friday, from 5:00 to 7:00pm, we're offering a complimentary tasting of Dad's Hat Whiskey. Based in nearby Bristol, PA, Dad's Hat is made by hand, in small batches, using only natural, local ingredients and the most careful methods. It's crisp, smooth and delicious, and is produced in the original home of American Rye Whiskey.

Also at 5:00pm, we have our weekly specialty Growler tapping. Our featured brewery in March is DuClaw Brewing Company, and we're tapping Naked Fish.
 Like most traditional Stouts, Naked Fish is medium-bodied and nearly black in color, with a light tan head. But where Naked Fish turns the stout style upside down is in its flavor profile. Gourmet Chocolate Raspberry Coffee is added to the grain bill to produce a taste experience you’ll never forget.

Finally, we have our regular weekly wine tasting on Saturday, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. You can find the tasting menu here.

We've just added a Lost Distillery Scotch Whisky tasting for Friday, April 11, from 4:00 to 6:00pm. In their words: "The Lost Distillery Company is an independent boutique Scotch Whisky company. We are obsessive about our craft and uncompromising when it comes to whisky quality. Our mission is to create present day expressions of legendary whiskies that belonged to the craft of whisky distilling almost a century ago."

There's also plenty to taste in Woodbridge. The normal wine tasting schedule is in force, with the Friday hours 4:00 to 6:00pm and 1:00 to 3:00pm on Saturday. Friday's tasting is themed to the arrival of Spring, as suggested by the staff. You can find both Friday and Saturday tasting menus here.

And the Woodbridge specialty tapping of DuClaw Naked Fish will be at 6:00pm on Friday.

                           Now In Stock

Both stores have received a limited amount of the Canal's Family Selection Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Single Barrel Canal's Family Selection. A genuine small batch Bourbon, it's named after the Rev. Elijah Craig, the man who discovered the method of making true Kentucky Bourbon when he stored his wares in barrels that had been charred in a fire. Single Barrel means that the Bourbon is bottled exclusively from one hand-selected barrel, rather than from a blending of 70 barrels for a typical Bourbon. This leads to uniquely rich and distinct flavors.

Due to arrive today is a new Canal's Family Selection product: Maestro Dobel™ Tequila. This tequila is sourced from single estates and is distilled from 100% blue agave and bottled in Jalisco, Mexico. Each bottle of Dobel™ Tequila is double-distilled, matured in Hungarian White Oak barrels, and filtered for exceptional smoothness and clarity.

Friday Grab Bag

We wish all of you a Happy St. Patrick's Day. We do enjoy a fun holiday. This weekend also marks the Jewish holiday of Purim, so enjoy some Hamantashen.

For your St. Paddy's festivities, we do have a great selection of Irish beer and whiskey. In fact, our web site currently includes three money-saving coupons for select Irish whiskeys. Please visit our Special Offers page to view and print the coupons.

Don't miss our tastings and tappings this weekend. Here's the run-down:

Lawrenceville, tonight

5pm Specialty Growler tapping, DuClaw Old Flame
5-7pm special tasting of Punzone Original Liqueur and Punzone Lemoncino
Lawrenceville, tomorrow
2-4pm wine tasting

Woodbridge, tonight
4-6pm wine tasting
6pm Specialty Growler tapping, DuClaw Cocoa Fuego
Woodbridge, tomorrow
1-3pm wine tasting
Woodbridge, Sunday
1-3pm Irish whiskey tasting

Please visit our Events page for complete menus and upcoming tastings.

Ripped From The Headlines:

Should American cheese makers use European cheese names?

It's Pi Day. The math kind, not the dessert or pizza kind.  But you can decide otherwise.

It's also National Potato Chip Day. Who knew?

Have a great weekend!

Ripped from the Headlines

Important news from our industry...

Joe Canal's in Woodbridge announces a free (21 & over, with ID) tasting of Irish Whiskey on Sunday, March 16, from 1-3pm. Perfect timing - the day before St. Patrick's Day. On the tasting menu:

Redbreast 12 year Single Pot Still Whiskey
John Powers
Tullamore D.E.W.
Green Spot Single Pot Still

Slainte!

Makers Mark to Boost Capacity by 50%
Source: Shanken Daily News

Beam Inc.’s Maker’s Mark has revealed details on a new $67 million distillery expansion plan. The project will add a third still to the existing Maker’s Mark distillery and is slated to increase the facility’s Bourbon production by 50%. In addition to installing the new still—which is expected to take 18 months—Beam plans to construct new warehouses over a seven-year period. This new investment comes on top of $50 million Beam has already poured into the Maker’s Mark distillery in recent years.

The news follows last year’s controversial plan by Maker’s Mark to lower its alcohol in an effort to meet booming demand. After a sharp consumer backlash, the brand swiftly reversed that decision, but in June reportedly began exploring a “state of the art rinse process” designed to extract more Bourbon from each barrel.

Maker’s continues to be one of the driving forces behind the Bourbon category’s renaissance, rising by 5.3% to 1.25 million cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank. Globally, the Bourbon brand was among the 15 biggest growth brands among Impact’s Top 100 Spirits by volume, posting a nearly 11% increase to 1.44 million cases.

Goose Island Plans Major Expansion, New National Ad Campaign
Source: Shanken Daily News

In the wake of a 70% jump in sales last year, Goose Island Beer Co. is laying plans for significant expansion. The Chicago-based craft brewer, acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2011, has leased a 130,000-square-foot warehouse near its headquarters on Chicago’s north side, where it plans to house hundreds of new Bourbon barrels for production of its Bourbon County Stout series, which is aged for more than a year.

Bourbon County, offered just one day a year, has sold out in a matter of hours everywhere it’s been released. The product, offered in flavors such as coffee, rye and vanilla, has become a cult favorite, with beer lovers in cities such as Miami and Houston camping out overnight in front of retail stores the day after Thanksgiving to ensure they could buy it.

“The bigger warehouse will allow us to quadruple our capacity for Bourbon County,” says Goose Island CEO Andrew Goeler. “We’ll get more product out to our markets, although we’ll still be far short of meeting demand.”

Once a regional brewer before being taken national last year by Anheuser-Busch, Goose Island brews some of its labels at A-B plants in different states, but Goeler says the company wants to keep Bourbon County a made-in-Chicago product.

Goose Island is also introducing its first national ad campaign, including print and digital spots. The ads feature Goose Island’s Fulton Street Brewery in Chicago and run under the tagline, “To what’s next.” Meanwhile, Goose Island—whose volume neared the 350,000-barrel mark in 2013—is planning the release of 18 new beers in 2014.

"Disneyland of Food"

That's planned for Bologna, Italy. It's related to the Eataly chain, which has locations in New York City, Chicago, and more than 20 other international destinations. Click for the story.

Weekend Head Start

Since we're at the cusp of the weekend, it's a good time for us to review our Friday-Saturday agenda. That way, when you see the events that you're interested in, the schedule is right here for you. And if your Saturday night includes wine or beer with dinner, you'll be able to stop in and sample. Oh, and don't forget that these tastings are free*!

On Friday, both the Lawrenceville and Woodbridge store will have a wine tasting that runs from 4-6pm. Click here to see the tasting menu for both stores. In Lawrenceville, 3 out of the 4 wines have Bottle Club® prices under $10.00, with the fourth wine priced under $25.00, making them all great choices for any day of the week. One of those sub-$10 wines, the Charles & Charles Red Blend, rated 90 points from Wine Spectator.

In Woodbridge, two of the wines are Bottle Club® priced under $11.00, and another wine is one of the absolute best values in the store (Ridgeline Napa Cabernet Sauvignon).

The action next moves to the Growler station at both stores. At 5pm in Lawrenceville, the final Goose Island specialty tapping of the month will be the Bourbon County Stout. In Woodbridge, the 6pm tapping will be Slumbrew Snow Angel. Both stores will have new featured breweries for March, so keep watching the web site for the important details.

We welcome you back on Saturday, for another round of tastings. Here, Woodbridge goes first, with the wine tasting running from 1-3pm. The tasting menu will be the same on both Friday and Saturday. The scenario, however, is different in Lawrenceville.

The Saturday tasting in Lawrenceville will run from 2-4pm, as usual. The tasting menu, on the other hand, will be completely different, as we welcome 90+ Cellars for a tasting of their wines. 90+ Cellars are known for delivering Saturday night taste for a Tuesday night price. To see the tasting menu, please click here.


Make sure to mark your calendar for our upcoming tastings and events. In addition to our regular Friday/Saturday wine tastings, here's the agenda just for March:

In Lawrenceville:
Friday, March 14, tasting of Punzone Lemoncino and Originale Liqueur
Friday, March 21, tasting of Dad's Hat Whiskey
Thursday, March 27, tasting of Shiner Ruby Redbird & Shiner White Wing

In Woodbridge:
Friday, March 28, tasting of Dad's Hat Whiskey

*As we noted above, these tastings are free; 21 & older, with valid ID, of course.

Wednesday Grab-Bag

Topics have been piling up like the snow has this winter, so I think we need a grab-bag to clear off my car, I mean, my desk.

Scotch Dinner on April 9

This dinner will feature an exceptional meal paired with The Macallan Single Malt (12 year, 15 year and 18 year) and the Famous Grouse. Dinner will be held at Centro Grille in Robbinsville. Space is limited, so call Centro at 609-208-9300 to RSVP. Questions? Ask at Customer Service in Lawrenceville, 609-520-0008.

The Macallan’s curiously small spirit stills are the smallest on Speyside. Their unique size and shape give the spirit maximum contact with the copper, helping to concentrate the ‘new make’ spirit and provide the viscosity and rich, fruity, full-bodied flavors so characteristic of The Macallan. There are fourteen of these curiously small stills, crafted from copper, each holding an initial ‘charge’ of 3,900 liters. These stills are so famous that they have appeared on the back of a Bank of Scotland £10 banknote!

New Products

While we're on the subject of Scotch whisky, we've added the BenRiach 15 year Madeira Finish to our shelves. Matured in the traditional style in American bourbon barrels, this whisky is then finished in Madeira barrels, sourced from the semi-tropical Portuguese island of Madeira, hundreds of miles off the coast of north-west Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean. During this second period of maturation the whisky derives many interesting characteristics specific to the Madeira barrel. The nose offers vanilla and spices with watermelon and peaches, with a rich backdrop of Madeira and oak wood. An avalanche of butterscotch, hazelnuts, peaches and spices, with a rich Madeira finish envelop the palate.

Flavored vodkas are still going strong. In stock now in Lawrenceville, and coming soon to Woodbridge, is the Smirnoff Sorbet® Light Pineapple Coconut. This is a full-flavored, sorbet-inspired vodka with natural fruit flavor, containing juicy, ripe pineapple and creamy toasted coconut notes.  It offers sophisticated fun with only 78 calories per 1.5 fl. oz.

Try this cocktail recipe: Weekend in the Tropics

1.5 oz Smirnoff Sorbet Light® Pineapple Coconut
1.5 oz pineapple juice
1.5 oz mango juice

Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the above ingredients. Stir, then garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Tastings and Other Stuff

We understand that warmer weather will get here eventually. When that happens, you'll enjoy a clean, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, either with a light meal or on its own. Our distributor is discontinuing Omaka Springs Sauvignon Blanc, and we just made a big buy on this wine. At only $10.98 in the Bottle Club®, Omaka Springs will please your wallet and palate. Omaka Springs Estate Sauvignon Blanc shows the best that Marlborough has to offer.  This wine displays a burst of tropical fruits - guava, passion fruit, and a hint of ripe melon, complimented by a vibrant acidity, herbaceous tomato stalk notes and nuances of green capsicum.  The careful addition of a small amount of Semillon lends good structure and adds to the texture and length.

Both stores will have a tasting of Shiner Ruby Redbird & Shiner White Wing. The tasting will first land in Lawrenceville on Thursday, March 27, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Next will be Woodbridge, on Thursday, April 3, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The tastings will be at the Growler station.

Ruby Redbird is their summer seasonal, brewed with tart Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit and a "kick" of Ginger. White Wing is a year-round Belgian white, brewed with authentic Belgian yeast, along with hints of coriander and orange peel.

Our final tasting note is a Woodbridge-only event. On Saturday, April 5, from 5:00pm to 6:30pm, we'll pour samples of Miller Fortune.

You first notice Miller Fortune's distinctive malty aromas, backed with subtle citrus notes. The taste is nicely balanced, with hoppy tones and a restrained sweetness that matches its light body. The crisp, clean finish is in keeping with the 6.9% ABV.

We hope you'll join us for these tastings, as well as our regular weekend wine tastings.

Wine 101: Aroma

Wednesdays on the BottleBlog will feature an education session on wine, beer or spirits. Today Shannon Spare shares her experiences as a beginner in the World of Wine.

Welcome to part 2 of my Wine 101 Blog: Aroma. As I said in my first installment on color, my name is Shannon and I manage the website content and blog here at Joe Canal's. While I've drunk wine, and liked wine, for many years, I never really had the opportunity to get to know a whole lot about it. Now, I'm getting paid to learn, and I'm happy to share my experiences with you!

The first time I ever really noticed the aroma of a wine was a few years ago, long before my tenure with Joe Canal's began. I was six months pregnant, attending a business dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. To celebrate, my co-workers picked up a couple bottles of wine to share. Of course, due to my condition I couldn't partake of the wine, but the people to either side of me were both enjoying very large, very full, very fragrant glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon. The smell was so fine, and so strong, I found myself salivating. At the time, I just chalked it up to A.) being pregnant and having a hyper-sensitive sense of smell, and B.) not having had wine for over 6 months and just really wanting a glass. I got through the evening without a sip, but that smell stuck with me for months. I couldn't stop thinking about it! Even the first glass of wine I had after my daughter was born didn't live up to the memory of the exquisite aroma from that evening.

Fast forward 11 months, to my first week at here at Joe Canal's. Every Friday and Saturday we have free wine tastings, and on my way out the door, I stopped to taste the weekend wines. Being a newbie, I tried to emulate all of my more educated workmates, swirling the wine, watching for "legs," and sticking my nose deep into the glass. I didn't expect much, since most wines still smell the same to me. When I came to the last wine, however, I was blown away! It was the Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon, and arguably the most expensive wine I'd ever tasted (or smelled). And there it was again - that smell, that awesome delicious smell! It was the first time I realized that I wasn't just having a super duper pregnant craving at the Italian restaurant, it was probably that the wine was super duper aromatic.

When tasting wine, it's especially important to pay attention to how the wine smells. In a lot of ways, the way the wine smells is more important than it tastes. Have you ever noticed that when you have a bad head cold, most foods taste a lot more bland than usual? That's because 80% of what we taste is attributable to our sense of smell.

Before I became a Wine-Enthusiast-in-Training, I would make jokes about "oaky undertones" to my friends and family when drinking wine. The truth of the matter is that, with wine, certain flavors can be brought out by how the wine is made. While it's true that wine is made from grapes, if it's aged in oak you might be able to taste clove or vanilla, or the actual oak itself. (My "oaky undertones" joke has become a lot less funny since I've actually been able to notice them.) "Malolactic fermentation" (a process in which bacteria is added to fermenting wine) might produce a butterscotch or popcorn smell.

I have had the opportunity to attend a couple wine festivals and tastings. I've gone to many wine festivals in the past, but it's a much different experience for me now that I have this new mindset. For the first time, I've actually been able to notice different scents. I still find that a lot of wines taste the same to me after a while (especially reds) but paying attention to the aroma has been really fun for me. At a tasting, I tasted a variety of seven dry red wines, the last two of which were "oaked". When we got to the sixth wine, I was amazed at how strong I could actually smell the oakiness. It totally smelled like wood! It's a slow going process, but I've also been able to pick out pineapple and chocolate in the wines that I have tasted (and smelled).

Reading tasting notes has been an interesting experience for me as well: Did you know that there are wines out there that actually smell like lead pencil shavings, slate or chalk? And, believe it or not, tobacco is an aroma that comes up fairly often.

Did you know that just about every Friday and Saturday, the Joe Canal's stores in Woodbridge and Lawrenceville have free wine tastings? I definitely urge you to stop in and taste for yourself, especially if you're a newbie like me! Just check the events page on jcanals.com to see what we're pouring, and stop in!

Next time I'll talk more in depth about the tastings I've gone to recently. Until then, I'd love to hear your stories and experiences of learning about wine, just leave me a comment!

Wine 101: Color

Wednesdays on the BottleBlog will feature an education session on wine, beer or spirits. Today Shannon Spare shares her experiences as a beginner in the World of Wine.

Welcome to Workshop Wednesdays! My name is Shannon, and I was brought on by Joe Canal's to manage our web content. When I was offered the job, I was told that I would "have to drink a lot more wine," which was, to be honest, just fine with me! While I've drunk wine, and liked wine, for many years now, I don't really know wine, and I've always wanted to. I still consider myself a novice. (I'm the "Average Joe" at Joe Canal's, if you will.) I thought it would be a cool idea to blog about my experience learning the ropes of the wine world, since so many of our customers are just like me in the sense that we love wine, but don't really know it.

I've been to a few wine festivals and tastings before, in my past life, and it was always a lot of fun bringing my little glass to all the tables to drink lots and lots of wine. I never really paid attention to what I was drinking, other than "Okay, this one tastes good," or "Ew, that's gross, give me more of that blackberry one to wash the taste away." I only remember one wine clearly, because it tasted like chocolate. No, seriously. The wine tasted LIKE CHOCOLATE. It was a Cabernet Sauvignon, I bought three bottles of it, and they were gone within a month. The next year we went back to the same festival and tasted the new vintage of the same wine, and it didn't taste as much like chocolate anymore - it tasted like wine. Disappointment aside, that was the first (and last) time that a wine really tasted like anything to me, and it was my first exposure to the subtle (and not so subtle) changes in different vintages of wines. It also made me realize that there's a lot more to this wine stuff than "this is delicious," and peaked my interest to learn more, so I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to do so now (and get paid for it)!

One of my first days here, there was a staff tasting spread out in our Liquid Learning Center to sample some new wines we would be bringing in to the store. She poured me a glass and I asked, "So... what do I do now?" And she performed this ritual that I, quite honestly, felt pretty stupid and uncoordinated duplicating, especially considering the red wine I had dripping down my chin.

Although I still couldn't pick much flavor out of the wines other than "This tastes good to me," or "This tastes bad to me," I did learn about some important wine qualities to consider when tasting, and they didn't really have to do with tasting at all.

The first thing I learned to look at is the color of the wine.

Red wines can range from a light brick red to a deep maroon-purple color, and everything in between. In general, the darker or brighter the color of the wine is, the younger it is. The subtle color changes can be noticed more on the edge of the wine in the glass, and darken in the middle. Very aged wines can even have a brownish tinge to them.

With whites, the opposite is true. Young wines start as what wine folks call "water-white," and move through a spectrum of pale yellows, straw, and finally settling into a warm golden color when they are fully mature.

Since my first "official" tasting, I've been noticing subtle color differences in the wines that I've been drinking. Interesting stuff!

Until next time, I'd love to hear your experiences with the wine color spectrum, and if you have any more information for me to soak up! Just leave a comment!