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

KFWE 2012 – Part 4 – Videos

We started our video shoot by speaking to Jay Buchsbaum, Royal Wine Corporation‘s Vice President…

Next we spoke to Sasson Ben Aharon, from Israel’s Binyamina Winery…

Dr Moises Cohen from Elvi Wines a superb winery producing some of Spain’s top award winning wines..

The Directeur Général of Barons Edmond and Benjamin de Rothschild, Bertand Otto and Pierre Miodownik, consultant to the French Wine Industry, consultant to the Royal Wine Corporation and owner of Domaine Netofa, in Israel, spoke to us next…

After talking to just a few winemakers, we turned our attention to the food. Dr Alan Broner from Jack’s Gourmet was next…

The owner of Boro Park’s Glatt A La Carte spoke to us next…

Ari White from Got Tcholent? Inc/Gemstone Caterers spoke to Geila Hocherman and I…

After Ari White told us that Pardes Restaurant was his inspiration, we just had to go to their table. While I’d hoped to see Chef/Owner Chef Moshe Wendel, and/or his wife Shana, we were greeted instead by one of his suppliers Grow and Behold, who more than ably represented Chef Moshe…

Then we turned to Ristorante Tevere…

We ended the video taping by talking to cookbook author, James Beard Award winner, food historian and good friend, Gil Marks…

All in all, between fantastic wines and celebrated winemakers, between top restaurants and incredible delicious foods,  February the 13th was an evening to remember!

CS

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2010 Kosher Restaurant & Wine Experience – The Event

Kosher Food & Wine Experience 2012 – Part 3 – Food

Like fraternal twins, one can no longer give the latest buzz in kosher wine without speaking of the distinctive elegant array of kosher foods to pair it with.  CS has already shared with you the fabulous wine selections we had sampled at the show.  The culinary offerings were no less remarkable, I loved the amenity of table hopping proximity sampling bite sized servings of some of the most exclusive culinary offerings out there in the greater NY area.  Top tier restaurants caterers and food producers showed off their best gourmet delights.

Sushein

Here are some highlights.  My all time favorite in the fish category was far and away Gemstone Catering’s Ahi Poke– a hawaiin street style Ahi tuna sashimi served on a sesame wasabi crispy wonton shaped like a spoon topped with ginger & lemongrass foam. It was the perfect mouthful of harmoniously matched flavors. I would pair that with Herzog‘s Reserve Chardonnay 2009. 

got cholent? Inc/Gemstone Catering

Honorable mention goes to Sushein for their delicious sushi offerings.

River Dale from Pomegranate Supermarket, gave Geila Hocherman (Kosher Revolution) a taste of their prosciutto and she told me it was almost as good as her own duck prosciutto, I sampled their Butcher Block Honey Mustard Corned Beef and it was melt in your mouth scrumptious. etc’s steakhouse‘s Barbeque Oxtail coated with etc’s own barbeque sauce served with crushed red mashed potatoes was incredible and it looked like attendees couldn’t get enough of it.

Pardes served a smoked organically grown appetizer with meat from ‘Grow and Behold’ – Smoked Ribeye Tartare, Soy Enoki & Rice Krispies that was quite tasty.

Tevere is tevere as always incredible, and though I had no room left I had to go back for seconds of their artichokes – Carciofi alla Giudia, I would pair it with Herzog‘s Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 2010.

Dr. Alan Broner and Jack Silberstein - Jack's Gourmet

Jack’s Gourmet served me their Sweet Italian Sausage with olive oil, smashed potatoes and pepper and onion ragout.  CS, tells me  our videographer insisted on a 5 minute break to devour a few sets of their sausages!

Silverleaf  Caterers had a very nice Veal Shepard’s Pie which we followed with their Tiramisyu Cake-Up.

Silverstone Caterers Veal Sheppard's Pie

I was now ready for dessert, Basil‘s table was manned by our good friend Chef Udi Ezra (the restaurant’s Pastry Chef), he was serving a chocolate truffle pastry and introduced me to Guilty Pleasures, a few tables away. Their Very Strawberry, was just that verrrry strawbery! I loved the Bana-Bana, the Cappuccino Truffle and Toasted Almond Crunch I could see it all paired with some of Binyamina’s Liqueurs like the Limoncello, or the Sour Apple, my favorite, or perhaps the Amaretto. CS interviewed Maureen Sussanah owner/confectioner of Guilty Pleasures on last evening’s internet radio special.

All in all it was a great show with superb wines, succulent food, and lots of friends!

SYR

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