Fabulous Food and Fine Wine at an Extraordinary Event

The following is my piece in the March 5, 2020 edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Link about the Kosher Food & Wine Experience in New York City:

Fabulous Food and Fine Wine at an Extraordinary Event

The excitement was building even before people made their way through the front door. “I cut my vacation short to come back for this,” said one gentleman as he stood outside on the security line. “I never miss this event,” declared another individual as he chatted with his friends while waiting for the doors to open.

The Kosher Food & Wine Experience (KFWE) is undoubtedly New York’s premier kosher food and wine extravaganza. The 14th annual KFWE, which took place on Monday, February 17th, at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, showcased fine kosher wines from around the globe and specialty foods prepared by renowned kosher chefs and caterers.

KFWE was hosted by Royal Wine Corp., which was founded in 1848 and is owned and operated in the United States by the Herzog family, whose winemaking roots date back eight generations to 19th century Czechoslovakia. Headquartered in Bayonne, NJ, Royal Wine Corp. is the leading producer, importer and distributor of kosher wines and spirits, offering more than 300 brands in its portfolio.

PJL Publisher Nachi Troodler with Ambassador Dani Dayan

Thousands of people attended the sold-out event, balancing wine glasses and plates topped with innovative cuisine as they endeavored to make their way through the room, which was filled to capacity. Conversation was made, much wine was poured, and plenty of food was consumed.

In addition to an endless sea of wine and spirit bottles representing over 60 wineries, the culinary offerings spanned the gamut – from kosher poke and street tacos, to barbecue style smoked salmon and creamy non-dairy frozen gelato pops.

It was in essence a “who’s who” of kosher restaurants and caterers, including Buffalo2go, Graze, Judd’s Memphis Kitchen, Kosher Poke, Le Marais, Marani, Reserve Cut VIP Experience, Sushi Tokyo, T Fusion Steakhouse, Taam Eden Bakery, The Hangry Heifer, The Loft, UN Plaza Grill, Urban Pops, and Wall Street Grill.

Sampling some of the scrumptious offerings was a real treat. The “Meat Pizza Rolls” (I partook of both the Sloppy Joe and BBQ Pulled Brisket varieties) by Silverleaf Caterers, which is based in New Rochelle, NY, were phenomenal.

Weiss Brothers Catering, which is based in Linden, NJ, had a large display, where I got to try a number of their dishes. Their lamb sliders were quite tender, with the mouthwatering meat nestled between two soft buns. The cholent (yes, I had cholent on a Monday), was delicious – it had great texture and an abundance of meat. Of course, I could not pass up their mini hot dogs, which were very flavorful and left no doubt that they were freshly made.

Great Falls Bistro, which is in Passaic, NJ, had an array of different dishes that they were offering, including their signature rib-eye, which was cooked to perfection and virtually melted in my mouth, bourbon gelato, which was cool and refreshing, waffle chicken, lemon squares, chocolate brownie bites, and pastrami parmesan, which was made with vegan cheese.

At the table hosted by West Wing/Diamond Caterers, which is based in Woodmere, NY, I enjoyed a chicken slider that was breaded to perfection, as well as a tasty plate of wings.

United Airlines made its KFWE debut and presented samples from its new menu, which is available to its Polaris business class clients on flights between Newark and Tel Aviv, including everything from blintzes and bagels to kale quinoa burgers served with Herzog wines.

PJL Publisher Nachi Troodler with Etti Edri of Carmel Winery

As far as the wines and spirits at KFWE, it was a veritable smorgasbord of the finest kosher wines on the market today.

“An extraordinary bounty of wines from all over the world is coming to market in 2020,” said Nathan Herzog, President of Royal Wine Corp. “This year’s most extraordinary bottlings included Château Léoville Poyferré Saint Julien 2017, Château Giscours Margaux 2017, Flam Noble 2016, Champagne Drappier Rosé de Saignée, and Herzog Single Vineyard Calistoga 2016.”

This year also marked the 30th anniversary of kosher wine production by the acclaimed House of Rothschild. “We were delighted to celebrate with the introduction of Barons Edmond and Benjamin de Rothschild Haut-Médoc Anniversary Edition 2016 and their first-ever kosher Château Clarke Listrac-Médoc 2016,” said Herzog.

Jay Buchsbaum of Royal Wine Corp. noted the steady increase in the kosher wine market in recent years. “Consumption of kosher wine is outpacing general market consumption by more than 100%, with an average price of $20+ per bottle,” he said. “Every year sees more and more kosher wines earning top scores and prestigious awards from the industry.”

KFWE seemed to have it all. Barkan Vineyards presented its Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alma vineyard in the Upper Galil, which is aged in oak barrels for 18 months and is a light and fruity wine. J. de Villebois, a family-owned winery in France, offered its Caillottes Cuvée, which is made from grapes grown on the Calcareous soils originated in the Upper Oxfordian, and is a wonderfully aromatic wine. Boondocks had its American Whiskey, which is both fruity and spicy, and has a creamy and buttery mouthfeel.

Israel-based Psagot Winery, which is fighting against anti-Israel discrimination and anti-Israel boycotts in Europe, was also at KFWE. Psagot sued the French government and challenged a ruling that Jewish products made in Judea and Samaria, including wine made by the Psagot Winery, be marked “made in an Israeli colony.”

Barkan Vineyards, which produces over 15 million bottles annually from over 2,500 acres of vineyards across Israel that are exported to more than 45 countries, also showcased their products. Domain du Castel, a family estate winery located 10 miles west of Jerusalem that was founded by Eli Ben Zaken in 1992, was pouring their Rosé, which is a fine blend of early picked Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc grapes.

Tabor Winery, whose Founder and CEO Oren Sela is 4th generation of a family of grape growers in Kfar Tabor, Israel, had its Premium series Storm (or Sufa in Hebrew), which is a full-bodied wine that is a blend of Petite Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Alexander Winery, a boutique winery in Israel that was founded in 1996 and is located in Beit Yitzhak, on the Mediterranean coast between Haifa and Tel Aviv, also drew a crowd. People enjoyed their Grand Reserve, which is part of their flagship Alexander the Great label, and is made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon, grown in a vineyard in the Upper Galil that was planted in 1978, and aged in small French oak barrels for two years, and then for another two years in brand new, small French oak barrels.

Jezreel Valley Winery, which is located in Kibbutz Hannaton in Israel, offered attendees their Alfa Special Reserve, which is a rich red wine with intense black fruit aromas that is aged in oak barrels for 22 months.

I saw my friend Geoff Rochwarger, who became a partner in Covenant Winery last summer. Covenant, which produces wine in California and Israel, offers high-end kosher wines, and its immense popularity was evident from the throngs of people at KFWE who waited in line to try their various offerings.

 As I spoke to some of the representatives of the various wineries at KFWE, the significance of presenting their products at this particular event was evident.

“Carmel has been coming to KFWE since Day 1,” said Etti Edri, Export Manager for Carmel Winery. “KFWE is one of the most important, if not the most important show, because this is our way to expose our wines to all kinds of categories – restaurants, stores, etc.”

“The room is packed not just because this is one of the famous shows, but also because the Herzog family and Royal Wine do an amazing job spreading the word that it’s not just about being kosher; it’s about high-quality wine that happens to be kosher,” she added.

In addition to the unbelievable food and wine, one of the most intriguing parts of KFWE was learning about the different wineries and hearing the stories behind their formation and mission.

PJL Publisher Nachi Troodler with Aharon Ziv of Or Haganuz Winery

I had the opportunity to speak with Aharon Ziv, the winemaker at Or Haganuz Winery. Or Haganuz is a yishuv community in the upper Galil near Meron that was established in 2005.

“It’s based on the social rule of ve-ahavta le-re’acha ka-mocha (love your neighbor as yourself),” Ziv told me as he described the special characteristics of Or Haganuz. “When the Jews received the Torah, they were k’ish echad b’lev echad (like one man with one heart), they were united. This is what we try to do in Or Haganuz.”

In Or Haganuz, the sense of community is extraordinarily strong. In fact, the winery is a business that belongs to the community and the community actually owns it.

“It’s somewhat like a kibbutz, but we’re doing it because we believe it’s God’s mitzvah to do it,” Ziv said. “It has a real community feel, in that each person is working for the community, and the community is working for your needs. I make the wine the best way I can because this is something that I’m taking care of for the community.”

Aside from its solid community-centric foundation, Or Haganuz Winery is all about producing high quality wine.

“We are doing really well, because every year we produce more and more,” Ziv said as he noted that approximately 40% of production goes to export, and about 60% of the 40% goes to the United States.

“This show is important for me because I meet the people who drink the wine and hear about what they think about the wine, what they want, and what we could change,” Ziv said while explaining the vital role that KFWE plays. “This is important for me and it’s important for the winery because this exhibition exposes us to other people who don’t know about Or Haganuz.”

Ziv also offered me some perspective on the evolution of the world of fine wines, remarking that historically, most people would typically drink just for Kiddush. If you gave people in Israel dry wine to drink, they did not enjoy it, as they much preferred the sweet wine that they were accustomed to. Those days are long gone.

“Or Haganuz picks the best grapes and we use the best process to make the wine – we put it in barrels, and we age it under the sun,” Ziv said. “We make very impressive wine. In that way, we started to teach the community how to drink good wine, and now many Orthodox Jews, especially in Israel, know how to drink good wine. Every time I come here (KFWE), people tell me that they learned to drink wine because of our winery.”

PJL Publisher Nachi Troodler with Tal Bendor of Tulip Winery

 There is a remarkable story associated with Tulip Winery, which Tal Bendor, Brand Ambassador for Tulip, was happy to share with me.

Tulip Winery was founded in 2003 by the Yitzchaki family, which had three distinct goals according to Bendor. One, produce high quality wine, make good wine for a good price, and be approachable to the public. Two, do things that are different and special, as opposed to simply being generic, including making different varieties that you do not ordinarily see. Three, contribute to society.

They opened the winery in a community in Israel called Kfar Tikva (Village of Hope), which is almost like a kibbutz and is a community for adults with special needs. Established in 1964 on the Zeid Hills in the Jezreel Valley near Kiryat Tivon, Kfar Tikva has approximately 200 members with various age ranges, disabilities, and degrees of functionality. 90% of Tulip’s staff, which totals about 40 employees, are adults with special needs and mental challenges. “They are a big part of our winery and a big part of everything we do every day,” Bendor said.

Bendor told me about “Tulip at Home,” which was a drawing competition that invited all of the residents of the village to draw what home means to them. Tulip then labeled 1,000 bottles with four winning drawings and the profits from those bottles went to renovating the apartments in the village.

In 2010, Tulip Winery launched a competition called “Don’t Label Me” between four foundations for children with various syndromes, in which they needed to draw a picture of tulips. “The reason for that competition was to show that you can label wine, but you can’t label people,” Bendor said. “The story of the drawing is on the back of the bottle and people can read it and it really has an impact.”

Bendor proudly showed me one of the bottles labeled with the winning drawing, which was drawn by David Ashkenazi, a 16-year-old with Down syndrome.

When they gathered all of the contest participants in the winery and announced the winner, Ro’i Yitzchaki, the winemaker and winery owner, showed David the bottle, and he was so excited. The young man thought that his drawing was on only one bottle until they told him to turn around and he suddenly saw that the entire display had the label that he had drawn. Yitzchaki saw David’s excitement and told him that as long as he is a part of the winery, that would remain the label of their flagship wine. “Ever since then, this has been the label of our flagship wine, Black Tulip,” Bendor said.

I asked Bendor about the importance of being at KFWE and showcasing their products there. “For us, it’s very important to be there when you meet both with the vendors that support our brand and also the actual customers – to see them, see their reaction, and see their support,” he replied. “It’s through that connection to the market that we can see where we are and if we are doing things the right way. The exposure is so important.”

The savory food samples and the scintillating stories made KFWE a very memorable experience. If you enjoy good food and appreciate fine wine, attendance at KFWE is mandatory.