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

Kosherfeast 2014

Last evening, once again, Esti Berkowitz and Roberta Scher (unfortunately Roberta was unable to attend) hosted their annual Kosherfeast. This year it was held at the old Streit’s Matzoh factory in the Lower East Side.

We met a lot of old friends and new faces…

Esti Berkowitz and Naomi Stein Nachman welcoming the crowd and opening the awards ceremonies.

Brent Delman, from thecheeseguy.com, purveyor of some of the most delicious cheeses from the US, Europe and Latin America…

Brent Delman and his award

Jeff Nathan from Abigael’s Restaurant, pioneer of kosher TV cooking shows and Estee Kafra, cookbook author…

Awaiting their awards

Shlomo Klein (Chief Marketing Officer) and Shifra Klein (Editor-in-Chief) from Joy of Kosher magazine…

The couple behind Joy of Kosher magazine’s everyday functioning.

Herzog Wine Cellars‘ Winemaker extraordinaire…

Joe Hurliman

Mindy Erreich, media person, from Prime Hospitality Group…

Accepting the award for her company.

Chef Sara Black…

Caterer (Asparagus Catering) and Private Chef

Cookbook author and the Pastry Chef who taught us how to bake with friends…

Elizabeth Kurtz (Gourmet Kosher Cooking), Pastry Chef Paula Shoyer, Kim Amzallag (Forwards‘ Advertising Manager)

We can’t possibly put up every photo, nor can we remember every person that was there but, notable among many other attendees, were Menachem Lubinsky of Lubicom – the brain behind the annual Kosherfest, Jay Buchsbaum of Royal Wine Corporation, Alison Nathan of Abigael’s, Gloria Kobrin (Kosher by Gloria), Asher and Judith Girshberg of De La Rosa, David Mintz from Toffutti, and many, many more.

‘Twas an evening to remember!

CS

Bruschetta, for Breakfast or Brunch

Bruschetta is a traditional italian garlic bread made by rubbing slices of roasted bread with garlic cloves, and then drizzling the bread with extra-virgin olive oil. The bread is salted and peppered, heated and served warm.

Bruschetta

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe tomato, diced
• 2 scallions, finely sliced
• Italian Cheese *
• 1/2 ripe avocado, diced
• 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
• salt and pepper
• 4 slices Italian Bread, toasted to serve **
• 2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves, to garnish

Directions

1. Mix the tomato, scallions, cheese, avocado, balsamic vinegar and half of the oil together in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Drizzle the remaining oil over the bread and top the tomato mixture. Garnish with basil and serve at once.

*  I’ve used different Italian cheeses, at different times, from TheCheeseGuy.com. His Lo Spadone and the Formagio Marzolino were my favorites. However, I’ve also been very pleased with Bastardo del Grappa, the Montaggio or any of the Pecorinos. Each cheese contributes its own character, each one creates a different mood, all are delightful!

** Whenever I can find it, I’ll use Ciabatta bread, though I’ve also used Focaccia (it’s much easier to find), and when I could find neither I’ve used Marsigliese (popularly known as Italian Bread).

Easy to prepare, delicious to the palate, a perfect way to start a dairy meal, so… enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

RELATED POSTS

My Brother Bobby’s Salsa

A Night of Wine and Art

This coming Wednesday the 23 of January (from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm), The Kosher Scene, as well as Recanati Winery, The Cheese Guy and World of Chantilly will be cosponsoring a Night of Wine and Art at the Igal Fedida Gallery,(1482 First Avenue, between 77 and 78 in Manhattan) together with the Kosher Wine Society.

Gil Shatsberg, winemaker at Recanati Winery will introduce us to wines ranging in price from the mid $20s to the mid $70s. The wine list includes:

• Recanati Shiraz 2011
• Recanati Rose 2011
• Reserve Merlot 2009
• Reserve Petit Syrah/ Zinfandel 2010
• Reserve Syrah/ Viognier 2010
• Reserve Wild Carignan
• Special Reserve Red 2007
• Special Reserve White 2010

Gil Shatsberg heads winemaking and vineyard management at Recanati Winery, one of Israel’s top five wine producers and an international standard bearer for fine quality Israeli wines. Shatsberg’s credentials include managing and making wine for seven years at the critically acclaimed Amphorae Vineyard. In early 2008, Gil took over from former Recanati winemaker Lewis Pasco, who left to pursue new career.

Our faithful readers are already familiar with Igal Fedida. Igal was born and raised in Israel, moved to the United States at an early age to pursue a successful business career in construction, design and remodeling. Being of curious and deeply spiritual nature, however, he decided to take some time to get to know the World and he traveled to many distant and unusual pockets of our home planet. He enjoyed drawing, sketching and design since an early age and he discovered the love for photography during his travels, capturing images of nature and people alike.

Returning to Los Angeles, he enrolled in intensive photography study program at the UCLA. Exploring the world of photography, his need for expression drove him to develop a unique form where he combined Polaroid photographs with water color in order to deepen the effect of the image. In doing so he discovered that his need to express the nature and the World that surrounds us far surpasses the limited potential of photography. Subsequently, as if an invisible hand pointed a direction, the magic door opened and he was pulled into the world of painting.

Completely self taught, over the time he developed his own fascinating style of contrasting images. His black and white collection clearly expresses his inner search of balance between order and chaos, good and evil and evermore constant yin and yang presence in life. On the opposite to this sharp collection stand abstracts filled with mesmerizing colors inspired by nature and God alike. Some of his paintings carry deep meanings about the creation and the world from ‘big bang” and Adam and Eve to modern day socialites while others are visually hypnotizing, energy filled abstracts of strikingly vivacious colors.

Brent Delman (thecheeseguy.com), will present us with a delectable selection of imported cheeses. World of Chantilly will bring us their superb selection of award winning pastries.

Please reserve your tickets at the Kosher Wine Society‘s website (space is limited as the gallery is small), for what promises to be an incredible Night of wine and Art, this coming Wednesday from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm (Eastern Time) at the Igal Fedida Gallery (1482 First Avenue, between 77 and 78 in Manhattan).

Hope to see there!

CS

RELATED POSTS

A Talk with Igal Fedida

A Night of Wine and Art – Part 2