The Much Maligned Merlot

…really a category or even a wine so we will leave it out of the discussion) usually accompanied by exclamations along the line of “I don’t drink ______” (fill in the blank with your own…

The Best and the Brightest

…Roussanne made by California’s Hagafen Winery (Binyamina also released a very nice version this year). A nice nose of floral notes and pineapple, pear, guava and other tropical fruits together with flinty minerals, plenty of…

The Best and the Brightest

…young and friendly wine and a terrific comparative tasting partner to the quality Roussanne made by California’s Hagafen Winery (Binyamina also released a very nice version this year). A nice nose of floral notes and…

Flam Winery

…their father who didn’t think it was an easy money making endeavor, to say the least). These days the importing company Hagafen, generates cash flow that helps ease the customary ups and downs many small…

Is it Worth it? (On QPR and Value)

…Heights Winery, Yarden, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Gewürztraminer, 2011 Hagafen, Roussanne, 2010 Quevedo, Ruby Port, n.v. Vignobles David, Le Mourre de L’Isle, Cotes du Rhone, 2010 Weinstock, Cellar Select, Petite Sirah, 2010…

Through the Looking Glass

…the hefty price tag, but It was certainly an interesting wine (and would make a great comparative tasting with Hagafen’s 2006 Prix Late Harvest Chardonnay). All in all, a great and very informative tasting and…

Covenant Winery

…discuss, and notwithstanding it’s relatively small scale production and recent launch (in 2005), Covenant seems to get far more press than some of the other more established wineries like Herzog and Hagafen. Many stories have…

Making the Case for Everyday Drinking

…my desire not to include more than one wine from any particular winery, Recanati’s Yasmin white blend remains my first choice for an affordable white mevushal wine (with Hagafen’s dry Riesling easily topping it qualitatively,…

Tabor Winery

…Napa Valley’s Hagafen Winery). Within a few years all of this investment started to pay off with some high-quality and innovative wines coming out of Tabor in recent vintages (although their prior incarnation of Rose…

Picking & Choosing – Navigating a (Kosher) Restaurant’s Wine List

…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…