Bayonne, NJ…A growing number of kosher consumers prefer new wines for the Jewish New Year (eve of September 8^th). Royal Wines introduced new wines from Australia, Italy, France, Israel, and California. Amongst the new wines from Australia is Harkham Shiraz, new to the US market.  Densely colored with rich fruit flavors and spice, keep your eye out for this bottle with the slick black and silver label.

From Italy comes the Ovadia line, including Chianti, Barbera d’Alba, and Morellino di Scansano. From the Rhone region of France comes the Beaumes de Venise Muscat, a white wine that adds complexity and food friendliness to your every day Moscato.  Israel has been a prime player in the quality kosher wine revolution in recent years.  But most of the best Israeli wines have been Cabernet Sauvignon based wines.  Domaine Netofa is a new winery founded by the traveling kosher winemaker Pierre Miodownick.  The first wine released by Netofa is a blend of Syrah and Mourvedre – a fruity, food friendly winner.  Rose’ is a great Succos wine, given that is has the flavors to hold up to lots of food and is intended to be served chilled – perfect for an afternoon in the succah.  From the Yogev line is the new Malbec/Carignan rose’ with its deep pink color and expressive notes of red berries and lavender.  Barkan has released a new blend; the Barkan Classic Merlot/Argaman.  Argaman is indigenous to Israel and Israeli vintners are figuring out the best way to use the grape.  This is a medium bodied blend and a welcome addition to the well-priced Barkan Classic line.  Finally Shiloh, a boutique winery that has previously released the cult favorite “Secret” Cabernet, come two new 100% varietal wines.  The Shiloh Barbera has expressive fruit and a mouth-watering acidity while the Shiloh Petite Sirah is a dark wine with gripping tannins and a full body.  Recently released wines from California include the Baron Herzog Pinot Grigio.

Zichron Yaakov…What does a winery do with an abundance of grapes? It already is Israel’s 5^th largest winery and exports over 1 million bottles. If you are Oshra Tishbi, you expand into gourmet jams, honeys and even sauces. The Merlot wine jams, a favorite with the many tourists who visit the Visitors Center, is as good as well, good wine. The Tishbi Winery is no ordinary winery. It is a piece of history, says Oshra, referring to the founding of the vineyards in 1882 by the Chamiletski family who fled persecution in Russia to their new home in Palestine. It was the famed Jewish poet Nachman Bialik who renamed the family Tishbi and it was Baron Edmond de Rothschild who commissioned the family to develop the vineyards.

More than 100 years later Jonathan Tishbi used the family’s considerable expertise in growing grapes to take the family in the direction of winemaking. The family’s vineyards in various parts of the country produce a variety of grapes that were to become the basis for Tishbi’s award winning wines. Israel’s diverse climates from the Golan Heights to the Judean Hills offered the family the opportunity to compete with some of the best grape growing regions in the world. Its Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon became instant hits not only with the local market but in markets overseas. The wines are imported to the US by Admiral Wines.

To say that Oshra enjoys what she does as the export manager and really the foreign minister of the winery is an understatement. The effervescent Oshra tells tourists “let’s have fun” as she serves a variety of great wines with some great food, all the while stressing the natural, wellness and health. With her infectious smile, she positions a number of wines for tasting: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet and, of course, Merlot, all kosher certified and mevushal. She also surprises with her 2009 Gewurztraminer and the taste is superb. It is in the restaurant in the Visitor Center that the Tishbis stress the great marriage of good food and wine, a combination that the Tishbis hope will continue to bring them great success. L’Chaim!

New York…With the two day holiday of Shavuos (Festival of Weeks) set to begin next week (eve of May 18-May 20), many Web sites are promoting recipes for the customary dairy meals. Supermarkets are also featuring many specials for fish, blintzes, cheeses, and vegetarian dishes. The Royal Wine Company (Kedem) is suggesting wines that can be paired with the Shavuos dairy fare. One suggestion that the wine company is promoting is “that when selecting a white or rosé this Shavuot, try to buy wine from recent vintages such as 2007 or younger.  Also remember to serve these wines chilled, but not too cold – that can mask some of their aromas.” Amongst the wines listed for Shavuos and by extension the spring are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Red Bordeaux, Chenin Blanc, and rosé (Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and even Cabernet Sauvignon). Kedem offers these wines from California, France, New Zealand and Israel.

When Jay turns back the clock to his early years at Kedem, he reminisces about trying to convert Jews who were used to the sweet sacramental wines. The two best known wines in those days, he points out, were Concord and Malaga. Today, Bartenura Mascato is a basic staple in most kosher households, so much so that the kosher version is the best-selling Mascato wine imported from Italy and that includes many non-traditional kosher consumers. Compared to the newer exotic kosher wines that are available today, even Mascato seems to be dated. To prove his point of just how far kosher wine has come in these last two decades, Mr. Buchsbaum mentions the Baron Herzog line which has received high praise from formidable wine critics as being of equal or better quality to comparable nonkosher wines. The addition of the attractive and luxurious Herzog Winery in Oxnard CA was yet another turning point in what Jay routinely refers to as “the evolution of kosher wine.” Israel’s emergence as a relatively new center of some of the best wines in the world is another major development in that evolution. In fact, wine producing countries now consider Israel a formidable competitor. “Kosher wines have been a centerpiece of lifestyle changes amongst young Orthodox Jews,” Jay emphasizes. “It is no longer a case of just having a good bottle of wine at the Shabbat dinner ore at an upscale kosher restaurant; it’s having good wine every night for dinner.” Despite these obvious changes, Jews are still well behind the general population in per capita wine consumption. And he is very careful to point out that having a great kosher wine experience is not synonymous with consuming an excessive amount of alcohol. Even when Jay’s wine demonstration at the Chevra included pairing great dishes with fine wines including champagne, lighter wine, richer red, and sweet dessert wine, “it still need not add up to excessive consumption of alcohol.”  Jay recently lectured a group of restaurateurs on how to effectively promote their wine program, beginning with a cocktail while waiting for a table. For Jay no matter how sophisticated his market becomes, when it comes to kosher wines, he will always be the consummate educator.