Yossie's Corkboard

A very common comment I receive from subscribers to my weekly newsletter on kosher wine is that, while they enjoy drinking wine, they don’t really know much about it and can barely tell the difference between a good and a bad wine. The truth of the matter is that most people are already experts in the most important aspect of enjoying wine – being able to identify the wine you like. If you like the wine – it’s a good wine, if you don’t – it’s a bad one. It really is as simple as that, and regardless of what one critic or another might say about any specific wine, from your perspective – it’s your opinion that matters, not anyone else’s.

Given my tendency toward more effusive tasting notes, I am frequently asked “How do you taste and smell all those different things in the wine?” In this post I hope to enhance your wine-drinking experience by providing you with some tips and tools necessary to identify some of the components of the wines you enjoy.

One of the most valuable tools in recognizing the characteristics of any wine is the ability to identify the various aromas present (such aromas are commonly referred to as the “nose” or “bouquet” of a wine). A wine drinker should try to accumulate as large a repertoire of associative smells as possible. The more smells and associations you have, the easier it will be to pick out aromas and tastes in the wine (the multitude of tastes of a wine, commonly known as the “palate”, are actually aromas you taste through your interior nasal passage). The best way to acquire such a collection of associative aromas is simply to smell everything you encounter and try to remember these smells, thus building a large library of smells that you will be able to use when trying to identify the aromas in any specific wine. While there are smells that are common to specific wines (blackberries, currants and cherries to Cabernet Sauvignon; honey, and apricots to Botrytis or Sauternes; apples and vanilla to Chardonnay), there is no right or wrong and everyone tastes and smells different things in a wine. This is part of what makes the experience so pleasurable and is why the experience is better shared with others.

Given the intertwining aspects of smell and taste, when tasting wine it is very important to get some air in your mouth to interact with the wine. This can be accomplished by taking a small sip of wine, holding it in your mouth and, through slightly pursed lips, sucking some air into your mouth over the wine (trying hard not to choke or dribble). Initially, this is probably something to be practiced in the privacy of your home. The next step is to swish the wine around your mouth as if you were chewing on it, then swallow (this is actually a quick process lasting no more than of a couple seconds but extremely important).

The best way to determine whether you like a wine and discern its characteristics is by comparison. Unless you have trained yourself to evaluate wines on their own, without a side by side comparison it’s difficult to evaluate wines that are tasted at different times and under differing circumstances. Trying three Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2007 vintage (i.e. Psagot, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007, Recanati, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 and Yarden, Cabernet Sauvignon 2007) or even three Chardonnay wines from the same vintage, producer AND series (i.e. Yarden Katzrin Chardonnay, Yarden, Single Vineyard Odem, Chardonnay and Yarden Chardonnay) can provide a delightful side by side comparative tasting experience. Each of these wines is the product of a different winemaker, winery and wine-making style and the grapes for each wine were grown in different regions in Israel. This can have great effect on the characteristics of a wine (the effect of the land in which the grapes are grown is commonly known as “terroir” and recent years have seen a significant push to allow the wines to be more expressive of the terroir).

To start the tasting, open all three bottles (or just two of them if you feel like three bottles at once will be too much) and pour a glass of each bottle into separate glasses. Give the first glass a vigorous swirl and then get a good whiff of the wine. Repeat the process with the other wine(s). Then taste them in the same order in which they were smelled. Decide if you like one better than the other. Think about why. Without a doubt you will be able to tell the difference between the wines. You might like one better and you might not. Write down on a piece of paper, which wine you liked better and why (use any description you like, wine related or not). Write down any defining characteristics of the wine. You will find it easier to describe different characteristics of the wines as a result of the comparison.

Keep drinking. See if the wine tastes different as time goes by. See if the changing flavors and textures influence which wine you prefer. You might change your mind as time goes on, which is perfectly normal and doesn’t mean you are waffling. Wine changes over time, even in a matter of minutes. Try to enjoy drinking and forget you are doing a “tasting” – the more you try and think about it, the harder it will become to recognize the differences.

The best way to start off is by “cheating”. Take a look at a published tasting note you have for any of these wines, including mine (or use the back of the wine label which also sometimes lists the smells and tastes of the wine) and try and identify at least one scent they noted. Don’t try to get them all at once. I guarantee that once you use the method above and work at identifying smells and textures in a wine, you will be able to discern more and more in each glass of wine you drink. This will change your drinking experience forever and your enjoyment of wine will increase exponentially!

A significant part of an oenophile’s enjoyment of wine is in acquiring and cellaring special bottles for years, thus allowing them to reach the perfect maturity before enjoying them at a special occasion (or a random Wednesday evening). As a general rule, instant gratification is not a trait associated with the serious or even hobbyist, wine collector. However, there is one occasion when instant gratification is exactly what is sought, and that is purchasing a bottle of wine in a restaurant. If you are successful in your selection, you get to enjoy a great bottle right away that hopefully pairs beautifully with your food selection. On the flip side, a poor choice will significantly taint the entire experience, all of which makes the choice of wine of the utmost importance. Fortunately, the art (and believe me, it is most definitely an art) of navigating a restaurant’s wine list is attainable by anyone and, like many things in life, only requires a few key tips and some practice. In this post I hope to provide some tips to help you achieve this and then you can enjoy accumulating the experience.

Before we get into specifics, there are a few general points worth mentioning. While kosher dining and wine drinking have certainly improved exponentially over the last two decades, the wine lists in kosher establishments still tend to be mediocre at best, and are often downright miserable and comprised of the same dreck in every establishment. Additionally, with a few rare exceptions, kosher restaurants in the United States do not allow you to bring your own carefully selected and cellared wine to a meal – a common practice among better establishments (including kosher restaurants in Israel), thus depriving the oenophile the pleasure of a gourmet meal paired with a treasured bottle of his own wine.

While this is partially a result of the lack of importance wine still carries with the average kosher restaurant patron, it is primarily due to the unfortunate requirement of kosher restaurants in the United States to only carry mevushal wines which, with a few notable exceptions, are not usually that great and provide a restaurant owner with few appealing options. Dining out at any good kosher (non-Glatt) restaurant will provide you with an incredibly pleasurable and different wine and dining experience, as the selection on some carefully curated lists allow you to explore new and exciting wines together with your lovingly prepared smoked Mullard breast or pan-seared Foie Gras.

Unfortunately, for the uninitiated a wine list can be an infuriating and ego-deflating experience – exactly the opposite what you’d like when plunking down some hard-earned Lirot. One common pitfall involves spending 20 minutes carefully going over the list and making an educated selection only to be told that the wine you have chosen is not available, or being subjected to the undisguised disdain or pushiness of an unfriendly sommelier.

Another common pitfall is being rushed into making a decision (a common occurrence at many restaurants, kosher or not). However, this practice is far more offensive in kosher establishments where there is rarely a true sommelier or even someone knowledgeable about wine. If you dare to ask for assistance, the server will usually suggest the most expensive wine on the list (typically an over-the-hill kosher Bordeaux wine), or some horrendous (but seemingly exotic) offering from Argentina or Chile. If you find yourself in this situation, firmly tell the sommelier or server that you needs more time – never allow yourself be bullied into ordering a wine you are not comfortable with.

As a general rule of thumb, there are four categories of wine available at a restaurant (although not all four are available at every restaurant).

First there is the house wine which, except in rare occurrences, consists of the cheapest wine the proprietor could find, sold solely by volume (this wine, not coincidentally, generates the most profit for the proprietor). This wine is inevitably selected by customers not comfortable enough to give the wine list a shot, and is almost always a mistake (which you will realize the second the wine hits your lips, if not earlier).

The second category is wines offered by the glass. This is a good option for situations in which only one or two of the diners are drinking wine and only a glass or two at that, but is otherwise a very expensive proposition (unless you are at a wine bar or intend to try many different wines with a multi-course meal). A bottle will typically cost the same as three to five glasses and will usually provide far better value and selection. Unfortunately, the number of places providing a good selection by the glass is extremely limited. If you do order by the glass, insist that the wine be poured from a fresh bottle or one opened that day.

The most common method of selling wine at restaurants (and the third and fourth categories on our list) is by the bottle; either from the standard wine list or from the restaurant’s special or premium list, which usually includes aged, rare, cult or otherwise noteworthy wines. The premium wine list is primarily for status conscious snobs or very serious wine connoisseurs – unless you are in either of these categories avoid this list, which will be prohibitively expensive and probably not worth your money. That said, if you are trying to impress someone or want to try the list out – ask the sommelier for advice as a misstep could be extremely costly!

If you are dining in a kosher establishment in the United States, in order to comply with the mevushal requirement and to give the appearance of a well stocked list, the owner will list as many mevushal wines as can be found and, as you already know, the majority of these are nasty beverages, barely fit for human consumption. While one of the pleasurable things about dining out is discovering new wines, this experience is not easily achieved at kosher establishments – there you are inevitably better off with the tried and true. On rare occasions you might find something you have not tried before and enjoy, but you are far more likely to be sold something that will bring you no pleasure.

In most cases, and assuming they are available in your price point, I recommend choosing either a wine you recognize and have enjoyed in the past, or anything from Hagafen or the Herzog Special Reserve. These wines will undoubtedly be on the list and represent “Safe Bet Wines” – one you can order blindly, knowing they will always be good. A slightly more affordable option would be the Goose Bay wines from the New Zealand winery Spencer Hill, with their Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc in particular being good choices. As with purchasing wines from a store, avoid any white wine more than two years old and check the vintage you are served to make sure it matches the one you ordered (too often mistakes are made and the wrong bottle or vintage is passed off on the unsuspecting diners).

Another tip for successful wine pairing is picking a “softer” wine to match a wide variety of food. For example, a Pinot Noir will be a better match for a variety of dishes your party orders than a robust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which, while it might pair nicely with your bloody steak might not pair as well with your companion’s Chilean sea bass.

Top Ten Tips to Navigating a Restaurant Wine List:

1. The first tip actually starts before you even leave the house. Many restaurants will have their menu and wine list available on their website. While you may not want to decide on your meal ahead of time, scoping out the available wines and learning something about them beforehand can make the process significantly less nerve-wracking.

2. As soon as your server comes to the table, ask to see the wine list. This not only lets the server know you are comfortable with and interested in wine, it allows you extra time to study the list and come to your decision. It also allows you to order your wine at the same time you order your first course. Beware though, the restaurant’s highest profit margins are on wine, and the server is incentivised to bring your wine to the table before the food is served (thereby increasing the odds that you will need to order additional wine once your appetizer makes an appearance). If that happens, ask the server to wait to open your wine until your first course is served.

3. A couple of helpful face-saving tips – if you are unsure how to pronounce the wine’s name, point to it or give the server its number from the menu. Try to indicate two or three wines you are considering and ask what he thinks of them (this will also silently convey your price range in the event discretion is desired such as a business dinner or date). It is sometimes helpful to give an indication of the types of food being considered which will give the server (or if you are lucky, the sommelier) an idea of what wines would be a good match to your meal. All this assumes a knowledgeable person is assisting with the wine selection. If someone suggests Bartanura’s blue-bottled ridiculous excuse for a Moscato D’Asti – that is the best indication you are dealing with an idiot.

4. In general, I am not a fan of half bottles – they are far more expensive per ounce than regular bottles and they do not age well. That said, at a restaurant they have a significant advantage. As with wines by the glass, half bottles allow you to try more wines or match wines to the various courses, and also allows you to order the “right” amount of wine if only one or two people are intending to drink it.

5. Avoid the least expensive wine(s) on the list. As with the house wines, these wines provide the owner with the highest mark up, will typically be very low quality wines and almost never provide a decent quality-to-price ratio. Even on the rare occasion that they are actually quality wines, they are the farthest thing from good value on the list.

6. In the same vein, avoid the most expensive wine(s) on the list. Every wine list showcases at least a couple of premier, hard to come by, über expensive wines. Typically a French Bordeaux, like the Château Smith-Haute-Lafitte retailing for approximately $150 or the Château de Valandraud which retails for $300 – neither of which are worth the money. Another favorite is a kosher cult wine like Herzog’s Chalk Hill. These wines remain on the list to keep the heavy-hitting showy clients that covet a flashy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or snazzy French Bordeaux satisfied. Unless you are positive that you and your fellow diners will appreciate the wine enough to merit the bill, skip it.

7. In the event that you are lucky enough to be at a restaurant with an actual sommelier – exploit his knowledge mercilessly, and ask a ton of questions. In addition to having tasted and sometimes selected the wines on the restaurant’s list, a good sommelier will know a significant amount about the regions, varietals, producers and vintages of the wines on the list. Some good questions to ask include “What wine will pair best with this dish?” and “What wines are your favorites?”. Another good idea in the event you haven’t yet ordered or decided what you will be eating, is to try and give the sommelier an idea of the types of wines that suit your tastes. A simple “I like very fruity wines” or “big, full-bodied, rich wines” should be enough to give the sommelier a sense of your general tastes and suggest a good match.

8. Once you have made your decision and ordered the wine, a little drama still awaits. The sommelier will bring the wine to your table and “present” it to you with a little ritual – only a few elements of which are of any real importance. First you will be presented with the wine for inspection. This step is actually important as almost a third of the time you will have received a different bottle than the one you ordered (the most common change is being served a vintage other than the one you requested – the server will likely try to convince you that this is a “better” vintage). I also suggest feeling the bottle and confirming it is the “right” temperature for you. Then the cork is pulled and presented to you to smell and check whether the wine is “corked”. I recommend skipping this step as its pretty tough to identify a lightly corked wine – even from drinking it. After you acknowledge your satisfaction with the wine’s appearance, the sommelier will pour a small amount into your glass to taste. After smelling and tasting the wine, if you approve, wine will be poured for the rest of the table (if not, be prepared to explain to the sommelier what you don’t like about the wine so it can be replaced).

9. One trick less scrupulous restaurateurs have up their sleeves when dealing with larger parties, is to pour so liberally so that not enough wine remains in the bottle to fill all the diners glasses, which will necessitate purchasing a second bottle (as they finish pouring the server will ask if he should bring another bottle and the natural tendency will be to say yes, to avoid looking stingy and so that all the diners can enjoy some of the wine you have so carefully selected). You are entitled to expect the server to pour an equal amount into all the glasses with enough to satisfy all the diners (unless you have ordered one bottle for 20 drinkers).

10. One final suggestion, which doesn’t relate to ordering the wine. If the food and/or service is especially good or I have engaged in a wine-related discussion with the chef or sommelier, to the extent I am drinking a good bottle of wine, I will always send a glass of wine back to the kitchen for the chef and offer one to the sommelier or server. It is good manners and common sense – and it is remembered and appreciated.

#133 – July 5, 2010

For some reason that I have not yet figured out, celebrating a nation’s independence seems to be synonymous with grilling meat. As with Yom Ha’Atzmaut in Israel, Independence Day (otherwise known as July 4th) here in the United States has always been the start of the long and glorious grilling season, providing us with an excuse (as if we actually needed one) to break out the grill and barbeque some 2-inch juicy rib eye steaks.

Unfortunately for most of us oenophiles, the majority of liquid consumed together with all those glorious chops, burgers, hot dogs, spicy wings and steaks is beer not wine. Now while I won’t argue that beer is a refreshing and well-matched liquid accompaniment to the various meats and sauces that we tend to enjoy over this traditional long weekend and a refreshing way to cool off, there are many appropriate wines that can enhance your summertime meals without resorting to beer (I did recently enjoy a well-written article providing recommendations of different beers suited for the palate of a wine-lover but wasn’t too convinced).

However since wine is less a beverage and more of a drinkable delicacy it behooves us to find the best vino matches to all that barbequed fare that we are enjoying this weekend. Part of the problem is most barbeques are enjoyed outdoors where the heat tends to cause many wines to feel heavy, tannic and flabby which are clearly not the characteristics we are looking for to refresh ourselves during the hot summerish weather.

Rose wines are probably the best matches for BBQs for a number of reasons. Most grilling is done outdoors where the 95-degree weather means your wines are going to be piping hot as well. Rose wines are meant to be enjoyed and served chilled making them absolutely refreshing and crisp but with more depth and complexity that can stand up to grilled meats and their traditional marinades’ and sauces. Just check out my Rose newsletter for more about Rose and a slew of specific recommendations.

That said, there are other wines, both red and white, that will suit up and play nice with your 4th and post 4th of July barbeque feast – there are just a few general principals to follow. In general, unoaked and acidic wines match well with BBQed food. They should be inexpensive, and have loads of red and black fruit. Any wine for this type of fare should be big bold and drinkable (much as I hate this as a characteristic for wine and think that Bud’s commercial promoting “drinkability” as a value is horrendous, in this limited circumstance it makes sense). Wines for barbecue should be able to support the succulence of the meat brought out by the slow cooking and not be overwhelmed by or compete with the piquancy and sweetness of the sauce.

For great red wine pairings you should be thinking about young, bold, fruity, spicy red wines like Zinfandel, spicy Merlot and Shiraz/Syrah. Just remember that the intense heat will kill a wine so either eat indoors, in the shade or drop an ice-cube or two into your wine (folks – it’s a BBQ not a wine tasting – loosen up and have some fun). Another BBQ favorite is Barbera, which is a varietal that a number of Israeli wineries are producing with great success, and is a great match to any tomato based sauce cutting through it bright and clean – Dalton’s estate series Barbera is a great match for BBQ. Zinfandel will be able to handle a wide variety of red meats. This bold red wine, loaded with fruit, matches the tough (to match) meaty, smoky flavors with its typical black pepper spice, cutting acidity and its ripe tannins successfully taking the meaty flavors to a whole new level. Zinfandel will also work well with barbecue sauce, steak sauce and mild salsas. Herzog makes a good Zinfandel, Hagafen’s Prix (while expensive) is a good match as well. However, if your salsas run on the spicy side, a more appropriate match might be a spicy Merlot, which will support the spiciness of the food and accompanying sauce as opposed to aggravating it. Most Shiraz/Syrah wines are delicious with just about any red meat and the BBQ is a meal at which this varietal is right at home. The somewhat more aggressive flavors and aromas of fruit coupled with more mellow tannins than are present in Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon lead to a perfect match with your typical BBQ fare.

While white wines are not the ones that first come to mind when thinking about smoky red meats, given the predominately outdoor settings of BBQ and the somewhat stifling heat, the best option for an outdoor BBQ might be nice chilled white wine. Not only because an icy cold beverage is most appropriate on a sunny day but also because white wines tend to match well with a wide variety of dishes. There are a host of white wines that will stand up to nicely a grilled BBQ meal (especially chicken, fish or (g-d forbid) veggies). These include unoaked Chardonnay (for grilled fish and grilled corn on the cob), very dry Riesling (for barbecued chicken and most grilled veggies), unoaked Sauvignon Blanc (the herbaceous quality of the wine supports marinades and sauces as well as matching to grilled fish and my go-to spicy white wine- Gewürztraminer (a great choice with spicy grilled chicken or fish).

No specific recommendations; just follow the guidelines above and you will be off to a great start for a fun filled day of the two best culinary items on the planet – meat and wine!

#138 – August 6, 2010

It wasn’t all that long ago that questions like “What is the best kosher wine” or “What is your favorite wine” were moot as there was no really good answer since quality kosher wine was basically a null set. Taking things one step further, it wasn’t even that far back that answering such a question was relatively easy, as the number of really great, available kosher wines could be counted on one’s fingers without too much difficulty.

Boy have we come a long way. These days, given the explosion of top-notch quality kosher wines available on the market (with that number growing exponentially every year), answering such a question presents me with great difficulty. Another difficulty in answering that question is how cost relates to judging a wine – clearly a rich, complex, truly varietaly representative wine that retails for under $25 should get some extra credit if it stands up nicely to a cult or boutique wine with the same characteristics which retails for over $100 – no?

All that said, I had the opportunity a few months ago to be a guest at a truly special wine-tasting event where a significant number of those highly regarded and exceedingly expensive wines were served. In addition to thanking MK for his generous invite to the event, I wanted to share with you a number of tasting notes of wines that I have not recently reviewed and thought would be of interest to you. As many of you know, at least partially resulting from the fact that I started to learn, appreciate and enjoy wine while growing up in Israel for 22 years, my palate preference leans heavily towards Israeli wines. This is the dominant reason that this newsletter is so heavily slanted to Israeli wines and why all those French beauties are somewhat under-represented on these pages (that and my limited budget). That said, there are some truly delightful and exceedingly well made delights available whose only crime is that they are very expensive and, more relevant to us, overpriced, especially when compared to their Israeli brethren (although the pricing on some of the Israeli’s has started to become an epic problem as well – more on that another time).

All of the wines below are of the French persuasion. The sole reason for such lopsided favoritism is that all the magnificent Israeli (and one Spanish) wines served and tasted were wines I had already reviewed and written about relatively recently. The other Israeli wines included the (i) Carmel, Limited Edition, 2005, (ii) Yatir Forest, 2005, (iii) Castel, Grand Vin, 2005 and (iv) and Capcanes, Peraj Ha’abib, 2005 – all among the best available kosher wines. The obvious missing wines were those of Yarden who, over the last few years, has churned out, in steady succession and growing numbers, awesome wine after awesome wine.

Château Léoville Poyferré, St. Julien, 2000: A delicious and extremely well crafted wine, representing the French wine world with honor and persuasion. This brick colored wine has blackberries, currants and black plums on both the nose and palate accompanied by chocolate, vanilla, wet forest floor and toasty oak. A long lingering finish rounds this mature beauty out. Drinking nicely now, the wine will continue to cellar for another 3-4 years; but probably isn’t going to see much additional bottle improvement.

Château Léoville Poyferré, St. Julien, 2003: Most of the 2003 French wines really seem to need another couple of years to settle down but can still be enjoyed now with a little patience and time to open up in the glass. Decanting at this stage (for those of you who like to decant) is advisable to allow the wine to show you its potential. Not quite as enjoyable at the 2000 vintage, this royal purple colored wine is full bodied and somewhat muscular with lots of juicy black forest fruit and cassis on the first attack followed by more of the same, charred oak, dark chocolate, mocha all leading into a long and mouth filling finish that will leave you feeling sated and satisfied. I would give this wine another year or so before opening but at least 10-20 minutes in your glass if opened now (or early decanting).

Château Lafon-Rochet, St. Estephe, 2003: One of the few 2003 wines that are readily drinkable now and not for further cellaring. This purple colored wine is medium bodied and just starting to come together with soft, rounded and mouth coating tannins blending nicely with the fruit and wood. Smokiness and some hints of leather provide some complexity as does the good structure and spiciness. A medium finish rounds this one out.

Château Labégorce Zede, Margaux, 2003: One of the few French wines I tasted while still living in Israel, I had last enjoyed the 2000 vintage almost 7 years ago and it was nice to see a familiar face. This dark red colored wine was full bodied with a lot of fruit on the initial nose including cherries, currants that led to hints of freshly nicely. More fruit followed as hints of blueberries and tangy plums crept in as well as some underlying spiciness I found intriguing. Hints of freshly turned earth tinged with leathery/musty notes that complemented the fruit were also present in the mid palate. A medium and somewhat “minerally” finish rounded out a very nice wine.

Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, 2003: The first time I have ever tasted this wine (about $110 retail) and happy I had the chance. Delicious! A full-bodied French Bordeaux done the way French Bordeaux should be made. Dark garnet colored and nicely full-bodied, this wine is still coming into its own with the fruits peering from behind a muscular wall of powerful tannins well balanced and forecasted to integrate very nicely. A very round and elegant (dare I say sexy) wine with loads of fruit on the initial nose including blackberries, red cherries, currants and juicy plums tinged with tantalizing bitterness and hints of dark chocolate and warm baking spices on a very long finish with anise and more fruit (!) than anything else on the finish. I had more than one taste of this beauty! Just about ready for its debut, this can be cellared for quite some time and will continue to improve. A special wine.

#166 – March 11, 2011

This week I wanted to talk about another grape varietal that, like Carignan, has a somewhat dubious Israeli past and it now experiencing a resurgence of sorts – Petite Sirah. Historically, Petite Sirah was used either as a blending agent to add body, flavor and color to other wines (usually inferior ones), or to produce wine that was total drek, so much that it that any Petite Sirah wine was tainted in the eyes of the Israeli wine consumer, regardless of its provenance or quality. Even today, the majority of Petite Sirah grapes planted in Israel are used as blending agents and not single varietal wines. However, a number of wineries are producing some really nice Petite Sirah wines which are recommended below (I have also included two of my favorite Petite Sirah-blended wines below). I would note that apparently some of the best Israeli Petite Sirah wines are produced by Vitkin and Sea Horse, which are Israeli non-kosher wineries and thus, not tasted by me nor reviewed below.

But first a quick primer on Petite Sirah. Recently recognized as a cross between Syrah and an obscure grape known as Peloursin, created when pollen from Syrah crossed with the Peloursin flower resulting in a new varietal. This new varietal was discovered in the late 1800’s by a French botanist named Durif, who named the grape after himself (Durif is another, less known, name for the varietal). Petite Sirah is sometimes misspelled as and confused with Petit Syrah (a clone of Syrah that yields extremely small berries) or Petit Sirah, and labels can be confusing in this regard. Such confusion is somewhat a result of early Californian planters who confused the grape with other varietals such as Petite Syrah and Syrah, leading to cross planting and mixing up of the fields.

The grape’s resistance to mildew was the primary reason for its cultivation, although the grapes grow in tight clusters making it highly susceptible to rotting when wet, but the French’s lack of ability to produce high-quality wines with Petite Sirah led to it falling quickly from favor, and today almost no Petite Sirah is grown in France. Better luck has been achieved elsewhere in the world including Israel, California Australia, where Petite Sirah is the primary blend in some of the region’s best fortified wines. While Petite Sirah doesn’t have a large following, its fans are devout and passionate. I recommend checking out the Petite Sirah fan site Psiloveyou.com, which has a great timeline of Petite Sirah’s life.

Some of Petite Sirah’s typical characteristics include a chewy nature, inky dark color, heavy tannins (a result of the high skin to juice ratio of the small berries) and relatively high acid, with jammy blueberry and blackberry notes (somewhat similar to a Malbec), and with the addition of some smoke and pepper on occasion. However for the most part, and as is the case with many Israeli wines, the Israeli versions aren’t as true to the varietal as one would hope although, with Petite Sirah, they come close. Some experts consider Petite Sirah a candidate for a true Israeli varietal along with the aforementioned Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Franc and potentially Grenache.

Single Varietals

Shiloh, Petite Sirah, Sod Reserve, 2007: Shilo is yet another Israeli winery that has shown tremendous improvement in the quality of its wines over the last couple years. While still somewhat overpriced, a number of its wines (I suggest checking out the 2006 Mosaic and Barbera as well) are both interesting and delicious and this is one of them. A big, bold and full-bodied wine, with plenty of jammy blackberries and other black fruits matched by tight tannins that have nicely integrated (but still need some serious opening up time in the glass). I’d suggest opening this up at least 2-3 hours before serving and even decanting it in advance, as the air will do it some good. As with many Petite Sirah wines, a shorter finish than one would expect from such a powerful wine, but one laden with spice, anise and a pleasant hint of bitterness.

Ella Valley Vineyards, Petite Sirah, 2007: An extremely limited edition that was only available in Israel, I first tasted this a while back at a wine tasting organized by the Israeli economic mission to the US. I emailed Avi-Ben from the tasting to request a number of bottles which I was lucky enough to secure and a subsequent tasting of this wine only served to validate my opinion of its deliciousness! The first time Petite Sirah released by the winery and, like literally everything else they make, it is a success. Characteristically powerful tannins wrapped around gobs of jammy black fruit including blueberries, blackberries and cassis, together with some cigar box notes make this a wine to contend with. However, all that power is wrapped in an elegant velvet covering making this rich wine somewhat restrained and allowing you to take in all it has to offer. A medium to long finish rounds this one out.

Dalton, Petite Sirah, Estate, 2009: Dalton is rapidly on its way to challenging the Galil Mountain Winery for the best QPR wines. It’s producing some great wines in the Estate series and its first varietal release of a Petite Sirah is no exception. A very aromatic wine redolent of lavender with plenty of jammy fruits and black pepper on both the nose and palate. As opposed to some of the other Petite Sirah wines reviewed, this one was less characteristically true by being approachable out of the bottle with less robust tannins that were better integrated as well. A round and mouth-filling wine that is an YH Best Buy.

Carmel, Appellation, Petite Sirah, Judean Hills, 2007: The 2006 vintage of this wine won Decanter’s wine of the month last year and the 2007 is up to the challenge posited by its younger brother. While “old vines” means different things around the world, these Petite Sirah vines are over 30 years old and produce a well-concentrated and full-bodied wine. The raspberries, blackberries, cassis and plums on both the nose and palate are less jammy than in the other Petite Sirah wines I tried, and when combined with the spices, Mediterranean herbs and tobacco overlay, make for a very nice wine indeed. Another YH Best Buy.

Carmel Vintage, Fortified Petite Sirah, Judean Hills, 2007: Made from 100% old vine Petite Sirah grapes and fortified with additional alcohol, this is a delicious dessert wine. Aromas of raisins, plums, chocolate and spices come at you with first sniff but not overly aggressive. On the palate, a rich, deep and very sweet wine with flavors of mocha, coffee, sweet (and slightly tangy) jammy berries with enough acidity and pleasant spiciness to balance the sweetness from becoming overpowering and flabby on the palate. Hints of slightly bitter almonds do a good job of keeping the sweetness honest and the entire wine in good balance. As opposed to the Porto Cordovero wine, I often enjoy this wine with food as it pairs nicely with most sweet desserts.

Blends

Recanati, Reserve, Petit-Sirah/Zinfandel, 2006: This is probably the wine I drink the most often. It goes well with loads of foods, although it also drinks very nicely on its own, has a fair share of complexity but is very approachable for newbie wine drinkers and is enjoyed by almost everyone – and it’s an YH Best Buy to boot! The addition of the softer Zinfandel grape serves to “cut” the Petit Sirah, and helps soften the wine somewhat making it less tannic, resulting in a wine with almost sweet tasting tannins. Rich with a very fruity nose of blackberries, blueberries and cherries on a nice backdrop of an initial hint of dark chocolate and then minerals, a peppery overlay and touches of licorice, leading into a finish redolent of cinnamon and cloves.

Carmel, Mediterranean, 2007: Over the last couple of years, one of the hot topics of discussion in wine-geek circles has been methodologies for promoting the increasingly excellent Israeli wines beyond their current and natural “kosher” niche which I have discussed here and here. A prevailing trend is to promote these wines as being Mediterranean wines with a specific structure and terrior influence. I believe this was one of the driving forces behind this wine (evidenced to some extent by its name). The interesting blend of 37% Carignan, 26% Shiraz, 20% Petit Verdot, 15% Petite Sirah and 2% Viognier comes together very nicely. Loads of fruit on the first nose which settles down a little and allows the various flavors of the wood and fruits to meld into an interesting medley of plums, currants, blackberries, toasty oak and spices. A nice long finish rounds out this interesting and different wine.

Last week was only the second time in almost a year that I missed my usual Thursday night / Friday mailing date for the newsletter. Hopefully this will not be a recurring theme, and the next edition should arrive this Thursday. For this [past] week’s edition I have included the wine selections and related materials for the Pesach Leket Wine Club shipment that was sent out within the last few days and which you should receive in the next several days (if you haven’t already) – I hope you enjoy the wines!

As is my annual wont, I spent last night carefully combing through my cellar, selecting some well-aged Moshiach wines to enjoy over the multitude of meals this Pesach, which will be sent to Miami Beach were I will be for Pesach. If any of you will be there as well, please let me know as I’d love to share a glass of good vino in honor of the Chag. I will report back after Chag on the status of the wines and how well received they were.

Have a great week!
Yossie

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One of the Wine Club’s primary goals is to assist Leket Israel in promoting and fulfilling its message of food rescue for the benefit of Israel’s poor and hungry. As we lovingly prepare our Seder tables and select our Pesach wines to participate in this festival of freedom, we can feel good knowing that participation in the Wine Club assists in freeing some of the 1.7 million Israelis (including 850,000 children) who still suffer from a form of bondage this Pesach – hunger.

On a lighter note, the other primary goal of the Wine Club is to introduce new Israeli wineries, wines and varietals. In furtherance of this goal, I have included in these shipments the fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon from Yatir, a blend from a new Israeli winery – Domaine Netofa and four less common varietals: a Shiraz and Petite Sirah from Dalton, a Barbera from Shilo and a Zinfandel from Binyamina each of which are reviewed below. Other than the Domaine Netofa which will pair with your lighter dishes, these wines are all big, powerful ones that are ready to drink now and will stand up to those special meaty dishes at your Seder, like rib roast or lamb shoulder. I hope you enjoy these wines as much as I did.

While delightful, the Jewish custom of consuming four full cups of wine at the Seder brings with it a host of dilemmas requiring some serious thought and planning. Chief among these is that four cups is a lot of wine to be consuming at one sitting, especially given that the first two cups are typically imbibed on an empty stomach. Another issue is that at the Seder most of us will use the same silver goblets we use for Kiddush and, while during the year the negative effect of the silver has your wine is easily countered by pouring the wine into a proper wine glass after Kiddush, during the Seder the wine stays in your silver goblet for a far longer period with potentially negative effects on its flavor. Other considerations include the tradition of only drinking red wine and avoiding any Mevushal wine at the Seder.

Given one’s desire to honor the Seder, people try to have the nicest and most expensive wines possible – typically full-bodied Bordeaux-blends or robust Cabernet Sauvignon wines. However, the empty stomach with which most people approach the first two cups and the requirement to consume nearly an entire cup of wine rather rapidly combine to detract from one’s ability to fully enjoy and appreciate the complexities of these typically magnificent wines. As a result I suggest, and have in recent years done so myself, saving the bigger, more expensive wines for leisurely drinking during the actual Seder meal (and the multiple other meals over the holiday) and finding other good wines to utilize for the four cups. Being the traditionalist that I am, I have decided to stick with red wines for all four cups and will be looking for top quality, medium-bodied, relatively simple and inexpensive wines. Some perennial favorites of mine include Recanati’s Reserve Petit Sirah-Zinfandel, the Capcanes Peraj Petita or a new arrival – the Domaine Netofa 2009 (which is included in this shipment). To the extent you are looking for well priced whites, Yarden’s Odem Chardonnay, Recanati’s Chardonnay, Dalton’s Sauvignon Blanc or Yarden’s Viognier are all good, affordable bets.

Yatir

One of my favorite wineries, which consistently produces excellent wines, Yatir is located in the south of Israel at the tip of the Judean Hills, in an area with a history of wine-making dating back over 2500 years. Founded in 2000 as a joint venture between the Carmel Winery and a number of regional wine-growers, this was one of the first kosher boutique wineries to produce spectacular wine, which could compete with the then king of Israeli boutique wineries – the non-kosher Margalit Winery. Head winemaker Eran Goldwasser is assisted by the winery’s manager, Yonatan Ben Dor, and all the wines they have produced to date have been magnificent – truly a tough feat for any winery.

For many years, the only wines produced by Yatir were the Forest (Ya’ar Yatir) and a delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. In 2004, Yatir introduced an incredible Sauvignon Blanc that became an instant hit and the following year introduced a single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon (included in this shipment) and a Shiraz that were just as successful. 2006 brought another major hit with a varietal Viognier. After this long string of amazing wines, I can only hope that Eran will take some of his Cabernet Franc currently used for blending to make a new single varietal out of my favorite varietal – Cabernet Franc.

Yatir, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006: This is a big wine composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petite Verdot. Aged for 12 months in French oak, the wine has a rich nose of blackberries, cassis, currants, cranberries and raspberries. Your first sip of this wine will make you jump for joy, given its super-rich and extracted flavors from the nose. Plenty of well-integrated wood and tannins, along with dark chocolate that plays very well with the ripe but not overwhelming fruit with a pleasant hint of greenness. A long, velvety finish rounds this one out, lingering on and on. While delicious right now, I believe this wine can be cellared for at least another six to seven years [included in the Kerem membership].

Binyamina

Over the last few years Binyamina has made tremendous strides in the quality of its wines, and is currently producing many great ones across a multitude of labels. Binyamina’s two winemakers, Sasson Ben-Aharon and the funny and gregarious Assaf Paz, produce both top quality wines in their flagship labels and really nice wines at their lower labels.

The winery currently produces wines under four major labels – Avnei Hachoshen, Reserve, Yogev and Teva. They also produce a potpourri of other entry-level wines under the Tiltan, Kramim, and Caesaria labels. Binyamina also owns the popular “Cave” label, but prefers to promote it as a stand-alone wine for marketing purposes.

Avnei Hachoshen is Binyamina’s flagship label, with seven wines in the series all named for a gemstone on the breastplate of the Cohen Gadol. The Reserve series has some really great wines, including the Zinfandel provided in this shipment and late harvest Gewürztraminer. Tiltan (Hebrew for clover) blends varietal wines across three vintages; it is made in very limited quantities, but well worth trying. The Yogev series (which is “farmer” or “man of the soil” in Hebrew) includes six blends and was created to honor the folks growing the grapes and lists the names of the actual growers on each label.

Binyamina, Reserve, Zinfandel, 2007: This is a big Zinfandel that spent 15 months in both French and American oak, while managing to retain a relatively low (for Zinfandel, which tends to be higher in alcohol) 14% alcohol level and staying true to the varietal. Typical notes of black pepper and leather match up with ripe raspberries and strawberries. Hints of bittersweet chocolate and mint on a medium finish round out this powerful wine. I enjoyed the wine more on its own than as a match to food [included in the both memberships].

Shilo

When Shilo’s first wines were released for the 2005 vintage, they were somewhat uninspiring and left me with little desire to pay much attention to this winery, located in Shiloh, in the Binyamin region. Only recently, with the 2007 vintage (and continuing with the 2008 vintage), newly available in the US, has the winery taken some significant steps forward and become one to watch. In addition to their great flagship wine – Mosaic, the winery releases wines in three series: Sod Reserve, Shor and Mor. As with many other promising Israeli wineries, in addition to the more traditional Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, Shilo has made a delicious Petite Sirah and the Barbera that we have included in this shipment.

Shiloh, Shor, Barbera, 2007: A deep, luxurious wine, with well-integrated tannins that bode well for many cellaring years ahead. The tannins have already receded sufficiently, providing for a round and mouth filling sensation. Give the wine about 10 minutes to open up in your glass and you will be rewarded with rich aromas of lavender, blackberries, cassis and cedar. The same flavors follow through on the palate, with plenty of slightly toasty oak blending nicely with the fruits and floral notes ending with a long finish that lingers nicely [included in the Kerem membership].

Dalton

Founded by the Haruni family in 1993, the winery currently produces upwards of 800,000 bottles annually. In recent years, the winery has also produced more Bordeaux style wines – causally elegant and sophisticated with more muted fruits. Currently under the auspices of their talented Australian and Californian-trained winemaker, Na’ama Mualem, the winery produces excellent wines across multiple series at very reasonable prices. Dalton is currently producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Barbera, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat varietal wines in a large number of series, including Single Vineyard, Reserve, Safsufa, Estate, Alma, Dalton and Canaan. Dalton also recently launched a Super Israeli wine called Matatia that is excellent. Some of my current favorites from this winery are the Shiraz included in this shipment and a Viognier which is one of my favorite white wines (and was included in our inaugural Rosh Hashanah shipment).

Dalton, Shiraz, Reserve, 2007: Dalton produces both a Syrah and Shiraz wine, even though they are both made from the same grape. The labeling is intended to differentiate between the Syrah wine that is more Old World, French Rhone-like and the Shiraz, included in this shipment, which is bolder and more Australian, New World in style. The Shiraz is a bold wine that could use a bit of time in your glass to open up and fully express itself. Once it does, you encounter a medium bodied wine with great structure and nicely integrated tannins, melded with spicy wood and a bit of smoke. As with many Syrah-based wines, 5% of Viognier was blended into the wine for color and a rounder mouth-feel. Plenty of blackberries, currants and black cherries on both the nose and palate, with additional notes of cedar wood, dark espresso and bittersweet chocolate coming through on the palate, all leading into a medium finish that lingers nicely [included in the Kerem membership].

Dalton, Petite Sirah, Estate, 2009: Dalton is rapidly on its way to challenging the Galil Mountain Winery for the best QPR wines. It’s producing some great wines in the Estate series and its first varietal release of a Petite Sirah is no exception. A very aromatic wine redolent of lavender with plenty of jammy fruits and black pepper on both the nose and palate with hints of Mediterranean herbs and anise. As opposed to some of the other Petite Sirah wines reviewed, this one was less characteristically true by being approachable out of the bottle with less robust tannins that were better integrated as well. A round and mouth-filling wine that is an YH Best Buy [included in the Eshkol membership].

Domaine Netofa

Domaine Netofa is a new winery on the Israeli boutique scene and what a welcome addition it is. And while the winery itself is new, the name behind it – Pierre Miodownick, is an old hand at crafting top-notch wines. For many years, Pierre was the winemaker in charge of making the French wines for and distributed by Royal Wines.

The winery is located on (and derives its name from) Mitzpe Netofa in the Lower Galilee and grows its grapes in its own vineyards. From its Syrah, Mourvedre, Tempranillo, and Chardonnay grapes, the winery produces a white and red blend (which is included in this shipment) and an upper-tier label, also a blend, called Netofa Latour. His first wines were released for the 2009 vintage and were a resounding success. Production for 2009 was about 25,000 bottles and the 2010 vintage about 80,000.

Domaine Netofa, Red Blend, 2009: An easy-drinking, medium bodied blend of Syrah and Mourvedre (a grape which seems to be doing really well in Israel). The wine has plenty of notes of blackberries, cherries, cassis and plums with hints of spiciness from the Syrah grapes. Not for long-term cellaring but a delightful wine that will pair nicely with all but the heaviest dishes. While on the light side, the wine shows plenty of character and is truly a delight to drink culminating in a medium finish with hints of chocolate lingering on [included in the Eshkol membership].

Holiday Shopping – Parts I & II

The weeks leading up to Pessach are among the US kosher wine industry’s busiest and more kosher wine is sold during this period than the rest of the year combined. As the popularity of quality kosher wine continues to increase, the quality and variety of wines available to the kosher wine consumer are truly astounding. While truly a blessing, the tremendous choice can make for a somewhat stressful shopping experience. Additionally and most unfortunately, there is still a substantial amount of drek being pushed as quality wine; and many stores and online purveyors are selling old, dead and tired wines that are so far past their optimum drinking windows it’s practically criminal. Remember – in general (and there are exceptions), white wines shouldn’t be sold more than two years past their vintage and red wines three years (unless we are talking about the better and more expensive wines). As with every industry, caveat emptor.

In order to assist with your holiday shopping, I am happy to present my annual Pessach Kosher Wine Guide, Part I. As with every year, I have set forth recommendations across four price ranges: Under $16, between $16-29.99, between $30-50 and Moshiach Wines. For my new readers, Moshiach Wines are those wines that I would proudly serve the Moshiach, were he ever to grace my table. Please note that some of the Moshiach wines are older vintages that I have in my cellar or were acquired directly from Israel, and therefore may not be readily available at your local retailer. While they may be a tad difficult to lay your hands on, I promise you these are all worth the extra mile of effort or additional shekels!

As there are around 130 wines on these combined lists, I will also be providing a short list of my favorite ten wines in each category which I will post in a few days so stay tuned.

It’s important to none that these lists are not exhaustive, but rather a sampling of wines I enjoy and think you will enjoy as well. Also, while 2008 was a tremendous vintage for almost all Israeli wines, it was also Shmittah and therefore most wines were not exported out of Israel. There are a number of 2008 Israeli wines being sold, including a number from the Golan Heights Winery, Galil Mountain and Odem Mountain. As with most halachik issues, there are numerous opinions with respect to drinking Shmittah wine outside of Israel (or at all) and one should consult their local Rabbi with any questions in this regard.

While one of my favorite Jewish customs, the tradition to consume four full cups of wine at the Seder brings with it a host of dilemmas requiring serious thought and planning. The main problem is that four cups of wine is a lot of wine to be consuming at one sitting (even an up-to 5 hour sitting such as a traditional Seder), especially given the fact that the first two cups are typically imbibed on an empty stomach. Another issue is that for the Seder many folks tend to use the same silver goblets used for Kiddush. While during the year, the potential negative effect the silver has on wine is easily remedied by immediately pouring the wine into a proper wine glass following Kiddush; during the Seder the wine sits in the silver goblet for a far longer period of time. Other potential issues arise from a tradition to only drink red wine at the Seder and to avoid any Mevushal wine.

Given ones desire to honor the Seder, people try to have the nicest and most expensive wines possible, typically full-bodied Bordeaux-blends or robust Cabernet Sauvignon wines. These wines typically take time to open up and evolve and are layered and complex liquid treasures, well-deserving on your time. However, the empty stomach with which most people approach the first two cups, the requirement to consume nearly an entire cup of wine rather rapidly and the need to keep little kids from wreaking havoc; all combine to significantly detract from ones ability to fully enjoy and appreciate the complexities, nuances of flavor and aroma of these typically magnificent wines.

As a result, I suggest (and starting last year, do so myself), saving the bigger and more expensive wines for leisurely drinking during the actual Seder meal (and the multiple subsequent meals over the holiday), and finding other good wines to utilize for the four cups. Being a traditionalist, I am sticking with red wines for all four cups and choose my wines based on a few simple principles. It is still Chag and one in which we celebrate our freedom so top quality wine is still a prerequisite. Therefore, I look for top quality, medium bodied and relatively simple wines. Some perennial favorites of mine include Recanati’s Reserve Petit Sirah-Zinfandel, the Capcanes Peraj Petita or two new arrivals – the Yarden’s Odem Merlot and the Domaine Netofa 2009. To the extent you are looking for well priced whites, Yarden’s Odem Chardonnay, Recanati’s Chardonnay or Yarden’s Viognier are all good and affordable bets.

ANNUAL PESSACH KOSHER WINE BUYING GUIDE – PART I

Under $15.99

While this list includes many good and enjoyable wines, as a general rule, the wines in this price range are not complex, cellar worthy or sophisticated (with a few exceptions). As oak barrels are a significant component of a wines cost, this list has plenty of white wines which typically spend little or no time in oak, resulting in lower prices. As a general rule, any wine in this price range from Recanati, Galil Mountain or Dalton is going to be good, as long as it’s not too old. Most of the wines on these lists qualify as YH Best Buys (wines I consider a particularly good way to spend your Lirot).

(1) Alfasi, Reserve, Malbec-Syrah, 2009
(2) Barkan, Classic, Petite Sirah, 2009
(3) Barkan, Classic, Pinot Noir, 2009
(4) Borgo Reale, Prosecco, n.v.
(5) Cantina Gabriele, Montepulciano d Abruzzo, 2008
(6) Casa de Corca, Reserve, Douro, 2006
(7) Dalton, Canaan, Red, 2009
(8) Dalton, Estate, Petite Sirah, 2009
(9) Dalton, Moscato, 2009
(10) Dalton, Chardonnay, 2010
(11) Elvi, Classico, Ribera del Jucar, 2007
(12) Elvi, Matiz, Crianza, Rioja, 2008
(13) En Fuego, Reserva, Cava, n.v.
(14) Galil Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009
(15) Galil Mountain, Chardonnay, 2010
(16) Galil Mountain, Pinot Noir, 2009
(17) Golan Heights Winery, Golan, Moscato, 2010
(18) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Gewürztraminer, 2010
(19) Recanati, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009
(20) Recanati, Rose, 2010
(21) Recanati, Yasmin, White, 2010
(22) Tabor, Galil, Sauvignon Blanc, 2009
(23) Tabor, Galil, Shiraz, 2009
(24) Teperberg, Reserve, Meritage, 2009
(25) Teperberg, Silver, Syrah, 2009
(26) Tishbi, Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009

$16-29.99

This price range is actually the sweet spot for me. As the prices of kosher wine continues to rise to ridiculous levels, there are a number of wineries that maintain a tremendous level of quality without pushing prices out of the reach of most people. While the majority of truly great Kosher wines unfortunately reside in the over $30 price range, there are plenty of great ones here as well. In general, I find Ella Valley, Dalton, Carmel, Herzog Special Reserve and the Golan Heights Winery to be consistent players in this field of great wines under $30, notwithstanding the fact that they all also have more expensive terrific wines as well.

(1) Alexander, Reserve, Gaston, Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Shiraz, 2007
(2) Alexander, Reserve, Merlot, 2007
(3) Binyamina, Reserve, Zinfandel, 2007
(4) Bodegas Flechas de los Andes, Gran Malbec, Mendoza, 2009
(5) Capcanes, Peraj Petita, 2008
(6) Carmel, Sha’al Late Harvest, Gewurztraminer, 2006
(7) Carmel, Appellation, Petite Sirah, 2007 (also the 2007 Cabernet Franc & Carignan in Appellation Series)
(8) Dalton, Reserve, Wild Yeast, Viognier, 2009
(9) Dalton, Zinfandel, 2005 (the Shiraz Reserve 2007 is incredible as well)
(10) Ella Valley Vineyards, Cabernet Franc, 2007
(11) Ella Valley Vineyards, Merlot, 2005 (the Merlot from this winery is truly magnificent)
(12) Ella Valley Vineyards, Syrah, 2007
(13) Elvi, Adar, Cava, Brut, n.v.
(14) Elvi, Vina Encina, Ribera del Jucar, 2007
(15) Galil Mountain, Yiron, 2007
(16) Galil Mountain, Meron, 2006
(17) Golan Heights Winery, Gamla, Pinot Noir, 2006
(18) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Viognier, 2007 (a rare exception to drinking white wines early)
(19) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Odem Organic Vineyard, Merlot, 2006
(20) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Odem Organic Vineyard, Chardonnay, 2008 (Shmittah)
(21) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007
(22) Golan Heights Winery, Noble Semillon, 2005 (one of my favorite, non-Sauternes, dessert wines)
(23) Goose Bay, Pinot Noir, 2009
(24) Goose Bay, Viognier, 2009
(25) Hagafen, Brut Cuvee, 2007
(26) Hagafen, Cabernet Franc, 2007
(27) Herzog, Special Reserve, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007
(28) Herzog, Special Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel/Syrah, 2006 (their Zinfandel is also great)
(29) Lambouri, Ya’in Kafrisin, Liamssol, 2007 (Yayin Kafrisin! How cool?)
(30) Porto Cordovero, Fine Ruby Port, n.v.
(31) Psagot, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007
(32) Psagot, Edom, 2007 (available & drinking nicely, but the 2009 is much better & in the next price range)
(33) Recanati, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007
(34) Recanati, Reserve, Petit-Sirah / Zinfandel, 2007
(35) Recanati, Reserve, Cabernet Franc, 2006
(36) Segal, Single Vineyard Dishon, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 (a truly great wine and a YH Best Buy)
(37) Teperberg, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 (probably Teperberg’s best wine yet)
(38) Terra di Seta, Pellegrini della Seta, Chianti Classico, 2008
(39) Tzuba, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007
(40) Tzuba, Tel Tzuba, Chardonnay, 2009
(41) Willm, Riesling, 2008
(42) Yatir, Red Blend, 2006 (great sale on this terrific wine at Skyview)

ANNUAL PESSACH KOSHER WINE BUYING GUIDE – PART II

Under $30-50

(1) Barkan, Altitude, Cabernet Sauvignon +624, 2007. All three of the series are good and make a great comparative tasting.
(2) Binyamina, Avnei HaChoshen-Aquamarine, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006. This series is sometimes hit or miss – this wine is an easy hit!
(3) B.R. Cohn, Trestle Glen Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008. The first kosher wine from the legendary Bruce Cohn and a resounding success. I wrote about the wine here and, while it’s only available from the winery directly, it’s well worth the effort. An elegant wine that goes well with food, it will age gracefully for another 4-5 years easy.
(4) Capcanes, Peraj Ha’abib Flor de Primavera, 2008. One of my all time favorite wines. The 2001 vintage is easily a Moshiach wine and listed below.
(5) Carmel, Single Vineyard Kayoumi, Shiraz, 2005. There is something special about the Kayoumi vineyard although there seems to be some serious delay in getting the newer vintages to the US. The Cabernet is also really good.
(6) Carmel, Mediterranean, 2007. One of Carmel’s attempts to create a wine with “Israeli” terroir. Different and delicious.
(7) Carmel Vintage, Fortified Petite Sirah, Judean Hills, 2007. While not true Port, this is a delicious wine (there is also a 2004 vintage and a n.v. version floating around). I haven’t found tremendous variation among the three.
(8) Castel, Petit Castel, 2007. A “second” wine to the Grand Vin in price and name only – certainly not in quality.
(9) Castel, “C” Blanc, 2009. Fresh, crisp and delicious. A French, Chablis-like, wine made in Israel.
(10) Covenant, Lavan (Chardonnay), 2009. The 2008 is out of stock and was great. The 2009 is a different wine in character (and comes from different grapes) but just as amazing. Stock up and enjoy for a few years.
(11) Covenant, Red C, 2008. Easily the best Red C wine to date from the winery.
(12) Dalton, Reserve, Shiraz, 2007. As with almost everything Dalton makes, this is a delightful wine.
(13) Domaine Netofa, Latour, 2009. A great hit from Pierre Miodownick’s new winery – Domaine Netofa.
(14) Ella Valley Vineyards, Vineyard’s Choice, Merlot, 2005. Merlot is Ella’s specialty & it shows. The Cabernet Sauvignon is also really great but beware of older vintages that are past their prime.
(15) Four Gates, Cabernet Franc, 2006. One of my favorite Cabernet Franc wines and truly a tremendous winery. Four Gates wines are only available directly from the winery, but are well worth the effort and make for fantastic pairing with food.
(16) Four Gates, Pinot Noir, n.v. Given their relatively high acidity, Four Gates tends to make many n.v. wines, blending them across vintages. The n.v. Merlot is also highly recommended.
(17) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Single Vineyard–Tel-Phares, Merlot, 2005. The Golan Heights Winery is producing too many single-vineyard wines to list them all and some are a little overly jammy and oaky for my personal taste – not this one which is rich, deep and delicious.
(18) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Single Vineyard-Ortal, Syrah, 2004. I drink tons of Syrah these days and this is an easy favorite.
(19) Gvaot, Gofna Reserve, Cabernet Franc, 2007. A few Gvaot wines are available in the US but they are insanely overpriced. Gvaot is too amazing to miss out on so do yourself a favor and get some directly from Israel.
(20) Hagafen, Prix, Late Harvest Chardonnay, 2006. One of my favorite dessert wines and available on kosherwine.com.
(21) Hagafen, Prix, Pinot Noir – Fagan Creek, 2006. Hagafen makes two Pinot Noir wines in the Prix series (the other from the Soleil Vineyard). Both are delicious and make for a great comparative tasting.
(22) Hagafen, Prix, Zinfandel – Moskowite Ranch/Block 61, 2006. A big and powerful Zinfandel with plenty of fruit, spice and chocolate coming together magnificently.
(23) Karmei Yosef (Bravdo), Shiraz, 2009. I was instantly smitten with the Karmei Yosef wines when I tasted the 2007 vintage and am ecstatic that the 2009 vintages are now imported into the US.
(24) Karmei Yosef (Bravdo), Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009.
(25) Porto Cordovero, Late Bottled Vintage Port, 2004. The only true LBV kosher Port.
(26) Recanati, Special Reserve, 2006. One of my all-time favorites and a severely underappreciated wine.
(27) Tabor, Meshcha, 2005. Another really nice wine that is tremendously underappreciated.
(28) Tanya, Reserve Har Bracha, Cabernet Franc, 2006. Tanya wines seem to be newly available (again) in the US market but are unfortunately over-priced. This wine is so good, it’s worth it.
(29) Tzora, Misty Hills, 2006.
(30) Tzuba, Hametzuda, 2006. I first wrote about the winery and this wine almost two years ago, but my recommendations stands strong at its finally peaking and is an awesome wine.
(31) Yatir, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006. As with everything else made by Yatir, this is an amazing Cabernet Sauvignon and well worth splurging on.
(32) Yatir, Viognier, 2009. An incredible Viognier but somewhat overpriced.

Moshiach Wines

(1) Barkan, Superior, Shiraz, 2006. A great addition to the Superior line from Barkan.
(2) Binyamina, The Cave, 2006. I shunned this wine for years as overrated but over the last few years the quality has quietly risen while the hype died down. Delicious and there is a new, old-vine, version.
(3) Bustan, Syrah, 2006. Bustan is unfortunately only available in Israel but, as with Gvaot and several other boutique Israelis that are overpriced in the US, well-worth the effort of obtaining directly from Israel.
(4) Capcanes, Flor de Flor, 2007. The Peraj Ha’abib is a long time favorite of mine and this brand new wine introduced a few months ago is a legit contender to replace it as Capcanes’ flagship wine.
(5) Capcanes, Peraj Ha’abib Flor de Primavera, 2001. Once you taste this wine the value of properly aging wine for future enjoyment becomes crystal clear (if it wasn’t already).
(6) Carmel, Limited Edition, 2005. Another example of Carmel’s move from power to elegance. An amazing wine that will age gracefully and provide years of enjoyment but is also ready to enjoy right now.
(7) Castel, Grand Vin, 2004. 2007 is the current vintage in the US and is delicious. Get your hands on some of the 2008 vintage of any Castel wine – superb!
(8) Château Guiraud, Sauternes 1er Cru, 2001. The best kosher dessert wine. Period.
(9) Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint Julien, 2003. Another example of the reasons to age wine for later enjoyment. 2005 is the current vintage and it was an awesome vintage for Bordeaux, however prices reflect it (luckily, the quality of the wines does as well).
(10) Château Piada, Sauternes, 2006. A legitimate successor to the delightful 2001 vintage of this wine that I have enjoyed for years. Do yourself a favor, and try some real dessert wine.
(11) Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, 2003. A great French wine that is perfect right now.
(12) Château Quinault, Saint-Émilion, 2005. This Château certainly picked the right year for their first kosher release. Bordeaux as Bordeaux was meant to be.
(13) Covenant, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003. The 2008 is the current vintage but needs plenty of time. Buy a few every year and give them the proper time in your cellar – I promise you will not be disappointed. A really big wine and a true California Cabernet with plenty of personality to match the brawn. A Covenant newsletter is coming in the very near future.
(14) Covenant, Solomon, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008. After many years, Leslie Rudd finally gave Jeff his wish and allowed a Covenant wine to be made from his acclaimed grapes. All I can say is – Wow. A huge wine with plenty of depth and complexity that will continue to develop and evolve for many years. I look forward to tasting this wine over the next ten years – hopefully ample opportunities will present themselves…
(15) Golan Heights Winery, Katzrin Red, 2003. After all these years the Katzrin is still the Israeli Rock Star of wine and the one with the longest aging ability (I still have one 1990 and a few 1993 vintages I am looking forward to). The 2007 was just released but isn’t ready to drink yet.
(16) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Elrom Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003. The 2001 inaugural vintage of this wine was earth-shattering and still is but I am saving my remaining bottles for Yonatan’s Bar-Mitzvah. The 2004 and newly released 2007 vintages are also great but the 2003 is really special and truly a Moshiach Wine.
(17) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Rom, 2006. I am still a little confused whether this or the Katzrin is intended to the “Flagship Wine” but frankly, who cares. I am just happy to have so many amazing choices. An incredible new addition to the Yarden label and surprisingly ready to drink right away (somewhat a result of the 37% Syrah) but a wine that will age for a decade at least.
(18) Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Single Vineyard-Yonatan, 2007. A new and very welcome member of the Yarden Single Vineyard Series (and not only because it’s named after my oldest son).
(19) Hagafen, Prix, Mélange, 2004. The 2004 vintage remains one of the best kosher wines I have tasted, the 2005 is great (and available on kosherwine.com) and the 2006 is the most recent release and well worth the money. Mostly available only from the winery, a few wines are recently available on kosherwine.com and worth trying.
(20) Herzog, Generation VIII, Cabernet Sauvignon, To Kalon, 2006. A wine well worthy of the famed To-Kalon name with tons of fruit, power, terroir and elegance all rolled into an awesome and very expensive package. A real treat if you can afford it but definitely not a QPR wine.
(21) Laurent Perrier, Brut Champagne, Rose, n.v. True Champagne makes my heart sing and this Rosé version from Laurent Perrier is a magnificent specimen that will make you feel the same and enhance any occasion or meal.
(22) Louis de Sacy, Grand Cru, Brut Champagne, n.v. My go-to Champagne now that you can officially no longer find a single bottle of kosher Nicolas Feuillatte anywhere – trust me, I have tried.
(23) Psagot, Single Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007. I don’t understand how this wine is just now becoming available in the US as it’s easily Psagot’s best wine today. Grab as much of it as you can – trust me.
(24) Segal, Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005. Once hailed as the closest thing to a kosher Barolo, this wine is scrumptious. Current vintage is the 2007 which is also ready to drink but I much prefer the 2005. This wine has somewhat of a cult following that sometimes results in the amazing Dishon Cabernet (which was provided in the inaugural shipment of the Leket Wine Club) being overlooked.
(25) Yatir, Forest, 2003. Perfection in a bottle. The current available vintage is the 2007 which will be great in a few years but definitely needs some settling down time. Also highly recommended are the 2004 and 2005 vintages.

For additional Moshiach Wines, check out my Best Wines of 2010

#167 – March 18, 2011 (Purim Satire)

For the six years that I have been writing this newsletter, I have always had one primary goal – to introduce as many people as possible to the pleasures of fermented grape juice. I try and achieve this by eliminating the snobbery and mystery behind the delightful world of wine and presenting wines in “regular” terminology. Throughout these six years I have been steadfast in my belief that, while there may be professional criteria for what constitutes a good or bad wine in the eyes of a wine maker or wine critic, for each individual person, a great wine is the one such person enjoys. These wines are the ones you should drink, regardless of what anyone else suggests, myself included.

While this newsletter’s primary audience always has been and will continue to be, both the up and coming wine aficionado and the sophisticated wine drinker; thinking about Purim, I realized that, while obviously not readers of this newsletter, thousands of wine lovers out there, passionate about their preferred vino, have been neglected on these pages for years and I say – no more!

I recently read a number in intriguing articles (and posted them on my Twitter account @yossieuncorked) relating to people’s preference for sweeter wines and how the wine “professionals” seem to insist that dry and tannic wines are the only real wines. Tim Hanni, a Master of Wine and longtime nemesis of conventional wine wisdom is railing against wine-education which pushes dry wines on consumers who would be happy to drink sweet and semi-sweet wines if only the wine professionals would let them. Even I have been guilty of this on occasion, when discussing how to get non wine-drinkers into wine, by suggesting a number of dry red wines that were just a little “less dry”.

The one exception to the superiority of dry red wine is sophisticated dessert wines like Sauternes (including the greatest wine on earth – Chateau d’Yquem) and Port, of which there are some great kosher versions which have already been discussed extensively on these pages. However, there are a multitude of sweet and semi-sweet wines, adored by a substantial part of the kosher wine drinking community which have not, to date, been given their due on these pages and whose time, like Queen’s Esther’s, has come to finally shine. I am obviously not talking about sacramental or Kiddush wines, a special category of sweet wines revered in its own right and about whom I wrote last year, but rather wines like the beloved Moscato D’Asti from Bartenura, the sublime White Zinfandel and Jeunesse from Baron Herzog. So in honor of Purim (and in tribute to DG), I now present to you – “The other side of sweet!”

One of the most prestigious examples of these wines is Moscato D’Asti, a sparkling white wine made from the Moscato Bianco grape and produced mainly in the north-western province of Italy – Asti (but also in the near-by regions of Alessandria and Cuneo). A typically sweet and low-alcohol wine, it is revered by all for its lightness, great food-paring and delectable sweetness. A similar wine, Asti Spumante, is produced in the same area from the same grape. Probably the best kosher example of this wine is made by the venerable producer Bartenura, who have a long history steeped in excellence. Their Moscato D’Asti, cloaked in its easily recognizable regal blue bottle, is one of the most popular kosher wines in America and fabulous (see my tasting note below). This Moscato D’Asti was clearly what the Rambam (one of the world’s true Renaissance men (prior to the Renaissance itself) intended when insisting on quality wine for any religious occasion. Another excellent wine from Bartenura is their Malvasia which is great with any food and a delight on its own.

In addition to Moscato D’Asti, many wines of this genre are made from variations of the Muscat grape, considered by some to be the oldest domesticated grape variety. This wine is so old that theories abound that almost all grapes used in fine table wine today are descended from the Muscat variety. Another prestigious example of the Muscat grape comes in the form of Black Muscat (also commonly referred to as Black Hamburg), a cross between the Schiava Grossa and Muscat of Alexandria grape varieties. These wines are typically highly aromatic, have a beautiful deep rich color and are usually very sweet and viscous, all highly desirable qualities for a sophisticated wine. I have reviewed a delicious example of this wine below.

Yet another proud member of this family of wine is the semi-sweet wine which affords the luxury of complex sophistication with sufficient drinkability. The grandmother of these wines is Emerald Riesling which for years dominated the palate of the Israeli wine consumers before snobbery and elitism took over (in the form of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot and other more mundane grapes). Growing up in Israel, my palate remembers with great fondness many of these Emerald Riesling wines including fantastic examples from Carmel and Binyamina. Today another member of this family is rearing its noble head – the semi-sweet red wine. Gary Vaynerchuk thinks that this type of wine has a huge market potential and, in one of his shows, posited that the taste profile of the semi-sweet Cabernet Sauvignon – Jeunesse, from Baron Herzog could become of America’s leading sellers if it didn’t suffer from the kosher stigma. I have reviewed this incredible wine below as well. Other classic examples of a semi-sweet Cabernet Sauvignon well-worth seeking out are Layla and Byblos – each a prestigious winery in its own right.

The last member of this family is probably the most famous and widely revered by wine-lovers everywhere – the White Zinfandel. While most readers of this newsletter are undoubtedly familiar with the brash and tannic older brother – “regular” (or Red) Zinfandel, sugary White Zinfandel, is the most widely sold wine in America and for good reason. Low in alcohol and loaded with delightful flavors of skittles, cotton candy, bubble gum, this is an exceptionally easy-drinking wine, preferred by any self-respecting oenophile. It has the panache of quality and is loaded with enough complexity to keep even the most snobbish wine drinker interested and engaged. I have reviewed one of these wines below as well and highly recommend grabbing a bottle (or case) and seeing for yourself.

Listed below for your drinking pleasure are the finest examples of these sweet wines, all worth seeking out both for immediate drinking and cellaring in order to follow their development over the next couple years (or decades). As an added bonus all of the following wines are YH Best Buys!

Shabbat Shalom and Purim Samaech,
Yossie

Bartenura, Moscato, 2010: Words are insufficient to describe the delectableness of this popular wine which is easily the flagship of the genre and well deserving to be the first in this list of tasting notes. Year after year, the quality of this wine is maintained by only using the best and freshest grapes, with cold fermentation resulting in a light and delightfully fresh fruity taste. Great balance between the sugars and candy flavors, tinted with some citrus and floral notes. With perfect sweetness, this wine is great as an aperitif or with dessert. Loads of grapey fruit, peach and stewed pears, together with the low price (easily a YH Best Buy), all combine for a delicious and refreshing wine that keeps the kosher wine consumer coming back for more and more. Should be served chilled and is also great combined with some Canada Dry club soda, crushed (or cubed) ice and a little piece of lime squeezed in for a great shpritzer.

Carmel, Young Selected, Moscato, 2009: As any regular reader of this newsletter knows, Carmel has completely reinvented itself in recent years as a serious winery, truly one of Israel’s best. However, while their Limited Edition, Mediterranean and Single Vineyard wines may be pretty good, it is clearly wines like the Emerald Riesling mentioned above and this spectacular treat that make Carmel the incredible winery it is today. With plenty of sweetness nicely balanced by gobs of acidity and a low alcohol content, this wine is for everyone and could easily replace soda-pop as a regular drink. Slightly frizzante and exceedingly pleasing on the palate with plenty of peaches, limes, ginger ale and hints of steel all of which come together in an aesthetic and pleasing way. One to drink very well chilled and to come back to again and again. Another YH Best Buy.

Santero, Primo-V Moscato: A great example of a classic Moscato, this one made by the prestigious Santero winery, located just outside the northern Italian town of Asti. Extreme aromatics and pleasantly sweet. Made from fresh pressed Moscato grapes that are cold fermented to preserve the grape’s delicate aromatics which include spring flowers, heather, limes, apricots and peaches – truly the epitome of springtime! Plenty of natural acidity to keep the sweetness in check and loaded with light bubbles that keep the wine alive and fresh on your palate. A true crowd-pleaser, this wine is a YH Best Buy and highly recommended.

Baron Herzog, Jeunesse, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010: As mentioned above, Gary V loved this wine and I must add myself to its long list of raving fans which also include these twins from France who honored it with an incredible balancing act routine. A wine that does great justice to the most noble of all varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon. Highly recommended as I doubt you have ever tasted such a special example of this grape ever before. I hesitate quote but the author of this hit the nail on its head when saying “among the enchanting secrets that often escape aficionados of Cabernet Sauvignon are the youthful nuances of character that are displayed during the wine’s infancy”. A rich and royal purple color is the first indicator that you are about to experience something special which is only reinforced by the fresh raspberries, blackberries and cherries leading into a slightly sweet and lingering finish. Gobs of vanilla and strawberries abound, reminding you of a delicious strawberry and cream dessert. A fresh young character envelops this wine, giving it sophistication and complexity and the genesis of its name – French for youthful and fun.

Baron Herzog, White Zinfandel, 2009: Another hugely popular wine and I cannot help but agree after my extensive tasting of this wine over the years. Respectfully representative of this honorable grape with ton of great wine aromas like cotton candy, fruit taffy and ripe strawberries on first attack are closely followed by light citrus hints, vanilla and some tart raspberries. A light and pleasing sweetness complements the fruit and candy, notwithstanding its (relatively for the genre) high alcohol content. A great Shabbat gift that any self-respecting wine-lover would enjoy and eagerly open to complement any meal.

Layla, Semi-Sweet Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintage Unimportant: As with the Jeunesse above, this wine presents Cabernet Sauvignon is a whole new light that will change your life forever. Tons of fruit and sugar on both the nose and palate combine to make for a very special experience. This wine presents as the magical and elusive combination that goes well with both your meal and dessert. The wine moves seamless from cholent to chocolate babka without missing a beat and saving you the trouble of finding multiple wines for your multi-course meal. Also highly recommended is the semi-sweet Argentinean Bonarda wine produced under the Byblos label.

Rashi, Joyvin Red, Vintage Irrelevant: Easily one of the best wines produces by yet another great producer – Rashi, although their Asti takes a close second place. A semi-sweet delight, loaded with rich flavors of red fruit, melon and Meyer lemons, complemented by plenty of sugar and bubbles; this wine is any oenophiles dream. Great ice cold and with any dessert, this wine is at its best with chocolate. A great quote I heard about this wine is “the unique extended, frosted glass bottle is eye-catching, thereby adding to the ease of identification – helpful when you’re in a hurry”. A great Sunday brunch wine, especially when paired with scrambled eggs, lox and bagels.