This is the last post that I “owe” from tastings that happened a couple of months ago. As we say in Hebrew – Achron Achron Chaviv – which can be roughly translated as last but certainly not least – Ya’acov Oryah. As always, let me start by saying Ya’acov is a friend, and while I … Continue reading Ya’acov Oryah 2020 Portfolio Tasting
Due to the ongoing craziness that is our world, we have not had an RCC evening since February. March rolled around and with it the Coronavirus pandemic, and everything came to an immediate halt. With the initial improvement in conditions in Israel and the relaxing of the guidelines from the Health Ministry, I decided about … Continue reading RCC Israel # 36 – Av 5780
Readers of this blog know I am a huge fan of the Tempranillo grape. I can appreciate it in almost any style from every-day drinking Elvi semi-crianza Herenza Rioja to the upscale Herenza Reserva, from the big bold Israeli 2016 Netofa Dor to the beautifully refined Yaacov Oryah 2011 Iberian Dream series. I have liked … Continue reading 2019 Faustino VI Rioja – and example of what is right… and wrong with Egoz-Muscat
This month we scheduled RCC to be New Year’s Eve and took the opportunity to ring in 2020 with an appropriate 20 wines. Chef on duty was Avi Katz, who did a nice job overall with the food. A couple of highlights there were the potato soup with crispy lamb bacon, which was excellent – … Continue reading RCC Israel # 34 – Tevet 5780
RCC Israel Tamuz 5779 marked the first time we moved out of our comfort zone and experimented with using a new chef (Bracha is traveling this summer and Uri had a baby boy last week). The chef in question – Avi Katz. Avi works as a chef professionally most recently at the David Citadel Hotel. … Continue reading RCC Israel # 31 – Tamuz 5779
This was a really fun night with some interesting wines. Before we get there, a comment on the food. Uri cooked alone tonight – Bracha needed a break after doing one these dinners so recently. While some of the dishes were more rustic than usual – they were excellent and this was one of the … Continue reading RCC Israel # 27 – Tevet 5779
Wow – I can’t believe I haven’t written all month! Between the Chagim and work it’s been a little crazy. There are definitely some cool wines that I have sampled that I will have to try and write up – but for now, let’s stick to the topic at hand – this month’s RCC. The … Continue reading RCC Israel # 25 – Cheshvan 5779
As Ashkenazic customs of the 9 days prohibit the consumption of wine even on Rosh Chodesh Av we had the RCC brought forward by a couple of days to accommodate. While every dish that we had was wonderful (and beautifully plated), the clear star of the night for me was the dual preparation of Flat … Continue reading RCC Israel #22 – Av 5778
This month Bracha cooked solo as Uri is off traveling with his lovely wife – and she did a wonderful job as usual. My favorite dish of the night was the corn gnocchi served on a puree of lamb bacon and greens topped with a sous vide egg – excellent stuff! My thanks to Andy … Continue reading RCC Israel #21
This was a very interesting night with one of our best wine lists ever. We ended up with a very international list (minus any American entries) – and each region showed beautifully. The food of course was excellent. Bracha and Uri continue to put out inventive and tasty dishes month after month. While Uri rarely … Continue reading RCC Israel #19