Even I, who froth at the mouth about the intimate details of my wine life am reticient to disclose what my seders have been reduced to.
Back in the old days when the family was intact and alive, the kremeslach and knaidel flowed (golf ball or fluffy, every year the same discussion) debate and argument and singing were the prelude to laughing til the tears came and then more yelling and talmudic argument.
No more. So, right now I'm concerned with how I am going to survive the next 48 hours coming up which will be framed by two dismal seders where the food will be so terrible, there will be nothing for me to eat except for that very first bite of potato, horseradish and matzo.
Lest you start to weep for me, fear not: I come prepared with a survival pack that includes sneaking peeks at my email, reading a stack of novels and New Yorkers and drinking wine at the appropriate moments.
Which brings me to the esteemed, erudite Joe Dressner (cheery Joe, as recently seen at his February tasting in the Loire)
who wrote a Hagadah-like treatise on his piercing blog (joedressner.com)
on this topical item of interest. His latest post, he shares with the world his own secret for wine survival, "Manischewitz Heavy Malaga. You can add some ice cubes and Kosher for Passover Seltzer to calm down the drink and reduce the cloying sweetness." Do check out his blog for more insider tips. For a lovely reflections on the why and wherefors of kosher wine, also check out Sarah Ivry's article at Nextbook.org.
Back to me and my problem at hand; kosher wine. Would I ever drink these wines on any other night? Ma Nish Ta Na? But as I am off to Orthodox land, I would be booted out with any bottle that did not have a KP (kosher for passover) it makes it necessary. However I have to say, I did enjoy #1 and #2 and I bought the Beaujo with hope and will report back.
1) 2004 Borgo Reale Primitivo di Manduria
Tasted like the nice pruney primitivos of old. The more this was opened the more it grew on me. $14 at Astor.
2) 2005 Golan Sion Creek red wine. A weirdo mix of grapes including syrah and nebbiolo and two kinds of gamay. But it was cheery and cherry. Quite quaffable and a bargain at $10.
3) 2005 Abarbanel Beaujolais -Villages VV
Vielles Vignes? On a kosher wine label. Never, ever, ever did I see this . Nor have I ever seen a kosher Beaujo. I bought this as a wild card but at $10 I thought, what the heck. In the end it was really nice. My standards are low for this kind of wine, but it tasted like a decent Beaujolais and that's all I needed. Nice bright cherry, very tart cranberry finish. Not bad at all.
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