A Conversation with Trina Kaye

This evening, on The Kosher Scene Show, we will be talking to Trina Kaye at 10:00 pm (Eastern Time). Who is Trina? What does she do? She makes connections. As a public relations consultant, Trina Kaye regularly connects the press to her clients creating national news coverage. She also works with brand strategists to connect targeted media with multi-media branding and marketing opportunities.

Trina has lead her own consulting firm since 1992. Her client list includes culinary professionals and non-fiction authors to advertising agencies and marketing companies as well as entrepreneurs and branded personalities. They all seek Trina’s advice and expertise to reach their targeted public relations goals.

Trina has secured media placements for her clients in news outlets like The Today Show, CNN, Fox News, A&E Biography, The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Associated Press, USA Today, Time, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and The Los Angeles Business Journal. She has also had great success with placement in consumer magazines including: Better Homes and Gardens, First for Women, InTouch Weekly, People, Cooking Light, Cosmopolitan, Southern Living, Ladies’ Home Journal, Woman’s Day and Woman’s World.

She counts a number of successful kosher cookbook authors among her clients. We will discuss her craft and ideas for budding authors.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t already done so – or if you want some great wine suggestions – why not listen to our last show with Israel Wine Direct‘s four partners: Agnes Goldberger, Naomi Hochberg, Ari Hochberg and Mayer Jacobovits.

Don’t forget to tune us in this evening at 10:00pm (Eastern Time), we will be talking with Trina Kaye; we will be waiting for you!

CS

Talking Wine for Passover and Beyond: Israeli Wines Direct

This evening – April 2 – at 8:30 pm (Eastern Time), please tune in to The Kosher Scene Radio Show for a delightful pretaped conversation with Ari Hochberg, Naomi Hochberg, Agnes Goldberger and Mayer Jacobovits of Israel Wines Direct.

We will discuss the company’s philosophy, how different generations get along together in harmony and above all we will talk about their wine kosher wine portfolio which includes Kishor, Agur and Ramot Naftaly and food/wine pairings.

The Gang of Four, from left to right:
Ari Hochberg, Naomi Hochberg, Agnes Goldberger, and Mayer Jacobovits.

Meanwhile don’t forget to listen to our last show (if you haven’t already) with Esti Wartenberg, Brand Ambassador for Israel’s Recanati Winery.

Don’t forget to listen to an interesting, entertaining show this evening at 8:30 pm (Eastern Time) for a pre-taped conversation with Ari Hochberg, Naomi Hochberg, Agnes Goldberger and Mayer Jacobovits of Israel Wines Direct. We’ll be waiting for you!

CS

A Kosher un freilachn Peissach!
Chag kasher vesameach!

A Private Wine Tasting at Liquors Galore

Mayer Jacobovits, of Israeli Wines Direct, held a private wine tasting – yesterday – at Liquors Galore (1212 Avenue J, Brooklyn 11230 – Tel: 718.338.4166). Aside from Mayer, the two store operators and I were present.

Of the wines we tasted, I was surprised by Agur‘s Layam 2012…

Set on Moshav Agur in the Judean plains, this boutique winery has been kosher since 2007 under the direction of owner/winemaker Shuki Yashuv. I first tasted their wines about three years ago and was unimpressed, this winery has since matured and now produces some good potables. The 2012 Layam, with a deep purple color, is floral on the nose exhibiting notes of red fruits, spices and herbs. It showed an unexpected, but subtle, salty finish.

As someone who grew up in Uruguay, I am very familiar with neighboring Argentina’s prime grape – Malbec – and I thought I knew what to expect from a wine made from it. Frankly, I never foresaw what was coming, as I tasted the Ramot Naftaly Malbec 2012…

Founded on Moshav Ramot Naftaly in the Upper Galilee – in 2003 – by vintner Yitzchak Cohen, this small winery has been producing kosher wines since 2009. The 2012 Malbec was as interesting as it was unanticipated. A round, gentle Malbec with strong Mediterranean overtones, it was very distinct in character from any of its Argentinian cousins. With light earthy tobacco notes on the nose, it exhibits some spicy wood, gentle gripping tannins with generous blackberry and purple plums. Easy to drink and very good!

Next we tried the Ramot Naftaly Barbera 2013. Rather earthy and laden with minerals, it exhibits crushed blackberries and licorice notes. It opens with a bit of bottle stink that quickly dissipates and gives way to generous fruits, a very likable wine.

Worthy of special mention are the Petit Verdot 2012 and Shiraz 2012. The Petit Verdot showed soft tannins, aromas and flavors of raspberries and crème patisserie. The Shiraz 2012, dark garnet in color, medium to full-bodied (leaning towards full) with well balanced tannins and subtle notes of sweet cedar. With notes of plums, cassis, spices on the nose and palate it shows saddle leather on the finish.

Of the two lower priced Special Edition wines by this winery…

I appreciated the Shiraz 2012 most even though the Cabernet Sauvignon SE 2012 was selected by The Jewish Week TOP 18 Red wines $25 and over. The Shiraz is easy and delightful on the palate with its soft tannins, it exhibits red berry, plum and licorice notes.

Some nice wines you might want to enjoy over Pessach and beyond.

CS

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