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| Kenn's Recommendations For Passover Wines |
What Kosher Wine Is and Isn't
Click here for Shoprite Wines - Chester, NJ
Click here for Kosher and Passover Wines
About Kenn Pogash
Kenn Pogash, "the guy wearing the bow tie" and his family have been members of
the FJCC since the mid-1990's.
Since the early 1960's wine has been a hobby and passion. In 2003, he obtained
Certification by the Wine & Spirits Education Trust by displaying knowledge of wine
labeling laws, appellation systems, major wine-producing regions, grape types, grape
growing, wine-making and tasting technique.
Although Kenn has been sitting at his computer building his own website, www.
kennuncorked.com, as a "Consumer's Guide to Sustainable, Organic, and
Biodynamic wines, he absolutely loves to be in front of and interact with an audience
whether one person or one thousand. He does not present himself as an "expert"
but as a “facilitator” to allow his audience relax and feel comfortable enough to share
their thoughts and ideas. He makes it clear that, "We must accept the reality that we
will never know it all – and everyone is in the same situation...Even the so-called
“Experts”.
Wine Pairing Recommendations for Passover
First, wine is an incredible beverage that can taste differently depending on the
foods we are eating, the people we are with, our emotional state, even what we had
for breakfast. And…very few people have a bad bottle of wine on vacation.
Second, I find it incredible that before every holiday there is an abundance of articles
in newspapers and magazines along with commentaries on radio and television from
all the gurus of the wine and food world touting their expert advice about the best
wine for which food.
Quite frankly, I find all this effort and jabber a waste of everyone's time. Yes, there
are some general rules to follow but the bottom line is…you have to like the wine you
are drinking. If you open a bottle of wine that, according to the "experts" is the
perfect wine for the food and you don't like it, what's the point? You then need to
struggle through the meal forcing yourself to drink a wine that you do not like or
maybe pouring the wine down the drain.
My suggestions: First, decide on a comfortable price range within $3. Second, go to
a wine store that has a "reputable" and genuinely knowledgeable wine person to help
you select wines for YOUR needs and taste. With that said I will give you some
VERY general guidelines for wine…although you can surf the Internet for an
overwhelming amount of information on this topic that discuss how to pair using all
the elements of the food and the wine such a “compliment or contrast”, bitterness,
acidity, body, texture, sweet-mess, saltiness, sourness, and alcohol level. They also
discuss spices. (See attachment for some specific guidelines)
Click here for Wine and Food Pairing Charts
The bridge ingredient concept is useful in cooking and wine selection. The bridges
ingredients help connect the food to the wine. For example, Pinot Noir can pair with
a variety of base ingredients including beef, veal, duck, chicken, salmon and tuna.
What can make the pairing to Pinot Noir more successful than another varietal such
as Cabernet Sauvignon? Answer: The other ingredients in the dish. Some examples
for Pinot Noir would be berries, cherries, mushrooms, sweet onions, black beans,
lentils and eggplant just to name a few. Spices and herbs can act as "bridge
ingredients". For Pinot Noir try ginger, cinnamon, pepper, clove, basil, tarragon,
thyme or rosemary.
