Alice Feiring, wine critic.
Passover is almost here. We’re scrubbing our houses, changing dishes and silverware, purchasing tons of kosher for Passover food, shopping for new clothing, and many are wondering which wines to buy for the Passover seders in which we are commanded to drink four cups of wine.
Medical Interpolation: Seraphic Secret does not drink wine, does not imbibe liquor, period. The reason? Drink leads to migraines that can flatten yours truly for days. Hence, I have nothing to say about wine. But, I am well-connected.
Seraphic Secret has invited my cousin, the award-winning and very cool wine critic Alice Feiring to sample and recommend the best Passover wines on the market.
Take it away Alice.
MM makes a l'chaim.
Everyone around me is in a panic. Pesach is coming and it’s emotionally charged. Wine is needed. So here’s my advice for the Four Cups, Eliyahu’s goblet, or just something to uncork when you unwind and watch one of the obscure silent movies my cousin Robert admires.
Domaine Netofa (Israel)
Made by Pierre Miodownick, the gent who makes wine for Herzog’s European kosher line up. Nice guy and he brings that French finesse to his own wines.
2010 White: $22
Chenin blanc from 40 year-old vines. High praise here: I found it drinkable. It had little structure and a little blowsy wasn’t really messed with much, but left on its own, flavors like a plump baked apple.
2009 Red: $22
A mixture of mourvedre and syrah, that has a bit of sour on the finish, but I appreciated the spice and warmth. In fact, it’s almost like a besomen box.
Jean Harlow pours the first cup for Wallace Ford in “Beast of the City,” 1932.
If I needed champagne, I’d hit the —
Drappier Champagne Cote d’Or, $59. (Champagne,France)
I love Drappier champagne in its secular guise, and was excited to taste what they had for those who need kosher. Not great, but I’m spoiled. However it’s really not bad. In fact it’s kind of like real live champagne, it’s quite snappy and lively, if a little direct and simple. However, I did like that Champagne limestone lilt, a little cream and a little ginger.
From the Cellar Capçanes (Montsant, Spain).
Peraj Petita 2009: $16
I little too woody, but a decent wine at a decent price, though closed and not too expressive. Think tobacco and prune. And if I was going to splurge, I’d head for the—
Peraj Ha Abib 2008: $52.00. These wines need time. Try to get hold of one with age. Pretty nice! Metallic but interesting with an herbal undertone.
Pontet-Canet 2003: $125 (Bordeaux, France) Have to admit, it tasted like bordeaux to me, but at that price?
Covenent Cab, 2009: $100 (Napa,California) Too much of a 1-2 punch for me, but the Covenant wines are probably the most poignant example of why some love Napa. This one is full of tooth-coating chocolate and cocoa. A knife and fork might help…or brisket.
Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 (Sonoma, California) The whites don’t get much attention but this a pleasing, fresh citrusy wine—which sounds about right for a Sonoma Sauvignon B. ($22)
For me, Four Gates from Benyamin Cantz in the Santa Cruz mountains is my go-to for interesting wines. But you’ll have to get them directly from him.
Have a happy and Kosher Passover!
Back to cousin Robert.
William Powell in “The Thin Man” did not drink kosher wine but what the heck we like the picture.
Check out Alice’s wine blog Feiring Line.
And to get an in-depth look at the world of wine, Alice’s two books are beautifully written, charming, deeply personal and filled with characters who seem right of 1930′s screwball comedy. Wine people are, um, seriously eccentric.
Naked Wine: Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally
Here’s my completely unbiased review of Naked Wine
The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization
Ariel Chaim Avrech, ZT'L, May His Righteous Memory be a Blessing.
15 Comments
Ah, good. Robert, Alice, Aryeh: you’ve met. My work here is done.
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KEDEM, at one time, made a wonderful VALPOLICELLA. I don’t know if they still make it, but it was my treat and favorite.
Robert, have a migraine-free grape juice seder. I usually drink grape juice at the seder, at least for the first two cups, because four cups of wine put me to sleep. HAG SAMAECH!!!
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Robert – a very happy and blessed Passover to you and Karen. I’m intrigued by the reference to new clothes. Is that something that I would do, as in “Oh, it’s Easter, I’m going to buy a new suit,” or is it a ritual purification thing?
I’m not much of a wine maven myself, but I love reading about it. A Prohibition-era ‘speakeasy’ has just opened up near my house, and their wine selection is very small. After reading Miss Feiring’s description of the Covenant Cab (chocolate and cocoa, mmm!), I’m going to have to buy them a copy of Naked Wine.
Miss Feiring, you mentioned the Drappier Cote D’Or, which I’ve never had. In its non-kosher version, is it any similar to my fave, Veuve Cliquot?
Oh, and a very blessed Passover to you, too.
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Christopher:
New outfits are like: “Oh, fabulous, a holiday, gotta go out and buy a new pair of Louboutain!”
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Hello Christopher, IMHO, the kosher Drappier is far superior to Clicquot. The farming is better, the vinification less messed with, the sulfur lower. in all, it is a far more ‘natural’ and healthful wine and the taste is purer and more original. But if you like Clicquot, I’m confident that you would love the Drappier in both the kosher and conventional bottlings.
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I find it hard to really enjoy wine during the seder, where the focus is on drinking all of a large glass quickly to do the mitzvah properly. For the seder I went with Alice’s earlier suggestion of Golan’s Sion Creek Red, of which I bought three cases at the terrific price of 4 dollars a bottle. Cheap is always good but especially so with the huge volumes being consumed at the sedarim.
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All these wine recommendations and nothing about where they are rated by The Wine Spectator. What does Parker think of them? How can we know if we like them or not until we get this information.
Just kidding! Having read Alice’s first book I would assume these wines are as interesting as her writing. Reading this post brought back great memories of reading her book and how clearly she could put to paper what her senses and taste buds are saying. As Bill said, Robert and we are fortunate Seraphic Secret has a great bench.
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Thanks so much!
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Thank you Alice! Seraphic Secret does have, to use a baseball analogy – a deep bench of talent!
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Bill, that’s sweet of you, if I have just a bit of Robert’s talent, I’ll consider myself lucky.
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Bill:
A very deep bench. I have another first cousin who is a best-selling author (she uses a pseudonym) of romance novels. I should get her to contibute some heavy-breathing romance to Seraphic Secret.
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Hi Robert (and Alice) – My first time on your blog; a friend posted this on my FB wall. Love it – both as an Orthodox Jew & a (home) wine-maker for 15 years here in Beit Shemesh (originally from N. CA) – not quite organic but certainly naked (the wine of course).
Agree about FourGates – very special wines, very special vintner. (I tried to visit Benyamin once when I was in the area, got completely lost – and he was nice enough to actually bring a bottle to me where I was giving a lecture at UC Santa Cruz!)
A few more recs to add to your list for Passover – if they can be had in CA.
Though I agree Covenant is good IMHO it’s a bit over-priced. Herzog’s Napa Valley Cab (’07 especially) and – more – their Alexander Valley Cab (’05 I think) are to my taste more complex, deeper, more flavorful. Have you tasted these? (Alice)
But really, for Pesach – celebrating the freedom of the Jewish people on their way to the Promised Land (v’heveiti – & I BROUGHT them…) – I like to suggest special Israeli wines, less well-known but not hard to find in wine stores catering to the Jewish community in LA or NY, etc. Why not try:
Binyamina’s Special Reserve Cab ’07 – reasonably priced and yet excellent
Tishbi Estate – all (Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cab…) are excellent
Kadesh Barnea (from the Negev desert)
Odem (from the Golan Heights)
Flam (near my home) just came out with a kosher line – superb
In fact, while on the local terroir, you (Robert) wrote a different post about Tzora, whose wines are just getting better year on year; Mony (kosher, located in the caves under a monastery near here, owned by a Christian Arab family from Haifa, chief vintner is Sam Sokol, formerly of Carmel and responsible for their award-winning Kayumi Merlot) is getting into its stride; and if you can find them, ask for Katlav or SeaHorse wines, grown/made in2 moshavim in the Jerusalem hills by a former accountant and a former film-maker, respectively – and both just lovely wines.
Sorry, didn’t mean to go on – am home in bed recovering from an illness, too much time on my hands!
Alice – next time you get to Israel, look me up, happy to invite you to come taste my GreenHouse Cellars Cabernet sitting on my balcony, watching the sunset over the Sorek valley….
Chag Pesach Sameach!
Aryeh Green, Beit Shemesh
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Hello Aryeh,
I actually took SeaHorse out of the equation as they aren’t really ‘kosher.’ I had some for the first time, mixed results in my mouth .Extremely overipe and I wasn’t happy with the texture, seemed pumped/plumped up. Covenant, as I said, for people looking for big wines, not my favorite at all and way overpriced (but so are Herzog’s top wines, no?) For the money I’d rather spring for a Bordeaux, but I’d be just as happy, (happier) with the Netofa or go real cheap and cheerful with Golan Sion Creek Red. I did taste the Flam, and passed. I’d love to taste your effort. If I’m in the neighborhood……
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I don’t recall Robert writing about Tzora. I was there about two and a half years ago and enjoyed the experience and the setting. The wines too, which I brought home and drank on Yom Tov.
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Aryeh:
Thanks so much for dropping in. Regarding Tzora, as my friend Kishke says, not me. I am allergic to liquor and don’t drink—ever. But I enjoy seeing others take pleasure in fine wine. Have a chag kasher v’sameach.
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