Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz

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Iron Chef Passover and Wine Tasting 2018 – video and reviews!

March 21, 2018 /

This year’s pre-Passover program went beyond the wine department. Yes, we partnered with Toni deLuca at Julio’s Liquors again, bringing back some favorites from the past couple of years and adding in some new selections. But this year was made extra-special by the incredible foodie contributions of Rabbi Sharon Sobel and her brother Ari, along with our very own in-house chef Rabbi Joe, who contributed to the wonderful dessert options. In the space of less than 2 hours, a number of menu items were showcased to bring fresh ideas and deliciousness to your Passover Seder. And everyone present got to taste everything! Thank you to Temple Beth Am of Framingham for partnering with Congregation B’nai Shalom for this special evening.

At the bottom of this post is the livestream archive of the whole evening for your viewing pleasure. But first, my reviews of this year’s wine tastings.
Wine Reviews

Notte Italiano Prosecco – Italy  $16.99
Joseph Mellot Sancerre – France $31.99
Terra  Vega Rose – Chile $7.99
Louis Blanc Cotes du Rhone Rouge – France $14.99
Terra Vega Pinot Noir – Chile $7.99
La Citadelle de Diamant Caesar Red Blend – Israel $29.99
Bartenura Brachetto – Italian sweet red, lightly sparkling
We’ve enjoyed several of these wines in previous years’ tastings but we brought them back as some of the best of the batch. 
The light Prosecco is a lovely way to kick of Passover – we served it as an aperitif as people arrived and tasted charoset and appetizers before the main program began. It has light notes of pear and is medium dry.  
 
The Sancerre is the priciest wine on the list but it is the most complex and well-balanced wines on the list that we served. It remains one of my favorites. 
 
Over the past couple of years, we’ve enjoyed the Terra Vega offerings. A couple of years ago we had their Carmenere, which is more often a grape that is used in smaller quantities in a blended wine. But it stands out on its own in a very easy-drinking wine. Their Rose is bright and fruity, fun to drink and an unbeatable value like the rest of their line. 
 
I had tasted the Louis Blanc Cotes du Rhone prior to our evening but we didn’t actually serve it on the night as the distributor wasn’t able to get it to us for orders for Passover. It is smooth on the palate, low in tanins, with dark blackcurrant fruit notes. Instead we served the Terra Vega Pinot Noir at our tasting. Like the rest of the Terra Vega range, it is very easy-drinking and an excellent value. It did not have the character that the Carmenere or the Rose had, in my opinion, and was a little light for a Pinot Noir. It might be a nice red option if you are serving a chicken dish with a richer sauce but could easily be overwhelmed by brisket or meat stew.  
 
The Citadelle de Diamant Caesar Red Blend was the fullest bodied red of the night. Some tanins and big flavors in the mouth, it will pair well with beef dishes. 
 
The final taste of the night was a substitute for what we originally had on the tasting menu – Vino Sweet Red (Italy). The Vino had been a big hit last year for those who actually enjoy Manischewitz and are looking for a slightly more sophisticated and lighter sweet wine for Seder. Our batch arrived ‘corked’ – a number of the corks had come into contact with something that damaged the cork and, therefore, damaged the wine. We did a last minute switch to the Bartenura Brachetto. I, personally, am not a big fan of these sweet options (I’d prefer to go for a Muscat dessert wine, of which we’ve had the Butcher’s Daughter Muscat from France in previous years). However, the Bartenura doesn’t have the syrupy sweetness of the Vino and was a light, fun wine for those who enjoy the sweeter experience for their Passover Seder.

Wines for a Passover Meal, 2017 edition

March 18, 2017 /

Last Thursday, Congregation B’nai Shalom co-hosted our second ‘Wines for a Passover Meal’ kosher for Passover wine tasting at Julio’s liquor store, Westborough. Their wine manager, Toni DeLuca, had kindly invited me to help choose the line-up in advance again and, together, we made sure that everything served would be palatable. While there are plenty of excellent kosher wines to be had, there is also plenty of pretty awful stuff out on the market. And I did my fair share of spitting out some pretty unpleasant stuff before we arrived at our tasting list.

During the course of the evening, I provided a little history on the evolution of the Passover Seder ritual, and a quick reminder of what makes a wine kosher for Passover. You can read about the history of the Seder here. At the end of the evening, all presented voted on a limited selection to help me choose the wines we would serve at our Community Seder (April 11). If you are local to our area, you are invited to join us – advance reservations required by April 5th via our temple website.

We also talked a little bit about choosing wines to accompany different kinds of meals. In passing, I mentioned a Moroccan stew that I have made for several years for our home Seder which is rich, spiced but not spicy, and which cooks slowly for several hours on top of the stove, making it an easy choice to serve on a Passover evening if you are exactly sure when you’ll arrive at the meal. Here is the recipe – I’m printing it here the way I originally received it, but over the years I have made this a beef stew instead of lamb, primarily due to the availability and price of kosher beef stewing meat over lamb. I think it works just as well with beef. I’ve also varied the exact combination of spices, depending on what I have had available. The stew can handle a lot of variants and still be delicious. A fuller-bodied red wine is recommended for this dish (my choice from this year’s list is indicated further below).

Moroccan Lamb Stew (or beef) – serves 6

Ingredients:
2 lbs lamb shoulder trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (or chuck beef steak, also cut into 1 inch squares)
Salt to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Turmeric
black pepper to taste
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
1/4 cut olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups low sodium beef stock
1 14oz can tomatoes
1/4 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup blanched almonds lightly toasted.

Instructions
Put the lamb or beef in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp pepper, garam masala, turmeric and thyme. Toss the lamb or beef with the spices. If time allows, transfer the meat to a resealable plastic food bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

In a large dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the meat on all sides, 5-7 mins per batch. As each batch gets browned, transfer it into a bowl.

Pour off the fat from the skillet and add the remaining oil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, carrot, celery and 1/2 tsp salt and saute until the onion is tender and has colored slightly – about 5 mins, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and scraping the skillet to deglaze the pan deposits. Add the garlic and rosemary and stir for 1 minute.

Stir in the wine, raise the heat to bring to a boil, scraping the bottom and sides to deglaze the pan deposits. Add the tomatoes with the juice, half of the apricots and prunes, the broth, and the meat and any accumulate juice back into the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1 hr 15 mins or until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick (I usually do it for closer to 2 hours with beef, on a low light). Season to taste with salt and pepper.  This next step I don’t usually do… Transfer the meat to a platter and cover with foil. Using a hand blender, puree the sauce. Add the rest of the prunes and apricots and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently until the dried fruit is soft, about 15 mins. Serve, sprinkling with almonds.

I usually serve this stew with Quinoa. Not everyone regards Quinoa as Passover-appropriate. It is a seed and not a grain, but it does expand in water. Of course, Sephardic Jews eat rice on Passover anyway, so for many Jews this is not a restriction, but many Ashkenazi Jews still observe the tradition of avoiding any food that expands in water in this way that may have a grain-like appearance.

Kosher for Passover Wine Review of 2017
So, here are my 2017 reviews of the wines we tasted this year. If you local to our congregation, all of these are available, either in store or to order, from Julio’s liquors. The prices below are usual prices. Our event offered a 15% discount on all of the wines.

Cantina Gabriele 2015 Pinot Grigio
100% Pinot Grigio. Regular price $12.99

This was a crisp, fruity Pinot Grigio with pleasant tones of apple, apricot and pear. A very pleasant wine that I’d be pleased with at any time of year. This is my recommendation for a white wine with fish or chicken.

La Fille du Boucher ‘The Butcher’s daughter’ 2015 Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay. $11.99

Last year we enjoyed a lovely 2012 Bordeaux reserve from this producer. I was not personally a great fan of this Chardonnay. It had a sweetness that came through after the initial mouthful that I would not usually associate with Chardonnay and did not particularly appreciate.

Notte Italiana 2015 Prosecco
100% Glera  $14.99

This was a very enjoyable Prosecco. Not too dry but not at all sweet either. It had a light pear-like fruitiness to it. A fun way to start the Seder for the first cup of wine – that’s how we intend to use it at our congregation’s community Seder on April 11.

Louis de Sacy NV Grand Cru Kosher Mevushal Brut
60% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier.  $59.99

This is priced as an independent producer Champagne. The dry, apple peel fruits were pleasant but were accompanied by a yeasty, doughy taste that was too pronounced. Perhaps part of the impact of the flash pasteurization process to make this a mevushal wine, but not to my liking. A bit like having an apple pie that wasn’t cooked through, leaving raw dough in the pie crust.

Luis Felipe Edwards ‘Terra Vega’ 2015 ‘Bin no 902’ Malbec
100% Malbec $7.99

I found this a very pleasant pour. However, we tasted their Carmenere last year which was a big hit among our tasters, and I’d still put that one ahead of this year’s Malbec. The Carmenere is still available, also at $7.99

O’Dwyer’s Creek 2014 Limite Release Pinot Noir
100% Pinot Noir $29.99

A very pleasant New Zealand Pinot Noir. Very smooth and balanced. Not my top choice for my stew because I think it’ll get a bit lost with the richer sauce and flavors of the stew, but would work well with brisket.

 La Citadelle de Diamant 2014 ‘Caesar’ Red Blend
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 15% Shiraz.  $29.99

This was my favorite red of the night. Full bodied, beautifully balanced blackcurrant and earthy tones. This was the Israeli selection of the evening and it is my pairing for the stew.

Louis Blanc 2014 Crozes-Hermitage
100% Syrah $27.99

This was also a hit with many of the tasters last Thursday. For me, personally, La Citadelle won out for the particular meal I’ll be serving at my Seder, but this is a red that I would certainly enjoy for any occasion. A little softer in the mouth, with a little more plum and dark fruit jamminess than La Citadelle.

La Fille du Boucher ‘The Butcher’s Daughter’ 2015 Muscat Premium
100% Muscat $14.99

A very lovely french muscat dessert wine. Not syrupy at all – light and floral, with honey and melon tones. My choice for a dessert offering for the 3rd or 4th cup of the night.

Cantina Gabriele ‘Vino’ NV Sweet Red
70% Merlot, 30% Sangiovese $9.99

This one came out last year but we brought it out again for those who might be looking for a slightly more sophisticated and less syrupy version of a Manichewitz. Far too sweet for my taste, but if that’s what you’d like for your Seder, this is a nice alternative.

In addition to this year’s tastings, the following wines are still available from Julio’s of the wines we tasted last year. You can read last year’s reviews here:

Joseph Mellot ‘La Graveliere’ Sancerre
100% Sauvignon Blanc $31.99

O’Dwyers Creek Sauvignon Blanc
100% single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc $16.99

Ella Valley Vineyards Estate Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay $24.99

Louis Blanc ‘Vintage’ Cotes du Rhone
$14.99

Luis Felipe Edwards ‘Terra Vega’ Carmenere
100% Carmenere $7.99

Kosher Wines for Passover: Not your Grandfather’s Manischewitz!

April 12, 2016 /

Last week, I co-hosted a Kosher for Passover wine tasting at Julio’s Liquors in Westborough. Julio’s, for those not familiar with it, is not your typical liquor store. They hold several free tasting events a week, ranging from wine evenings, to whiskey, to beer, and many weekend afternoon festivals featuring large selections from multiple distributors. They have a large basement space dedicated to these events. For me, the result is that I’ve not bought anything that I didn’t like in the past four years, because I’ve had an opportunity to taste pretty much everything I’ve purchased prior to buying.

With around 70 people filling the room, we had a lot of fun tasting a broad range of kosher for Passover wines from all over the world, distributed by Monsieur Touton wines. For those who could not attend in person but wanted a review so that they could stop by to make a purchase before Passover (or for those reading this in other locations who are on the hunt for something a bit different), here are my tasting notes from the evening.

I began the evening with a quick history of wine-producing among Jews, what makes a wine Kosher (and kosher for Passover), and what the origins of the four cups of wine are. I won’t post the full presentation here, but just a few key points:
1) Ancient Israel is one of the earliest sources of vineyard growth and wine making in the world. Biblical references include Noah, and the 12 spies who brought a huge vine of grapes back from Canaan as proof of the fertility of the land.
2) The Talmud references 60 varieties of wine. Wines were flavored with spices, salt, date honey, and cooked into a sweet syrup (the equivalent of today’s Manischewitz and other sweet kiddush wines).
3) In winemaking there is a process called ‘fining’ which helps to remove some of the soluble particulates from wine. These can be from organic or inorganic sources. When an animal product is used it renders the wine unkosher. Additionally, for those who are strictly observant, a wine will need a kosher certification stamp on it. Kosher for Passover wines are those where the certifiers will verify that the wine has not come into contact with any grain product from harvest to production.  Wine that is ‘mevushal’ is very quickly flash pasteurized. Today, that can be done with lasers. Historically, it left a somewhat ‘cooked’ odor to the wine, but today’s technology can lead to some ‘mevushal’ wines being pretty good. The reason for this process has to do with some pretty ancient halachah about avoiding wines that may have been used for idolatrous purposes, and/or mixing with non-Jews in taverns. It has little relevance today, except for strictly observant Jews who continue to follow the letter of the law.
4) The Passover Seder was modeled on the Greek Symposium – a gathering that involved copious amounts of wine drinking. There was some debate in the Talmud about how many cups of wine should be drunk at a Seder. It took a while for our ritual today to become fully formed and settled. One interesting remnant of the original debate is ‘Elijah’s Cup’. When some rabbis advocated for a fifth cup (based on how they were parsing phrases in Exodus that refer to God’s redemption of the slaves from Egypt), it was decided to pour a fifth cup but not drink it. Elijah, who tradition has it will announce the coming of the Messiah, was also understood by these ancient rabbis to be able to answer all unanswered questions when he came. Apparently, this included the question of how much wine we should drink at our Seder!

Here are the wines we sampled and their ‘regularly listed’ price. For those going to Julio’s who mention last week’s tasting, they will honor the preferential pricing they had, while stocks last.

Louis Blanc ‘Les Favieres’ 2015 Coteaux Varois en Provence $19.99
This is an excellent Rose wine that I’d be happy to drink at any time. If you are serving chicken at your Seder, this would be a nice accompaniment. Hints of watermelon, raspberry, and mint. Vibrant, long finish. Mevushal.  This sold out at our tasting, but you can place an order with Julio’s.

Joseph Mellot ‘La Graveliere’ 2014 Sancerre $31.99
From the Loire Valley in NE France. The priciest wine that we tasted, but an exceptionally good Sancerre. 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Flavors of red grapefruit, balanced minerals, and a little spice on the finish. This sold out at our tasting, but you can place an order with Julio’s.

O’Dwyers Creek 2015 Sauvignon Blanc $16.99
100% single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. Also organic, vegan and mevushal.
More a mix of tropical fruits (pineapple and passion) than the Sancerre. Citrus, lemon/lime finish –  more acidity than the Sancerre. Very fragrant.

Ella Valley Vineyards 2013 Estate Chardonnay $20.98
100% Chardonnay
I’ve been a big fan of Ella Valley wines since I tasted them about 10 years ago at an Israeli Wine Festival at the Israel museum, Jerusalem (the same museum that holds the Dead Sea Scrolls). I don’t love all of their range equally, but on the whole I’ve found them to be consistently among the better wines to come out of Israel. Not the cheapest here in the USA, but I’d rather pay an extra $5 for an Ella wine than a mediocre Dalton, Alfasi, or Carmel wine any day.

A light, almost sherbert-like crispness with green apple, lemon, and a touch of cinnamon. If you like Chardonnay, you’ll like this one.  Monsieur Touton is no longer carrying Ella Valley wines, so the case or two that is left at Julio’s is the last they’ll be bringing into the State of MA for a while.

Louis Blanc ‘Vintage’ 2012 Cotes du Rhone $14.99
Main grape is Syrah. Also some Grenache and one or two other varietals in small quantities.
Dark blackcurrant and peppery finish with medium tannins. Will pair well with lamb or beef.

La Fille du Boucher (The Butcher’s Daughter) 2012 Bordeaux Reserve $14.99
70% Merlot 30% Cabernet. A great story to this wine. Named for the daughter of the largest Kosher meat family producer in France. The daughter runs a famous kosher restaurant in the Old Jewish quarter, Paris.  This wine is a very dry red with deep fruits and medium tannins and a long finish. You’ll enjoy this if you like an earthier, heavier red. Will pair well with a fattier meat like lamb or a brisket.

Luis Felipe Edwards ‘Terra Vega’ 2014 Bin No. 964 Carmenere $7.99  From Chile
This sold out at our tasting, but you can place an order with Julio’s.
This was a big hit at our tasting. Very pleasant, fruity wine that is very competitively priced. Lacks some of the depth of the larger, drier reds, but a very nice wine to either drink by itself, or with a lighter meat dish. I’d even suggest pairing with chicken or turkey if you prefer a red wine. It has a beautiful deep, red color but is light on the nose and has a fruity, blueberry taste with a slightly peppery finish.

Ella Valley Vineyards 2011 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon $29.99
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot.
See my notes above the Ella Chardonnay for my personal preference for this winemaker and the limited availability moving forward in MA.

This is a well-rounded, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon wine. It has deep blackcurrant tones, a hint of licorice, and forthright but well-balanced tannins. I’m making a Moroccan beef stew for my Seder so this is the kind of full-flavored dry red that will pair well with a rich, meaty dish. It might be a bit heavy on the tannins and spice for some (in which case the Carmenere is probably the wine for you), but this and La Fille Du Boucher are, in my opinion, the more sophisticated and ‘big’ wines of the range that we tasted.

Cantina Gabriele ‘Vino’ NV Sweet Red $9.99.
70% Merlot, 30% Sangiovese.
Think of this as a better ‘upmarket’ version of Manischewitz. It has a very slight sparkle to it and is sweet but not cloying or syrupy. It comes from South of Rome and is certified vegan as well as Kosher.  This isn’t my personal taste – I like a chilled dessert wine like a light Muscat, Sauternes, or Icewine. But this one was also a sell-out at the tasting, and I even brought home a bottle, knowing that I’ll have guests who really won’t enjoy the Ella Valley Cabernet but would rather have something like this. And its only 5.5% ABV!

I hope you try something a little different for your Passover meal this year. One thing everyone at our tasting came away appreciating – there’s much more to Kosher wine than Manischewitz!
Chag Pesach Sameach!

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