The Last Supper by Phillip Smeeton
Spring Forward to Wines for Easter and Passover
It is no wonder that Easter and Passover often occur so close together, even overlap in some years during the seven days Passover is observed in Israel and the eight days elsewhere among the Jewish diaspora. After all, the Last Supper was, in fact, a Seder. Redemption and salvation are the central themes of the Judeo-Christian ties between these highest of holy days. I was blessed to experience the breadth of these themes growing up in a blended family of Catholics and Sephardic Jews, hearing the stories and eating the food. The relationship is reflected not just on the calendar; but in the meals partaken by observers at either or both tables. So much is shared in common, except of course, pork, leavened bread, shellfish and mixing dairy and meat; but that’s a different story. Wine was at the center of each meal, especially for early Christians for whom it was safer than the local water to drink.
Let’s design a list of wine pairings to bridge the gap-satisfy most palates without bending too many “kashrut” rules. For Passover you need Kosher wines, wines made by Sabbath-observant Jews with no non-kosher additives used in the process. Kosher status is typically denoted by the letter U or K in a circle, with a P in superscript. “Mevushal” wines are flash-pasteurized so they can be handled by non-observant folks yet remain kosher. At Seder each adult will sip from four cups of wine, representing the redemption of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. A fifth cup is left unconsumed and reserved for the prophet Elijah. I like to propose five or six wines, to keep things interesting. Those celebrating the Resurrection of Christ can pair one wine with each course; serve one white and one red or stick with Welch’s-no judgement here.
So feel free to pass on the Manischewitz, my suggestions, like champagne, go with everything and will pair well with carrot tzimmes for Passover as well as that ubiquitous spiral cut ham on Easter. For starters- Champagne Drappier-The Drappier family tree can be traced back to1604. Since 2016, the eighth generation of the Drappier family incorporates animals and nature preservation, ploughing parts of the organically-farmed vineyard by horse and earning “Carbon Neutral” accreditation. Drappier estate creates a wide array of Pinot Noir based demi-sec to extra brut cuvees, including “sans soufre” or zero dosage (added sugar), zero sulphur added bottlings, all delicious.
For the meal-Psagot Rosé is a blend of red varietals harvested from vineyards in the Northern Jerusalem Mountains. It is a beautiful salmon colored, dry wine with aromas of pink grapefruit and lemon zest. Psagot Edom is a well-rounded proprietary Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Balanced and harmonious, it has a rich and wide structure with layered flavors and aromas. Ditch the mint jelly and pair this with a garlicky roasted leg of lamb or braised lamb shanks for Seder or Easter dinner. Check Total Wine for the wines listed above, quickly as they sell out fast this time of year.
Not all kosher wines are made in Israel and not all wines made in Israel are kosher. Ask your local merchant for recommendations. Other kosher producers that I like include Tulip, Flam and Teperberg…wineries that make wonderful wines from Israel to round out your kosher friendly list. For further biblical references, I turn to Palestine and Armenia for non-kosher but relevant selections. Cremisan Wine Estate sits on the West Bank of Palestine overlooking Bethlehem, in a monastery established in 1885 by Italian Monks making an array of wines using organically grown, auctochthonous, Palestinean grapes. Star of Bethlehem Dabouki is a super crisp white wine which smashed my misconceptions of winemaking in what I presumed was a day and night hot desert. This delightful wine has all the hallmarks of a moderate to cool climate - clean, stone fruit, tropical fruit notes and beautifully balanced minerality and acidity. Cremisan was the first winery to produce wines from local Palestinian grapes and to test their genetic analysis to confirm which are native to Palestine. The main varietals grown there are Dabouki, Hamdani, Jandali, Baladi, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Petit Verdot and Merlot. They created a unique distillery made of copper, from which Cremisan has produced a brandy now aged for 35 years in oak barrels. In 2020 Cremisan also started to make a unique traditional Arak from 53% Dabouki grapes.
The bible tells us that Noah’s Ark rested upon Mount Ararat, part of which lies in present day Armenia, where Noah planted grapes to celebrate the survival of humanity (my guess is that the animals were also grateful). Rich in historical and biblical references, Armenia is reviving its claim as one of the oldest wine growing regions in the world (Georgia and China argue otherwise; but again, that’s another story). Armenia was also home to one of the worst cases of genocide in the 20th century (please look it up, we should know these things).
My first encounter with Armenian wines took place in Montreux, Switzerland where I met winemaker Zorik of Zorah winery, who returned to Armenia after years in Italy to uncover the history and secrets of more than 6,000 years of winemaking that had been all but wiped out during Soviet rule. Zorik salvaged old vineyards, researched and collected amphora to recreate that rich history which now represents the pinnacle of his now highly prized and allocated wines.
American, Paul Hobbs journeyed from fame as a Napa Valley golden child in the ‘90’s to Argentina, then Cahors, France then further east to create Yacoubian-Hobbs, a collaboration with the Yacoubian brothers in 2008. Reviving such ancient varietals as: Voskehat -or "golden berry" the emblematic white variety of Armenia; Khatuni; Qrdi and Garan Demakor "sheep's tail". I adore the white blend and the red Yacoubian-Hobbs Sarpina of 100% Areni from the southern highlands. I felt like I’d encountered the burning bush in the desert that told me that I had found home. The flavors are like a Burgundian style Pinot blended with St. Joseph Syrah, satiny dark fruit aromas with muddled strawberries, blackberries, pomegranate, black cherries, black pepper, anise and bourbony vanilla.
There is so much to unpack here in the delta where Christianity and Judaism cross paths. So much history and so much yet to be discovered. What better place to start this discovery than at the table? Happy Easter and Chag Pesach Sameach!