Pre-Chanukah Wine Tasting

This past Tuesday, Kosher Revolution author Geila Hocherman and I attended the Kosher Wine Society‘s Pre-Chanukah Wine Tasting Extravaganza. They featured eight Cabernet Sauvignon selections:

• Psagot Cabernet Sauvignon ’09
• Barkan Cabernet Sauvignon ’07
• Weinstock Cellars Select Cabernet Sauvignon ’09
• Teperberg Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon ’10
• Dalton Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ’10
• Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon ’08
• Golan Cabernet Sauvignon ’09
• Gilgal Cabernet Sauvignon ’07

A tablefull of Cabernet Sauvignon types...

In addition, other selections included:

• Binyamina Reserve Sauvignon Blanc ’09
• Lanzur Reserva Pinot Noir ’10
• Chateau Bellerives Dubois Bordeaux ’10
• Le Mourre De L’Isle Cotes du Rhone ’10
• Teperberg Malbec ’09
• Gush Etzion Cabernet Franc ’07
• Gush Etzion Emek Bracha Dry Red Wine ’06
• Gush Etzion Nachal Hapirim, Dry Red Wine ’07
• Gush Etzion Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot ’06

In addition there were also:

• L’ChaimVodka
• Binyamina Chocolate Liqueur

Crackers, cheese, grapes and more helped neutralize the taste buds before sampling a different wine.

We started with the Psagot Cabernet Sauvignon ’09, for both of us this one turned out to be best of the bunch, we loved it. Dark garnet in color with silky tannins, showing oak on the nose and opening to aromas and flavors of black and red currants and citrus-peel, followed by vanilla and a lingering smokiness. Though very good, I still prefer the ’08 vintage which I’ve tasted before.

We followed with the Teperberg Terra Malbec ’09, dark – in typical Malbec fashion – and full bodied. Soft tannins finely balanced with spicy wood and fruits. On the palate one discerned plums, black cherries and wild berries balanced with notes of cinnamon, ending with a long finish of espresso coffee. While we both liked it, Geila preferred the Psagot, I found this Teperberg better.

In totally opposition to the norm we then tasted a white wine, Binyamina Reserve Sauvignon Blanc ’09. Pale straw in color, it opens with notes of grapefruit and lime, giving way to stony minerals with hints of asparagus. Nicely aromatic.

We went back to red wine with a Dalton Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, dark colored and well balanced with notes of currants, berries and mint well complimented with the subtle vanilla flavors of French oak.

We also liked the Gush Etzion Cabernet Franc 2007. Dark garnet, medium bodied with lots of soft tannins and notes of vanilla from the French oak casks where it aged for 18 months. On the palate it showed a rich array of blackberries, currant, black cherries giving way to Mediterranean herbs and saddle leather.

We capped the evening’s selection of potables with a L’Chaim Vodka. Very smooth and tasty!

Rabbi Mikhael Cohen, from the FJCCNY

Rabbi Mikhael Cohen of the French Jewish Cultural Center of New York (67 Wall Street; Phone: 212.202.1448 – Cell: 917.796.0680), spoke of Chanuka and its significance today.

Providing the musical entertainment...

During the tasting we are accompanied by the musical sounds of Yiddish and Israeli classics. All and all an enjoyable evening of good wines and great conversation.

CS

RELATED POSTS

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

Champagne Drappier

French kings were anointed with champagne. During the 17th, 18th and 19th century European royalty spread the message of the unique sparkling wine from Champagne and its association with luxury and power. The leading manufacturers devoted considerable energy to creating a history and identity for their wine, associating it and themselves with nobility and royalty. With the emergence of the middle class, champagne became a symbol of upward mobility and luxury. Since their earliest days the noble wines from France’s Champagne region were synonymous with wealth, luxury, power.

Champagne is made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, or Pinot Blanc grapes.

While there are many kosher sparkling wines from wineries around the globe, until recently there was no kosher champagne that could compete on an equal footing with those brands famous throughout. The Drappier cellars date from the 12th century, however the Drappier family only took over the estate in 1808 and hasn’t stopped making champagne since.

Recently we partook of a feast worthy of such a noble wine…

Champagne Drappier - Carte Blanche Brut, wrong shape glasses, but even these did not detract from our enjoyment of the champagne! Photo by: Irving Schild

On a recent evening, my good friend – photographer and teacher Irving Schild (whose work has graced our pages many a time before) – and I came to my co-blogger SYR‘s home where we enjoyed some superb dishes she graciously prepared from Geila Hocherman‘s Kosher Revolution, a cookbook we reviewed on these very pages.

We started the meal with an incredible Peshwari Challah (page 190), Geila based this recipe on a pashwari naan – an Indian bread filled with nuts and raisins – to which she added pistachios, coconuts, spices and a touch of honey. Very aromatic and full of flavor! We then proceeded with a Coconut-Ginger Squash Soup (page 61), Duck Breast with Port and Figs (page 89) and Braised Lamb Shanks (page 106); we finished it with the Maple Pecan Pie (page 170) As a potable, to wash it all down, we had a bottle of Champagne Drappier Carte Blanche Brut (purchased earlier in the day at Gotham Wines and Liquors). In the glass, it exhibited a beautiful clear light gold color, with a persistent stream of pinpoint bubbles, this fine Champagne presented us an inviting aroma of milk chocolate and fresh apples. Mouth-filling and creamy, it offered fresh apple-jelly and toast flavors with crisp, pleasantly cleansing acidity. By the way, to allay any fears… this Drappier is mevushal.

A meal we will long remember!

CS

Our Next BlogTalkRadio Broadcast

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 16th, at 8:00 pm (Eastern Time) we will be joined by Costas Mouzouras, Manager of Gotham Wines & Liquors and wine-master par excellence. We will talk about kosher wine and how it evolved from being the industry’s laughingstock to where it’s winning international awards in direct competition with the finest wines from all over the world.

Costas hails from Cyprus, where his grandfather was a winemaker. During summer vacations from school, young Costas would help out in the winery. In 1988 he came to these shores to attend Queens College and shortly after, at a friend’s urging, he took a job at Gotham and he’s been there ever since. He first became the kosher wine buyer, at a time when the choices were very limited. As he advanced in rank – at Gotham – so did the quality and the number of kosher wine selections.

In the second half of our broadcast, at 8:30pm, Alessandra Rovati (Dinner in Venice), Esti Berkowitz,(Primetime Parenting), Kim Amzallag, (Director of Marketing for The Jewish Daily Forward)  and Shoshana Raff (The Kosher Shopaholic) and Roberta Scher (KosherEye), will join me for a discussion on last week’s Kosherfest 2011. What impressed us, what trends became apparent, where the kosher industry might venture next, how the internet is impacting it all; we will cover these topics and more. Please tune us in at BlogTalkRadio.com/ tomorrow at 8:30pm (Eastern Time) for an interesting and informative show. We’ll be wait’n for ya!

CS

Sukkot Wine Pairing

[I have the pleasure of introducing you to my good friend Jeff Ingber. He lives in Providence, RI. A trained Chef and graduate from Johnson and Wales in RI, one of America’s top culinary schools, Jeff graciously agreed to share his menus and pairings. CS]

Rosh Hashanah is behind us and most of us Jewish households here in the North East are preparing to dine “al fresco” for a week, while enjoying good company in the Sukkah.  The change in temperature and the observance of the holiday offer us a chance to snuggle up to some bigger and bolder wines on these cooler nights. For over 20 years now here in Providence, people have long anticipated seeing and tasting what wine gems would be served in my Sukkah.

At the beginning of the Israeli Wine Revolution, I was still a student in college. I remember traveling to New Jersey on Sundays to pick up as many varietals of Kosher Wine I could get my hands on, at a store in Teaneck. I would arrive at 11:00am and the clerk would remind me that I could not complete a purchase until after 12:00 in Bergen County. I do not think she knew I had just driven 175 miles and 10 more minutes would not kill me.

Today, I manage a small Wine Store that is located inside my children’s school.  Yes, that is not a typo.  We are the largest retailer of kosher wine in Southern New England.  We carry over 100 labels and sell over 500 cases a year.

This morning I reviewed my menus to ensure some great pairings.

I am not a huge fan of wasting print with personal reviews. It is too refined a process for me.

I have become a huge fan of kosher wines coming out of Spain and Argentina.  Israel is running right behind them.  I try to do my pairing at this time of year with those countries offerings in mind so here goes.

Over the next 1o days or so I will be serving the following:

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Chorizo and Jicama……….. Elvi Adar (Spain)

Arugula Salad with Sweet Potato Crisps and Dried Cranberries……….. Capçanes Peraj Petita (Spain)

Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Garlic Slivers……….. Arco Nuevo Shiraz (Argentina) $9.

Garlic Soup……….. I must say, this is a good time for my favorite Bourbon.  (Willet’s or W. H Harrison)

Jeff Ingber showing one of his catches

Black Sea Bass Ceviche (I catch it myself)……….. Barkan Classic Pinotage OR Carmel Shaal Gewürztraminer  (Israel)

Grilled Southwestern Style Salmon……….. Flecha De Los Andes Gran Malbec (Argentina)

Chicken with Apple and Fig Chutney……….. Or Haganuz Amukah (Israel)

Chicken with Roasted Sweet Chilies and Cilantro……….. Segal’s Single Vineyard, Dovev, Merlot (Israel)

I know , this is a wine Blog not a food blog but it is important to know what we are pairing with here.

There are many other super wines for the season.   Wines from the Dalton Winery like their Shiraz or Tepperberg Meritage a big and bold are just the thing on these cooler nights to keep your senses on high alert. Other great wines like Bynyamina’s Yogev  Cabernet Zinfandel blend or Binyamina Choshen label Ruby Syrah are dancing with a mouthful of Mediterranean flavors of mineral dark fruit.  Elvi’s EL26 Priorat and Ramon  Cordova Rioja remind you that you can sit in the sukkah with tapas, fine wine and great friends for a night under the stars. And, as my wife walks by and takes a look at my musings, she reminds me that Baron Herzog’s Late Harvest Chenin Blanc is her favorite accompaniment to fresh berries and custard. These wines are all in the $7.00 t0 $28.00 range, except for the bourbons which are around $40.00 Everyone can get in on the season of rejoicing!!!

Jeff Ingber

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

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

An upcoming wine tasting

Avi Ashman, president and founder of  Israeli Wine of the Month Club has announced its next wine tasting:

What: French Styled Wine from King David’s Valley — Ella Valley Vineyards

When: Thursday, October 28, 2010 7:00 PM

Price: $36.00 per person

Where: Quint, Miller & Co.
34 West 38th Street (between 5th & 6th Ave.) 6th Floor
New York, NY 10018

The beautiful Ella Valley, the site of the first TKO (David vs. Goliath) is now the home of a young and efficient winery nested among quality vineyards. The French trained winemaker Doron Rav Han continues the ancient wine making tradition in the Valley — biblical wine making facility was discovered near the winery recently — and produces some of Israel’s better wines.

Sit back, relax and join other wine lovers at the Israeli Wine of the Month Club’s interactive wine tasting experience.

What is interactive wine tasting?

* Several wonderful Israeli wines will be explored. Cheese, crackers and fruit also served.
* A panel of our Sommeliers/Wine Critics will describe each wine and guide you in exercising your palate tasting them
* You will be encouraged to voice your opinion about each wine and write elaborate notes — be Robert Parker, Tom Stevenson or Daniel Rogov for a night… Every opinion counts !
* We will collect everyone’s tasting notes and distribute them via a newsletter. The newsletter will also include professional tasting notes as well as detailed descriptions of the wineries, and more…

When? October 28, 2010 at 7PM
Where? Quint, Miller & Co.
34 West 38th Street (between 5th & 6th Ave.)
6th Floor
The buzzer on the ground floor (on the right side of entrance door), # 6

How much? $36 at door
RSVP by October 27, 2010 (space is limited)

RSVP to this Meetup:
http://www.meetup.com/Israeli-Wine-Lovers/calendar/15030400/

I’ve been to some of these tastings and I always found (here, here, here and here) the wine selection superlative; the cheeses and fruits specially chosen by Chef Eran Elhalal have invariably been a perfect complement to the potables. I’ll be there, gentle reader, will you? Just come over and say hello!

When you sign up, why not let them know that you first saw it on this blog?

CS

Upcoming Wine Tasting

Israeli Wine Lovers Club

What: Rooted in the Lower Galil – Tabor Winery

When: Thursday, April 22, 2010 7:00 PM

Where: Quint, Miller & Co.
34 West 38th Street (between 5th & 6th Ave.) 6th Floor
New York, NY 10001

Price: $36.00 per person

We enjoyed the Tabor tasting, that took place a few months ago, so much that we asked Tal to come back and present new and exciting Tabor wines as well as educate us further regarding the influence of soil on the grapes…..

The Tabor Winery owes it roots to baron Edmond de Rothschild (the owner of Chateau Lafitte) who established 2 wineries in Israel at the end of the 19th century. Baron de Rothschild established a village called Kfar Tabor, near mount Tabor in the lower Galil, and planted vineyards to source grapes for the new wineries. In 1999 four local grape growing families established the Tabor winery not far from these vineyards. The grapes grow on 4 different types of soil and we will examine the impact of each on the wines produced — the essence of Terroir…

Sit back and relax; join with other wine lovers at the Israeli Wine of the Month Club’s interactive wine tasting experience.

What is interactive wine tasting?

* Nine wonderful Israeli wines will be explored. Cheese, crackers and fruit also served.
* A panel of our Sommeliers/Wine Critics will describe each wine and guide you in exercising your palate tasting them
* You will be encouraged to voice your opinion about each wine and write elaborate notes — be Robert Parker, Tom Stevenson or Daniel Rogov for a night…
* We will collect everyone’s tasting notes and distribute them via a newsletter. The newsletter will also include professional tasting notes as well as detailed descriptions of the wineries, and more…

What: Rooted in the Lower Galil – Tabor Winery

When: Thursday, April 22, 2010 7:00 PM

Where: Quint, Miller & Co.
34 West 38th Street (between 5th & 6th Ave.) 6th Floor
New York, NY 10001
The buzzer on the ground floor, # 6

Price: $36.00 per person

RSVP by April 21, 2010 (space is limited)

Learn more here:
http://www.meetup.com/Israeli-Wine-Lovers/calendar/13120707/

Avi Ashman

A Private Wine Tasting

I recently had a private wine tasting with Costas Mouzouras, the Wine Director at Gotham Wines & Liquors (2517 Broadway; New York, NY 10025; Telephone: 212.932.0990). Costas, who’s been in the business for 22 years, selected four outstanding wines for me to try. To keep everything strictly kosher, I opened and poured the bottles for both of us.

The choices were: 2007 Lambouri Ya’in Kafrisin, 2006 Shiloh Secret Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Dalton Reserve Wild Yeast Fermentation Viognier and a 2007 Yatir Sauvignon Blanc.

We started with the 2007 Lambouri Ya’in Kafrisin. This wine comes from Limassol, Cyprus. It’s made from a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mavro and Grenache Noir grapes. These grapes are grown in Europe’s highest vineyards. The color is a dark garnet with orange and purple reflections. The Mavro grape is indigenous to Cyprus, and unlike any grape grown in the rest of Europe, it is still grown on ancient rootstock. Most mainland Europe’s vineyards have been attacked by the Philoxera Epidemic during the 19th century, as a result most European vineyards were devastated and their grapes had to be grafted on American rootstock. You can, therefore, surmise that while most European grapes may have, however subtly, changed their taste, the Mavro grape remains untainted and has tasted the same (with fair consistency) for thousands of years.  One will detect a nice fruitiness, with emphasis on blackcurrant, blackberry, purple plum fruits and notes of bitter orange peel, those on a background of white pepper and oriental spices, with the tannins and fruits rising on the finish. It leaves the drinker with an unusual but delightful after taste. Goes superbly well with juicy meats. Definitely one of my new favorites!

We followed it with the 2006 Shiloh Secret Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a very good Israeli wine, grown in the Judean Hills. Aged aged in French oak casks, it is very fruity with blackcurrant and plum undercurrents and vanilla (due to the French oak casks). It goes well with drier meats.

We then went on to the whites. 2007 Dalton Reserve Wild Yeast Fermentation Viognier was our next selection. It started with a certain smokiness, showing intense, vibrant and complex spicy, floral, fig and melon aromas and flavors. Deep and rich with a long, broad finish. This wine was, by far, much better than its price range would suggest!

We ended the tasting with a 2007 Yatir Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp and lively, with elegance and subtlety. It is light golden in color with orange and green reflections, showing citrus, passion fruit, green apple and grapefruit aromas and flavors on a grassy and stony-mineral background.

All in all, these four selection running in price range from $15.99 to $37.99 were excellent! Costas Mouzouras started working at Gotham Wines & Liquors in 1988, where he soon became the kosher wine buyer, at a time when most of the few available kosher wines were of the extra sweet variety. In his 22 years at Gotham he has seen an explosion of kosher wines with award winning selections from all over the globe including many dry wines (which would have been unthinkable to our older generation), as well as semi dry, semi sweet, and sweet ones.

I liked the wines enough that I had to bring each one home, this is their aftermath...

Currently, they are offering 10% off on any bottles and 15% off on solid cases. (solid meaning a case of the same product.)

On Sunday, March 7th, Gotham Wines & Liquors will present its 7th annual Wine Tasting. It will take place in the afternoon at the Lincoln Square Synagogue (200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY; between 69th and 70th). They will present over 300 bottles from all over the world, starting at 2:00pm and going until 5:00pm. Pay $30 per person at the entrance or $25 on line at Gotham Wines & Liquors‘ own site. At 1:15 going on until 2:00 there will be a guided VIP tasting for $45 which is only available at the door.

CS