As per usual, the Wall Street Journal (link) and New York Times (link) featured kosher wines in their wine pages recently. I will let them speak for themselves, for the most part, but I am happy that these columns left the usual refrain (”This isn’t your parents pancake syrup…err…Manischewitz anymore”). Eric Asimov, in the Times almost belittles those who write-off this growing section of the wine market.

I was glad that Dalton was well represented and well reviewed. That’s hardly a new development, but I remain a fan of most of their wines and recently attended a tasting run by Alex Haruni, Dalton’s owner. In addition to all of their single grape wines, which are great, I recommend the Alma, a Cab-Merlot blend, that I have had a few opportunities to try. It is a very drinkable wine that will certainly go well with anything on your seder table. I was also happy to see Galil’s Yiron ‘03 on the NYT list. I have loved the Yiron for the past few years, so I like to see it get good press.

I also recently attended the annual Kosher Wine Extravaganza at the Jewish Center on the Upper Westside, run by Gotham Wines & Liquors. As I mentioned to a number of people there, an event like that, with hundreds of wines, is too overwhelming to write about cogently. And then I misplaced my notes. Anyway, a few of the noteworthy wines were:
- Tabor’s Adama line: I won’t say that I loved these wines, but I think it’s great that an Israeli kosher wine is giving consumers the opportunity to taste and compare the effects of terroir on wine. The line features volcanic, chalk and clay soil, among others. From the few that I tasted, the differences were very dramatic. Of course, there are other factors that might explain this and I’ll allow for the gimmick factor, but I welcome this addition to the market
- Recanati Cabernet Franc: I wish I had my tasting notes for this. This wine was specifically recommended to me and I really enjoyed it. It’s 100% Cabernet Franc and may be the first such wine from Israel. For those who want to expose their palates to something a bit different, it’s worth picking up a bottle or two.
- Chateau Leoville Poyferre: I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much about French wines, but that is one of the great things about an event like this. I could taste a number of French (and fairly expensive) wines. The Leoville is already wonderful and will be great over the next several years.

If I find my notes, I will add to this post, but for now I leave you with these and wish you a chag sameach!

Today’s Wall Street Journal has an interesting article discussing Israeli wine (kudos to the IsRealli blog for the link), but focusing on Domaine du Castel’s owner/founder, Eli-Gilbert Ben Zaken. The article gives a good quick history of the changes in the Israeli wine market due to the changes in the Israeli economy and travel habits of Israelis.

For those who have not yet tasted their wines, Domaine du Castel is doing great work that has been recognized globally. Robert Parker recently did a survey of Israeli wines (both kosher and non-) and the wines did very well, with many scores in the 80s and 90s. (articles: Israel21c; HaKerem 1, 2). Of course, the value of objective numeric scores for wine is highly debatable and Robert Parker has been at the head of that controversy since he started publishing Wine Advocate. The point, though, is that Israeli wines are increasingly on the world wine map and that can only be a good thing for quality.

I will hopefully have the time soon to write up my notes from the recent Galil Mountain Winery tasting that I attended as part of the Kosher Wine Society. They remain some of my favorite Israeli wines.

I look forward to the upcoming Pesach wine articles and events and will post what I can.

The Kosher Wine Society, an organization that arranges public and private kosher wine tasting events in the New York area, has recently begun publishing original articles on their website, kosherwinesociety.com. They’ll be focusing on wine reviews, interviews with winemakers, and wine pairings, along with other pieces of general viticultural interest.

Rabbi Avi Finegold recently visited the Zachlawi Arak factory in New Jersey to see their production run and hear about upcoming products. Here is his report.

Mordechai Kairey decided to produce arak, a fig-based liqueur also known as ma’hia (pronounced “mach-i-ya”), after obtaining a recipe from his former landlord, an elderly Sephardic man who used to make homebrew arak for his friends. Armed with this recipe, Kairey studied at the Ethanol Technology Institute and he was off. The main component of his arak is a concentrated fig juice that he distills to make a lightly fruit-flavored spirit, which is then distilled five times with a combination of fennel, anise seeds, and star anise — which he tells me was used in the arak made by the famed Abuchatzeira family. This is all cooked in a copper still. much like mash is cooked for scotch and bourbon.

To create a truly fine drink, one needs to have a good nose and palate. The first spirits off the still are called “heads” and are not of the same quality than the later spirits. A series of tastings determine at which point the right taste is achieved and bottling can begin.

This is definitely not your typical light aperitif. For those of you who have never had arak, know that it packs a serious punch. At 86-proof and above, this definitely qualifies as a serious alcoholic beverage, yet there is much less harshness than one would expect, and there is a definite fruitiness to it. This is enhanced even more in the Zachlawi “Fig” variety, a darker, richer and smoother option. While traditionally served straight up — when I asked Kairey how he thinks it should be drunk, he responded “With good friends!” — it can be served over ice, which turns the liquid a milky white, and I can easily imagine some great mixed drinks, if that’s your thing. Kairey also mentioned that he knows of people who use it as a marinade for chicken kabobs with excellent results.

So, what’s in the pipeline for Zachlawi? In the coming weeks, they will be releasing a kosher sambuca — an Italian-style anise liqueur — and shortly thereafter, they’ll have a pareve Irish Cream ready to be bottled. Longer-term plans include a caramel-apple liqueur to coincide with Rosh Hashana. Kairey also has a cask of arak aging in the factory — he has “no idea” what he’s going to do with it yet, but I imagine it will result in a much smoother and darker arak. (Though I would opt for a seasoned cask for such aging, kashrut issues likely preclude him from doing that).

Right now the product is only available in New Jersey and New York, though he hopes to be distributing throughout the northeast and other Jewish markets shortly. Visit his website at www.zachlawi.com for more information, and product updates.

As a bonus to Kosher Blog readers, I have a Zachlawi t-shirt ready to mail out to the first person who emails me at avi at avtherav dot com and tells me what “ma’hia” means.

Today’s Wall Street Journal includes their annual, pre-Pesach review of kosher wines (link; subscription required). Their list of favorites provides a good range of what’s out there, which was their stated goal, but I am disappointed by the text of the article, which appears to merely be an edit on previous years’ columns. Rather than discussing the merits of available kosher wines or focusing on interesting regions or producers, Gaiter and Brecher have assumed the posture that this is their annual pitch in favor of kosher wines being considered real wine (”Next time you’re in a wine shop, even if you don’t keep kosher, you really should take a look.”), rather than pancake syrup (or however you prefer to describe the heavy malaga of the past). Indeed, if you look at the post discussing the 2004 column, you’ll find some of the same language. The pullout quote, while well-meaning I’m sure, just comes off as derisive after this many years: “Anyone who keeps kosher no longer has to settle for simple, sweet wines.” With a fair number of kosher wines receiving 90+ ratings year after year, some being described by Robert Parker as among his favorite wines overall, do we need to keep referring back to the swill of yore?

In any case, the wines that they single out are a mix of the familiar (Rashi Moscato d’Asti) and interesting (Goose Bay Pinot Noir). Living in NYC, I had the pleasure of attending the Jewish Center’s Kosher Wine Extravaganza, organized by Gotham Wines & Liquors, last week and will be providing comments on some additional wines in the coming days, but for now I will list the WSJ picks and comment where I can. The list is ordered “from white to red and from lighter to heavier.”

• Rashi Moscato d’Asti 2005 (Italy): G&B noted that “It’s hard to go wrong with any Moscato d’Asti as an aperitif or after-dinner wine,” and toss in the Bartenura version for the reader’s consideration. This is true and when I make fun of “the blue bottle” (or now the “green bottle” in Rashi’s case) it is only at the prevalent tendency to drink this dessert wine as a table wine. Of course, the bottom line with wine is to drink what you enjoy, but I expect that many would enjoy the Moscato d’Asti more in its intended role.
• Abarbanel Vin d’Alsace Gewurtztraminer 2004 (France): I am not usually a big fan of Gewurtz and haven’t tried this one, but G&B are and note that “this is an excellent example, clean and spicy, with a nose of roses and tastse of white pepper.” This was their favorite white of the tasting.
• Ramon Cardova Rioja Blanco 2003 (Spain): I have not tried this one, but I have enjoyed Ramon Cardova’s red rioja (as did G&B “in this tasting and in the past”). Knowing their audience, they describe this as “A white that could stand up to brisket.” I look forward to testing that theory.
• Dalton Rose 2005 (Israel): I have not tried this wine, but I am generally a fan of Dalton’s wines. They have been a consistently good producer for a number of years. I’ll have more to say about Dalton wines when I write about the Extravaganza. G&B describe this as “A good example of the increasing number of good roses available from all over the world,” so if rose is your thing, this is probably a safe bet.
• Dalton Barbera “Oak Aged” (Upper Galilee) 2004 (Israel): Again, I like Dalton wines. I did not get a chance to taste this at the Extravaganza, but a number of people were talking about it very favorably.
• Goose Bay Pinot Noir (East Coast) 2005 (New Zealand): G&B found this to be the best red of the tasting, and also like Goose Bay’s 2005 Sauvignon Blanc. I honestly don’t recall if I have had this wine before, so I’ll reserve judgment and leave you with G&B’s review: “Wine-lovers are excited about New Zealand’s Pinot Noir and this is a good one, with a haunting nose of earth, pepper and a little funk and a silky, fruity taste.”
• Teperberg Family Estate Meritage (Judean Hills) 2005 (Israel): Teperberg is only recently available in the States and I had the pleasure of tasting a few of their wines last week, including the meritage. I don’t have my notes from the tasting at the moment, so I’ll mostly rely on the WSJ review, with which I agree, but I recall the meritage as being a nice, full bodied wine that would like open up well if given some time to decant, even if in the bottle. Teperberg provides an interesting addition to what is, in my opinion, a strong crowd of quality Israeli wineries. G&B: “Lovely, Bordeaux-like nose, crisp and structured. Earthy, with good fruit and a long finish. Could age nicely. Good with brisket.”
• Bartenura Nebbiolo (Colline Navaresi) 2004 (Italy): I think I’ve had this wine in the past and consider it one of the more serious Bartenura wines that I’ve tried. It is a good solid red for anyone looking for a big Italian wine. G&B: “Interesting and tight, with intense, earthy fruit and the smell of blue flowers and rich earth. Fragrant. Good with all Italian food.”

In addition to their favorites list, I want to mention one of the few wines that they name in the text of the article, which I was able to try at the tasting last weekend. The Barkan Pinotage (Israel) is a relatively new and interesting addition. Pinotage is typically associated with South Africa and I have, for the most part, been disappointed with the South African wines that I’ve tasted. I found the Barkan Pinotage, though, to be good and certainly, as G&B suggest, worth a try. It carries a somewhat different profile than the pinot that makes up part of its ancestry and, in my opinion, makes a good addition to your repertoire of reds.

Alan Lazerow offers two great articles on the kashrut issues of whisky. The first, a two-parter, explains whisky production and implications for kashrut in great detail — geared toward those light on whisky knowledge but comfortable with halachic terms. The second is a reformulation for the Scotch Blog, which leaves out the whisky background and uses more accessible Jewish terminology.

• Kosher Whisky, Part I (Production)
• Kosher Whisky, Part II (Aging & Maturation)
• Whisky and Orthodox Jews

UPDATE: Alan also makes the Kosher Blog’s day with his report on Bailey’s Irish Cream:

I, of course, cannot speak for your local rabbinic authority. All I can do is report that the product sold in the UK, which is 100% kosher, is the same product, from the same machinery, as the contents of a bottle that you can find in your local liquor store here in America. Cheers!

This Week’s Jewish Week (at least my printed version) contains an article by Gamliel Kronemer on kosher Pinot Noir. The article is no longer on the website for some reason, but here is a link to a cached version, for as long as it lasts. A few snippets:

Pinot Noir is the famous red grape of France’s Burgundy region, and has long been considered one of the greatest and most versatile red wine grapes in the world. These grapes are used to make everything from dry, sparkling whites to fruity reds. …

It is important to note that a Pinot Noir wine can vary a great deal in quality not only from vintage to vintage but also even from bottle to bottle. A producer may make a great Pinot Noir one year and a mediocre or awful Pinot Noir the next. When buying this type of wine it is always best to buy one bottle and sample it before buying more.

The article is accomanied by a guide to kosher Pinot Noir under $30. Five wines are evaluated and given letter grades:

Hagafen Pinot Noir. Napa Valley, 2004: B/B+ ($29.95)
Domaine gaston & Pierre Ravaut, Ladoix, 2001: B/B+ ($29.99)
Yarden, Pinot Noir, Golan Heights, 2002: B ($21.95)
Gamla, Pinot Noir, Golan Heights, 2003: B ($15.99)
Barkan, Pinot Noir, Negev, 2000: B ($17.95)

The evaluations are generally favorable, although the Barkan wine is described as “perhaps a tad too sweet.”

Have you tried any of these wines? What did you think?

We have word from Craig Winchell that two Gan Eden varieties are still available. In exchange for having to charge 7.75% sales tax, he’s offering free shipping on 3 or more cases.

1997 Limited Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: $240/case
2000 Syrah: $108/case

I just opened my first bottle of Gan Eden Syrah on Friday night. Not only did it pair very well with my latest version of braised short ribs in chile sauce, but a guest who prefers non-kosher wines was even won over with this non-mevushal variety.

A wine and cheese tasting has been planned at the Young Israel of Brookline in honor of Tu B’Shevat. Here’s the official announcement:

Spring is coming! Sample fruits of the earth and fruits of the vine as you celebrate Tu B’Shevat at a Wine and Cheese Tasting

This Sunday, February 12, 2006
6:00 - 8:00 P.M.
Young Israel of Brookline

To reserve your glass by February 10:
Email wine@frumgeek.com or call 617-738-6131
$5 YIB member / $7 non-member

Without reservation:
$10 YIB member / $12 non-member

UPDATE: Event’s been postponed due to snow. I’ll repost when it’s been formally rescheduled.

A new organization has recently been created for wine enthusiasts and the wine industry to join together in order to network, socialize, and learn about Kosher wine. The Kosher Wine Society — www.kosherwinesociety.com — features scheduled tastings, meetings, early-released bottles exclusively for members and a wide variety of other membership perks.

According to their press release:

Created by Aaron Ritter, the Kosher Wine Society reflects the growing kosher wine industry. In recent years there has been an explosion of kosher wineries and higher quality bottles. “I saw this as an opportunity to get involved in something I felt passionately about and I wanted to share my enthusiasm with other like-minded people,” said Ritter.

The annual membership fee of $35 will grant members access to exclusive events, along with speaking engagements, education classes, special sale prices at select stores, special reserve bottles, and more. Other rates are available for joint memberships, and for wine industry professionals.

Their next event will take place on January 17th in New York City, featuring Lenny Recanati, owner of Recanati Wines, and his winemaker Lewis Pasco.

See their website for more details.

Rosh Hashanah is on its way, and I think I’ve got the menu for night 2 just about finalized. (We’ll be guests of friends for night 1.) Here it is (recipes will follow in upcoming posts):

Round raisin challah
Symbolic foods (apples & honey, carrots, beets)
Capon matsah ball soup and vegetarian alternative
Gefilte fish
Green salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Italian style pot roast
Sweet potato-apple tsmimmis
Marinated vegetables with tofu
Honey cake (from mother-in-law)
Cardamom rice pudding (parve, of course)

Now, to choose the wine. We’ll need 3 or 4 bottles, and it will have to be mevushal, unfortunately. I’m thinking that we may be able to get away with a Herzog Selection Chateneuf on account of the soup and fish, but we will also need some robust reds to go with the pot roast. Barkan Cabernet is one strong possibility. Any other suggestions?

The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that states cannot discriminate between in-state and out-of-state purveyors when regulating direct shipment of wine to consumers. What this means for us in the Bay State is that our legislators can no longer prevent us from buying wine online from out-of-state sellers.

Naturally, this is good news — for now. Many of our legislators and other critics of the ruling profess a desire to protect our children by prohibiting direct shipment of alcohol: “direct wine sales will open the floodgates to minors obtaining wine over the Internet.” Utter nonsense. A minor would have to be pretty enterprising to both unlawfully acquire a credit card, make an online purchase, and receive the delivery at home without a parent noticing. Even were such an occurrence commonplace, as the critics insist it is, there’s a simple solution which wouldn’t penalize those of us who would legally and responsibly buy spirits online: require shippers to obtain a signature from someone who is over 21 years of age. Both UPS and FedEx offer adult signature options, and other shippers would doubtless add the service after such legislation was enacted.

The real issue at stake for our local governments, though, is tax revenue. They simply can’t tax wine sales as effectively (or at all) if you buy it out-of-state. Sure, Massachusetts has a “use tax” that is theoretically assessed on all out-of-state purchases to be used in-state, but have you ever paid your share of use tax?

So, enjoy your wine cautiously — but get ready to write your representatives should the need arise.

To whom it may concern,

Every spring, major newspapers and other media sources offer their requisite nods to the Jewish holiday of Passover. As the holiday’s central ceremony — the seder — commands the consumption by each participant of four full glasses of wine, journalists have discovered that they could annually review kosher wines for the benefit of their semitic readership and the general cultural edification of the less-Hebrewed.

While those of us in the kosher community certainly appreciate this effort — especially in a country only two percent Jewish, and where only a fraction of that group actually cares about exclusively drinking kosher wine — it is time to put to rest the oft repeated lamentation about the sweetness of traditional kosher wines, in contrast to the variety and quality of those rabbinically-approved quaffables now available from far-off locales like Israel, Chile, Australia, and France.

I do not deny that my family would religiously imbibe Manischewitz’s alcoholic syrup — Extra Heavy Malaga, no less — to sanctify the year’s many Jewish festivals. Certainly, the ubiquity of sweet wines in the American Jewish experience was the reason why Joan Nathan, in a 1981 Passover-themed article for the Washington Post, first remarked, “For my part, I was shocked when I learned that my in-laws do not consider the kosher Israeli dry cabernet sauvignon a substitute for Manischewitz sweet.”

And for more than two decades since, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the Washington Post, the Independent of London, the Toronto Star, the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Jerusalem Post, the Orlando Sentinel, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Denver Post, USA Today and many others have used this reliable, but now tired observation to mark many Passovers and any kosher oenophilic milestone to hit the news.

Suffice it to say: we get the point. Though many of us still enjoy our wine on the sweet side (the relatively new Moscato trend a perfect example), everyone who cares about kosher wine knows that there’s ample dry stuff to choose from.

Keep the coverage. Lose the cliche.

Respectfully yours,
The Kosher Blog

While we stuck mostly with tried-and-true favorites for our Shulchan Orekh wine (we remained wedded to Almog for the four cups), this year’s sedarim did provide two wines worth reporting on. The first, a 2002 Shiraz-Cabernet (55%-45%, respectively) blend (mevushal) from Kolobarra Hills of Australia (Victoria) (image from kosherwine.com)was a good match for our brisket-ish French Roast. It was interesting, though, that the wine tasted a bit off when we first tried it with the gefilte fish. Once properly paired, the wine was quite flavorful, revealing the black cherry and pepper notes that the label claims you’ll find. While not a very red dry wine, per se, I would only recommend it for people who like big red wines and enjoy tasting their way through some complexity.

The big surprise from our seder wines, though, was the 2004 Dalton Unoaked Chardonnay (Galilee, non-mevushal) (image from queenannewine.com). I have been a big fan of Dalton wines for several years, particularly their Sauvignon Blanc Fume. I enjoy Chardonnay, but am rarely particularly impressed by it (generally preferring big reds to whites). However, this wine was truly outstanding and notable. The surprises with the Unoaked Chardonnay began with the first pour: the wine is much clearer/lighter than the average oaked (or often over-oaked) chardonnay, looking almost like water at first glance. Both its scent and taste were very crisp and clean, much more so than most chardonnays. I find that a lot of kosher chardonnays have almost a buttery taste and texture as a result of significant oaking, which is not always a bad thing, but gives them a certain uniformity of taste.

This Dalton tasted like a pure result of quality grapes. The label description reads: “From the vineyards of Keren Ben Zimra, Dalton Unoaked Chardonnay was made from the only the free run juice. A fruity wine bursting with citrus and tropical fruit flavours, Dalton offers a new and exciting facet to Chardonnay wine, in keeping with its Mediterranean origins.” This wine makes for a great drink-right-now for those looking to explore a different and interesting side of chardonnay.

As Pesach approaches, it is time for newspaper food and wine sections to give their annual nod to kosher kulture. The April 8, 2005 edition of the Wall Street Journal includes their reviews and discussion for this year. Rather than canvassing the world of kosher wine, this year Gaiter & Brecher chose instead “to focus solely on the world’s greatest grapes - Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.”

The narrative portion of the article discusses kosher wine generally and their tasting process for these wines, but also has an interesting note on the exotic tasting menu and pairing that the authors enjoyed at Mike’s Bistro in Manhattan. I have never been to Mike’s, but have now put it on my list of places to check out in NYC.

Anyway, the chardonnay’s that made the cut are, interestingly, all Israeli: Very Good (best of tasting)- Barkan Wine Cellars ‘Reserve’ 2002 ($15); Very Good/Good (best value)- Golan (Golan Heights Winery) 2002 ($12.99); Good-Yarden (GHW) 2002 ($18). Of these, I am most familiar with the Yarden and agree with the review, which describes the wine as “big and rich” and notes that it is for those who “like oaky wines.” The Yarden chardonnay is a thoroughly enjoyable wine and it will well-complement your Shabbat chicken, seder turkey, or any weekday fish.

The field of Good or better CabSav was larger, yielding six picks with solid geographical diversity: two Israeli wines, two American, one Australian, and one French. Yarden’s 2000 Galilee CabSav won out, receiving a “Very Good/Delicious” rating and “best tasting” note. Priced at $26, the Yarden was less expensive but better reviewed than the two Herzog “Special Edition” bottles that made the list, both from the U.S.: Warnecke Vineyard Chalk Hill 2000 at $60, and Alexander Valley 2000 at $33.

I look forward to the NY Times kosher wine article, which I expect in this week’s Dining section on Wednesday. Those who would like the full text of the WSJ article should email me and we’ll figure something out.

Craig Winchell sent us an e-mail last week to announce that, after 20 years in business, GAN EDEN is closing its doors and liquidating its inventory, so his family can move to a community with real opportunities for Jewish education. Their website lists the details of the liquidation sale (half price at the moment).

Craig, we wish you the best of luck. You’re always welcome to share your expertise with us on the blog, perhaps inspiring future generations of kosher winemakers, and we hope you’ll let us know if GAN EDEN reemerges wherever you settle down.

Though I have taken to drinking decent Cabernet Sauvignon with roast beef, I’m still a sucker for the sweet bubbles of Moscato. My favorite, however, is not Bartenura’s blue bottle variety (which, unusually, is no longer “d’Asti”) but Golan Winery’s. To me, it tastes a little fresher, and I like to support Israel with my purchase.

Strangely, I’ve had no luck finding Golan Moscato in the Boston area for several months, so KosherWine.com has come to the rescue. We bought two cases which, even with the hefty shipping charge, came out to about $10.25/bottle.

I know this isn’t really a commercial site, but plenty of people seem to enjoy GAN EDEN wines, and they’re really not readily available in much of the nation. Right now, I’m starting the biggest sale we’ve ever run — basically, it’s 2 cases for the price of 1, on any of our current releases, with the caveat that the customer pays all costs associated with shipping. This is a great sale, and it’s good for 46 out of the lower 48 states (Only Kentucky and Utah are excluded).

Look at it this way: my wine is currently unavailable through retail outlets in Massachusetts. Even given approximate $75/case shipping to MA on 1 or 2 cases (less for larger shipments), the Black Muscat and Late Harvest Gewurztraminer will cost no more than the California Suggested retail price, which is a buck or 2 cheaper per bottle than most often encountered in New York. And in Chicago, where it only costs around $40/case to ship, there’s an even more substantial savings.

The savings is far greater for my more expensive wines — the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, for instance, normally has a per bottle price of $40, but you could nab it for $432 for 2 cases, plus shipping. Even with $75/case shipping, that still only comes to $24.25/bottle, a great savings.

The sale applies to GAN EDEN’s entire product line excluding overstocks and close-outs, through at least November, and possibly December (I haven’t yet decided).

To order, call (800) 829-5686 during normal business hours, or contact GAN EDEN by email at ganeden@ganeden.com. Kosher Blog isn’t receiving any kickbacks for spreading the word; we’re just happy to promote an independent kosher winery (as independent as it gets — Craig’s the only employee).

Often, the wittiest anecdotes to Modern Orthodox life come when we attempt merging those two seemingly discordant modes that define us: the “modern” and the “Orthodox.”

A lawyer friend invited me to a firm reception, hosted in a posh East Village club. Never one to turn down cheap eats I happily accepted. And, so, our heroine found herself spending yesterday evening with the cr譥 of America’s fledgling legal elite–shaking a few hands, sharing a few ambulance jokes, and wholly indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd except for her rather apparent lack of exposed cleavage (which I’m convinced at least one partner picked up on) and the blue kippah srugya perched neatly atop her friend’s head.

Then came dinner. Prime rib for one hundred and fifty and shrink-wrapped Abigael’s for two. After freeing the pre-packaged food from its cellophane prison, with more than a little help from a handily toiveled Swiss Army knife, our heroine committed, for her companion’s amusement, the supposedly grievous sin of consuming sushi and chicken in the same forkful. When he ran off promptly thereafter, I figured that witnessing my brazen lack of chumra?dik-ness had sent his nerves into a tail dive.

Lo and behold, he reemerged moments later with the greatest find I’ve ever seen in a treyf joint, an unopened, yes, unopened
bottle of kosher wine. (Perhaps he hoped that liquoring me up might prevent future violations of presumed halakhah.) Only problem was, his trusty Swiss Army knife didn?t have a corkscrew.

I made for the bar, hoping to swipe one off a waiter. The ensuing dialogue:

Waiter: “Why do you need it?”
Heroine: “To open our wine.” (points to table and thinks “duh”)
Waiter: “Yeah, I offered to open it but the guy flat-out refused.”
Heroine: “Well, you know, we wanted to do it ourselves. The thrill of the hunt.”

I smiled a secret smile to myself as I went back to our table, where I proceeded to get horrifically tipsy on the finest Rashi’s got to offer.

Photo: KosherWine.com

I was just at The Butcherie and saw that they had Chateau de Paraza Minervois (1997) on sale at two bottles for $10. The same wine, same vintage goes for $10.99 per bottle on kosherwine.com. This isn’t a spectacular wine, but it’s a better than decent dry red. It’s drinkable now and goes well with a wide variety of foods (basically, avoid pairing it with very heavy meat stews or light fish or cream dishes). It looks like they got an unexpected large shipment, or else like they are trying to clear out their stock to make room for other stuff (there were several cases stacked next to the wine racks).