OH HANUKKAH, OH HANUKKAH
LET’S POUR SOME WINE
AS WE LIGHT THE MENORAH
Hanukkah is almost here, and it’s a joyous time of year, meant to celebrate freedom as we gather around the festival table, with family and friends, to eat, laugh, tell the story of the miracle of this holiday, and of course, to drink wine. Cheers!
Undoubtedly, your feast will include many traditional family dishes, some rooted in Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish heritage and others in Sephardic (Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean) traditions. The celebration remains the same: fun and joyful, centered on family and food. To kick off the festivities, consider serving a selection of wines from YARDEN WINES, a trendsetting Israeli winery producing a range of kosher wines from the Golan Heights. Their wine will help your celebration sparkle! Here are a few suggestions to consider, blending new and old traditions with food. In my case, our family is a mix of Ashkenazi and Sephardic, so we call ourselves “Ashkafards,” and we LOVE food…and wine! The wines from Yarden are a perfect holiday companion.
Yarden Winey has been producing wines for over 40 years. They have been leaders in the Israeli wine industry, with a focus on sustainable agriculture and ecological responsibility encompassing solar power, organic vineyards, waste reduction through composting, and water recirculation. Here are a few of their premium wines to consider as your festivities begin.
SHALOM!
Nothing says “welcome” better for a holiday than handing your guest a glass of bubbly upon their arrival! Bubbles, due to their higher acidity, generally pair well with a wide variety of foods, enhancing their flavors. You may want to start with the Brut Rosé, as the beautiful color of this sparkler gives an immediate joyful, celebratory feeling. Your guests will savor this wine with traditional (Sephardic) Boyos de Spinaka (spinach and cheese in pastry) and Borekas (pastry, filled with potato and cheese).
Given that bubbles are so versatile, you might consider offering both the Gigal Brut Sparkling (a Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend) and the Petit Verdot (from high-elevation vines, which gives the wine a bright aroma of cherry, blackberry, and plum). Your guests can then choose between them.
A few suggestions for your guests to enjoy these wines to the max: Sip the Brut alongside roasted chicken, kugel, latkes, and applesauce (classic Ashkenazi dishes), or pair the Petite Verdot with a delicious brisket (also typical of Ashkenazi cuisine) and lentils, rice, and vegetables (typical of Sephardic cuisine).
Of course, no Hanukkah festive meal would be complete without the traditional sufganiyot. This fried sweet pastry, filled with jelly, dates back to at least the 12th century, and today we call it a jelly donut — it pairs nicely with a glass of Gigal Brut Sparkling wine.
What a festive way to start this holiday, a mix of good food, friends, history, celebration, and Yarden wines to put an exclamation point on all your gatherings this holiday season.
For availability, please check: www.kosherwine.com, www.totalwine.com
Wishing you all a beautiful, festive season. L’Chaim!
