GIFT GUIDE
Hundreds of Unique & Charming Gift Items
Gift-Giving for the
Kosher Wine Enthusiast
Wine could be the perfect solution
for your gift-giving woes.
by David Moss
W
ith the holiday season fast
approaching, thoughts turn to a
gift for that special someone who
"has everything." And then
along with the holidays
come dinner invitations for
Thanksgiving, Chanukah
and New Year's Eve.
What is the perfect gift
for all these happy
occasions?
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Glad you asked.
"Good wine is a necessity
of life for me," said Thomas
Jefferson.
And wine can be the per-
fect gift for a special birth-
day, your hairdresser, even Father's Day
(hint, hint). Wine is also a great thing to
bring to fancy dinner parties and infor-
mal potlucks, for a festive Thanksgiving
celebration and a quiet Shabbat dinner.
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But you say that you need kosher
wine?
Dedicated to Offering the Best Selection,
Best Service, Best Price GUARANTEED!
Have no fear because I have taken on
the burden of wine tasting for you.
Following are some tasting notes along
with a sampling of local establishments
that will be more than happy to assist
you in your kosher wine purchase.
First, a little history:
People;used to drink kosher Wines
because they had to, not because they
wanted to. But times are changing.
According to Simon Rotberg, wine spe-
cialist at Vineyards Marketplace, "You
don't have to be Jewish to buy kosher
wine. Kosher wines used to be sweet and
syrupy. They are drier now, and there are
more available."
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What makes a wine kosher?
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GIFT
GUIDE
11/12
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It has nothing to do.with where the
grapes are grown, or its sweetness level.
It is about how the wine is made. Kosher
wines follow a strict set of guidelines,
including the use of kosher products
such as yeast for fermentation, maintain-
ing separate equipment dedicated to the
production of kosher wines, and only
allowing Sabbath-observant Jews to han-
dle the grapes from the beginning of the
winemaking process to the end.
If the crushed grape juice used to
make the wine is flash pasteurized for a
few seconds, the wine is mevushal. This
allows non Jews to handle and serve the
wine, and the wine remains kosher.
For my shopping, I visited Cloverleaf
Wine Shop in Southfield, Holiday
Market in Royal Oak and Vineyards
Marketplace in Farmington Hills.
At Cloverleaf, I was greeted by partner
Tom Natoci. Tom explained that
Cloverleaf carries several kosher wines
all year round and adds stock for
Passover and other Jewish holidays. "If
you're looking for a particular wine that
we don't stock," said Tom, "we'll order it
for you and have it in 3 to 4 days."
In addition, Cloverleaf offers an e-
mail newsletter with weekly specials and
a wine buying club that allows members
a 5 percent discount on any
wine in the store.
Cloverleaf carries the ubiq-
uitous $4 Manischewitz on
up to a $30 California Gan
Eden Cabernet Sauvignon
and several in between.
At Holiday Market, "Wine
Guy" Brian Croze offeres sev-
eral kosher wines in the $10-
$20 range. Throughout the
year, Holiday hosts several
affordable wine tastings, with
proceeds donated to local
charities.
Vineyards Marketplace had the largest
selection of kosher wines and cham-
pagne with almost 50 varieties and is
one of the largest Kosher wine sellers in
the state. Vineyards' Simon Rotberg has
been in the wine business for 37 years,
and caters beverages for local syna, _
gogues and temples. He also oversees
Vineyards' selection of kosher liquors.
For this tasting of kosher wines, I
bought six bottles ranging in price from
$8-$13, and one at $20. All wines
reviewed were purchased at retail prices.
What the stars mean:
*Passable ** Good ***Excellent ****Extraordinary
*** Baron Herzog Chenin Blanc, 2002,
California, $8: Straw yellow in color
with bright acidity and light-medium
body. Flavors of white peach, citrus and
apples. Well balanced. Crisp finish. Best
Value!
** 1/2 Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon,
2002, California, $12: Very drinkable
dry wine with fragrant grape nose, and
notes of dark grapes, leather and tan-
nins. Long finish. Drink at cellar tem-
perature, 55 degrees.
** Teal Lake Shiraz, 2002, Australia,
$12: A medium-bodied Shiraz with rich,
spicy flavors of blackberries, currant,
and cherries. Nice finish.
**Recanti Reserve Merlot, 2000,
Galilee Israel, $20: A hearty red with
tastes of berries, black currant, raisins
and oak. Slightly sour finish. Serve at
cellar temperature.
* Bartenura Pinot Grigio, 2002, Italy,
$11: Well balanced and dry with a fruity
nose, but an unpleasant aftertaste. Serve
very chilled.
1 /2* Baron Herzog Merlot, 2002,
California, $10: Light color and nose,
with tastes of black cherry and greens.
Disappointingly bland.
1 /2* Teal Lake Cabernet/Merlot, 2002,
Australia, $13: Deep garnet color, wine
exhibits notes of green pepper, berries
and metal. Fairly tannic, this wine could
improve with cellar time.