Rosh Hashanah is now behind us, and yet the festivities have only began. There are many more holiday meals ahead of us, special moments to enjoy with friends and family. Sukkot is a very special holiday, with an emphasis on the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests to share our meals in the sukkah. One more emphasis of Sukkot and the following Simchat Torah is joy. As we learn from the Talmud, in the treaty Pesachim (109A), “There is no joy without (meat and) wine.” Therefore, Sukkot is one of the year’s best occasions to open some delicious wines and share them with our ushpizin, the guests who will grace our table.
However, Sukkot is often a challenging time, since the weather is somewhat unpredictable. Sometimes, it can be chilly and sometimes it can be warm, making the wine selection a bit tricky. The best way to deal with the weather is to choose wines that will be both pleasant and easy to pair with the food, regardless of the temperature in the sukkah. While white wines are typically the primary choice with fish dishes, some can pair quite nicely with a variety of meat dishes, such as veal or chicken.
A fine example of a white wine to enjoy this Sukkot is the Barkan Special Reserve Chardonnay, a refined Israeli white wine made from grapes grown in the Judean Hills. It has been featured this month in the Wine Spectator magazine as one of the top Israeli white wines. This is a wine with many surprises, combining delicate flavors of green apples and lemons with a refreshing acidity as well as a creamy, nutty finish. Whether served chilled with some home-cured turkey or at a higher temperature with a veal roast, it will be enjoyable regardless.
The wines of Bordeaux are well known and recognized for their understated elegance. The wines hailing from the Lalande de Pomerol appellation, on the right bank of the Gironde River are no exception. They are characterized by the sommeliers and Masters of Wine as feminine, racy and supple while approachable relatively young, in the first years following their release. Chateau Royaumont’s newest vintage is no exception to this rule. This wine unwraps into a medium-bodied mouthfeel, with a luxuriously silky texture; its red-berry aromas and earthy undertones will make it the star of the evening, regardless of the weather. While this wine is enjoyable in its youth, it is a wine that will gain depth and complexity over the decade following the vintage, if it is cellared to age properly.
Mediterranean wines have the ability to pair with a large array of dishes, and they can be served in any weather. Terra di Seta, the famous estate from Tuscany just released its flagship wine, which turns out to be quite adequate for a meal in the sukkah. The Terra di Seta Assai is a Chianti made with the finest Sangiovese grapes, and was aged for 24 months in oak barrels. Sipped over the course of a chilly evening with a beef bourguignon or on a warm afternoon with a plate of salami and cured meats, this is a wine that keeps opening up, revealing layers of eye-opening, complex flavors and aromas.
Spain is another Mediterranean country producing top-notch wines that please the novice and the connoisseur alike. Celler de Capcanes, in Montsant, has been producing the La Flor del Flor Garnacha since 2007. This is an outstanding wine from grapevines that are over 100 years old, a feature that improves the quality and complexity of the wines produced. No matter how delicious the food is or if it is hot or cold in the sukkah, this delicate, classy wine stands out as the shining star. One can only think about how beautiful and delicious a wine like this is to enjoy under the schach.
By Gabriel Geller
Gabriel Geller is a wine consultant for Royal Wines.
