Posts Tagged ‘Recanati’

Wine Tasting

Monday, April 4th, 2011

There’s a right way and a wrong way to go to a wine tasting. The wrong way would be to show up on an empty stomach, grab a glass, sample every wine at every table without using the buckets provided, and bypass the cheese table. This method will have you slung over one of City Winery’s many cellar barrels within an hour, singing show tunes and crying bitter tears about your lost youth.

Thankfully, at the Jewish Week’s Grand Wine Tasting this last week, all 400 attendees did it right. They took their time and schmoozed it up. A happy raucous could be heard above the clink of glasses and wine bottles. People learned about wines and their origins, expanded the horizons of their palates, and played Jewish geography. The tasting featured over eight dozen wines from around the world. With stats like that, you’re bound to know at least one of them. The point was, however to taste something new, specifically to feature a new (bottled) guest at the Seder table.

Those wishing to fill Eliyahu’s cup with something neither syrupy sweet nor found in a half gallon jug would have found Sunday’s event to be the adventure of a lifetime. Whether looking to fill the four cups with four different drinkable vintages, or just seeking something dry and sippable, this was the place to be. Dry wines, sweet wines, reds, whites and rose’s from Israel, California, South America, Europe, and even New York were showcased.

At the first table, City Winery offered their own label, bottled on premises. (It should be noted that City Winery’s wines are Non-Mevushal.) The most notable of their offerings was their Pinot Noir; rich and full bodied with a hint of sweetness. City Winery’s Pinot Noir (Oregon 2009) would be a great Seder wine if you’re planning to serve a roast for the main course.

Next to City Winery, Hagafen Cellars had a lovely selection of very easy to drink wines from California. Their Don Ernesto Crescendo Napa Valley Red Table Wine (2008) was a smooth, simple mix of sweet and dry. For a white wine with a hint of sparkle, try Hagafen’s White Riesling (2010). The Israeli wines also offered a satisfying White Riesling in Gamla’s 2009.

Israel’s wine country never fails to disappoint and this tasting was no exception. Gamla’s Sauvignon Blanc (2009) was smooth, if a little dry. Bridging the gap between red and white, Recanati’s Rose was simple and versatile. It’s great wine to have on hand because it can go with anything. Herzog is also a Jewish table staple, with its variety of pleasant, accessible flavors. The Russian River Chardonnay Reserve, however, is worth going out of your way to serve. Herzog really defined the meaning of “Reserve,” with their Russian River Chardonnay Reserve (2007). Never again will I ask “What’s the difference between regular and reserve?” I would pair this with nearly anything, but would be very happy drinking it alone. The rich, caramel flavor and smooth finish makes this an absolute pleasure to drink.

The Holy Land produces a multitude of exciting wines from across the spectrum. Red blends made a very impressive showing. Binyamina’s “The Cave” (2006) is an oak-aged 60/40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The result is a rich, but uncomplicated red that would make a great table wine. Castel also offers a blend in its Petite Castel (2007). Petite Castel is a more complex blend; it features Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot like The Cave, but also smaller quantities of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and a little Malbec. The result is a surprisingly calm flavor with a fruity nose and dry finish. This would be great for sipping. Gedeon’s Petite Syrah was one sample that did not get sipped and spilled in the bucket. In fact, I asked for seconds. My first reaction to this Israeli red was, “Wow! There’s so much happening on my palate right now!” A little dry, a little sweet, fruity, spicy, with a bit of vanilla aroma. A glass of this Petite Syrah is the only companion you need for a great date, but if you insist on company, it can be paired with just about anything from dark soups to pasta to beef.

While Israel can be counted on for great wine, they don’t hold a monopoly on good foreign wine. From Europe, Gabriel’s Italian Pinot Grigio (2010) is light and simple. It would make a great spring or summer wine and would pair nicely with salads, chicken or fish. Argentina’s Tekiah vineyards also had a great white wine. Their Chardonnay is crisp and fruity. Tekiah also offered an impressive red in their Petite Syrah. It was smooth and rich without being overcomplicated. Both of Tekiah’s offerings were very easy to drink.

This is not your Bubbe’s bottle of wine. Kosher vineyards the world over shattered the Manischewitz stereotype and proved they have an exciting spectrum of flavors to offer the kosher consumer. Reds, whites and roses offer enough options for perfect pairings for everything from matzo ball soup to Beef Bourguignon to mango mousse or macaroons. Kosher vintners are in lockstep with kosher gastronomy as it expands to run the gamut of cuisines, kosher wines will be there to give them the perfect finish.



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A Peppery Wine for Autumn

Monday, October 26th, 2009

In the ever more internationalized world of wine, having clear and easy to read wine labels has become a necessity for wine producers.  As a part of this effort many producers now use ‘standardized’ names for grapes.   While Chardonnay, for instance, was once know as Pinot Chardonnay in some countries, it is now Chardonnay the world over.   Although there are a few holdouts like Pinot Gris, which is known as Pinot Grigio in Italy, there is only one grape where the name situation seems to be getting more, not less, confusing—and the name of that grape is Syrah.

When most Americans think of wines made from Syrah, that classic black grape, they think of the robust red wines from Australia, where the same grape is known as Shiraz. Over the last few decades, Americans have started drinking a lot of Shiraz. Indeed, according to the USDA, Between 1993 and 2008, the volume of red wine imported into the U.S. from Australia increased by nearly 2500%.

France’s Rhone Valley, long believed to have been the birthplace of the Syrah grape, has been producing Syrah wines since Roman times.   Rhone Syrah and Australian Shiraz, although genetically the same grape, often produce very different sorts of wines. Both create big cherry flavors, but Rhone Syrahs tend to be drier and more herbal, while Australian Shirazes tend to be more fruit forward and more peppery.

The international popularity of Australian Shiraz has caused winemakers around the world, even some Rhone-based winemakers, to start labeling their Syrahs as ‘Shiraz.’   In some cases, these non-Australian Shirazes are made with grapes grown from Australian clones, or using Australian wine making techniques, but not always.  Indeed, at many wineries the decision to call a particular wine a Syrah or a Shiraz seems to be as much a matter of marketing as anything else.  In Israel, where the grape has experienced a growing popularity in recent years, both grape names are used, and there are even a few Israeli wineries that produce both a Syrah and a Shiraz.

Israel has a few wine regions with just the right sort of climate for growing quality Syrah (or Shiraz) grapes. In particular, most of Israel best Syrahs and Shirazes seem to come from either the Upper Galilee, or surprisingly, the Negev.  When well made, Israeli Syrahs and Shirazes tend to have just the right heft to make them a good choice for autumn drinking.

So for this month’s Fruit of the Vine, I decided to try to find a few good Israeli Syrahs and Shirazes.  Initially I had intended to taste seven wines in preparation for writing this column, but   due to a few logistical snafus, I only received three of the wines in time for my deadline.  Fortunately, however, all three wines, which were all made from grapes grown in the Upper-Galilee, were very good.

The first wine I tasted, and the most Australian in style, was Dalton’s 2007 Shiraz.  This youthful, fruit forward, medium-to-full bodied, dark-garnet colored wine has an intense nose of black cherries, vanilla, pipe tobacco, black pepper, and smoky oak. Look for flavors of black cherries and cranberries, with a nice bit of black pepper on the finish.  Ready to drink now, this well balanced Shiraz should be able to cellar until 2011.

Score: B+

The next wine I tasted was the most Rhone-like of the trio. Benyamina’s 2005 Chosen Ruby Syrah is a medium-to-full bodied wine, which was blended with 3% Viognier, and aged in new French-oak barrels for 16 months.  It has a bright garnet color, and flavors and aromas of black cherries, plums, rosemary, oak and black pepper, with hints of tarragon and allspice.  Although drinking well now, it will really only start to show at best sometime next year, and should then cellar well until at least 2012.

Score: B+

The final wine, which has a distinctly Mediterranean style, was Recanati’s 2006 Syrah. Aged for a year in a mixture of American and French oak, this dark-garnet colored, medium-to-full bodied Syrah has flavors and aromas of red cherries, plums, white pepper and oak, with hints of boysenberries, cinnamon and vanilla, and an intriguing note of fennel. It is fully ready to drink, and should continue to drink well for another two years.

Score: B+

Israeli Syrahs and Shirazes tend to be very food friendly wines, and can be particularly nice when served with rich beefy dishes. So the next time you sit down eat to a big, juicy, steak, think about opening a bottle of Israeli Syrah. You won’t regret it.



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