The Yearly Wine Review 2025
With Pesach soon upon us, it’s time for the yearly wine review where I share my adventures, and sometimes misadventures, of wine from my very biased and inexperienced palate.
When it comes to wine, or any desire that we may have, one has to be mindful not to engage out of habit but out of true want and desire. Sometimes we can get into something and stop thinking about what we are eating or drinking or watching or doing and just keep doing it because we have been for so long. Without wishing to sound like an old fogey, the simple fact is, as you get older your tastes change and your body reacts differently to food and drink. As such you have to alter course accordingly.
This isn’t something that alte-kakers experience but even younger people as well. One of my kids recently had an interesting self-observation that she noted about the vast amounts of junk food that arrives via Mishloach Manot every Purim. She said that when she was younger, she used to get so excited for every package that would come to the house. She would rummage through each one to see which candies and chocolates came in. But now that she is older and candy and junk-food is not such a thing, she clearly doesn’t feel the same way about those Purim gift baskets.
I went through a bit of a metamorphosis in a similar fashion many years ago when I gave up habitually drinking diet Dr. Pepper. I used to have it almost every night. But then something snapped and I could no longer stomach the stuff, and it’s been years since I drank any soda – diet or otherwise.
“Uh oh, is this the end of the yearly wine review”, you are wondering? Hardly. No, it is just an introduction to the simple fact that I have cut back the wine drinking of late, particularly reds. I am finding white wine to be a nice alternative. White wine seems less involved, doesn’t seem to keep me up as much at night, still gives a nice buzz and does less of a number on my system.
So let’s begin there.
Capcanes Peraj Petita Blanc is a nice little Spanish number that you can get for about $18, especially if you order a discounted case from Kosher Wine World here in Florida. It’s light and very refreshing, much like a Junior Mint. It goes great with the first course of your Shabbat meal of fish, techina, avocado dip and the like. The red that goes by the same name (sans Blanc) is also a nice medium-bodied, easy drinking wine. Make sure you get the non-Mevushal versions as the Mevushal ones (flash pasteurized) take a bit of an edge off the taste.
Another fan favourite that I have mentioned in the past is Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand $25). My sister-in-law, Barb was visiting recently and mentioned she could not find Kosher white wine that she liked until she had this one. “They all taste bitter, but this wine is crisp and I love the citrus taste.” I have mentioned before it has a strong grapefruity taste, so if you want that pick-me-up feel that grapefruits provide, try it out.
Pacifica Viognier Evan Collection Rattlesnake Hills $20 is a very impressive sounding wine which is a more buttery tasting white from the Washington region. Evan’s Vineyard is owned by Philip and Sheryl Jones who also produce New Zealand’s highly respected Goose Bay wines. Got it on sale and liked it a lot.
Bartenura Prosecco Brut Italy $20. Most people associate Bartenura with their blue-bottled Moscato. But they do make other wines as well. They call this wine semi-sweet but it is more on the dry side. It is a champagne-like bubbly that is a nice cross between Perrier sparkling water and Sprite.
Now onto some reds.
La Foret Blanche Ya’ar Levanon 2018 $65 Judean Hill, Israel. Not sure if you can get this vintage anymore. It was laying around Sylvias too long so they highly discounted it. After 24 months in the barrels this was a fantastic full wine. It’s always a good idea to wait for under-the-radar wines to go on sale as stores want to off-load them. It’s the best way to get some really high-end wines for lower-end prices.
Shirah Power To The People California $90. My son Yoni is very good at introducing me to wines I would probably never try. They call this a classic Santa Barbara Syrah. It really is a lovely wine. My default wine region is Israel, but I am starting to like the California wines more, politics of their state notwithstanding. This was a really nice flavourful wine with a cool velvet-script label that makes you not want to toss the bottle in the recycle bin when you are done with it.
Cantina Giuliano Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 Italy $30 from the Tuscany region is another from the Yoni Nightingale collection. It has more of a French Bordeaux style. I was not crazy for it at first, but then again I was a bit under the weather when I sampled it. I really need to give it another try. Yoni loves it.
When in Israel: Whenever I visit Israel, as we did last week, I like to pick up some wine that is either impossible or hard to find in the States. But you have to be mindful of the price. Although most will cost much less, not all of them will, especially at Ben Gurion Airport. I was tempted to get a bottle of Kamisa Sigma Cabernet Sauvignon which I never had. The description sounds great: A powerful wine showing aromas of red fruit and hints of earth and smoke. 28 months of aging in oak barrels resulted in a perfect balance between the wood and the fruit and a strong finish. 28 months is a long time and usually that means it is a tasty and rich wine. They were selling it for $45 a bottle, but then I checked on Kosherwine.com and they have it for $35. Ten bucks cheaper and you don’t have to shlep it in a long flight. It will be in my next order and I will lyk next year how it is.
I got a bottle of Galil Mountain Misgav Am Vineyard 2021 $42 in Israel. (Not sure if you will find it in the US but if you do it will be closer to $70.) The label claims that it is the most northern vineyard in Israel and I believe them. Momentum took us to Misgav Am once and it overlooked the valleys and hills of Lebanon, Hezbollah country. Beautiful lush green mountains with not so beautiful people living there. I just got it last week and have not had it. But when I do I shall raise my glass and toast the IDF for ridding Israel from those terrorists who took pot shots at the brave Kibbuztzniks of Misgav Am who stared down their guns and rockets for so many years.
And just as we toast the IDF for destroying our enemies, may we continue to do the same to God as He continues to decimate our foes just as He did both on the holiday of Purim that just passed and on the holiday of Pesach that is soon to be.
Am Yisrael Chai and L’Chaim!
A bottle of whites, a bottle of red
Perhaps a bottle of rose instead
We’ll get a table near the street
In our old familiar place
You and I, face to face
– Billy Joel
