The 14th annual Kosher Food & Wine Experience (KFWE) once again showcased the public’s constant obsession with international cuisine and the ever-growing demand for top-kosher wines. The event was hosted by Royal Wine Corp. a gourmet kosher brand which owns many of the most excellent kosher wines. The gala event took place February 17 at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.
I was lucky enough to attend the event in 2019 (read my brief here), and I decided to go again in 2020. The organizers of the event were kind enough to provide me with a press pass for this year’s event.
Kosher wine has made significant strides in recent years. To ensure wine can get a kosher certification is quite a process. In the past, kosher wine was considered inferior in quality due to the stringency in producing it. That is no longer the case and thousands at the event this year attested to it. I spoke with kosher wine experts who told me that kosher wine is now as high quality as any of the none kosher brands. One of the attendees informed me that he has over 1000 wine bottles in storage and prefers premium kosher brands like Goose Bay Pacifica.
While the event mostly featured wine for those who do not have the taste pallet for grapes, there was plenty of other great attractions. In terms of food, there was once again excellent Glatt kosher food. The types of dishes ranged from sloppy joes to fancy fried duck dumplings. While there were many caterers at the event, my local restaurant Great Bistro Falls had fantastic fried doughnut balls which were quite popular with the guests.
The wine was not the only alcoholic drink available. There were many varieties of new spirits, such as brandy and liquor. One brand in particular that stood out for me is a new alcoholic ice pop by a company called Cooloo. The pops which contain alcohol come in delicious flavours such as pina colada. The company informed me that their products are available in hundreds of grocery stores across America for those over 21 years of age.
“An extraordinary bounty of wines from all over the world is coming to market in 2020,” said Nathan Herzog, President, Royal Wine. “This year’s most extraordinary bottlings included Château Léoville Poyferré Saint Julien 2017, Château Giscours Margaux 2017, Flam Noble 2016, Champagne Drappier Rosé de Saignée, and Herzog Single Vineyard Calistoga 2016.”
Learn more about the event here.
