Rosh Ha-Shanah Menu
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?
¶
Direct wine shipments in MA now legal
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.
¶
Attention: Major Media Outlets
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
¶
Seder 2005 Wine Report
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.
¶
WSJ Pesach Wines 2005
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.
¶
Other Wine News: GAN EDEN closing
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.
¶
Golan Moscato
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.
¶
Gan Eden’s “Biggest Sale Ever”
Thanks for being patient while waiting for my Kosherfest recap. In the meantime, why not take advantage of GAN EDEN Wines‘ biggest sale ever. Craig Winchell of GAN EDEN just sent in the following details:
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).
¶
This Ol’ Life
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 crè¥ 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.
¶
Butcherie: Wine deals
KBlog enthusiast Shanna writes in with a tip for our local readers:
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).
And for us kid-stuff drinkers, they have something in the $5-range called “Royal 18″ from Bartenura… a light, refreshing white wine with the finest of screw-tops. Let’s see if it’s any different from the Moscato.
¶
