The last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy for me. My niece Zahava got married, and the entire family flew to the US for the wedding and sheva brachot week. (Shout out to my dear friends Yael & Donny, who hosted our entire family of seven while we were visiting for this trip … Continue reading RCC Israel #42 – Kislev 5783
Barkan
RCC Israel #41 – Adar-1 5782
My next post on France is basically written – just editing now – but before I post that, I figured I would quickly write up this month’s RCC. I don’t like to postpone those as I take shorthand notes during those tastings, and if I wait too long I have a hard time reconstructing what … Continue reading RCC Israel #41 – Adar-1 5782
RCC Israel # 30 – Sivan 5779
After a 2 month hiatus, we finally held another RCC Israel - and we came back with a vengeance. Not only was this one of our better lineups on paper - when it came time to drink, there were very few disappointments. On top of that, from a food perspective, Uri put out his best … Continue reading RCC Israel # 30 – Sivan 5779
RCC Israel # 27 – Tevet 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
RCC Israel # 26 – Kislev 5779
Our chef's took a much deserved vacation this month so we were back at Kinor BaKikar. They do a nice job overall - though I'll probably look for other options for next time, just to change things up. Would have done that this time, but my wine schedule has been overwhelming with events this past … Continue reading RCC Israel # 26 – Kislev 5779
2017 Barkan Beta Series Riesling
This is the last of the Barkan Beta Series initial releases that I am tasting. You can find the previous installments here and here. I was really looking forward to this bottle as a friend of mine had already had it and liked it - in fact he liked it more than the other 2 … Continue reading 2017 Barkan Beta Series Riesling
RCC Israel #22 – Av 5778
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
2017 Barkan Beta Series Colombard
This is the second of the three new Barkan Beta Series releases that I am tasting. You can read more about the series and my notes on the Rose here. Going into this, I didn't know what to expect. My experience with Colombard is usually as part of Gewurtz based off-dry blends - I would … Continue reading 2017 Barkan Beta Series Colombard
2017 Barkan Reserve Pink Muscat Rosé
After tasting the Barkan Beta Series Rosé I felt sort of hopeful that things were indeed in turnaround at Barkan which is currently the number 1 wine producer (sales wise) in Israel. Sure, conceptually I knew that the more established lines within the Barkan brand would need to take more minor shifts forward. Still, as Rosés typically … Continue reading 2017 Barkan Reserve Pink Muscat Rosé
2017 Barkan Beta Series Vin Gris
Good things come to those who wait. Many of us have been waiting for quite some time for Barkan to return to its former heights of the aughts, with some having given up all hope. But a little over a year ago a amidst a bit of a shakeup in the local wine scene, … Continue reading 2017 Barkan Beta Series Vin Gris