I have been doing these France trips with my friend David Raccah of Kosher Wine Musings for five years now. Until now, David has always come twice a year - in May and November - while I only joined for the November trip. This was mostly due to work scheduling issues, family commitments, etc., and … Continue reading France – May 2024 – Part 1 – Royal
Chardonnay
Ya’acov Oryah’s 2022 Releases
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a launch event for Ya'acov Oryah’s current releases. The event was held in Tel Aviv at the loft of Borgogne Corwn. This was a bit of a switch for me. I’m not usually invited to press-specific events with other wine and food writers. And specifically with … Continue reading Ya’acov Oryah’s 2022 Releases
RCC Israel #42 – Kislev 5783
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
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
Shiran Winery 2021 Visit
I often get asked how I choose the wineries that I write about. The answer since COVID at least has been the same - I write about those that invite me to taste. It’s really that simple - I’m easy like that. And so a few weeks ago, I got a text from Eli Shiran … Continue reading Shiran Winery 2021 Visit
RCC Israel #37 – Iyar 5781
I was beginning to fear that RCC’s were a thing of the past, but thankfully we were able to finally get back to business this month with RCC Iyar. Everyone at the RCC has already been fully vaccinated, but we decided to return to Eucalyptus as the evening needed to be put together quickly with … Continue reading RCC Israel #37 – Iyar 5781
Ya’acov Oryah 2020 Portfolio Tasting
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
RCC Israel # 34 – Tevet 5780
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
Covenant Israel Wine Club Dinner at Herbert Samuel Restaurant
At RCC’s I often lament the fact that we have excellent food and excellent wines, but it is logistically impossible to actually pair the two properly in advance. Sometimes it works out by chance, often times, the two pieces of the puzzle are enjoyed separately. Every once in a while, when planning a dinner at … Continue reading Covenant Israel Wine Club Dinner at Herbert Samuel Restaurant
The Great Experiment
Apologies for what will be a VERY long post – there was a lot to cover. Also - full disclaimer – Ya’acov Oryah is a friend. I don’t believe that impacts how I rate his wine, but it’s important for you to know that for the sake of transparency. “The true method of knowledge is … Continue reading The Great Experiment