By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews
For the past nine years, JTNews and Royal Wine Corp. have tasted various kosher-for-Passover wines to give you a sense of the best of the year’s crop. And while in the greater world of oenophilia, especially in this state, the mastery of vintners has seen more people than ever drinking wine, the rise of high-quality, well-rated kosher wines over fortified concord grape over that time has been just as meteoric. So with our new selection of wines, we once again set out to successfully prove that wine can be kosher, holy and not sickly sweet. As always, we thank Michael Friend of Royal Wine for providing and pouring, as well as our tasters:
Emily Alhadeff, JTNews’s assistant editor (on her first day — hope she doesn’t think we treat her to wine every day!)
Adam Balkany, wine enthusiast
Joel Magalnick, JTNews editor and wine enthusiast
Ned Porges, professor emeritus of wine and spirits at Washington State University and Highline College.
David Schor, wine enthusiast and amateur cider maker
Julie Wilchins, wine enthusiast
The best selection of these and other kosher wines are at Albertson’s on Mercer Island, QFC in University Village, Costco on 4th Ave. S in Seattle, and a new wine megastore, Wine World, at 401 NE 45th St., in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. All prices listed are suggested retail.
One note: For kosher-observant hosts using caterers, the wines designated as (M) are mevushal, which means they have been flash pasteurized for about two seconds, meaning anyone, not just observant Jews, can pour.
This year we have set recommendations by the point in the seder meal in which you’ll be drinking. Enjoy!
Royal Wine Corp. representative Michael Friend pours our first taste, the Alfasi Chardonnay.
Cup 1:
It’s spring. The evening is young, the air is crisp, the seder is just getting rolling. So why not start with something light and crisp, like a chilled white? “Put your nose into the airspace of the glass,” said our host Michael as he poured the 2007 Alfasi Chardonnay (M) from Chile’s Maule Valley ($9.99). Dave found it refreshing, with a tangy frisante — that refreshing feeling you might get from champagne, but without the bubbles — and hints of vanilla and banana.
Julie Wilchins, background, and David Schor take a sniff of the nose of one of the whites.
“I’d pair it with fish and asparagus,” he said. Michael suggested a lightly flavored chicken, while Julie added legumes to the menu.
“Very smooth, and just a slight sour astringency to it,” said Ned.
Next came Gamla Chardonnay, 2006, from the Galilee ($17.99). Dave smelled green olive in the nose while Emily sensed eucalyptus.
“This is complex,” said Michael. “My first shot, and wow!”
Adam noted he could taste the 13.9 percent alcohol content, and Ned said he thought the taste could cut through strong flavors.
Adam Balkany checks the nose on the Barkan Sauvignon Blanc.
I thought the nose on the Barkan Sauvignon Blanc ($11.99) from Adulam, Israel, was quite smooth, and indeed it was a favorite of the whites we tasted.
Julie found it “really complex and evocative of all kinds of things.” Those things, noted Dave, could be apples and cheese.
Cup 2:
We’re knee deep into the story of the Exodus, and the mood is much more heavy. Time to switch to red?
Three different appellations — cabernet, cabernet franc, and merlot — make up Segal’s Red Fusion Blend (M), from the Galilee ($14.99). If you like legs, and you know how to use ‘em, you’ll enjoy this tannic wine with the sweet afterglow.
“It’s my favorite so far,” Emily said. Adam detected hints of leather and citrus, and marked it a favorite as well.
“I can’t tell if it’s more smoky or oaky,” he said. “I was really taken by the earthiness and the color from the get-go.”
With another from the same vintner, my favorite, Segal’s Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve (M) from 2008 ($21.99) we got something very complex and different.
“It wasn’t one experience, it was many different experiences,” Michael said.
“Definitely smooth and woody, for sure,” Ned said.
Dave, however, preferred the Red Fusion to this one.
From the Negev Desert in southern Israel, Barkan Classic Pinot Noir (M, $11.99), was flowery, thick and fruity, noted Ned.
“I like it,” he said.
“I love the nose on this,” Michael said. “I don’t have to drink it, I can just smell it.”
Adam found it too floral in the nose —he preferred to drink it.
“I detect black currant,” Julie said, while Emily sensed almond or hazelnut.
Another pinot, Gamla Pinot Noir ($19.99) from the Galilee, was aged in oak barrels for seven months before bottling, Michael noted.
“I got a lot of pear — big juicy pear,” Adam said.
Emily’s impressions were much more spicy: “I picked up some saag paneer,” she said, referring to the Indian spinach and cheese dish.
Compared to the Barkan, this one felt lighter to me, but Dave thought the clay and vegetative features gave it some heft.
Another Israeli appellation, Barkan Classic Petite Syrah (M, $11.99), got the most spice-related ratings, with comments that included nutmeg, pepper, and even tobacco. It wasn’t terribly heavy, however.
“Sort of reminds me of a light rosé,” Ned said, saying it would go best with a light lunch.
It would probably go well with fish, or perhaps chicken, but not steak, Michael noted.
Cup 3:
The seder meal is complete, dessert lingers on the tongue, and if we feel like getting back to the story, this cup needs something light and refreshing.
The Bartenura Prosecco Brüt (M) was semi-dry, but light enough to go finish off a heavy meal. Emily could see it pairing with pizza (though not, of course, on Pesach) and Dave could see it with caramel corn. “It’s almost like a bubbly chardonnay,” he said.
“I detected hay,” Julie said.
Ned Porges gets a good feel for the nose of one of his favorites.
From Italy comes Carmel Moscato di Carmel, (M, $11.99) a light, sweet, tasty dessert white with just a hint of bubbly.
“Ooooh, yeah,” Emily said.
“This is good,” pronounced Ned.
“When would you drink this wine?” asked Michael. “The correct answer is, anytime you want.”
Adam recommended a different use: “Pour this over the nectarine or pears, let it set for an hour, put on some olive oil and nutmeg and put it on the grill,” he said.
We finished off with a chilled bubbly red, Alfasi Cabernet Sauvignon “Mistico” (M) from 2009 ($9.99). It’s low in alcohol — only 5 percent — and sweet, but not too sweet, good with barbecue, or Asian food, or even buffalo wing s.
“I was thinking something in an Italian restaurant,” Julie said.
Emily tasted some orange and pine, with a bit of garlic in the afterglow.
“I got coffee and cigars and honey,” Dave said, and like Emily, “something in the finish that’s sort of garlic.”
Ned called it a favorite.
Cup 4:
It’s late, it’s been a long night, the kids are getting grumpy, you’re tired, and Elijah is coming, so go ahead, do what the prophet would have done: Break out the
Manischewitz.