Updated February 20, 2020
Pesach Buying Guide Tasting (Upper West Side)
A great opportunity to taste through a wide range of the better wines (including many of the recommended wines from Yossie’s Annual Pesach Wine Buying Guide), proceeds from the event will benefit the Manhattan Children’s Center – a neighborhood school for children with autism (which my oldest son has attended for nearly a decade and to which we feel a tremendous amount of Hacarat Hatov). The event is also a great opportunity to finalize your Pesach wine shopping, as wine orders will be filled out by a recommended retailer (TBD) (with a portion donated to the school as well). Following on last year’s success, the event will showcase wines not available in the US (e.g. from Mia Luce), unique wines not usually commercially available and many small-batch wines that are often hard to fine. There will also be the opportunity to win some of these extraordinary wines with all proceeds going to benefit this very worthy cause and a VIP session will be added, allowing early admission and access tom some vintage wines that won’t be at the general event. Ticket info (and very much appreciated donations) can be found here.
Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Location: One Riverside Park / 50 Riverside Blvd (at 60th Street)
Hours:
VIP: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
General: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Tickets: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E186949&id=32
Jewish Week Grand Wine Tasting (Manhattan)
Together with the Upper West Side tasting the grapevine’s Long Island event a few months ago, this event provides access to a wider range of wines including the many kosher wines not included in Royal’s vast portfolio (Royal participates in this event as well). With City Winery moving locations, this year’s event will be held for the first time at the Green Fig, located in Yotel on 10th Avenue and 42nd Street. The event is loads of fun and coincides with the Jewish Week’s publication of their annual Kosher Wine Guide (for which I am a founding judge). There will be early admission for VIPs capped at 125 tickets, followed by 3 hours of tasting for the general public. Tickets and more information can be found here (Use Promo Code “JWJUDGE15” for a $15 discount).
Date: Monday, March 16, 2020
Location: Green Fig; 570 10th Ave #3001, New York, NY 10036
Hours:
VIP: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
General: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Tickets: https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/wine-tasting/ (Promo Code “JWJUDGE15” for $15 off)
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Past Events
KFWE Israel
Initially a small, invitation only event, KFWE Israel has grown to a full-blown KFWE, presented professionally by Royal’s Israel importer (Zur Agencies) will hold KFWE Israel (formerly also known as “Wow – World of Wine”). This is a great opportunity for Israeli wine-lovers to taste many of the high-end French and California wines that until a few years ago weren’t imported into Israel and whose prices ensure they remain out of reach for many budding oenophiles. The event is at the seaside Trask Hall with magnificent views and tickets are now available for purchase for the general public. This is a great event and highly recommended, so check out the link below for more information and to buy your tickets before they are sold out.
Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Location: Trask Hall, Yosef Yekuti’eli 6, Tel Aviv, Israel
Hours: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Tickets: https://tickchak.co.il/9182
Sommelier Expo (Israel)
Israel’s primary wine-trade event – the Sommelier Expo was delayed two weeks past it’s usually dates at the end of January, causing much consternation for those who attend the multiple global events as it dovetails with KFWE London and Paris (see below). This year’s event will be held on Monday and Tuesday, February 10 – 11 at its usual location in Tel-Aviv’s Heichal Hatarbut. The show has been going on for 18 years (and I have attended 15 of those times). It’s a terrific place to find new wines and wineries, learn more about wine and have a great time meeting the various winemakers and winery owners. The event is intended for and free to members of the press and trade from 11:30 AM. Wine’s surging popularity among Israel’s population has led the organizers to open the event to the general public in the evenings and provides a fantastic opportunity for any wine lover to come during the evening hours of 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased here for 150 NIS and include 50 NIS off on future wine purchases. I highly recommend the event and strongly suggest arriving as early as possible to avoid the large crowds that descend as the evening wears on and the event takes on more of a bar-like feeling where drinking is the order of the day.
Date: Monday, February 10 – Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Location: Heichal Hatarbut; 1 Huberman Street, Tel-Aviv
Hours:
Press / Trade: 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM
General Public: 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Tickets:
Press/Trade: https://reg.eventact.com/form?Event=imX4&c=iPQ&Form=iPnQ
General Public Tickets: https://eventbuzz.co.il/lp/event/sommelier2020
KFWE London
On the same day at Sommelier’s first day, KFWE London which will be held at its customary place – the lovely Park Lane Sheraton. This year there will be earlier and extended hours for Press/Trade and an improved VIP Experience which provides access to an enhanced food menu and wines (and whiskies) not available at the general event. Tickets are available for both general and VIP admission but don’t delay as they do sell out. This is a really great event with terrific food and a pretty broad selection of wines, all enjoyable in a more subdued and laid back (dare I say elegant) environment than the livelier flagship New York KFWE event. Promo Code “CORKBOARD” gets you 10% off all ticket orders.
Date: Monday, February 10, 2020
Location: Park Lane Sheraton; Piccadilly, London W1J 7BX United Kingdom
Hours:
Press / Trade: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
VIP / General Admission: 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Tickets: https://www.kfwelondon.com/ (Promo Code “CORKBOARD” gets 10% off all ticket orders)
KFWE Paris (also referred to as Degustation de Grands Crus Cachers)
One day later (and on Sommelier’s second and last day), KFWE Paris is held at the Les Pavillon des Princes in Paris. Press and Trade will be from 4:00 PM – 5:30, followed by General Admission from 5:30 – 10:00 PM. Paris KFWE is hosted by Selection Bokabsa, the producers (and négociant) for many of the French offerings offered in the US by Royal Wine and is focused on the wines produced or otherwise “handled” by Bokabsa (as opposed to a Royal Wine-run event). This is usually a fun and lovely event and affords the opportunity to taste many French selections, including those not exported to the United States. Unfortunately, this year Israel’s primary (and non-KFWE) wine tasting event -Sommelier, was pushed off two weeks and coincides with KFWE Paris (or at least it’s first day – see below). More information and tickets are available here and on the event’s Facebook page. Readers can obtain discounted tickets of 40€ by sending an email to contact.sieva@gmail.com with the Promo Code “CODE YHBOK” in the subject line and one of the organizers will reach out with payment information for the discounted ticket(s).
Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Location: Les Pavillon des Princes; 69 avenue de la Porte D’Auteuil, 75016 Paris
Hours:
Press / Trade: 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
VIP / General Admission: 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Tickets: https://www.weezevent.com/rendez-vous-pour-une-degustation-de-vins (for discounted tickets see instructions above)
KFWE NY
Next up is Royal’s flagship NY KFWE which will be held on February 17, 2020 at its usual Chelsea Piers location on Pier 60. This is the biggest event of them all, providing an opportunity to enjoy hundreds of wines, many of them among the finest offerings the kosher world has to offer these days. As with most of these events, get there as early as you can as the event fills up quickly and, once full, becomes more than some folks can handle. Press and trade hours are between 12:00 – 4:00 PM and doors open for VIP at 5:30 and General Admission at 6:30 PM. VIP tickets grant early admission to the main event starting at 5:30 PM and also provide access to the VIP room a few minutes away from the main event, where an enhanced food menu is available along with a curated selection of the higher-end wines which can be tasted and enjoyed in a less-crowded and more elegant setting. The event sells out every year so don’t dilly-dally and buy your tickets as soon as possible. Promo code CORKBOARD will get you $15 off. VIP and general admission tickets can be purchased here.
Date: Monday, February 17, 2020
Location:
Trade/Press & General Admission: Pier Sixty; Chelsea Piers; New York
VIP: Current; Pier 59, Chelsea Piers, New York
Hours: Press / Trade: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
VIP: 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
General: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Tickets: https://thekfwe.com/tickets-nyc/ (Promo Code “CORKBOARD” gets you $15 off)
KFWE LA
As with every year (to enable foreign winemakers the ability to attend both events), two days later KFWE LA will be held on February 19, 2020 at the historic Hollywood Palladium (while I much preferred the former location at the Paterson Automotive Museum, the new location (which debuted last year0 has a lot going for it as well). Hours are 6:00 – 9:00 PM (trade and press are usually 12:00 – 4:00 PM). VIP tickets are available and grant access to the lovely roof at 6:00 PM, where you can enjoy really terrific food by Herzog Winery’s acclaimed (and truly destination-worthy) Tierra Sur restaurant along with library wines and a curated selection of the better wines in a more relaxed setting. Regardless of VIP tickets, make sure you visit the general admission floors where the vast selection of wines can be enjoyed among the gorgeous and truly incredible display of automotive history and beauty. Promo code “CORKBOARD” gets you $20 off any type of ticket which can be purchased here.
Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Location: Hollywood Palladium; 6215 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Hours:
Press / Trade: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
VIP / General Public: 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Tickets: https://thekfwe.com/tickets-la/ (Promo Code “CORKBOARD” gets you $20 off)
Jewish Week Grand Wine Tasting
Together with the Grapevine’s event listed above, is the only event that affords an opportunity to taste the many kosher wines not included in Royal’s vast portfolio. Held at SoHo’s awesome City Winery, it is always a great and event and coincides with the Jewish Week’s publication of their annual Kosher Wine Guide (for which I am a founding judge).
Date: Monday, April 1st, 2019
Location: City Winery (155 Varick St, New York)
Hours
VIP: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
General Public: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Tickets
Information and ticket purchasing can be found here. VIP tickets grant early access plus some special wines not included in the regular tasting. Use promo code “JWJUDGE15” for $15 off tickets. Always a fun event and well-worth attending – hope to see you there!
Upper West Side Tasting of the Pesach Buying Guide
A great opportunity to taste through a wide range of the better wines (including many of the recommended wines from Yossie’s Annual Pesach Wine Buying Guide), proceeds from the event will benefit the Manhattan Children’s Center – a neighborhood school for children with autism (which my oldest son has attended for nearly a decade and to which we feel a tremendous amount of Hacarat Hatov). The event is also a great opportunity to finalize your Pesach wine shopping, as Skyview Wines will be filling orders at their heavily discounted Pesach Sale prices (with a portion donated to the school as well).
Date: Thursday, April 11th, 2019
Location: Manhattan Children’s Center (101 West 92nd Street, NY)
Hours
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Tickets
Tickets can be ordered here (prices go up on Thursday). There will also be a raffle and silent auction of large format bottles and a number of unique and exclusive wines along with wines not sold here (like Mia Luce)
Past Events
Jewish Week Grand Wine Tasting
Together with the Grapevine’s event listed above, is the only event that affords an opportunity to taste the many kosher wines not included in Royal’s vast portfolio. Held at SoHo’s awesome City Winery, it is always a great and event and coincides with the Jewish Week’s publication of their annual Kosher Wine Guide (for which I am a founding judge).
Date: Monday, April 1st, 2019
Location: City Winery (155 Varick St, New York)
Hours
VIP: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
General Public: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Tickets
Information and ticket purchasing can be found here. VIP tickets grant early access plus some special wines not included in the regular tasting. Use promo code “JWJUDGE15” for $15 off tickets. Always a fun event and well-worth attending – hope to see you there!
Upper West Side Tasting of the Pesach Buying Guide
A great opportunity to taste through a wide range of the better wines (including many of the recommended wines from Yossie’s Annual Pesach Wine Buying Guide), proceeds from the event will benefit the Manhattan Children’s Center – a neighborhood school for children with autism (which my oldest son has attended for nearly a decade and to which we feel a tremendous amount of Hacarat Hatov). The event is also a great opportunity to finalize your Pesach wine shopping, as Skyview Wines will be filling orders at their heavily discounted Pesach Sale prices (with a portion donated to the school as well).
Date: Thursday, April 11th, 2019
Location: Manhattan Children’s Center (101 West 92nd Street, NY)
Hours
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Tickets
Tickets can be ordered here (prices go up on Thursday). There will also be a raffle and silent auction of large format bottles and a number of unique and exclusive wines along with wines not sold here (like Mia Luce)
[Israel] Israel’s primary wine-trade event – the Sommelier Expo will be held on January 15-16, 2018 (Monday – Tuesday) at its usual location in Tel-Aviv’s Heichal Hatarbut. between 1-9:30 PM. It’s a terrific place to find new wines and wineries, learn more about wine and have a great time meeting the various winemakers and winery owners. The event is intended for and free to press and members of the trade but any wine-lover can purchase tickets here for 150 NIS. The trade portion of the event is from 1:00 – 6:30 PM when it opens to all comers. I highly recommend the event and strongly suggest arriving as early as possible to avoid the large crowds that descend as the evening wears on and the event takes on more of a bar-like feeling where drinking is the order of the day.
[Israel] On January 29, 2018, Royal’s Israel importer (Zur Agencies) will hold KFWE Israel (also known as “Wow – World of Wine”). This is a great opportunity for Israeli wine-lovers to taste many of the high-end French and California wines that until a few years ago weren’t imported into Israel and whose prices ensure they remain out of reach for many budding oenophiles. Check back on Zur’s Facebook page as they will likely post details about the event soon (as they did last year). Alternatively hit up your contacts in the local wine industry and see if you can get tickets. This is a great event and highly recommended. You can also keep on eye on Royal’s general KFWE Page (last link on the bottom left will hopefully link to details at some point).
[Paris] KFWE Paris (also referred to as Degustation de Vins) will be held the following day on January 30, 2018 in Paris at the Intercontinental Marceau from 5:30 – 9:30 PM (trade and press hours are from 4:00 – 5:30 PM). In order to enable attendance by the largest number of winemakers possible (and ease the logistics for royal personnel), the Paris (and London – see below) events are held back to back with the Israel one. Paris KFWE is hosted by Selection Bokabsa, the producers (and négociant) for many of the French offerings offered in the US by Royal Wine. This is usually a fun and lovely event and affords the opportunity to taste many French selections, including those not exported to the United States. Tickets can be purchased here.
[London] Coming on the heels of the Paris event is KFWE London, which will be on January 31, 2018 at the Park Lane Sheraton. Hours for the press and trade are 3:30 – 5:30 PM and general admission is from 6:30 – 10:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased here and there are also a limited number of VIP tickets. The VIP event provide access to an enhanced food menu and wines (and whiskies) not available at the general event. A great event with terrific food and a pretty broad selection of wines, all enjoyable in a more subdued and laid back (dare I say elegant) environment than the more lively flagship New York KFWE event.
[Manhattan, NY] Next up is Royal’s flagship NY KFWE which will be held on February 5, 2015 at its usual Chelsea Piers location on Pier 60. this is your opportunity to enjoy hundreds of wines, many of them among the finest offerings the kosher world has to offer these days. As with most of these events, get there as early as you can as the event fills up quickly and, once full, becomes more than some folks can handle. Press and trade hours are between 12:00 – 4:00 PM and doors open for general admission at 6:30 PM. VIP tickets grant early admission to the main event starting at 5:30 PM and also provide access to the VIP room a few minutes away from the main event, where an enhanced food menu is available along with a curated selection of the higher-end wines which can be tasted and enjoyed in a less-crowded and more elegant setting. The event sells out every year so don’t dilly-dally and buy your tickets as soon as possible. Only good through December 31, 2017, promo code EARLYBIRD gets you $25 off either type of ticket. After that date, promo code UNCORKED will get you $15 off. VIP and general admission tickets can be purchased here.
[Los Angeles] Two days later KFWE LA will be held on February 7, 2017 at the incredible Peterson Automotive Museum. Hours are 6:00 – 9:00 PM (trade and press are usually 12:00 – 4:00 PM). VIP tickets are available and grant access to the lovely roof at 6:00 PM, where you can enjoy really terrific food by Herzog Winery’s acclaimed (and truly destination-worthy) Tierra Sur restaurant along with library wines and a curated selection of the better wines in a more relaxed setting. Regardless of VIP tickets, make sure you visit the general admission floors where the vast selection of wines can be enjoyed among the gorgeous and truly incredible display of automotive history and beauty. Use promo code EARLYBIRD through December 31, 2017 for $25 off, after which cork15 will grant you $15 off any type ticket, all of which can be purchased here.
[Monsey, NY] The next two tastings provide a great opportunity to sample a broad selection of wines beyond those imported by Royal (or produced by the Herzog Winery). The first event is the annual Grand Kosher Tasting hosted by Monsey’s Grapevine wine store and hosted by its manager – Yehoshua Werth. The event will be held on Sunday, February 18, 2018 at Grapevine Wine & Spirits in Monsey between 6:00 – 9:00 PM. Use my coupon Corkboard2019 for 20% off tickets, which can be purchased here.
[Manhattan, NY] Last but certainly not least is another event offering a broad selection of wines – the Jewish Week’s annual Grand Tasting which will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2018 at the delightful City Winery in Manhattan. The event will be held between 6:00 – 9:00 PM with VIP tickets granting early access (at 5:00 PM for a more relaxed environment). Details and tickets are available on the Jewish Week’s event page, but use my Corkboard special link for $10 off general admission and $10 off the early admission (which includes a limited tasted of special wines).
(1) Sommelier Expo (Israel)
Date: Monday-Tuesday, January 28th – 29th, 2019
Location: Heichal HaTarbut (1 Huberman Street, Tel Aviv)
Hours
Press and Trade: 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM
General Public: 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Tickets
Between 80-150 NIS (multiple options which can be viewed here (tickets can also be purchased at the same link).
More information can be found here and press and trade can register here.
(2) KFWE Tel-Aviv
Different than the other KFWE events, this one is primarily an invite-only trade show organized by Royal’s Israeli importer/distributor – Zur Agencies. As they began importing more of Royal’s portfolio over the last few years, interest has grown and some tickets have occasionally been made available to the public (but it remains primarily an invitation only event). If you would like to attend my suggestion would be to reach out to your local wine shop and see if they can assist in getting you a ticket
Date: Monday, February 4th, 2019 (same as KFWE Paris)
Location: Trask (Yosef Yekuti’eli 6, Tel-Aviv Harbor )
Hours: 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM
More information and tickets can be found here
(3) Grand Cru Cacher Tasting (KFWE Paris)
Not an “official” KFWE event, but rather a wine tasting of the many kosher wines in the Sieva portfolio (Sieva is the company owned and operated by the Bokabsa family). Royal is the importer of Bokabsa in the US, but they make many kosher wines that aren’t imported in the US and this tasting is a great opportunity to taste many of them (a few also make their way to the London KFWE).
Date: Monday, February 4th, 2019 (same as KFWE Israel)
Location: Pavillon des Princes (69 Avenue de la Porte D’Auteuil (16th Arrondissement))
Hours
Press and Trade: 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
General Public: 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM
More information and tickets can be found here
(4) KFWE London
Date: Wednesday, February 6th, 2019
Location: Sheraton Grand London Park Lane (Piccadilly, Mayfair, London)
If you attend, make sure to visit Hedonism Wines, one of the world’s coolest wine stores!
Hours
Press and Trade: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
General Public: 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Tickets
More information and ticket purchasing can be found here. Use promo code “KFWE10” for 10% off tickets (through 1/14/19). VIP tickets grant access to a separate room with seating, different food, some extra wines & whiskies (but no early admission).
(5) KFWE New York
The granddaddy of them all, this is a spectacular event with hundreds of wines and some great food as well. Attending is highly recommended and I strongly urge buying tickets as soon as possible as the event always sells out. I also recommend arriving early – it gets very crowded as the evening wears on.
Date: Monday, February 11th, 2019
Location: Pier 60 (Chelsea Piers, New York) (the VIP room is five minutes away at Current, Pier 59)
Hours
Press and Trade: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
VIP: 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
General Public: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Tickets
Information and ticket purchasing can be found here. Use promo code “CORKBOARD” for $15 off tickets. Take note that there is a convenience fee tacked on this year. VIP tickets grant one hour early access (the best reason for buying VIP tickets as it can get really crowded later on) plus a separate room (a five minute walk away) with seating, different food (by Reserve Cut) and shorter lines for the higher-end wines (only the more expensive wines are available in the VIP room).
General Information is also at http://www.thekfwe.com.
(6) KFWE Los Angeles
KFWE LA won’t be returning to the Paterson Auto Museum this year and will be at a new location. While I will miss the awesome backdrop of great cars, the layout did make it sometimes difficult to track down all the wines and I am sure the new location will be awesome as well. Easily among my favorite events given the smaller (and more easygoing) crowds and phenomenal weather! Well-worth attending and sounds like the VIP is a no-brainer!
Date: Wednesday, February 13th, 2019
Location: Hollywood Palladium (6215 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles)
Hours
Press and Trade: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
VIP &General Public: 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Tickets
Information and ticket purchasing can be found here. Use promo code “CORKBOARD” for $15 off tickets. VIP tickets grant access to a number of private lounges, each with a different “theme” (library wines, champagne, cocktails, cigars, etc.), different food, whiskies, but no early admission (the VIP wines won’t be available for GA and vice versa (as VIP admission will cover GA admission as well).
General Information can also be found at http://www.thekfwe.com.
(7) The Grapevine Grand Wine Tasting
Date: Sunday, February 17th, 2019
Location: Grapevine Fine Wine & Spirits (455 NY-306, Monsey)
Hours: To Come
Tickets
Information and ticket purchasing will be provided shortly.