Not Your Mother's Pesach -New Passover Wines - New Passover Recipes - "Modern Twists on Traditional Flavors" and Wines to Pair

The Wine: Here’s a list of exciting kosher wines for Passover 2014 from local wine shops $-$$

The Food: Wow! Great Recipes from "4 Bloggers Dish: Passover: Modern Twists on Traditional Flavors"

The Place: Your house and I’m coming over.

Here is a great new Kindle Book, by the very creative and award winning Jewish food bloggers Whitney Fisch of Jewhungry, Liz Rueven of Kosher Like Me, Sarah Lasry of The Patchke Princess, and Amy Kritzer of What Jew Wanna Eat that will make your Passover special and we’ve got some wine suggestions too.

If you follow Manoavino you know it has been years, really decades, since we had Manischewitz at our table. We always have a bottle in the house just in case, but it has not been opened in a while. There are so many great Kosher wines available today, every year seems to bring a new crop.

We got inspired to do this list by this book

Whitney Fisch of Jewhungry, Liz Rueven of Kosher Like Me, Sarah Lasry of The Patchke Princess, and Amy Kritzer of What Jew Wanna Eat, share several accolades among them including features in WSJ, Babble.com, The Today Show, The Nosher, The Jewish Press and more.

From Gary’s Wines Wayne and Madison, we recommend:

Two exciting New Zealand wines, a rewarding Pinot Noir from Goose Bay which is described by friends at Astor Wines as “I could not believe it when I had this wine! It is rare to come across a good kosher Pinot Noir, much less one from New Zealand. It is reminiscent of a fine Burgundy.

We also favor Goose Bay’s Sauvignon Blanc, “One of the first kosher Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand to arrive in America, this creamy white wine has notes of gooseberry, sage, and magnolia blossoms. It is medium-bodied and makes an ideal companion for salmon or chicken.” Astor

Both could pair nicely with Liz Rueven’s vegetarian French Onion Soup with Cheesy Matzah Crackers.

There are Italian inspired recipes like Amy Kritzer's Matzah Brie Caprese is savory Italian spin on the classic matzo dish with fresh basil, tomatoes and gooey mozzarella."

For those dishes I’d turn to Cantina Gabriele. Their Chianti is great with “ruby red with slight amaranth reflexes, intense and fruity, with the typical notes of cherry and blackberry, in the mouth it is balanced, well structured, with velvety and soft tannins” as is their Pinot Grigio Veneto with “color of straw yellow and balanced, clean and sharp nose featuring tropical fruit and white flowers” Garys

A lasting favorite that you can find in many stores is one of our first really good kosher wines, Ramon Cardova Rioja Mevushal, they have it at Shoppers Vineyard, Clifton, a store that has a vast selection of Kosher wines.

From Spain “this Kosher Wine is produced from 100% Tempranillo grapes, which are carefully selected from old vines surrounding the town of Haro, La Rioja. It has dark berry, oak and nutmeg aromas with delicious spicy and fruity flavor.” Winemakers Note

This Rioja goes down easy, a real crowd pleaser, with a touch of earthiness and a great tannic structure. Would be great with the Balsamic Braised Short Ribs recipe inspired by grandmother’s simply potted meats.

Another good pairing for this dish would be Don Mendoza Kosher Malbec from Argentina.

“Don Mendoza Reserve Malbec demonstrates why Argentina's Malbecs are still the world standard for amazing red wine values. With a deep purple color, this has a velvety texture and a refined tannin structure you would expect to find in a much more expensive bottle. Powerful aromas of stewed plum, black pepper and vanilla bean are framed by a floral characteristic. The flavors include blackberry, raspberry and tasteful oak influences.”

For a white try Carmel Winery Moscato di Carmel 2012 a Moscato Bianco from Israel

"A deliciously light wine, bursting with perfumed floral aromas and wonderful hints of peach and citrus flavors. The hint of effervescence provides a spirited liveliness." ~ Winery notes

Gone are these days, and instead places like our favorite Amanti Vino in Montclair have several good choices including:

Baron Herzog Old Vine Zinfandel California

Deep red color; full bodied wine with rich concentrated flavors and lush mouth feel. Big effusive aromas of ripe blackberry and raspberries balanced with vanilla and spice from the French oak aging. Enjoy with roasted duck, grilled lamb or tomato based pasta dishes.

Herzog Wine Cellars Jeunesse Duette California

Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc Jeunesse Duette is a soft and refreshing blend of fine California white wines. Fresh airs of honeysuckle and white flower join together with rich notes of melon, peach and stonefruit. This enjoyably sweet white wine is pointedly "Jeunesse" - French for youthful, flavorful and fun! Enjoy chilled.

The authors:

Get the book here or on your Kindle,

50% of all proceeds go to Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, an organization whose mission is to feed the hungry while advocating for other ways to end hunger.