The Jewish Week’s Grand Kosher Wine Tasting

Yesterday at the City Winery (155 Varick Street, NYC; Tel: 212.608.0555) The Jewish Week held its annual Grand Kosher Wine Tasting. The most prestigious wine distributors and importers were there with hundreds of wines from all over the world.

Partial views of the crowd…

As always many old friends and familiar faces were there…

Chaim Hezkel, from Liquors Galore, talking wine to an enrapt audience…

Yeruchum Rosenberg, Aron Ritter (center), from the Kosher Wine Society, and Dani Myers, trying to taste some wine…

Nineteen distributors and stores were showing off their best wines, spirits and cocktails, food was available at eight different tables representing meat restaurants, cheese distributors, sausage distributors and chocolate stores.

It wasn’t easy to photograph Brent Delman, TheCheeseGuy.com. His was one of the most popular tables, too many people around waiting to taste his products.

Gershon Bodner of Morad Wines, Estie Wartenberg of Recanati Wines, Shai Germezian of Allied Importers, Zaan Eksteen with Backsberg Wines, Ron Jordan who represents Taanug Wines from Spain, Mayer Jacobovits from Israeli Wines Direct, Michael from Skyview Wines & Spirits were, Shlomo Blashska and Jay Buchsbaum from Royal Wine Corporation were just some of the people manning the tables.

As always it was a pleasure to see Alyson Nathan from Abigael’s, and Yossi Horowitz, Esq., who over the last few weeks served as a judges –  in choosing the 18 Top Wines for each of the nine Jewish Week lists – together Miriam Morgenstern from Wine Spectator, and Aron Ritter from Kosher Wine Society among others.

Though I took copious notes, there were just too many wines to post on all of them, but I will discuss a few new selections I discovered here…

Backsberg Wines from South Africa…

Backsberg Chardonnay Paarl 2013 –  With a very fresh lemon, melon and hazelnut tones combine to a give it a delightful aroma; its natural acidity is balanced by sweet fruit flavors of white peach, providing a medium bodied palate with a long, rewarding finish.

Backsberg Brut Paarl – A strong flavored mix of green apple and pear, with a long refreshing finish.

Backsberg Pinotage 2011 – With strong mulberry and strawberry notes, with hints of herbs, all combining to a very fruity finish.

Taanug Cava – Three grape varieties (Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo), are fermented separately, then blended and fermented again together in the bottle for 12 months. Intensely fruity on the nose, it is smooth on the palate and has a long finish; with a pale straw color and considerable effervescence.

TheCheeseGuy.com featured a selection selection of cheeses including a very creamy brie style from Vermont (my new favorite!!). Sabra presented their hummus variations and Greek yogurt dips. La Brochette Restaurant, as expected, had a nice meat selection but they run out way to early. Grow and Behold served some delicious, juicy sausages. I only wish I hadn’t been too full to taste the rest of the food.

All in all it was a very enjoyable and educational evening, and of course… delicious!

CS

This Week’s Events

If you are tired of the same old bread, if you want to try something different, something that will open up new wonderful worlds of flavor, you must attend the incomparable Levana Kirschenbaum‘s demo tomorrow evening at 7:00pm:

Monday, December 12th

Secrets of Whole Grain Quickbreads and Muffins. Served with salad and soup

Think of all the delicious and healthy breads and muffins you could be whipping up in minutes, and you may never again wait in line for those nasty baked goods the cart around your corner heaves all day long. All the following goodies are equally at home as loaves or muffins, and each batch will make you enough for a good two dozen muffins or a large loaf, so we’ll have fun mixing and matching!

We will be serving our goodies with soup and salad.

I’ll be demonstrating:

• Caraway mustard bread
• Apple oat bread
• Irish soda bread
• Spicy pumpkin bread
• Zucchini pecan lemon bread
• Steel-cut oat soup and salad

You can register for this demo at: http://www.levanacooks.com/kosher-cooking-classes/weekly-classes/

$45 / class. $120 for 3 classes. $200.00 + a signed cookbook for 5 classes
$25 — attending for dinner only
$35 — child class fee (ages 12 and under)

Tuesday, December 13th

These days a wine tasting is far more than just an event where you taste wine, it includes live music and more. Thanks to Aron Ritter‘s Kosher Wine Society, the standards have been raised:

PRE-CHANUKAH WINE TASTING EXTRAVAGANZA!

8 CABERNETS

ONE FOR EACH NIGHT OF CHANUKAH!!

8 OTHER HAND-SELECTED WINES!

and that’s not all!!

Join us for a Gala Chanukah Expo

Live Jazz, and Chanukah Eats!!

7:30pm – 9:00pm

Pre-Registered Online Price:

$25.00

$36.00 at the door

Zanger Hall

347 West 34th Street

(Between 8th and 9th Avenues)

New York, NY 10017

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

 CLICK HERE NOW!

Hope to see you there, gentle reader!

CS

Last Eve’s Wine Tasting, this Evening’s Show

Last evening there was a superb wine tasting at the West Side Synagogue’s Zanger Hall (347 West 34th Street) in Manhattan. The Kosher Wine Society presented New Wines for the New Year. I’ve been to many a wine tasting in my lifetime, but this one was truly different; unlike most kosher tastings, it included a cookbook author, food products, painters and a musical trio.

June Hersh, author of Recipes Remembered – featuring recipes and incredible stories from 80 Holocaust survivors – and the brand new Kosher Carnivore was our first interviewee of the evening. You must hear the eloquent words with which describe her passion for Jews and her love of food.

Bass, violin and tsimbl

From nostalgic old shtetl tunes to Hungarian czardasz we were regaled with klezmer sound that meshed Jewish nigunnim with Gipsy soul!

Aleks Veyg's Natural Flavored Honey

I tasted Veyg’s Natural Wild Flower, Lemon Zest and Peanut Butter honey flavors. All three were great, but, the Lemon Zest was my personal favorite!

A small sampling of Arianna Santoriello's paintings...

Arianna Santoriello, whom we interviewed, is a young mixed media artist who markedly shows the growing fires of inspiration

Rabbi Mikhael Cohen of the French Jewish Cultural Center of New York (67 Wall Street; Phone: 212.202.1448 – Cell: 917.796.0680), was instrumental in bringing the artists and musician to the tasting, thereby, greatly enhancing this event.

Aron Ritter and his father

Aron Ritter, President and Founder of the Kosher Wine Society, and his staff made it a superb evening so different, so delicious. SYR and I met old friends and made new ones, so many wines, so many fascinating people, so little time… truly a tasting to remember!

This evening at 7:30pm (Eastern Time) on our internet radio show, we will feature some of the pre-taped interviews. Meanwhile, if you missed our two broadcasts last week, you can listen to our delightful talk with David Mintz – CEO of Tofutti Brands, Inc. and our conversation with Geila Hocherman, the French trained Chef/author of Kosher Revolution, a beautifully executed cookbook which we’ll review on these very pages.

CS

Talking with David Mintz

Who hasn’t tasted Tofutti‘s Better Pecan ice-cream, or the brand’s Tofutti Cuties? Tofutti, the company, evolved far beyond its founder’s dreams, it has almost become a household word throughout most of the country rather than just a brand.

Our guest this evening (8:00om Eastern Time) on The Kosher Scene’s Internet Radio Show will be David Mintz, CEO of Tofutti Brands, Inc. a company whose products products are all soy-based. We will talk about what brought him to create a super successful line of dairy free products and how he evolved from his beginnings as a Brooklyn delicatessen owner, his quasi-obsession with creating delicious dairy-tasting food that was parve and the company’s newest products.

If you missed our last broadcast, you can hear it here. Our guest were – for the first half hour – award winning documentary cinematographer and author Joseph Dorman and Aron Ritter from the Kosher Wine Society for the second half.

Why not listen in this evening to a fun, informative talk with David Mintz, at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) today on BlogTalkRadio.com?

We’ll be waiting for you!

CS

Dalton Winery Tasting

Aron Ritter, from the Kosher Wine Society, organized last evening’s tasting of Israel’s Dalton Winery with the participation of Alex Haruni – the winery’s owner. While the original invitation only listed five wines, Alex brought in nine, each a truly remarkable selection.

We started the evening with a Dalton Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – Straw colored, I found it crisp and very fruity with aromas of grapefruit, pineapples and a hint of freshly cut grass. On the palate it exhibits a rich array of citrus and apple blossoms all lingering nicely for a refreshing long finish.

Next in line was a Dalton‘s new Alma White 2010 – A delightful wine aged in small French oak barrels with hints of vanilla and chocolate.

It was followed by a Dalton Zinfandel 2009 – With grapes originating from vineyards at the foothills of Har Meron, on red clay soil, it is a somewhat spicy wine with berry flavors.

The Dalton Alma 2009 consists of: Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes. Dark, full bodied wine offering nice aromas of cherries, plums and sweet dark fruits; on the palate it shows a buttery combination with hints of vanilla and green tea and rich, yet gently caressing tannins.

Then came their Dalton Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2009. Dark garnet in color, fruity and with a hint of cigar smoke on the nose, it reveals black and red berries with notes of mint chocolate.

It was followed by a Dalton Estate Shiraz 2009. Dark garnet in color, it has silky tannins, lightly spicy with lots of blackberry, red plums and notes of bitter citrus peel. It shows hints of vanilla and leather.

Dalton Alma Shiraz Mourvedre Viognier 2009 came next. Deep garnet in color, round and full-bodied,  it displays black currant, dark cherries, and tobacco followed by white pepper and assorted berries. Perfect pairing for a perfect steak!

A  Dalton Estate Shiraz 2009 followed, very dark in color, the nose is intense with black fruit, plums, berries, liquorice, and pepper tones. It has soft integrated tannins and a long finish.

We finished the evening with a Dalton Reserve Shiraz 2007, dark garnet in color, medium- to full bodied, developed in new French oak. Opens with a floral and nutty nose, going on to show spicy wood and gentle tannins. On the palate it exhibits a well balanced array of black and purple fruits, nicely complemented by notes of Mediterranean herbs and cigar tobacco.

A beautiful tasting with imported crackers and assorted foreign cheeses, grapes and chocolate kisses between the rounds. It proved, once again, how well Aron Ritter and his crew plan an evening of superior wines.

Don’t miss the Kosher Wine Society‘s upcoming New Wines For The New Year , this coming Wednesday, the 21st, again at Sanger House 347 West 34th Street, in Manhattan.

CS

This Week’s Events…

Monday, September 12th:

Lévana Kirschenbaum resumes her weekly cooking demo (Cooking and a Show) series this evening:

Upcoming Cooking Demo in NYC: Monday September 12th: Asian Feast. Gluten-Free

You may have trouble going back to ordering in a Chinese restaurant after you realize how superior homemade is, thanks to all the glorious  Asian flavors. We will never know why Chinese cookies are called Chinese, but we do know they are fabulous! 

I’ll be demonstrating:

• Mock Crab salad
• Hot and sour egg drop soup
• Steamed chicken breasts with shitaki and baby bok choy
• Vegetable fried rice
• Chinese Cookies

Click Here to Register!

Tuesday, September 13th

Read until the end for an amazing 2 for 1 deal! Aron Ritter, founder and President of The Kosher Wine Society presents:

SPECIAL TASTING WITH ALEX HARUNI!

Join us for the season’s first sit-down guided wine tasting with Alex Haruni, owner of Dalton Winery.

Sign up today to meet Alex and taste his newest wines!

Tuesday September 13, 2011

7:30 – 9:30 PM

Zanger Hall
347 West 34th street
New York, NY 10001

Price: $65.00

Wine List Includes:

Dalton Alma White (Chardonnay-Viognier) 2010
Dalton Alma (Cab Sauv-Merlot-Cab Franc) 2009
Dalton Alma Smv (Shiraz-Mourvedre-Viognier) 2009
Dalton Estate Shiraz 2009
Dalton Reserve Shiraz 2007

Event Sponsor:
Allied Importers
Dalton Winery

Although the price is $65.00 per person for the above tasting, you can a 2 for 1 deal IF you email: info@kosherwinesociety.com AND mention The Kosher Scene Radio Internet Show OR The Kosher Scene blog and my first name (Chaim). at: info@kosherwinesociety.com. You must contact them today, no later than 6:30pm. Tell them you want the 2 for 1 deal.

I hope to meet you, gentle reader, I’ll be at both of these events.

CS

Documentaries, Books and Wine – This Evening’s Radio Show

Joseph Dorman - Photo by: Pepi di Giacomo

Our guest this evening on BlogTalkRadio will be award winning documentary filmmaker and author, Joseph Dorman. Mr. Dorman, as founder of Riverside Films has made the award-winning theatrical feature Arguing the World, about the controversial sixty-year political journey of the eminent Jewish writers and thinkers, Daniel Bell, Irving Howe, Irving Kristol and Nathan Glazer and how they shaped the American political debate. The New York Times described it as “enthralling…  one of the deepest portraits of… of ideas ever filmed.” Currently, another of his movies is showing around the country and its subject is again a very Jewish one: Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness.

Check out the schedule of screenings around the country here. It’s coming back to New York in a couple of weeks.

Joseph’s work has appeared on PBS, CBS, Discovery Channel and CNN. He will be with us this this evening at 7::30pm (Eastern Time). I found Joseph Dorman to be an interesting conversationalist, someone who loves to deeply research the various subjects he writes and films. You’ll find his subject matter fascinating. I did!

Aron Ritter, President and founder of the Kosher Wine Society, will revisit us next on the second half of the show for a discussion of KSW‘s upcoming wine tastings this month.

Meanwhile, if you missed our show last week with Martin Davidson, you can hear it here.

Please, listen to us this evening on BlogTalkRadio.com at 7:30pm (Eastern Time), I know you will enjoy it!

CS

No Radio Show This Evening

Photo from: HowStuffWorks.com

I got back from Richmond, VA, this morning where I had some important family business to take care of. My guest for this evening had his own emergency. The show I pre-taped earlier needs some editing and there was no  time left before show time; we will have a 60 minute show tomorrow evening, instead, with three guests.

Our guests will be award winning documentary filmmaker and author Joseph Dorman, founder of Riverside Films he will talk to us about his current movie showing around the country: Sholom Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness. In the second half of the show we will host Aron Ritter, President of the Kosher Wine Society and Alex Haruni, owner of the Dalton Winery in Israel

Please listen to our show tomorrow evening, at 7:30pm (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkRadio. See you there!

CS

This Eve’s Radio Show

Last Wednesday, the 27th of April 2011, we featured Sara Lasry Leizerowsky. Mrs. Leizerowsky authored two cookbooks (The Dairy Gourmet and The At Home Gourmet, published by Israel Bookshop), for eight years she owned and successfully operated Tastebuds – a dairy restaurant in Lakewood, NJ. Charming and witty, if you missed our conversation when it aired, you can hear the whole conversation on BlogTalkRadio.

This evening’s guest will be Aron Ritter, founder and president of the Kosher Wine Society.

Aron Ritter started the Kosher Wine Society in 2005. KWS has, since then, risen to become synonymous with the best kosher wine workshops presenting potables from around the world, expert speakers and food and wine pairings, including at such venues as some of NYC’s most prestigious kosher restaurants.

We will talk about the development of the Israeli wine industry, from biblical times, to the beginning of modern development in the 19th century to today. Mr. Ritter will talk about some of the boutique wineries and some Israel’s international award winning wines. We will also discuss KWS‘ upcoming events.

Tune us in here. If you have any questions for Aron, or any comments, we invite you to call in at 714.333.3357.

Don’t forget, The Kosher Scene Radio Show, airs tonight from 8:00pm to 8:30pm, Eastern Time. It will be a very informative evening with a discussion of some of the best kosher wines on the market today. We hope your computers will be tuned in to us, as we look forward to hearing from you.

CS

Scotch, Bourbon, Cigars…

This past Tuesday I attended Kosher Wine Society‘s event at the Roger Smith Hotel, on Lexington Avenue, in Manhattan. Aron Ritter, the Society’s president and founder celebrated his 30th birthday, this event was held in the Solarium, a roof balcony. The view was nice, the potables more than memorable.

Aron Ritter, the birthday boy

The event featured some rare but superb scotches, great bourbons and – for the smokers – some good cigars.

Superb selections!

I started with the Usquaebach [pronounced whisk-ay-bay] ‘Premium Blend’ Flagon. It consists of an 85% single malt blend and 15% grain whiskey. With a fruity nose carrying a vanilla sweetness, it runs to a grassy, herbal freshness. The very smooth rich palate is balanced with ample spiciness. The sweet character lingers on in the finish with Caribbean spices. Unusual in character and richness, definitely the best I ever tasted!

I followed with Usquaebach 15YO Pure Malt. Very nice, very smooth!

A partial view of the crowd

After some photo shooting and pleasant conversation I had some Glenmorangie 10 year old. It’s long been my favorite, it has an enigmatic aroma, delicate but very noticeable, sweet but with a strong hint of dryness, young yet oaky. On the palate it combines an oaky taste, a complex toastiness to the barley, with the lightest hint of smoke. I find it uncompromising from the first sniff to the last sip. Why else would it have been my favorite?

After some more photography and comparing notes on the scotches I went back for the bourbons. I always liked Blanton’s Single Barrel, it won a Siver Medal at the 2008 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION. The taste has a masterful start with powerful dry vanilla notes in perfect harmony with hints of honey and strong caramel. The long, creamy caramel holds the fort until some late soft peppers arrive to spice things up. Smooth, superb selection!

I ended the evening with the Eagle Rare 10 Year Old, Single Barrel, Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Honey-colored with aromas of toasted wheat bread and hints of tobacco, opening up to almond butter, melon and lanolin. On the palate it is oily and toasty with flavors of cereal grains and oak. The finish is long and sweet with a little spice.

From the ledge, looking around

An event I’ll long remember, I will definitely be back!

CS