Passover

Passover Wines for 2024! Taste these Beverly Hills Wine Suggestion from Kosher Expert

Wine Expert Jay Buchsbaum from Kosher.com Reveals Perfect Passover Wines Pairings for Passover 2024

Passover starts Monday April 22 at sundown and ends April 30th. But today’s conversation is about the flavors of Seder dinner.  

Jay Buchsbaum

Royal Wine and Kosher.com’s Jay Buchsbaum visits to talk about flavor, tradition, tastes for every family member and what’s exciting in the wine world for 2024.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.  For the full, unedited conversation, visit our FlavRReport YouTube channel.

 

Joe Winger: Jay, welcome back.  I appreciate that you’re returning.  Last time was great and we learned alot.

Jay Buchsbaum: Thank you for having me. Wow. This is great. So getting invited back for a second date, that’s really cool.

Joe Winger: Passover is just around the corner and we want to talk about different over wines to enjoy during the celebration and some great wine pairings.

I wanted to start off with what might be one of the popular new bottles – Carmel Black Cabernet Sauvignon.

Jay Buchsbaum:  It’s very hot and the reason it’s very hot is because people want something that’s rich and flavorful, especially the American palate, what we call the New World style.  

Opulence, fruit forward, but they don’t want to spend a fortune like you’d have to from some fancy vineyard in Napa or from Judean Hills. When it comes to Israel or the Golan Heights, and this is one of those wines where they’ve put together this at the beginning of opulence, lots of fruit forwardness, 14 months in oak and about $25.

So it’s really one of those really wonderful wines. What I noticed, and they say they forgot to do it, but I noticed that it does not have an appellation specific, except for Israel.  The reason I believe the winemaker did that –  I don’t know for sure – he talks about it on the back [of the bottle] that they brought the grapes from some of the finest vineyards.  He chose small amounts [of grapes] from the best vineyards from different places and put them all together, carefully crafting it so that it’s big and rich and flavorful and still under $30 bucks.

Joe Winger: That sounds amazing. What are some good food pairings that you’d recommend with it?

Jay Buchsbaum: A roast would be great. On the first and second night of Passover, we don’t officially roast anything because we don’t want people to think that it was a sacrificial lamb that was done in Egypt because we don’t have it today yet.

Until the reestablishment of the temple on the Temple Mount at some future time. 

So people cook a roast in the oven, it’s not barbecued. That’s what they’re talking about from a historical, spiritual sense –  but a delicious roast, maybe chicken marsala, where you have mushrooms and caramelized onions, you have a really rich flavor to go with that.

A lot of the Sephardic foods are like that too. We talked about traditional foods. Traditional foods from where? Sometimes it’s Eastern Europe, sometimes it’s Middle Eastern, and sometimes it’s Sephardic.

Lots of seders have a mix of all [cuisines] because you have melded families.

 

Joe Winger: Royal Wine currently has a wide roster of wine suggestions for Passover  Something for every adult at the table, from Grandpa to 25 year old Grand-daughter and her boyfriend.

 

Jay Buchsbaum: That’s a great point.  I’m going to give you the last one first only because I thought this was so much fun when I thought about it and I actually might do it. 

Let’s say the boyfriend is coming over. He wants to bring you something and he doesn’t know what to get you because, he’s not that observant..

So I thought, why don’t you end the meal with something Sparkling. The Momentous Rosé. That might be fun. You go out with a pop, so to speak. There’s Vera Wang’s  Prosecco Rose that’s also wonderful.   Both around $20.

But if you want to go really high end, why not go with the Rothschild Brut Rosé from Champagne, which is magnificent.  It’s 100% Pinot Noir, and about $100 a bottle.

So you have great diversity and  accessible and quite delicious sparkling wines.

Grandpa, or if you have a real fine wine guy. You have beautiful wines from the Rothschild vineyards, the Haute Medoc. which is in the upper $30s, and then you even have Grand Cru’s LesCombes, Grand Cru Margaux as an example, and some amazing wines from the Herzog Winery in California like the Alexander Valley Herzog Reserve, or the Napa Valley Herzog Reserve.  

We have a beautiful Lake County Reserve Cabernet from California. Big, opulent, delicious, mouth filling. 

I start my Seder usually with a rosé.  The reason for that is because you’re starting your Seder, having eaten nothing pretty much since the morning. So you’re on an empty stomach and the tradition is to finish at least the first glass. So I try to start with a rosé.  It’s a little lighter, a little lower in alcohol, a little lighter in texture and, and I like to start with an Israeli wine first.

Joe Winger: Iis there a hidden gem as far as just high quality with amazing value?

Jay Buchsbaum: There’s a really wonderful wine from New Zealand.

It’s a white wine, not a red wine. It’s made by the Rothschild family, but it’s made in New Zealand, called Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc. Less than $30 for sure.  Fresh, sweet lemons, but with enough acidity and structure, almost like a palette cleanser.

Joe Winger:  Anything that you’re looking forward to in the next few  months that wine lovers should be getting excited for?

Jay Buchsbaum: We were missing rosés from Israel for a whole year because of the sabbatical year. We skipped that vintage of roses, and so they’re back for the first time in 24 months for this Passover.

I love some of the new Italian wines. One of them to take a look at is Cantina Giuliano.  it’s a boutique winery. They make 3,000 – 4,000 cases maximum. It’s run by a young couple and I just had them over at my house for Sabbath Shabbat.  His wines blew people away.

I think the most exciting thing is our new winemaker and what our new winemakers is doing with our grapes. His selection and his final product over at the Herzog Wine Cellars. And that could be

Our new winemaker, his name is David Galzignato. He’s with us about three years and he has a background that is with some of the finest and smallest, medium sized boutiques. 

He was going to be moving to France, going to go for his MW [masters of wine] and they asked him if he’d come and consider working with us and he did. He has been making literally blow your brains out wonderful wines so our Napa Cabernet, our Alexander Valley Cabernet are just up and down the line, the wines, especially the reds are just rich and opulent.

He got Joseph Herzog to buy a visual sorter, they range in cost between a $100,000 – 1 million dollar machine.

What they do is when the grapes come in [during harvest] and there’s something called sorting tables.

Done by hand [vineyard workers literally sorting through the harvested grape bunches, looking for]  damaged or a little beat up or whatever, and they only allow the perfect grapes to go through. 

This visual sorter does this electronically by computer, so nothing is missed, zero. As a result, the grape quality is much higher

Famously said in The New Yorker Years ago, “There’s only three things that matter in good winemaking. Good grapes. Good grapes. Good grapes.”

So, the fruit that we get and the fruit that we end up making wine out of is literally the most important thing.

By using these kinds of methods, which are not inexpensive. But the quality is through the roof. We’re looking to make a 100 point wine one of these days and I think it might we might get close this year. 

For Passover: Carmel Winery Launches New Signature Series Wine for Passover: Carmel Black Cabernet Sauvignon

For Passover: Carmel Winery Launches New Signature Series Wine for Passover: Carmel Black Cabernet Sauvignon

Carmel Winery Launches New Signature Series Wine for Passover: Carmel Black Cabernet Sauvignon

Carmel Winery, the largest and leading winery in Israel is launching a new wine from the Signature series – Carmel Black Cabernet Sauvignon

Kosher for Passover & All Year Long

Israel’s Carmel Winery will launch the USA premier of new CARMEL BLACK, a Signature Luxury brand, February 2024, just in time for the Passover season.

Carmel Winery – the largest winery in Israel – adds the new vintage to its distinguished SIGNATURE series, a portfolio of luxury wines from the highest-quality producing vineyards known for its long tradition of winemaking knowledge and expertise.

The new wine joins the brand’s highly successful Carmel Mediterranean Vats ($30 SRP), Single Vineyard ($45 SRP), Carmel Mediterranean ($60 SRP), and Carmel flagship wine Limited Edition ($99 SRP).

Carmel Black, a sign of strength and elegance, is a mysterious marvel that exudes prestige and sophistication.

Inspired by its boundless depth and signature timelessness,  created Carmel Black, a new exclusive edition in the distinguished Carmel Signature series.

This full-bodied velvety wine epitomizes Carmel’s artistry and innovation and encapsulates the vast expertise and philosophy of Carmel Signature: to nurture and enhance the unique qualities of the grapes, extracting their best attributes and realize their full potential with love, care, and minimal interference.

Carmel Black Cabernet Sauvignon Galilee 2021 boasts a rich, dark crimson hue and delights the senses with aromas of ripe fruit, cassis, and hints of tomato leaf, complemented by subtle notes of warming spices.

This wine offers a full-bodied, silky texture, with flavors of luscious ripe red fruits that linger through a satisfying medium finish.

It has been meticulously aged for 14 months in French oak barrels within its wine cellars. Bottle aging potential: 5-7 years under suitable storage conditions.

Yiftah Peretz, Chief Winemaker of Carmel Winery, “Our new Carmel Black is meticulously aged for 14 months in French oak barrels. Grown in the Galilee, its climate provides comfortable temperatures which offer excellent conditions for nurturing and enhancing the unique qualities of the grape.

Etti Edri, Carmel’s Export Manager, “Israel is naturally the historical homeland of kosher wines, and we are excited to introduce our exclusive Carmel Black in the USA in time for Passover, when more than 40 percent of all kosher wine sales occur.”

Carmel BLACK Signature will be launched in the USA at the NJ Kosher Food & Wine Experience (KFWE), February 26, 2024. This important trade show regularly drives trends for Passover holiday wines and spirits, as well as year long forecasts. The trade event at the Meadowlands Hilton in Rutherford NJ is open to wine and spirits industry buyers, caterers, and restauranteurs.

Carmel BLACK Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Galilee (SRP:  $30) can be purchased at specialty wine stores and online sites.

CARMEL SIGNATURE is Carmel Winery’s most prestigious wine category. The wines are produced from grapes nurtured and selected with strict precision from Carmel’s top vineyards, with an emphasis on elegance and harmony between all the elements.

Having a Multi-Generational Passover Celebration? Wine Pro Etti Edri Shares Important Tips

Having a Multi-Generational Passover Celebration?  Wine Pro Etti Edri Shares Family-Friendly Tips

Today is a treat for people who observe Passover and wine-lovers who are curious to taste Israeli’s delicious (ands well-rated) new wine releases.

Etti Edri has over 15 years of wines experience and is the Export Manager for Carmel Winery.

 

 

So of course I come from Carmel. What’s important for me is to talk about Carmel Winery, that we are able to produce wines from a wide spectrum of wine.

 

When we sit together for Passover.  There are younger people: 18 year old’s, 20 year olds, but it’s people we wanna bring in and invite to the wine world.

 

Because the wine world in Israel is just since the 1970’s, even though they used to produce wine thousands of years ago.  After the Muslim era until the seventh century there was no wine at all. So when Rothchild came, he had to start everything from scratch.

 

So what he started, we actually sustained. And when we sit together at the table for Passover there are 18 year olds, 23 and 30 year olds, parents, grandparents.  That’s a lot of different wine tastes. And we all know how wine involves your palette. 

 

Personally, I mean, I started with semi-dry wines, and today I would go for the Volcano, which is the single vineyard one, you know, the geeky one that goes into oak and large oak. But how long it stayed, and how long it was fermented, and so forth.

 

As opposed to my 21 year old. She says, “Mom, give me something light and fun”. 

 

So this is what’s so beautiful about Carmel is that you can give them the “Buzz” series, which is the sparkling, a flavored wine and it’s semi-sweet, and they love it. But yet, on the other hand, my father would like the brandy which we also produce.  And, me,  myself,  would go for the high end one. So everybody around the table  can enjoy their own glass of wine, and that’s miraculous in a country like ours, it’s an achievement. 

 

 

Lets do a deeper dive on the wine.

 

Because I’m at the age of liking these geeky kinds of wines, I want to talk about Carmel Signature. Carmel Signature is all the premium wines under Carmel Winery’s label.  It means that while we make regular table wines, you can also drink our Signature series and it has our signature on it, Carmel signature with a symbol of spies. 

 

That symbol means it’s coming from the top vineyards in Israel. So it’s coming up from the Galilee. It’s coming from the Judean Hills. It’s always being picked from single vineyards that are growing up in the north, with really meticulous care.

 

When it comes into the winery, it’s separated in oak, and then after the fermentation, it’s blended together for a while until it creates a beautiful blend. 

 

So two things I want to talk about, one is we are launching “Single vineyard”, which is a very famous among Kosher drinkers.  They love it knowing it’s Single Vineyard from Carmel and they want to taste it because it’s been planted since 2010.

 

Also, we are launching something today that’s a bit higher. It’s called Volcano, because it comes from a special vineyard that was planted in 2010.  Picked from their Cabernet Sauvignon, which Americans love.

 

So combine the Cabernet grapes,  the single vineyard, the signature symbol, the immaculate vineyard work.  Combing in all and eventually you get something that’s really really beautiful on the palate, very rich, but yet something you can age and drink 5 – 10 years from now.

 

Amazing, so tell me more about the Carmel Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019.  What meal would you pair with it for dinner?

 

When we are drinking such a rich and full wine, you would expect to have a matching experience with the food. So usually people would go for roasted meats, fatty meats because the wine is so rich in tannins.

 

I would actually go for the long-cooked lamb, because I’m Mediterranean, I’m Tunisian.

 

So I would put all these herbs inside, and yet these herbs would not damage the quality of the wine or the flavors it also pronounces. But long cooked. When you think about a bite of that alongside rice pilaf.  You know what that is like? A mixture of the spices should  match perfectly to that cabernet.  The balance you would get is quite amazing.

 

Let’s move to a second wine. 

 

What I want to talk about is a wine called Carmel Mediterranean. It’s also on the Carmel Signature which received 96 points by Decanter, which was a big thing for us.

 

The Americans that came here in 2000, when they tried it they were just blown away.

 

Mediterranean Carmel is a combination.  It’s got Carignan, it’s got Petit Verdot. It’s got Petit Syrah. It’s got single vineyards, separated from all of Israel. It combined later on, after 8 months in oak together, as a blend.

 

When you taste it it feels like you are tasting some part of the Judean Hills climate, which is limestone and rocky, chalky.  When you go out to the Northern Galilee, it’s just a bit wet there, there’s more rain there.  So it would feel a lot more earthiness and herbiness into the wines, and combining that, together with also some of the northern shore, Carignan, which is a 100 year old vine. That just gives you a sensation on your palette that you can’t give up. 

 

Then we say, Israel is in one bottle for Carmel Mediterranean and the Camel Signature.

 

For Your Passover Seder Table, From the Holy Land of Israel, Carmel Winery Premiers Two New Outstanding Red Wines

From the Holy Land of Israel to Your Passover Seder Table, Carmel Winery Premiers Two New Outstanding Red Wines from Its Premium Brand, Carmel Signature

Israel’s largest and leading winery, Carmel Winery, is expanding its premium wine brand – Carmel Signature with two new red varietals just in time for Passover.

The Carmel Signature fine wines were launched two years ago with great success as the luxury wine brand of Carmel Winery, and includes four series: Vats, Single Vineyards, and two iconic wines, Carmel Mediterranean and Limited Edition.

Carmel Winery Premiers Two New Outstanding Red Wines from Its Premium Brand, Carmel Signature

Carmel Winery Premiers Two New Outstanding Red Wines from Its Premium Brand, Carmel Signature

 

As part of their ongoing innovation, Carmel is expanding the Single Vineyard series with the introduction of two new wines produced from vineyards grown in volcanic soil. These two wines join the other exceptional wines offered in the Carmel Single Vineyard series.

The new Volcano series is comprised of fine wines from the best vineyards of the winery’s unique and rich terroir.

According to Etti Edri, Export Manager at Carmel Winery, “The Carmel brand introduces new selections of wines to its Signature series, along with a prestigious and up-to-date new look. These two new wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot, are both grown in an Upper Galilee vineyard rich in volcanic soil, hence the name Volcano. These are the wines worth waiting for, to celebrate memorable occasions and milestones. And, both are a perfect complement to the upcoming Passover holiday.”

 

Carmel Winery CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 MACHPEA HILL

Carmel Winery CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 MACHPEA HILL

 

 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 MACHPEA HILL

 

Vintage 2019, Dry red wine, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. After gentle pressing and fermentation in stainless steel vats, the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 18 months and continued to mature in its bottle for another year. The wine’s subtle aromas include black and red fruit, cinnamon, vanilla, fresh red strawberry fruit flavors, tobacco, and mint.  This premier wine is rich and full bodied, with soft and powerful tannins and a long and elegant finish.  This wine will continue to mature over the coming years, and pairs well with dishes such as roasted lamb chops, roast beef, or smoked cheddar cheese. This vineyard is located in the northern Galilee, at an altitude of 915 meters (3,000ft) above sea level. This is a vineyard with an area of 30 dunams (7.4 acres), which was planted in 2014. (MSRP: $60)

Carmel Winery MERLOT 2019 EVYATAR CREEK

Carmel Winery MERLOT 2019 EVYATAR CREEK

 

MERLOT 2019 EVYATAR CREEK

Vintage 2019, Dry red wine, 100% Merlot. This wine was aged in French oak barrels for 18 months and continued to mature in its bottle for another year. The wine’s complex and powerful aroma combines red and black fruits, black pepper, mint, and licorice, with a fresh and ripe taste. Characterized by a full to medium body, it presents balanced tannins on the palette, and has a long, slightly bitter and refreshing finish. This wine pairs well with dishes such as roasted lamb chops, roast beef or smoked cheddar cheese. The vineyard is located in the Upper Galilee. (MSPR: $60)

Yiftah Perets, Head Winemaker, Carmel Winery, says, “Carmel Signature draws on the long-standing traditions of Carmel Winery, a mix of old and new, including respect for the past while incorporating innovation and technology to produce the best possible wines from the best vineyards. The entire wine making process is overseen with preciseness from start to finish, from the selection of the vineyards, fermentation, and dedicated families of growers, to the wine’s bottling and aging.

 

The wines are produced in unique growing areas, reflecting the regional differentiation, and illustrate how growing regions perform in harmony with specific varieties adaptation, to produce some of the finest wines from the flagship Carmel Winery collection.”

Carmel’s new Signature wines, Merlot Evyatar Creek, and Cabernet Machphea Hill, were recently launched at the Kosher Food & Wine Experience in NYC, hosted by Royal Wine Corp.

For additional information visit the CARMEL WINERY website and Royal Wine Corp., the largest producer, importer and exporter of kosher wines.

Los Angeles’s Akasha Presents Dine-In Seder and Two Nights of Passover TakeOut

Los Angeles’s Akasha Presents Dine-In Seder and Two Nights of Passover TakeOut

Join AKASHA and Rabbi Mark Borovitz for a Passover Seder on April 6

Chef Akasha Richmond Packages Her Acclaimed Holiday Dishes for Four or More Celebrating an “At Home” Jewish Holiday with a Portion of Service Charge

Akasha Passover Benefit World Central Kitchen for Ukraine

 

Chef/Owner Akasha Richmond, Partner Alan Schulman of AKASHA RESTAURANT

Akasha Richmond and Partner Alan Schulman’s AKASHA present their annual Passover Seder on Thursday, April 6, 2023, and Passover To-Go for takeout and delivery on April 4 and 5, 2023.

Guests attending AKASHA for Passover Seder will congregate the second night of the holiday for a reception, followed by an informal service led by Rabbi Mark Borovitz.

The complete dinner with Akasha’s specialties follows.

Pricing for the Seder is $145, including wine and beverages; $65 for children under 10. Reserved ticketing is available on TOCK.

Celebrate Akasha Passover with At-Home Selections

 

For at-home celebrations, AKASHA offers à la carte selections designed for two-four adults (or more with children). All dishes are ready-to-heat to make it as easy to enjoy Passover in a family setting.

Passover food rules are strictly followed, and the dinner is “Kosher Style,” containing no dairy. A portion of the service charge will be given to World Central Kitchen, which is serving thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as people remaining in the country.

PASSOVER SEDER AT AKASKA

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Reception starts at 6:15 p.m., Seder & Dinner at 7:00 p.m.
Seder led by Rabbi Mark Borovitz

Reception
Chopped Chicken Liver • Green Bean & Walnut Faux “Liver”
matzoh & gluten-free matzoh

Seder Plate

matzoh & gluten-free matzoh

Dinner
Sephardic Fish Balls
tunisian tomato sauce & meyer lemon horseradish


Akasha’s Matzoh Ball Soup
fresh dill & carrots

Entrees – Choose One

Red Wine-Braised Creekstone Farms’ Brisket
rainbow carrots & potato pancakes

Chicken Tagine with Caramelized Onions & Preserved Lemon
rainbow carrots & potato pancakes

Matzo Meal-Baked Eggplant

almond cheese & cashew ‘parm”
nonna’s tomato sauce, cauliflower with capers & raisins, baby artichokes

Dessert – Family Style
flourless citrus-almond cake & berries
chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons & meringues

Pricing & Details

Adults, $145 – includes wine or juice, coffee & tea

Children under ten, $65 – includes grape juice
Exclusive of tax & 22% service charge

Tickets available on TOCK. Seating is very limited.

Passover food rules are strictly followed

Dinner is prepared “Kosher Style” and contains no dairy.
Vegetarian entrée contains eggs & gluten.

***

AKASHA PASSOVER TO-GO

Pickup & Delivery on April 4 & 5, 2023

Essentials

everything you need for the seder

seder plate

everything for the seder plate – roasted shank bone
roasted egg, haroset, parsley, horseradish, lettuce, sea salt, (for salt water), $20.00

box of matzo

kosher for passover matzo, $9.00

sephardic haroset

dates, apricots, raisins, honey, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, orange, spices
1/2 pint, (serves 4), $16.00

beet horseradish

roasted beets, horseradish, lemon
1/2 pint (serves 4-6), $7.00

Appetizers & Starters

akasha’s chopped chicken liver

mary’s chicken liver, caramelized onions & eggs,

1 pint, (serves 2-4) gluten-free, $18.00

vegetarian mock ‘liver’

green beans, walnuts, cashews, caramelized onions

 1 pint, (serves 2-4) gluten-free, $16.00

matzo ball soup

chicken broth, carrots, celery, herbs
two matzo balls (serves 2), $18.00

vegetarian matzo ball soup

vegetable broth, carrots, celery root, herbs
two matzo balls (serves 2), $18.00

Entrees & Sides

passover brisket

grass-fed beef braised with onions, tomatoes, & red wine
(serves 4) gluten-free, $85.00

chicken tagine

braised chicken thighs with onions, golden raisins, preserved lemon

1 & 1/2 lbs chicken thighs
(serves 4), gluten-free, $60.00

matzo eggplant bake

olive oil & matzo meal roasted eggplant, nonna’s tomato sauce, basil
almond ricotta cheese, cashew ‘parmesan’
(serves 4) vegan (contains nuts), $70.00

potato pancakes-1/2 dozen

yukon gold potato pancakes, fried in olive oil
come frozen for reheating, gluten-free, $15.00

applesauce

house-made from local apples
1 pint, $12.00

roasted asparagus & leeks
serves 4, vegan & gluten-free, $35.00

rainbow carrots with olive oil & dill
serves 4, vegan & gluten-free, $24.00

Desserts

all desserts are made following “Passover” food rules
everything is gluten & dairy-free.

citrus almond cake

apricot & orange glaze
gluten-free , contains nuts, (serves 4-6), $24.00

coconut macaroons

3 chocolate-dipped & 3 plain macaroons
gluten-free, $12.00

chocolate matzo toffee

brown sugar & vegan butter toffee matzo crunch, semi-sweet chocolate, cacao nibs, sea salt
vegan & gluten-free, $20.00

Pricing for AKASHA’s Passover To-Go is priced à la carte; deadline to order is 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, 2023. All orders can be placed on TOCK with pick-up times throughout the day. Delivery is also available by DoorDash servicing the area. For further information, the public may call the restaurant at 310.845.1700.

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