yviewwines.com CABERNET CABERNET FRANC CHARDONNAY MERLOT EVER RED SAUVIGNON BLANC SYRAH
FLAM
BLANC CLASSICO NOBLE (N) RESERVE CAB. SAUVG RESERVE MERLOT RESERVE SYRAH ROSE
GALIL
ALON RED BLEND ELA RED BLEND BARBERA CABERNET MERLOT MERON PINOT NOIR YIRON 2011 VIOGNIER
GAMLA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON CABERNET RESERVE CHARDONNAY CHARDONNAY RESERVE MERLOT MERLOT RESERVE MOSCATO
GILGAL
CABERNET (S) CABERNET-MERLOT (N) CHARDONNAY PINOT NOIR SYRAH WHITE RIESLING
GIVON
DRY RED EMERALD REISLING FRENCH COLOMBARD MALOG
GUSH ETZION BLESSED VALLEY RED BLESSED VALLEY WHITE LONE OAK CABERNET RSV LONE OAK CAB FRANC RSV LONE OAK SAUVIGNON BLANC LONE OAK SYRAH RSV SPRING RIVER CAB-MERLOT SPRING RIVER SYRAH-MOURVEDRE (N) SPRING RIVER WHITE
MONTEFIORE 27.95 24.95 21.95 27.95 16.95 21.95 24.95 27.95 27.95 89.95 49.95 49.95 39.95 27.95
12.95 16.95 12.95 16.95 12.95 16.95 9.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 31.95 24.95 24.95 24.95 17.95 24.95 21.95 21.95 17.95
54.95 36.95 44.95 34.95 34.95 34.95 34.95 64.95
HAR BRACHA
HAR BRACHA PURA PORT STYLE (N) 32.95 HAR BRACHA BRACHA BLEND (N) 17.95 HAR BRACHA CAB. SAUVG. 17.95
JERUSALEM
2900 RED BLEND* (N) 2900 WHITE BLEND* (N) PREMIUM CABERNET (N) PREMIUM PINOTAGE (N) PREMIUM SHIRAZ (N) RESERVE CABERET (N) RESERVE PETITE SIRAH (N) SPECIAL RESERVE CAB/MERLOT (N)
11.95 11.95 17.95 17.95 17.95 23.95 23.95 55.95
KADESH BARNEA (NOW RAMAT NEGEV) CABERNET MIDBAR RED MERLOT NEGEV RED ROSE PETIT VERDOT
KINNERET MUSCAT ALEXANDRIA MUSCAT HAMBURG *
LUERIA
GRAND VITAL YINON ARIEL GEWURZTRAMINER CABERNET RESERVE SHIRAZ (N) TERRACE ROSSO
MADMON
SOREKA CABERNET RESERVE
PETITE SYRAH CABERNET SAUVIGNON KEREM MOSHE RED SYRAH WHITE
MORAD
AMARETTO DOUBLE ESPRESSO DANUE LYCHEE WINE DANUE PASSION FRUIT WINE DANUE POMERGRANATE WINE DANUE RED GRAPEFRUIT WINE (N)
41.95 25.95 46.95 18.95 41.95 18.95 19.95 19.95 16.95 16.95 16.95 16.95
16.95 16.95 16.95 13.95 13.95 28.95 16.95 26.95 14.95
GVAOT
(LIMITED QTY) GOFNA CABERNET SAUV GOFNA CHARD/CAB SAUV GOFNA PINOT NOIR HERODIAN DANCE BLEND HERODIAN CABERNET HERODIAN MERLOT ROSE MASSADA
5681 Riverdale Ave. (Skyview Shopping Center) Riverdale, NY 10471
15.95 23.95 15.95 15.95 13.95 28.95 9.95 9.95 49.95 22.95 21.95 23.95 28.95 28.95 21.95 28.95 24.95
OR HAGANUZ
ELIMA (N) (NO SULFITES ADDED) AMUKA SERIES SAUVIGNON BLANC AMUKA SERIES CABERNET SAUV AMUKA SERIES SHIRAZ AMUKA SERIES MERLOT MARON SERIES CABERNET SAUV MARON SERIES CAB SAUV/ SHIRAZ MARON SERIES CABERNET FRANC
PASCO
LEWIS PASCO PROJECT #2 LEWIS PASCO LIQUIDITY CABERNET SAUVIGNON RES. (N)
26.95 15.95 15.95 15.95 15.95 23.95 24.95 24.95 24.95 49.95
CABERNET FRANC 25.95 CABERNET SAUVIGINON 25.95 CHARDONNAY 19.95 PSAGOT EDOM RED 29.95 PAGOT MERLOT 21.95 PSAGOT PRAT DESSERT WINE 26.95 PSAGOT SHIRAZ 25.95 PSAGOT SINGLE VINEYARD CAB (LTD) 64.95
RAMOT NAFTALY
RECANATI
CABERNET CABERNET FRANC RSV CABERNET RESERVE CHARDONNAY MERLOT MERLOT RESERVE PETITE SYRAH/ZIN RSV ROSE SAUVIGNON BLANC SPECIAL RESERVE WHITE SPECIAL RESERVE RED SHIRAZ * SYRAH VIOGNER RESERVE YASMIN RED * YASMIN WHITE * WILD CARIGNAN RESERVE
SASLOVE
ADOM SHIRAZ (LIMITED) CABERNET RESERVE (LIMITED) MERLOT
SEGAL
CABERNET RESERVE * CHARDONNAY RESERVE * MERLOT RESERVE * DISHON CAB. DSAUVG. DOVEV ARGAMAN CABERNET UNFILTERED SEGAL FUSION RED BLEND * SEGAL FUSION WHITE BLEND *
SHILOH
BARBERA * CABERNET FRANC (N) CABERNET SAUVIGNON CAB. SECRET RESERVE * CHARDONNAY FORT DESSERT WINE LEGEND * LEGEND II* MERLOT SECRET RESERVE * MOR BLEND MOSAIC SHIRAZ SECRET RESERVE *
ADAMA CAB. SAUVG. ADAMA MERLOT ADAMA SAUVIGNON BLANC ADAMA SHIRAZ MT. TABOR CABERNET MT. TABOR MERLOT MT. TABOR SHIRAZ MT. TABOR CHARD. TABOR LIMITED ED. CAB.
TEPERBERG
CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE CABERNET FRANC (LIMITED) (N) COLLAGE RED (CAB-PETITE SIRAH) * COLLAGE WHITE (CHARD-SEMILLON) * HALIL SEMI DRY RED ISRAELI CABERNET ISRAELI CAB/MERLOT ISRAELI MERLOT ISRAEL SEMI DRY CAB KINOR FORTIFIED RED LATE HARVEST REISLING * MERITAGE MERLOT RESERVE MOSCATO * NEVEL PORT TERRA CABERNET/MERLOT * TERRA GEWURTZTRAMINER RED BLEND * RED MOSCATO * SHIRAZ * TERRA MALBEC TERRA SAUVIGNON BLANC WHITE BLEND *
■
26.95 42.95 11.95 11.95 15.95 11.95 10.95 10.95 11.95 29.95 12.95 14.95 29.95 9.95 29.95 24.95 15.95 13.95 10.95 13.95 19.95 14.95 13.95
46.95 33.95 44.95 44.95 37.95 12.95 28.95 22.95 12.95 12.95 22.95 24.95 14.95 12.95 44.95 44.95 12.95 49.95 9.95 9.95 54.95 36.95 49.95 25.95 16.95 14.95 16.95 29.95 29.95 70.95 12.95 12.95 28.95 29.95 24.95 35.95 24.95 27.95 34.95 34.95 35.95 24.95 49.95 35.95
CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE (N) 31.95 MERLOT/SHIRAZ RESERVE (N) 31.95 PETITORA (N) 26.95
TISHBI
SDE BOKER SPECIAL RSV (LIMITED) BARBERA ZINFANDEL PORT STYLE CABERNET/SYRAH * CHENIN BLANC * VINEYARDS SHIRAZ TVINEYARDS SAUVIGNON BLANC * VINEYARDS EMERALD RIESLING * VINEYARDS CABERNET * VINEYARDS MERLOT * ESTATE CABERNET ESTATE CHARDONNAY ESTATE GEWURZTRAMINER ESTATE VIOGNIER ESTATE PINOT NOIR ESTATE MALBEC (LIMITED) ESTATE MERLOT MUSCAT ALEXANDRONI (N) ESTATE SHIRAZ PETIT VERDOT (N) RUBY CABERNET (N) CABERNET FRANC (N)
TULIP
CABERNET RESERVE JUST CABERNET SAUVIGNON JUST MERLOT MOSTLY CABERNET FRANC MOSTLY SHIRAZ SHIRAZ RESERVE WHITE TULIP WHITE FRANC
TZORA
CHARDONNAY/SAUVIGNON BLANC MISTY HILLS JUDEAN HILLS CAB/MERLOT/SYRAH 2011 SHORESH CAB/MERLOT/SYRAH
TZUBA
CABERNET CHARDONNAY MERLOT METSUDA CAB/MERLOT PINOT NOIR SYRAH
UGAV
CABERNET SAUVIGNON MERLOT CABERNET SHIRAZ RIESLING UGAV PINOTAGE
YARDEN
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 KELA MERLOT 2008 (S) (LTD) CHARDONNAY GEWURZTRAMINER MUSCAT DESSERT WINE (LIMITED) HEIGHTS WINE (S) MT. HERMON INDIGO MT.HERMON WHITE MT.HERMON RED MERLOT ODEM CHARDONNAY ODEM MERLOT PINOT NOIR SYRAH 2T DRY RED T2 FORTIED DESERT WINE TEL PHARES SYRAH 2008 (S) (LTD))
urrent vintage Subject to price/vintage change • Not responsible for typographical errors.
yviewwines.com
15.95 15.95 15.95 15.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 47.95
TITORA
PSAGOT
CABERNET SAUVIGNON DUET MERLOT CABERNET BLEND MALBEC PETIT VERDOT SHIRAZ
TABOR
54.95 63.95 10.95 10.95 13.95 10.95 10.95 13.95 13.95 21.95 13.95 13.95 13.95 20.95 36.95 21.95 10.95 21.95 36.95 36.95 36.95 39.95 21.95 21.95 34.95 32.95 39.95 21.95 26.95 24.95 51.95 24.95 29.95 24.95 19.95 19.95 27.95 25.95 25.95 13.95 13.95 13.95 13.95 13.95 26.95 59.95 19.95 18.95 13.95 19.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 24.95 21.95 53.95 24.95 24.95 28.95 36.95 68.95
YATIR
RED BLEND CABERNET SAUVIGNON FOREST 201 PETIT VERDOT SYRAH
YIKVEI ZION
DOLEV CABERNET SEMI SWEET DOLEV MOSCATO DOLEV MUSCAT HAMBURG DOLEV EREZ PETIT SYRAH/MERLOT EREZ CABERNET/ MERLOT EREZ MERLOT EREZ CABERNET ETZION KALIL 4% (KIDDUSH WINE) ETZION WHITE DRY ETZION RED DRY
YOGEV
CABERNET SAUVIGNON CABERNET/MERLOT CABERNET/PETITE VERDOT CABERNET/SHIRAZ CHARDONNAY/SAUVIGNON BLANC
1848 WINERY
2ND GENERATION CAB./MERLOT 2ND GENERATION CAB. SAUVG. 2ND GENERATION MERLOT 5TH GENERATION CABERNET FRANC 5TH GENERATION SYRAH 4TH GENERATION WHITE BLEND CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE SPECIAL RESERVE CAB SAUV CABERNET/MERLOT RESERVE
ITALY
BARTENURA
BRACHETTO MALVAISA MOSCATO DI ASTI * MOSCATO DI ASTI (375 ML)* NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO OVADIA BARBERA * OVADIA CHIANTI OVADIA DOLC.D'ALBA OVADIA MORELLINO * ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO ROSSO TOSCANO * VALPOLICELLA * PINOT GRIGIO * UMBRIA ROSSO*
BORGO REALE BAROLO BRUNELLO DI MONT. CHIANTI * CHIANTI RISERVA DOLCEZZA (N) FIZEE RED (N) FIZEE WHITE (N) MATURO RED * MONTEPULCIANO * MOSCATO * PINOT GRIGIO * PINOT NOIR * PRIMITIVO * ROSE (N) SANGIOVESE * BORGO ROSSO TOSCANO * UMBRIA ROSSO*
GABRIELE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON CHARDONNAY CHIANTI * DOLCEMENTE RED * DOLCEMENTE WHITE * MONTEPULCIANO * PINOT GRIGIO * PINOT NOIR * SANGIOVESE *
RASHI
LIGHT PINK * LIGHT WHITE * LIGHT RED * JOYVIN RED * JOYVIN WHITE * MOSCATO D'ASTI * CLARET *
MOLDOVA LE SOREQ
CABERNET CORDU CABERNET (MEVUSHAL) * CABERNET SEMI DRY CHARDONNAY MERLOT MERLOT CORDU PINOT NOIR SAUVIGNON BLANC
34.95 44.95 69.95 39.95 39.95 8.95 8.95 8.95 11.95 11.95 11.95 12.95 6.95 6.95 6.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 12.95 19.95 19.95 19.95 24.95 24.95 24.95 35.95 52.95 35.95
9.95 9.95 9.95 6.95 13.95 14.95 11.95 15.95 14.95 11.95 6.95 9.95 11.95 6.95 41.95 44.95 13.95 14.95 9.95 8.95 8.95 21.95 10.95 11.95 11.95 13.95 15.95 12.95 10.95 19.95 13.95 8.95 8.95 13.95 7.95 8.95 10.95 10.95 12.95 10.95 3.95 3.95 3.95 7.95 7.95 9.95 7.95
19.95 16.95 10.95 11.95 29.95 15.95 15.95 10.95
NEW ZEALAND GOOSE BAY CHARDONNAY * FUME BLANC RESERVE * PINOT GRIGIO * BLANC DE PINOT NOIR * PINOT NOIR *
15.95 21.95 18.95 26.95 19.95
PINOT NOIR RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC* VIOGNIER * O'DWYERS CREEK SAUV. BLANC*
SOUTH AFRICA BACKSBERG CHARDONNAY BACKSBERG MERLOT BACKSBERG PINOTAGE
31.95 16.95 17.95 13.95
11.95 11.95 11.95
SPAIN CAPCANES LA FLOR DE PRIMAVERA 67.95 CAPCANES PERAJ HA'ABIB 2011 1.5 LTR CAPCANES PERAJ HA'ABIB 2012 CAPCANES PERAJ PETITA CAPCANES PERAJ PETITA ROSAT EN FUEGO CHARDONNAY EN FUEGO CABERNET SAUVIGNON EN FUEGO TEMPRANILLO EN FUEGO UNIDO ELVI 26 DE ELVI PRIORAT ELVI ADAR ELVI CLASSICO * ELVI CLOS MESORAH (LIMITED) ELVI HERENZA CRIANZA ELVI HERENZA RESERVA ELVI INVITA ELVI MATI RIOJA ELVI MAKOR REQUENA ELVI NESS BLANCO ELVI NESS DE ELVI RIBERA NEXUS ONE RIBERA DEL DUERO (N) RAMON CARDOVA CRIANZA RAMON CARDOVA GARNACHA RAMON CARDOVA RIOJA * SAVIA DEL SOL RIOJA CRIANZA SAVIA DEL SOL RIOJA OAK BARREL TOBIA TEMPRANILLO GARNACHA * TOBIA TEMPRANILLO * VOLCANUS PETIT VERDOT
URUGUAY ARTISTAS DEL SUR TANNAT *
129.95 53.95 15.95 19.95 8.95 8.95 8.95 8.95 48.95 23.95 12.95 68.95 24.95 61.95 12.95 15.95 12.95 13.95 15.95 19.95 17.95 16.95 12.95 22.95 14.95 8.50 8.50 19.95
9.95
SHERRY/PORT KEDEM SHERRY ROYALE * 7.95 KEDEM PORT * PORTO CORDOVERO PORTO CORDOVERO PORTO CORDOVERO PORTO CORDOVERO LBV TIO PEPE TIO PEPE QUEVEDO RUBY PORT
KOSHER SPIRITS ASKALON ARAK 80°
ASKALON ARAK 100° ASKALON BRANDY 80° STOCK 84 BRANDY 80° AMARETTO BANANA BBB BRANDY CHOCOLATE LIMONCELLO SOUR APPLE TRIPLA SEC BOUHKA BOKOBSA FIG BRANDY CLEAR CREEK KIRSCHWASSER CLEAR CREEK KIRSCHWASSER (375 ML) CLEAR CREEK PLUM BRANDY CLEAR CREEK PLUM BRANDY (375 ML) DISTILLERY NO.209 GIN DISTILLERY NO.209 VODKA DUPUY COGNAC XO ELVI EL26 SWEET PRIORAT GIVON BRANDY 80° GODET XO EXCELLENCE HUNGARO SLIVOVITZ JELINEK SILVER SLIVOVITZ 100 ° KEDEM VODKA LOS ARANGOS SILVER TEQUILA LOUIS ROYER VSOP LOUIS ROYER VS COGNAC LOUIS ROYER XO COGNAC MARASKA CHERRY WINE MARASKA SLIVOVITZ MOSES DATE VODKA MOSES VODKA SABRA COFFEE SABRA CHOCOLATE ORANGE STRYKOWER SLIVOVITZ 144 PROOF ZACHLAWI FIG ARAK ZACHLAWI GOURMET ARAK ZACHLAWI GRAPEFRUIT ARAK (N) ZACHLAWI SWEET POTATO VODKA ZACHLAWI VODKA SUKKAH HILL BESAMIM SUKKAH HILL ETROG
12.95 27.95 47.95 17.95 17.95
19.95 19.95 14.95 15.95 16.95 16.95 19.95 16.95 16.95 16.95 16.95 31.95 38.95 25.95 39.95 26.95 39.95 29.95 99.95 45.95 13.95 69.95 26.95 27.95 12.95 31.95 62.95 47.95 135 14.95 25.95 27.95 27.95 33.95 29.95 28.95 28.95 28.95 28.95 29.95 23.95 23.95
888-759-8466
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20 • The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015
Out Of Egypt
A
Passover remembrances and recipes from noted food anthropologist and writer Claudia Roden. Gamliel Kronemer Special To The Jewish Week
s much a culinary anthropologist as a food writer, London-based Claudia Roden has been writing about food, and its history, for nearly half a century. Her articles and books (including her James Beard Awardwinning magnum opus, “The Book of Jewish Food: an Odyssey from Samarkand to New York,” 1996) are written in a conversational style, but they display a depth of scholarly research as she tries to uncover the history and origins of the dishes she describes. The Egyptian-born Roden, who grew up in Cairo, moved to London in the early 1950s to study painting at the St. Martin School of Art. But it was a few years later, after the 1956 Suez crises started a mass emigration of Egyptian Jews, that Roden found her true calling. “All the recipes I got in my first book,” she said, referring to 1968’s “A Book of Middle Eastern Food,” “started with all the Jews who came out of Egypt in 1956. They were staying in London, or stopping in London, and moving on to different countries, when they were thrown out of Egypt.” Roden explains that in Egypt nobody would share family recipes, “but suddenly everybody was exchanging recipes and saying, ‘I might never see you again, but here’s my recipe so that you remember me.’ ... I started researching it [the book] gradually. [At first] I didn’t think I was doing a book; I was just collecting our heritage, for us.” “Egypt in my time was a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural world,” says Roden. “Syrians, Christians, Greeks, Armenians, Italians and English expatriates were in Egypt, and we were living amongst the Muslims; they all spoke many languages, but French was the common language. The food was also a cosmopolitan mix. The haute cuisine of Egypt, which we also inherited, was from the local aristocracy, which was OttomanTurkish. So we had some Ottoman dishes, but the Jewish community in Egypt was itself a mosaic of people who came from all over the Ottoman world when the Suez Canal was built.” From Cairo to London, with an armful of recipes. TONY FRENCH
The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015 • 21
WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100 BEST WINES OF 2014
©2015 Palm Bay International Boca Raton, Fl.
Two of Ronen’s popular titles.
THE ONLY ISRAELI WINE When asked about her childhood Passovers in Egypt, Roden’s TO MAKE THE LIST memories were of “a long, long table [that extended into] two rooms, doors opening into the dining room and living room. The grownups were all on one side of the table, and the children were on the other. ... It [the seder] went on and on. It was in French because we spoke French, but the men sang in Hebrew. (The girls, U P KOSHER FOR PASSOVER [including] myself, never had Jewish [education] while in Egypt.) My father or my grandfather would tell the story of the flight from Egypt, and so for us it was very funny because we were still in Egypt, and we thought we were those who had been left behind. P18527-JewishWeek ... 1 One of the happiest times of my time in Egypt were the festivals, and in particular Passover.” Roden does not see herself as any sort of an expert on wine; nor did wine play a big role in her native Egyptian-Jewish cookery. “In the Muslim world wine was not used, and we were Arab Jews, so wine was not usual. … But we did use it [wine] for desserts,” she says. The Jews who have mastered wine cookery are those of France, she Happy Passover added. “It’s Ashkenazi food. In Alsace, there is a goose that is cooked with cognac or calvados. They also have chicken livers that they sauté When celebration is called for… with calvados or cognac. I found that dishes that originally came from Reach for a winner. Moscow, grander dishes, were cooked in wine. ... In France there is a Reach for Moses. recipe called Carpe à la Juive, which is Russian style. It’s jellied carp in white wine.”
PASSOVER RECIPES FROM CLAUDIA RODEN
For Passover in Egypt we made Roz ou Hamud with Kobeba Hamda — ground rice dumplings stuffed with minced beef and poached in a lemony chicken soup with leeks, celery and courgettes [zucchini] — which we served over rice. We also made artichoke hearts with broad beans. Many Sephardi communities eat broad beans during Passover because they were eaten by the Israelites in Egypt. Vendors came to our kitchen door to sell artichokes by the crate. In the UK, I use frozen artichoke bottoms from Egypt and peeled broad beans from Iran that I find in Middle Eastern stores. We made breast of lamb stuffed with spicy rice with fried onions, ground beef, pine nuts and raisins, in an apricot sauce. In the UK, we started making easier meat dishes. In the Sephardi world, celebratory meat dishes were often sweet with fruits such as apricots, prunes, quinces and raisins. Almond cakes were a Passover specialty. Continued on following page
2/25/15 9:18 AM
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22 • The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015
Claudia Roden
Living the dream, drinking its fruit.
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Chag Sameach
continued from previous page
AGNEAU AUX RAISINS SECS ET AUX AMANDES LAMB WITH RAISINS AND ALMONDS
This is a Passover speciality of Fez and Meknez in Morocco that is easy to make. As usual on festive occasions in Morocco, meat dishes are sweetened with honey, but I add only a touch. Start with a tiny bit of honey, as it may not be to your taste and add more if you like. Serves 8
1 pound small pickling onions, peeled 5 tbsp. groundnut or light vegetable oil 2 lbs. lamb, shoulder or fillet of neck, cubed and trimmed of some excess, but not all, fat Salt and pepper 1/4 tsp. saffron threads (optional) 3/4 tsp. ground ginger 1 2/3 cups seedless raisins 1 tsp. cinnamon 1-3 tbsp. honey (optional) 2/3 cup blanched almonds Put the onions in a large pan with 3 tablespoons of oil and the meat, and sauté, stirring, until the meat changes color. Add salt and pepper, saffron (if using) and ginger. Cover with water and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Add the raisins and cinnamon and cook another 15 minutes. Add the honey (if using) and cook 15 minutes more. Lightly fry the almonds in the remaining oil, until slightly colored, chop them coarsely or leave them whole. Serve hot with the almonds sprinkled on top.
GATEAU AU SYROP D’ORANGE ALMOND CAKE IN ORANGE SYRUP
This is a wonderful Judeo-Spanish cake. Make it at least a few hours before you are ready to serve or the day before so that the juice has time to soak in. Serves 12 -14
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Les Floreales Merlot Rose 2013 Tie for #8 Sweet Wines Les Floreales Moscato Rose 2012 #9 Sweet Wines Les Floreales Moscato 2013 #10 Sweet Wines Arza Emerald Riesling, 2013 #12 Sweet Wines Adir Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Tie for #10 Red Wines $25 and Over
Red Garden Inc. Importers of fine Kosher wines info@redgardenimports.com
8 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar The grated zest of 1 orange 1 cup ground almonds ½ cup blanched almonds very finely chopped For the syrup 1 pint freshly squeezed orange juice 1 cup sugar Mix well the egg yolks with the sugar, orange zest, and all the almonds. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them in. Pour into an oiled and floured 10-inch cake pan and bake at 350ºF for about 1 hour. Make a syrup by bringing to a boil the orange juice with the remaining cup of sugar. Take it off the heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. When the cake has cooled, turn it out onto a deep serving dish that will hold the cake and the syrup. Make little holes on the top with a fork to allow the juices to be absorbed and pour the syrup on top. Or cut it into serving pieces (so that they can better absorb the juice) and pour the syrup over them. Leave to soak for a several hours or overnight. A nice way to serve this cake is with orange slices.
The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015 • 23
HAROSET
We believed our haroset was the best because it was the color of the Nile silt, which the Hebrew slaves used to make the mortar to build the pyramids. 9 oz. pitted dates, chopped 4 oz. raisins or sultanas 2/3 cup sweet red Passover wine 2 oz. walnuts, coarsely chopped Put the dates and raisins or sultanas with the wine in a pan and barely cover with water. Cook, covered, over very low heat, stirring occasionally until the dates fall apart into a mush, adding a little water if it is too dry. Cook until it becomes a soft paste. You can blend it in a food processor. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with walnuts.
CARPE A LA JUIVE RUSSIAN STYLE JELLIED CARP
Poached carp served cold in its own jelly is one of the classics of Eastern European Jewish cookery. It is featured in Russian and Polish cookbooks as “in the Jewish Style.” A Polish version is sweet with added sugar. This Russian one, with white wine, is how it is made in Paris. Serves 6 1 large carp weighing about 3 ¼ pounds 2 medium onions, cut in half then sliced 2 1/2 cups medium dry white wine The thinly pared peel of 1 lemon 2 bay leaves 1 sprig of thyme A few parsley stalks Salt and pepper Have the carp cleaned and cut in thick steaks. Put the onions at the bottom of a pan. Place the fish steaks and the head on top. Pour in the wine, then add the same amount of water and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil, remove the scum, then simmer very gently, covered, on the lowest possible heat for 1 1/2-2 hours until the fish is tender. Lift the slices and the head out, and arrange in a serving dish. Reduce the stock if necessary by simmering, uncovered, and strain over the fish. Cool and refrigerate, covered with plastic film. A rich firm jelly will form. Variations: - Garlic, allspice and bouquet garni can be part of the aromatics. - Garnish, if you like with chopped pickled cucumbers. Gamliel Kronemer writes the Fruit of the Vine kosher wine column for The Jewish Week.
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24 • The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015
The French Fight Back
A
While Israeli wines may dominate the kosher market, French wines are starting to make a comeback.
Gamliel Kronemer Special To The Jewish Week
lmost 20 years ago, in the summer of 1995, I walked out of a liquor store with an $11 purchase that was going to change my life. It was a bottle of Georges Duboeuf’s 1994 kosher Beaujolais Villages (the only French kosher vintage ever exported to the U.S.), and it was a perfect entry-level red. It was the wine that convinced me that there was more to kosher wine than Cream Concord, and it was French. Mine is hardly a unique story. The modern kosher wine industry was really starting to take shape in the 1990s, with dozens of quality kosher table wines, most of them produced in France or California, becoming available to U.S. consumers. “The kosher wine industry copies the general wine industry,” explains Nathan Herzog, the executive vice president of sales and marketing at kosher wine giant Royal Wine Corp., which started importing kosher French wines in 1983. “When French wine is popular, kosher French wine is popular ... [and] in the late ’80s and early ’90s the French were king.” But, Herzog explained, there is an important “caveat” when it comes to understanding the kosher wine market — “and that is Israeli wines. When Israel really started producing [quality kosher] wines, about 20 years ago, people would say, ‘Why do I need French wines ... when there are great Israeli wines.’” By the mid-2000s, when, due to the Iraq war, French products generally became unpopular in the U.S. (the days when French fries had been redubbed “Freedom Fries”), Israeli wine had come to dominate the kosher wine market; this is a fact that USDA import statistics seemingly confirm — by 2005 the U.S. imported 1.3 million liters of Israeli wine, up from only 377,100 liters in 1995. (In 2014, the best year on record yet for Israeli wine imports, the U.S. imported 2.2 million liters.) Yet in the last few years, after having largely disappeared from the market, the number of French
kosher wines available in the U.S. is again on the rise. “Wine is like fashion,” says Herzog, “and fashion changes. We’ve seen in the last three or four years a nice resurgence in interest in French [kosher] wines.” Royal Wine Corp. released three new kosher French wines in January, with more new French wines on the way later this year and next year. Nor is Royal the only importer that has seen an increase in demand for kosher French wines. William Mendel, the U.S. portfolio brand manager for the French-based Victor Kosher Wines, whose current portfolio contains 26 kosher French products, including two Champagnes and three Cognacs, is very excited about the current level of interest in his French imports. “We have a rosé, a Margaux, and a [Lalande de] Pomerol that we can’t keep on the shelves,” he says. One of the newest importers of kosher French wines is Brooklyn’s Red Garden Inc., which in the last few years has started importing a number of kosher small production wines that had been produced for France’s domestic market. French imports have grown to represent approximately 20 percent of its portfolio. Red Garden’s Mendel Unger suggests that, in part, the upsurge in kosher French wine sales happened because “people got a little bored with Israeli wines. They are always looking for something new ... and today drinking French wine makes them feel more sophisticated.” It’s not just the kosher wine companies that are betting on increased demand for kosher French wines. Last year, Champagne giant Vranken-Pommery Monopole reintroduced to the U.S. market its kosher Pommery Brut Royal Champagne, and for the first time is disPommery’s Brut Royale Champagne, left, t r i b u t i n g i t s e l f through its U.S. and Chateau du Rocher’s Bordeaux.
Pommery, Brut Royal, Champagne, Kosher Edition, non-vintage: Recently reintroduced to the U.S. market, this dark straw-colored blend of one-third Chardonnay, one-third Pinot Noir and one-third Pinot Meunier, has a full body and a rich mousse of large, active bubbles. The lush bouquet is redolent of peaches, cream and toasted challah, with a whiff of wildflowers in the background. Look for flavors of toast, peaches, and cream in the front of the palate, straw and raspberries mid-palate, a long finish of Meyer lemons, and a lovely layer of chalky-earthiness running throughout. Score A ($29.99. Available at Garnet Wines & Liquors, 929 Lexington Ave., Manhattan, [212] 772-3212) Les Lauriers, Des Domaines Edmond de Rothschild Montagne-Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, Kosher Edition, 2013: With a bright-garnet color, and a medium to full body, this very approachable Bordeaux has a nose of cassis and plums, with a hint of brier. Look for flavors of cherries, cassis, plumbs and crème de framboise, with a smoky, spicy note on the finish. With silky smooth tannins, this wine is drinking well now, and Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré, Saint should continue to do so for Julien, Bordeaux, Kosher Edition, 2012. another five years. Continued on following page
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subsidiary, Vranken-Pommery USA. Due to a strong Israeli wine presence, French wines are not likely to dominate the kosher market again anytime soon. However, cheap oil (reducing transport prices) and the weak Euro, are likely to keep prices for French kosher wine prices reasonable. So with increased demand, it seems likely we’ll be seeing a lot more kosher French wine in the future. Who knows, maybe Georges Duboeuf will even start making kosher Beaujolais again. The following are five new and noteworthy kosher French Wines:
26 • The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015
French Fight Back continued from previous page Score B+ ($26.99. Available at Beacon wine and Spirits, 2120 Broadway, Manhattan, [212] 877-0028)
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Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré, Saint Julien, Bordeaux, Kosher Edition, 2012: This second label of Léoville Poyferré is a dark garnet-colored, full-bodied wine, which has an earthy nose with elements of cassis, cranberries, spice, smoke and pencil shavings. Cranberries and cassis dominate the flavor with a nice mineral-rich earthiness mid palate, and a note of tobacco smoke on the finish. This wine could use another year or so to show its best, and then should be able to cellar until the end of the decade. Score B+ ($53.99. Available online from Kosherwine.com, [866] 567-4370) Giersberger, Pinot Gris, Alsace, Kosher Edition, 2012: Made from the same grape variety that the Italians call Pinot Grigio, this dark-straw colored, light-to-medium bodied white wine, has a fruity nose redolent of pineapple, quince, apricots and lychees. Off-dry, but crisp, the wine is well structured with flavors of apricots, lychees and citrus, and a hint of spice. Drink within the next year. Score B+ ($22.00. Available at FillerUp Kosher Wines, 174 W. Englewood Ave., Teaneck, N.J., [201] 862-1700)
Chateau du Rocher, Bordeaux, Kosher Edition, 2010: One of the least expensive wines in my tastings for this article, this wine is everything a budget Bordeaux should be. Garnet colored, with a medium to full body, the wine has a bouquet of cherries and cassis, with just a whiff of chocolate and tobacco smoke. Look for flavors of cherries and cassis, with hints of blackberries and crème de cassis. While not overly complex, this wine is well structured, with just a modicum of powdery tannins. Drink now-2018. Score B+ ($18.99. Available at Suhag Wines & Liquor, 69-30 Main St., Flushing, [718] 793-6629) Wines are scored on an “A”–”F” scale where “A” is excellent, “B” is good, “C” is flawed, “D” is very flawed, and “F” is undrinkable. Prices listed reflect the price at the retailer mentioned.
Quality kosher le’Pesach cognacs, vodkas and gins are on the rise. and allspice. Score B+. ($61.99. Available at 67 Wine, 179 Columbus Avenue, Manhattan, [212] 724-6767)
Gamliel Kronemer Special To The Jewish Week
ne of my favorite anecdotes is likely apocryphal and it dates back to the mid-1950s. First mentioned in print in 1956, it involves a group of engineers who were trying to develop an electronic system to translate English to Russian, and vice versa. One of the first phrases the engineers tried was, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The machine quickly translated it, and came up with, “The liquor is agreeable, but the meat is rotten.” In the mid-1950s — and for that matter in the early-2000s — just the reverse was true at most Passover meals: the meat was agreeable but the liquor was rotten. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case, given the growing number of quality kosher-for-Passover beverages that are good straight up or mixed in cocktails; they include cognacs, eau de vies, vodkas and gin.
While kosher le’Pesach Slivovitz, a traditional Eastern-European plum eau de vie, has been available for decades, Oregon’s Clear Creek Distillery has recently begun producing what is by far the best one I’ve tasted. Clear Creek’s Slivovitz Blue Plum Brandy is distilled from a simple fermentation of Italian Blue plums that were grown in Oregon. Both the flavor and aroma of this smooth, crystal-clear spirit are redolent of fresh, ripe plums. While dry on the palate, this delightful eau de vie has a nice, lingering sweetness on the finish. Although not readily suited for cocktails, this Slivovitz would make an excellent apéritif, perhaps served with a bowl of roasted nuts. Score B/B+ ($31 for a 375 ml. bottle. Available at Park Avenue Liquor, 292 Madison Ave., Manhattan, [212] 6852442) Clear Creek also produces a kosher le’Pesach Kirschwasser, which is made from cherries grown in Oregon and Washington State. With a rich, almost creamy mouth feel, and a smooth finish, this just-off-dry, crystal clear eau de vie has flavors and aromas of cherries and toasted almonds, with notes of pistachios and vanilla. It would be equally good as either a digestif or cocktail ingredient. Score B+ ($29.99 for a 375 ml. bottle. Available at 67 Wine, 179 Columbus Avenue, Manhattan, [212] 724-6767)
One of the best kosher le’Pesach spirits on the market is Cognac Edmond Dupuy X.O. Aged 21 years, this light-chestnut-colored brandy, made from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Muscadelle grapes, has a rich bouquet of caramel, apples, cloves, cinnamon and allspice. Look for flavors of apples, cinnamon, caramel, white pepper and spices. Smooth and well balanced, with a nice bit of sweetness, a snifter of this brandy would make an excellent digestif. Score A/A-. ($89.99. Available at Chateau de Vin, 544 Central Ave., Cedarhurst, L.I., [516] 374-9643) For a more moderately priced Cognac, and a good choice for both sipping and use in cocktails, try Louis Royer’s V.S.O.P. Cognac, which is a smooth, medium-bodied, chestnutcolored brandy that has flavors and aromas of caramel, mocha, figs, cinnamon, cardamom
In the kosher spirit: Distillery No. 209’s Gin and Clear Creek’s Kirschwasser.
If cocktails are your thing, then a bottle of Distillery No. 209’s kosher-for-Passover gin would be a good investment. Made at Leslie Rudd’s Distillery No. 209, located on the San Francisco waterfront, this smooth, supple gin Continued on following page
The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015 • 27
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28 • The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015
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‘Spirited’ Passover continued from previous page has a nose of juniper and citrus, with a whiff of spice. Look for flavors of juniper, dried orange peel and coriander seed on the palate, with a nice hint of allspice on the finish. S c o re B + ( $ 3 6 . 9 9 . Available at Beekman Liquors, 500 Lexington Ave., Manhattan, [212] 759-5857) The quality of kosher le’Pesach vodka has really started to shoot up in the past few years, and the best I’ve tasted is Distillery No. 209’s Kosher-for-Passover Vodka. Made from sugarcane, this smooth, crystal-clear vodka has a clean nose with a faint whiff of angelica root. The flavor is also clean and well balanced with a light note of angelica and other herbs mid-palate. It would be a great choice in cocktails or on the rocks. S c o re B + ( $ 3 3 . 9 9 . Available at Whiskey & Wine Off 69, 1321 Second Ave., Manhattan, [212] 585-0005)
Louis Royer’s V.S.O.P. Cognac.
Made a little bit closer to home, the Zachlawi Distillery, which is located on the Jersey Shore, makes a kosher le’Pesach Sweet Potato Vodka. This faint-straw-colored spirit is surprisingly sweet both on the nose and pallet. Look for flavors and aromas of liquorice and fennel. This vodka should make for an interesting cocktail ingredient (try it in a Rickey). Score B ($29.99. Available at Suhag Wines & Liquor 69-30 Main Street, Flushing, [718] 793-6629)
While Passover’s dietary requirements are by their very nature restrictive, the addition of luxury goods, such as a bottle or two of spirits, to one’s menu can make those restrictions feel less severe. So when you head out to buy your wine for Passover, think about picking up a bottle of that new breed of kosher-for-Passover spirits. ✦
Spirits are scored on an ‘A’-‘F’ scale where ‘A’ is excellent, ‘B’ is good, ‘C’ is flawed, ‘D’ is very flawed, and ‘F’ is undrinkable. Prices listed reflect the price at the retailer mentioned.
The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015 • 29
W
The Shmittah Effect What impact does the biblically mandated sabbatical year have on Israel’s wine industry?
Joshua E. London
Special To The Jewish Week
hen it comes to Israeli kosher wine, there is one major issue that springs forth every seven years: shmittah (from the Hebrew root word meaning “to let go” or “release”). The Torah mandates that every seventh year be designated as a rest or sabbatical for the Land of Israel itself, and the land is to lie fallow and agricultural cultivation is forbidden. Just as every seventh day of the week is the Sabbath and is considered holy for the Jewish people, so too every seventh year is considered holy in the Land of Israel. The seventh-year produce is thus imbued with an additional level of holiness known as kedushas shviis (“holiness of the seventh”) because the “seventh” or shmittah year is considered sanctified to God. While kedushas shviis is considered a positive dietary staple, it is also subject to additional restrictions and regulations (it cannot be wasted, for example). Today the laws of shmittah are considered a rabbinic mandate, but the economic challenge remains. According to Eli Ben-Zaken, founder and winemaker of Domaine du Castel, “Shmittah is quite a difficult issue for wineries in Israel because it’s obviously not a very economically viable thing to simply stop for the year.” As Amichai Luria, winemaker at Shiloh Winery, notes: “Shmittah is a big challenge, and it’s not just me saying it, but also Chazal — [Hebrew acronym for “Our Sages of Blessed Memory”] — said it’s a big challenge; Chazal called the people who do observe shmittah properly ‘gibborim’ ‘heroes,’ as it says — “Gibborei koach osei devaro” [“mighty heroes who do His word” from Psalms 103:20; Midrash Rabbah, Leviticus 1:1 interprets the Psalmist’s words as reference to those who observe Shmittah]. The government of Israel also agrees. As Menahem Hesse, minister of agriculture and science at the Israeli embassy in Washington, put it: “Shmittah is a major issue not just for the State of Israel to manage, obviously, but also for the market and for individual growers, in this case, vineyards and wineries, to manage, to deal with and to plan for — and from the first year, even, not just the seventh year. It is a known, structural element; it’s not coming out of nowhere.” So what does shmittah mean for the Israeli
A vineyard in the Golan. The Israeli government subsidizes growers who fully observe shmittah laws. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
wine industry? Shmittah first became a substantive issue for the modern Israeli wine industry in the late-19th century, notes Adam Montefiore, the wine development director of Carmel Winery, Israel’s largest wine producer; this happened, he says, when Baron Edmond de Rothschild effectively “reintroduced a wine industry in the Holy Land for the first time in 2,000 years.” “There were great debates,” says Montefiore, “between those strictly religious who chose to observe the shmittah year exactly as written in the Bible, and those who were less religious, who looked for practical ways to circumvent the ruling, fearing the economic consequences. The debates and arguments continue until today.” This 19th-century crisis led directly to the then new rabbinic solution known as heter mechira (“permission to sell”). This entails the temporary sale of Jewish-owned lands in Israel to non-Jews under the supposition that the transfer of ownership removed the prohibitions of shmittah, thereby enabling agricultural activity to continue without restriction. From its inception heter mechira was considered a necessary evil of sorts, was hotly debated, and although still in wide use today, it remains very contentious.
The most popular alternative solution to heter mechira, particularly when it comes to wine production, is known as “Otzar Beis Din” (“storehouse operated by a rabbinical court”). As Ed Salzberg, chief winemaker at Barkan Winery, Israel’s second largest producer, explains, “a beit din organizes people to care for the fields, harvest the crops, produce the wine and bottle it. … Halachically there is no buying and selling of fruit or wine here; rather, people [are] being paid by the beit din for their time and effort by people who haven’t the ability to do it themselves.” Of course, the people hired by the rabbinical court are the very same grape growers, winemakers and laborers who do the work during the non-shmittah years. So this is a very attractive option for some.” “All of these are loopholes in the law,” notes Rabbi Dr. Berel Wein, the prolific scholar and public speaker, during a lecture on the current shmittah. “Shmittah affects kosher Israeli wineries in many ways,” notes Salzberg, and wineries must choose to either rely upon one of the rabbinic solutions allowing them to work around shmittah, or instead embrace shmittah and simply not work with Israeli produce. Additionally, he notes, “this year a governmentContinued on following page
30 • The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015
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continued from previous page sponsored program is being tried where farmers receive a payment from the wineries for not harvesting.” According to Hesse, the agriculture minister, “about 25 million shekels will go to subsidize those grape growers who will fully observe shmittah. It is not huge compensation, but it helps offset the losses. We also issue guidelines to growers… to help them improve their produce for the future.” Also, notes Hesse, “the Israel Grape and Wine Council have introduced a new scheme for cooperation between growers and wineries — so that every dunam [unit of land] that will not be cultivated during shmittah will also be compensated in some limited amount by the wineries themselves.” “The last numbers I heard,” noted Victor Schoenfeld, head winemaker of GHW, “is that some 3,000 acres of Israeli vineyards will be subsidized and not harvested, which is close to a quarter of the total vineyard acreage. In our vineyards, a negligible number of acres are participating in the program.”
“It might have a positive impact on the industry overall,” muses Geller, “since several wineries are facing difficulties selling their wines and getting rid of their older stocks. Skipping this coming harvest might allow them to focus on selling out the previous vintages.”
“This shmittah will be interesting,” says Gabriel Geller, a Jerusalembased Israeli wine expert and industry consultant, “as it seems that many more wineries than in 2008 [the last shmittah year] won’t make any wine at all this time.” “It might have a positive impact on the industry overall,” muses Geller, “since several wineries are facing difficulties selling their wines and getting rid of their older stocks. Skipping this coming harvest might allow them to focus on selling out the previous vintages.” Lewis Pasco, winemaker of the Pasco Project and consultant to the Beit El Winery, struck a more sobering note: “It’s going to be a struggle. … But look, the wine business always has people struggling — a certain percentage of the producers will always be struggling and have cashflow issues — it’s a tough business to begin with. It’s not like everyone is making a fortune interrupted only by shmittah. The wine business is not a guaranteed thing by any measure, but then that’s not why most of us are in it. That’s not what it’s about.” While usually the diaspora Jewish communities are a source of support and encouragement, during shmittah things are different. “It
The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015 • 31
According to Eli Ben-Zaken, founder and winemaker of Domaine du Castel, “Shmittah is quite a difficult issue for wineries in Israel because it’s obviously not a very economically viable thing to simply stop for the year.” seems,” notes GHW’s Schoenfeld, “that the U.S. kosher market is the most reactionary regarding wines in the shmittah year.” For one thing, the economic argument driving the heter mechira leniency does not apply to the economic realities of American life, so Orthodox kashrus agencies tend towards stringency on the issue. “Since the different shitot [halachic opinions] are far from achieving consensus on shmittah,” says Gabriel Geller, “the U.S. certifications do not want to take the risk and be seen as too lenient for many of their customers — who wouldn’t touch shmittah wine anyway.” As Rabbi Aharon Haskel, director of Israel operations for the U.S.-based OK kashrus agency, put it: “Seeking leniencies for shmittah is not our way.” Further, most rabbinic authorities seem to agree that, as Barkan’s Salzberg succinctly put it, “Sabbatical wines should be consumed [only] in Israel, therefore, there is essentially no export.” “We miss all the export markets,” agrees Gil Shatsberg, head winemaker of the Recanati Winery, one of Israel’s 10 largest producers. “The U.S. and France will not take Shmittah wines,” laments Shatsberg, “and usually 20 percent of the Recanati production is for export, so for Shmittah we simply need to prepare with a large enough stock of shanat shishit (“sixth year,” i.e., from the vintage before shmittah) to provide into the sabbatical year. So we try to control the economic impact.” Seemingly alone in the industry, however, the Golan Heights Winery (GHW) does export its Shmittah wines, and intends to continue do so based on a halachic ruling by Rabbi Avraham Dov Oyerbach of Tiberias, the kosher certifier of GHW. Even though the US certification that usually accompanies these wines is dropped from the label for the Shmittah vintage, wines sales seem unaffected. Justin Kohn, export manager of Tabor Winery, another of Israel’s 10 largest producers, helps put all of this into some perspective. “Keep in mind,” Kohn says, “that the 2015 shmittah vintage won’t hit the market for some time — at least a year. It is true that Tabor will not be exporting to the U.S., France or the U.K., because our importers there are very strong in the kosher market. For Kohn, as for so many others, the key is simply to plan ahead. Indeed, says Kohn confidently, “Shmittah shouldn’t really impact us or our consumers; we simply won’t have the 2015 vintage in that mix.” As Recanati’s Gil Shatsberg notes, “In general, this is good for the industry and helps some of the players clear out their inventory. It shouldn’t have any real impact on the overall supply and demand.” ✦
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32 • The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015
TOP
The Jewish Week’s
The Tastemakers
18
TOP WHITE WINES UNDER $18
PLACE
1 2 3 tie 3 tie 3 tie 4 5 tie 5 tie 6 tie 6 tie 6 tie 7 8 9 tie 9 tie 10 11 tie 11 tie
MEV*
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Gilgal Brut, N.V. Deccolio, Prosecco, N.V. Taanug, Cava Brut, Pinord, N.V. Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, White Riesling, 2013 Les Floreales, Chardonnay, 2013 O’Dwyers Creek, Sauvignon Blanc, 2013 Tabor Winery, Mt. Tabor, Chardonnay, 2014 Cantina Gabriele, Pinot Grigio, 2013 Saporta, Alella, 2012 Baron Herzog, Chardonnay, 2013 Lanzur, Sauvignon Blanc, 2014 Zufini, Pinot Grigio, 2012 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Chardonnay, 2013 Tishbi, Estate, Viognier, 2013 Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, Chardonnay, 2012 Tierra Salvaje, Chardonnay, 2013 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Gewurztraminer, 2013 Terrenal, Chardonnay, Chile, 2012
N Y N N Y Y N Y N Y Y Y N N N Y N N
TOP WHITE WINES $18 AND OVER
PLACE
1 2 3 tie 3 tie 4 5 6 7 8 tie 8 tie 8 tie 9 10 tie 10 tie 11 12 tie 12 tie 13 tie 13 tie
Bat Shlomo Vineyards, Chardonnay, 2013 Hagafen, Sauvignon Blanc, 2014 Covenant, Red C, Sauvignon Blanc, 2013 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Blanc de Blancs, 2007 Lueria, Gewurztraminer, 2013 Tishbi, Brut, N.V. Hagafen, Napa Valley, Chardonnay, Oak Knoll, 2013 Recanati, Sauvignon Blanc, 2013 Hagafen, Brut Cuvee, 2012 Hagafen, White Riesling, Dry, 2014 Dalton, Alma, White Blend, 2013 Binyamina, Reserve, Chardonnay (Unoaked), 2013 Shirah, Vintage Whites, 2014 Ella Valley Vineyards, Chardonnay, 2012 Recanati, Chardonnay, 2013 Joseph Mellot, Sancerre Blanc, 2012 Bat Shlomo Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc, 2012 Blessed Valley, White, 2012 Giersberger, Pinot Gris, 2012 JEWISH WEEK’S TOP 18 KOSHER WINES COMPETITON
MEV*
N Y N N N N Y N Y Y N Y N N N N N N N
The judges used a 100-point scoring system; tallies were made after each of three rounds of tastings. The tastings took place over a three-day period in February and were held at The Jewish Week.
*MEVUSHAL WINES
Meet the judges whose discerning palates pick The Jewish Week’s Top 18 Kosher Wines Competition.
HERMAN ALLENSON Herman Allenson joined the Barcelona Stamford restaurant after spending 12 years in the New York City restaurant scene, bringing with him experience in varied venues. While at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., Allenson first began working at the critically acclaimed fine-dining restaurant, The Frog and the Peach, where he developed a passion for food and wine. He then studied at the Manhattan branch of the London-based Wine & Spirit Education Trust. He managed and held the position of wine director at Prime Grill and Solo restaurants; at Solo, he also helped design and consult in expanding the brand in other locations. He has catered to the cosmopolitan clientele at the exclusive Soho House in the Meatpacking district. After Soho House, he moved on to the Connecticut-based restaurant group, Barcelona Tapas and Wine Bar, where he held the position of opening general manager, launching restaurants up and down the East Coast. MICHAEL GELVEN Michael Gelven is a lifelong wine industry veteran who likes to say that every working day of his life has been in the wine industry — first as a retailer, then an importer and distributor. Currently he is a principal in a direct-to-consumer wine club and a direct-to-consumer consulting company that works with wineries in developing their direct-to-consumer sales within the U.S. market. Gelven is also a certified wine judge, judging at the California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition and the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in addition to the Jewish Week Kosher Wine Competition.
YOSSIE HORWITZ Growing up in a tee-totaling household in Jerusalem — “my father maybe drank a shot of amaretto per year,” he recalls — Yossie Horwitz didn’t have much early exposure to wine. That all changed one night when, as a teenager, Horwitz’s palate was astonished by a kosher Bordeaux that some family friends brought to a seder dinner. A lifelong passion was stoked: Horwitz began attending wine tastings and winery tours around Israel, educating himself on what he liked. By the time he was 30 and had moved to New York City, Horwitz was penning a weekly email blast to family and friends in which he shared his favorite bottles. Today, “Yossie’s Corkboard” goes out to 4,000 subscribers, keeping this corporate attorney-by-day quite busy. This is Horwitz’s fifth year tasting wines for The Jewish Week. @ yossieuncorked/yossiescorkboard.com
JOSHUA LONDON Joshua London has been drinking, writing, consulting and speaking professionally about kosher wines and spirits for more than 15
MIRIAM MORGENSTERN Miriam Morgenstern is vice president and associate publisher of Wine Spectator magazine, considered the world’s most respected and authoritative publications on wine and wine lifestyle. Morgenstern continues to educate her palate and has a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) advanced certificate degree in wine and spirits. In her spare time, she teaches and hosts wine-tasting classes for friends and charities. ALISON NATHAN Alison Nathan knows from kosher food: working alongside her husband, Jeff Nathan, at Abigael’s on Broadway, the nation’s largest kosher restaurant, she directs both guest services as well as promotions. Nathan’s interest in food blossomed at an early age: as a teenager, she made a habit of cooking dinner for her family, and eventually chose a professional track, graduating from the Johnson & Wales culinary school in Rhode Island. She then found work as a line cook at Soho’s New Deal Restaurant, where she met her husband and future business partner Jeff. After becoming a mother, Nathan transitioned to the front of the house at New Deal, and in her duties as the restaurant’s manager she expanded on the wine knowledge she had obtained in culinary school. Nathan is also a food writer and recipe developer. Even among all these achievements, “one of my career highlights is to be a part of The Jewish Week wine judging panel,” she said. @chefjeffabg/ abigaels.com ARON RITTER When Aron Ritter founded the Kosher Wine Society in 2005, he was responding to a hole he saw in the wine marketplace: tasting events for kosher wines. An amateur wine drinker whose passion for the fruit of the vine was steadily increasing, Ritter had looked for tasting events to attend, with no luck. “There was nothing for kosher wine,” he recalls. The first KWS tasting was attended by only about 20 or so friends, but by the time of the group’s second event, a collaboration with Israeli winery Recanati, membership had swelled to about 70, and has only grown from there. Today, Ritter devotes his little free time — he currently works at Citibank — to KWS, hosting several events a year, including the society’s well-loved “New Wines for the New Year,” timed to provide recommendations for Rosh HaShanah wines. @koshwinesociety/ kosherwinesociety.com
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TOP RED WINES UNDER $25
MEV*
Ramon Cardova, Rioja, Crianza, 2011 Y Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, 2012 N City Winery, Bubbie, 2012 N Dalton, D, Petit Sirah, 2012 Y Golan Height Winery, Yarden, Syrah, 2011 N Galil Mountain Winery, Alon, 2010 N Terrenal, Tempranillo, 2013 N Galil Mountain Winery, Ela, 2011 N Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 N City Winery, Zaddie, 2012 N Galil Mountain Winery, Shiraz, 2011 N Binyamina, Reserve, Merlot, 2010 Y Tabor, Mt. Tabor, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 N Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, Syrah, 2011 N Galil Mountain Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 N Barkan, Classic, Malbec, 2013 Y Ramon Cardova, Rioja, 2013 Y Ella Valley Vineyards, Ever Red, 2012 N Galil Mountain Winery, Yiron, 2011 N Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, Merlot, 2010 N
TOP RED WINES $25 AND OVER
PLACE
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MEV*
Shiloh, Secret Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Y Odem Mountain Winery, Har Odem, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 N Barkan, Superior, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Y Hevron Heights Winery, Makhpelah, 2010 N Kadesh Barnea, Petit Verdot, 2009 N Gvaot, Gofna Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 N Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Merlot, 2010 N Yatir, Petit Verdot, 2010 N Dalton, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 N Twin Suns, Reserve Malbec, 2012 N Ramot Naftaly, Petit Verdot, 2012 N Recanati, Special Reserve, Red, 2011 N Shiloh, Shor, Cabernet Franc, 2012 N City Winery, Petit Verdot, 2012 N Tishbi, Estate, Single Vineyard, Cabernet Franc, 2012 N Ramot Naftaly, Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Edition, 2012 N Dalton, Reserve, Shiraz, 2011 N Adir, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 N Covenant, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 N JEWISH WEEK’S TOP 18 KOSHER WINES COMPETITON
The judges used a 100-point scoring system; tallies were made after each of three rounds of tastings. The tastings took place over a three-day period in February and were held at The Jewish Week.
*MEVUSHAL WINES
The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015 • 33
years. Originally from northern California, London’s love affair with wine began in the late-1980s with a relatively short-lived kosher wine venture in Davis, Calif. Besides being a frequent contributor to The Jewish Week, London writes a weekly kosher wine and spirits column for the Washington Jewish Week (which is frequently reprinted in more than a dozen other Jewish publications), and his writing has appeared in a wide variety of both Jewish and non-Jewish print and online media. A highly sought after public speaker, London has also become popular on the Passover circuit with his tutored tastings and spirits education and appreciation programs. A D.C. lobbyist by day and a kosher wine and spirits aficionado by night, London is also the author of an unrelated slice of American history: “Victory in Tripoli: How America’s War with the Barbary Pirates Established the U.S. Navy and Shaped a Nation” (John Wiley & Sons, 2005).
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34 • The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015
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The Jewish Week’s
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TOP ISRAELI WINES
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden Heights, 2008 Shiloh, Secret Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Odem Mountain Winery, Har Odem, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 Gilgal Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, 2012 Barkan, Superior, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Bat Shlomo Vineyards, Chardonnay, 2013 Dalton, D, Petit Sirah, 2012 Hevron Heights Winery, Makhpelah, 2010 Kadesh Barnea Petit Verdot, 2009 Gvaot, Gofna, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Merlot, 2010 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Syrah, 2011 Yatir, Petit Verdot, 2010 Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, Brut, N.V. Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Muscat, 2011 Dalton Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Ramot Naftaly, Petit Verdot, 2012 Recanati, Special Reserve, Red, 2011 Shiloh, Shor, Cabernet Franc, 2012
TOP SWEET WINES
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden Heights, 2008 Hagafen, Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Muscat, 2011 Hevron Heights Winery, Eden, 2007 Deccolio, Moscato, N.V. Zufini, Moscato, 2013 Herzog, Special Reserve, Late Harvest, Orange Muscat, 2012 Galil Mountain Winery, Rose, 2012 Baron Herzog, Chenin Blanc, 2013 Hebron Heights Winery, 875, Muscat of Hamburg, N.V. Les Floreales, Merlot Rose, 2013 Les Floreales, Moscato Rose, 2012 Les Floreales, Moscato, 2013 Cantina Gabriele, Moscato, 2013 Rambam, Moscato, 2013 Arza, Emerald Riesling, 2013 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, T2, 2009 Hai, The Messenger, Emerald Riesling, 2012
MEV*
N Y N N Y N Y N N N N N N N N N N N N MEV*
N Y N N Y Y Y N Y N Y Y Y Y Y N N Y
Scenes from a wine tasting: Oppostie page bottom: Josh London, left, Yossie Horwitz, Aron Ritter, Michael Gelven, Miriam Morgenstern and Alison Nathan at Jewish Week office last month. Not pictured: Herman Allenson.
JEWISH WEEK’S TOP 18 KOSHER WINES COMPETITON
The judges used a 100-point scoring system; tallies were made after each of three rounds of tastings. The tastings took place over a three-day period in February and were held at The Jewish Week.
*MEVUSHAL WINES
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PLACE PLACE
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TOP WHITE WINES
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden Heights, 2008 Hagafen, Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 Bat Shlomo Vineyards, Chardonnay, 2013 Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, Brut, N.V. Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Muscat, 2011 Hagafen, Sauvignon Blanc, 2014 Covenant, Red C, Sauvignon Blanc, 2013 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Blanc de Blancs, 2007 Hevron Heights Winery, Eden, 2007 Lueria, Gewurztraminer, 2013 Deccolio, Prosecco, N.V. Taanug, Cava Brut, Pinord, N.V. Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, White Riesling, 2013 Les Floreales, Chardonnay, 2013 O’Dwyers Creek, Sauvignon Blanc, 2013 Tishbi, Brut, N.V. Tabor Winery, Mt. Tabor, Chardonnay, 2014 Cantina Gabriele, Pinot Grigio, 2013 Hagafen, Napa Valley, Chardonnay, Oak Knoll, 2013
MEV*
N Y N N N Y N N N N Y N N Y Y N N Y Y
1 2 tie 2 tie 3 4 5 6 tie 6 tie 7 8 tie 8 tie 8 tie 9 tie 9 tie 10 tie 10 tie 11 12
TOP RED WINES
MEV*
Ramon Cardova, Rioja, Crianza, 2011 Y Shiloh, Secret Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Y Odem Mountain Winery, Har Odem, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 N Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, 2012 N City Winery, Bubbie, 2012 N Barkan, Superior, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Y Dalton, D, Petit Sirah, 2012 Y Hevron Heights Winery, Makhpelah, 2010 N Kadesh Barnea, Petit Verdot, 2009 N Gvaot, Gofna Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 N Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Merlot, 2010 N Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Syrah, 2011 N Yatir, Petit Verdot, 2010 N Dalton, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 N Twin Suns, Reserve, Malbec, 2012 N Ramot Naftaly, Petit Verdot, 2012 N Recanati, Special Reserve, Red, 2011 N Shiloh, Shor, Cabernet Franc, 2012 N City Winery, Petit Verdot, 2012 N
ALL TOP WINES
MEV*
Ramon Cardova, Rioja, Crianza, 2011 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden Heights, 2008 Shiloh, Secret Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Odem Mountain Winery, Har Odem, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, 2012 Hagafen, Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 City Winery, Bubbie, 2012 Barkan, Superior, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Bat Shlomo Vineyards, Chardonnay, 2013 Dalton, D, Petit Sirah, 2012 Hevron Heights Winery, Makhpelah, 2010 Kadesh Barnea, Petit Verdot, 2009 Gvaot, Gofna, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Merlot, 2010 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Syrah, 2011 Yatir, Petit Verdot, 2010 Golan Heights Winery, Gilgal, Brut, N.V. Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Muscat, 2011
JEWISH WEEK’S TOP 18 KOSHER WINES COMPETITON
The judges used a 100-point scoring system; tallies were made after each of three rounds of tastings. The tastings took place over a three-day period in February and were held at The Jewish Week.
*MEVUSHAL WINES
Y N Y N N Y N Y N Y N N N N N N N N
The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015 • 35
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36 • The Jewish Week KOSHER WINE GUIDE March 13, 2015
THIS MONDAY, MARCH 16!! Experience the finest Kosher Wines from around the world!
THE JEWISH WEEK’S GRAND WINE TASTING AT CITY WINERY, MARCH 16, 2015 FROM 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE ORDER NOW!
Plan to attend the GRAND WINE TASTING event and: • Taste over 200 kosher wines, including the winners of The Jewish Week’s recent Top 18 Kosher Wine Competition • Talk to kosher wine vintners, wine experts and local retailers • Order your favorite kosher wines to enjoy at your Seder and all year long • Get your free copy of The Jewish Week’s Kosher Wine Guide packed with wine features, as well as the Top 18 kosher wines in 9 categories and more
Tickets $42 in advance at: thejewishweek.com/grand-wine-tasting-2015 or $54 at the door the day of the event. All food and wine provided during this event is kosher to In ve ge Ch tast addi tar ee e d tio ian se eli n t FR di Gu cio o gr EE ps y, a us ea N , m lo ch t w OS ea ng ees ine H t f wi es s, rom th fr yo Gr Sab om u’ll ow ra Tn be an Hu uva ab d B mm an le eh us d t old an he , a d nd m ore .
SPONSORED BY: Special thanks to: The Jewish Week Media Group
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