Daniel Rogov

With all due respect, there has got to be something TERRIBLY wrong about such a list that does not include Paris.

Covenant, indeed! Here is my own review of the wine: Covenant, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, 2003: Jeff Morgan's first effort and a rousing success. Dark ruby towards royal purple, medium- to full-bodied, with generous but soft tannins integrating nicely and gentle overlays of vanilla and spices from aging in new French barriques. Near-sweet blackcurrant aromas and flavors abound, those matched nicely by hints of berries, tobacco and Mediterranean herbs. Long, round and mouthfilling. Drink now-2013. Score 93.K

With regard to the wines of Castel, I'm one of those who finds the reds nearly always excellent and sometimes truly superb, the wines (both the Grand Vin Castel and the Petit Castel) often earning scores well into the 90's. As to why you may not enjoy them – perhaps a question of personal taste, perhaps one of style, for the enjoyment of any wine is not dependent only on its quality but on our personal palates and desires. Look at the issue of Burgundy "versus" Bordeaux, for example – some adore the wines of one region and not those of the other, some can enjoy both. Much a matter not of quality but of "different strokes for different folks". With re the 2003 wines of Orna Chillag, following are my tasting notes for both the regular and the kosher editions of her 2003 wines. Chillag, Primo Riserva, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003: Aged in French oak for 18 months, with a small percentage of Merlot added, this full-bodied red shows appealing aromas and flavors of blackcurrant and ripe berry fruits, those matched nicely by spicy oak and, on the long finish, a hint of freshly turned earth. Drink now-2009. Score 90. Chillag, Cabernet Sauvignon, Orna, 2003 (Kosher Edition): Made from grapes specially selected at the Zar’it Vineyard in the Kadesh Valley of the Upper Galilee and aged in French oak casks for 14 months. Ripe and chewy, with soft tannins and plum and blackcurrant aromas and flavors that linger nicely on the palate. Drink now-2007. Score 89.K

Perhaps the following lists will help: (a) The best Israeli wines released in 2005 - http://stratsplace.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=10134 (b) The best kosher wines released in 2005 - http://stratsplace.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=10133

Jamie, Hi.... Looking at the various uses to which the term "effete" is put, I'll agree that I would not want to be classed with those who are ineffectual, sterile or lacking in moral character. When it comes to "over-refined", however, I do have a problem, for refinement is overdone only when it becomes an obsession or is imposed on others. If defining myself as and hoping to be refined puts me in the category of being effete, well I'll accept that charge with pleasure. The day I stop being refined, I'll go to Las Vegas where one can see copies of the Mona Lisa, of David's Michelange, of the Tour Eiffel and of the canals of Venice far more easily than one can see the real thing. Without trying to be at all presumtious, may I warmly suggest reading Umberto Eco's little essay "Travels in Hyper-Reality". And by the way, if I had enough of both time and money, I would indeed prefer crossing the Atlantic first class on the Queen Mary II to flying any class on a Jumbo Jet. But when it comes to horses and buggies, I'm willing to admit that I prefer Lambhorghinis.

JayT..... I am well aware of the statistics of corked wine and I well know that the world of wine, closures did not begin with and wll not end with cork. In my own life, however, and in my indeed admitedly romantic image of what wine is about, I have to agree with the French poet who said "every time I uncork a bottle I stand in awe because it is not merely a bottle of wine that I am opening. I am opening 5,000 years of human history and civilization". It has little to do with ceremony. It has a great deal to do with romance.

Perhaps this will help, keeping in mind that the percentages of Oleic Acid present in extra-virgin oil can vary by up to .2% in different nations: http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/israel/ol..._olive_oil.html

I cannot speak to what cuts are used in North America but the onglet or hanger steak (they are synonymous) is probably better known in France than in North America and in France is only rarely used for steak-frites as onglet is usually used for boeuf hache (chopped beef ) or marinated before grilling . The cut most often served with steak-frites in France is entrecote, that varying in quality from the shoe-leather variety with hard, yellow fat to the truly succulent depending on where you find it. From the technical point of view, entrecote (literally "between the ribs") refers to steaks cut from between the ninth and eleventh ribs while the onglet is that portion of the diaphgram that hangs between the last rib and the loin.

I'll quote Sainte-Beuve who, when bemoaning that he had to work for a living cried out one day: "But fear not my little stomach for all that I earn is yours"

Call me a Luddite if you will, or as I prefer, call me a curmudgeon, but when it comes to "molecular stuff" I can only call to mind the words of Percy Bysshe Shelly: "I met a traveller from antique land Who said" Two vast and trukless legs of stone Stand in the dessert. And on the pedestal these words appear: 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Nothing besides remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away" Or, perhaps shorter, sweeter and more to the point:"This too shall pass"

In my role as wine critic, I will taste every wine that comes my way, no matter what the closure and will write about that wine in an unbiased manner. When it comes to my personal pleasure, however, I have repeated nightmares of dining at the Louis XV in Monte Carlo, of ordering a bottle of Chateau Cheval Blanc and having the sommelier approach my table ceremoniously and then with no ceremony whatever unscrewng the bottle. At that point I will, for the first and last time in my life commit homicide, that to be quickly followed by suicide. In the name of being a bit provocative, I do exaggerate..........but believe me, only a little.

First of all, put the Balsamico aside, even if its 175 years old. My suggestion - Open with blinis with caviar and creme fraiche Continue with consomme Emile Zola For the main course lobster thermidor For dessert Bombe Monselet That, of course, followed by a cheese platter If not that, if you can find a large sea turtle, replicate Babette's Feast.

I can't vouch for how cowboys dine today, but following is a piece I wrote some years ago about how they ate during the days of Billy the Kid. ========= As Arthur Toynbee reminded us, history has always been more difficult to accept than legend. Because legend adds half-truths and a nostalgic atmosphere to reality, it is more comfortable, more palatable and longer lasting than hard facts. Novelist Larry McMurtry is not so much involved with writing a history of the days of the American West as he is into remythologizing it in his own image. McMurtry loves writing novels about Texas, but his Texas is more a concept than a physical place. His "Last Picture Show" was set in the 1950's Texas of his youth, and in "Terms of Endearment" he portrayed the city of Houston in the 1970's. Neither of those novels were quite free of the touch of the Wild West, but in none of his books did McMurty portray the rough and tumble days of Texas as he did in "Lonesome Dove" (a novel, by the way that was converted into one of few truly great American television series) and in "Anything For Billy". Even though each of McMurtry's cowboys are unshaven, unwashed and have abominably bad manners, many of them have hearts of gold. His heroes are not quite as heroic as most myths would have us believe and his anti-heroes are not nearly as evil as they are portrayed in most textbooks. His Billy the Kid, for example, is a nasty, skinny young man who suffers from migraine headaches and fainting spells, eats constantly and has dozens of childish superstitions that govern his actions. His Billy is also terribly nearsighted, which probably explains the fact that he was an embarrassingly poor marksman. According to McMurtry, Billy's reputation for violence far exceeded his actual ferocity, for when he killed someone it was mostly because he or the other fellow was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Billy's murderous tendencies tended to take themselves out primarily on 10 year old children, mentally retarded adults and unarmed old Indians. That McMurtry takes liberties with historical truth is undeniable. To those interested in food, however, all of this is unimportant, because McMurtry's characters, however imaginary they may be, eat exactly the same foods and in precisely the same manner as did the real Billy the Kid and the cowboys and gunfighters that populated Texas in the mid 19th century. Even though these men talked about and dreamed of large fried steaks and potatoes nearly all of the time, they rarely got to eat them because steaks were too expensive and Texans considered themselves too macho to raise potatoes. Regardless of whether they were living in a bunkhouse on a ranch, on a six month cattle round-up or running away from a sheriff's posse, most Texas cowboys and gunfighters ate four identical meals every day. Anyone who rode the trail carried with him a nesting kit (a tin all-in-one eating utensil that folded over on itself for easy carrying), and would make his way to the cook wagon, there to have his entire meal piled on one plate. The first requirement for such meals was frijoles refritos, a Mexican dish in which pink or black kidney beans were first soaked in water and then boiled, mashed together with oil and onion to form a lumpy puree and finally seasoned generously with salt and fried in bacon fat. Piled on top of the beans would be anywhere from three to six fried eggs. The meat most commonly served with such meals was mutton and, if the cowboy was lucky enough to have a large plate the meat would be placed alongside the beans and eggs. For convenience, however, most cowboys had rather small nesting kits,and the meat was simply piled on top of the eggs. Every meal was served with huge quantities of strong, sweet coffee. Cowboys who lived on ranches ate precisely the same meals, the only difference being that they had plates large enough so that their beans, eggs and meat did not have to be piled one on top of the other. Outlaws ate similar meals, but, because men on the run rarely had fresh meat with them, they had to dine on jerky, beef that had been cut in long thin slices and dried in the sun. Because it had been dried, jerky rarely spoiled and because it was light it was easy to carry in one's saddlebags. Outlaws and others who traveled in pairs or small groups also relied for meat on the prairie dogs , rattlesnakes and other small animals that inhabited the dessert. The truth is that with the possible exception of prairie dogs, rodent-like creatures that were to be found everywhere but whose flesh is dry and tough, the food that cowboys ate was quite tasty. So content were most men with this fare that when they had the time and money to visit one of the many bars that were found in every Texas town, they would order exactly the same dishes. The beverage most often consumed in such bars was whiskey but, to set the historical record straight, most cowboys did not particularly enjoy whiskey. They drank it primarily because it was cheaper than or the truly favorite drink of the west, Mexican style hot chocolate. Frijoles Refrito A recipe adopted from Diana Kennedy's "The Cuisines of Mexico" 3 cups red kidney beans or black beans salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste 3/4 cup bacon fat or chicken fat 1 - 2 cloves garlic, sliced fried eggs and chili peppers for serving If using dried beans, soak them in water for 3 - 4 hours. Drain and the pour over fresh water to cover. Boil until the beans are tender. If using tinned beans, boil them until they are tender. In either case, drain the beans well and mash them with a fork. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. In a heavy skillet melt 1/2 cup of the fat and in this saute the garlic until well browned. With a slotted spoon remove the garlic and discard. To the fat add the pureed beans and fry until the fat is absorbed. Remove from the flame and let cool. In a clean skillet melt the remaining fat and to this add the bean mixture and fry until the fat is completely absorbed. Serve hot with fried eggs and chili peppers. (Serves 6). Choccalatl Molinillo Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon 125 grams sweet baking chocolate, grated 50 grams unsweetened chocolate, grated 4 cups milk 2 sticks cinnamon 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract 1 egg white, beaten lightly sugar to taste (about 2 Tbsp.) In the top of a double boiler over but not in boiling water combine the sweet and unsweetened chocolate and melt them, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon. In a saucepan combine the milk and cinnamon and heat until very hot but not to boiling. Pour the milk and cinnamon sticks into the chocolate and blend together with the wooden spoon. Add the vanilla, stir well, and then sweeten to taste with sugar. While still over the boiling water add the egg white and beat well with the wooden spoon until the mixture is frothy. Remove the cinnamon and pour the chocolate into pre-heated cups. Serve immediately. (Yields 6 cups).

In many parts of Europe one will still find a great many waiters who are trained or train themselves to take orders without committing them to written form. The system used, consciously or unconsciously, relies on building a series of mnemonics, associating dishes with the order at which people sit at a table. As a person with some interest not only in the culinary world but in psychology, I am familiar with this process and it is fascinating to note that in nearly all cases once the order has been set in full on the table that the waiter/waitress in question immediately forgets completely about just who ordered what. In fact, in many cases, even should they want to recall the orders, they cannot. This phenomenon of what seems like phenomenal memory has something akin to memorizing the words of an even horrendously long nonsense song or poem or a list of items assigned to be memorized (e.g. the list of prepositions in the English language...... about, above, across, after, along, around, among, et, etc...). Memorize all but the last line or the last few words and all is well....you can rattle the whole thing off easily. Commit that last bit to memory and the moment you have recited the list aloud for the first time you will forget nearly all of the list. Me, I love when it happens in a restaurant, that partly because I consider it "a cut but classy act" and partly because it adds a bit of positive tension to see just how well it goes when the food actually arrives at the table.

I wonder if we are not showing a kind of "inverse snobbism" in some of our reactions. There are indeed people who can afford such bottles, and indeed not all of them are nouveaux riches trying to show off but planning on opening such bottles to share with friends for a special gathering or occasion. There are indeed occasions when, could most of us afford such special treats, we too would partake. Like most here, I scorn the nouveaux riches. I do not, however, scorn those who have the wherewithall and the good taste to go with it (assuming of course that such good taste extends not only to wine but to their relations and obligations to other people)

Super-large format bottles are neither for every person nor for everyday use but they do have their place at very special celebrtions. I cannot say what anyone else thought of this wine but my own review follows: Chateau d’Yquem, Sauternes, 1997: Bright golden in color at this stage, full-bodied and with extraordinary balance between deep botrytis influence along with citrus peel, vanilla, butternuts and honey. Moderately sweet but intense on the palate, with ideal balancing acidity and a finish that seems to go on forever. Approachable now but that would be a sin as this wine will be at its best only starting in 2008-2010 and will then cellar comfortably until 2030-2035, perhaps longer. Score 97. (Tasted 29 Jan 2004) Considering that my reviews are almost always based on standard bottles (750 ml), and also considering that with truly fine wines the larger the bottle the longer the wine will mature with grace and elegance, this bottle will easily maintain its charm for 50 or more years. Such a bottle like this might make a magnificent gesture on a 50th birthday or wedding anniversary and, with just a bit of luck even on a 75th!

CTGM, Hi... Please note that I did not suggest the possibility of time machines. That's one of the conceits of science fiction that simply contradicts with the realities of the universe. The difference between teleportation and time travel is enormous.... the once conceivable, the other not. Sorry about that....I'd truly love to share a dinner with Madame de Sevigny, Danton or Lucullus but I'll reserve that entirely for my dreams.

I'm one of those people who believes that much of what we read and see in science fiction will one day come to pass. As an example, one day we really will be able to have Scotty "beam us up" and indeed laser surgery perfomed by robots will go a long way in extending both the quality and duration of life. Science fiction, when well written by intelligent people is a superb projection of the current state of knowledge into the future and thus actually has a chance at becoming a reality . On the other hand, give me New Age nonsense and I scoff, for much of this kind of thinking is distinctly akin to the illogic of alchemy and the passionate but wholly unrealistic quest for the Holy Grail. In a phrase, at least from the Dark Ages the search for the instant panacea that will cure all from which we ail and solve all of humankind's problems has been a basically anti-intellectual groping in order to avoid confronting the sometimes impenetrable realities of the universe. This latest "thingie" (I can think of no better word) is akin to the magnets that go around the neck of bottles or those that we place at their base to pass an electric current through them. As to that, let it be noted that wine, can be affected electrically in the manner claimed by the inventors of these gadgets only by generating the power involved in the mass cycletron at CERN, near Geneva and that involves some 10,000,000,000 volts and an amperage high enough to supply power to the city of San Francisco for the next forty - fifty years. In a nutshell, electrical or magnetic power lower than that ain't gonna do nuttin to wine!!!! True, you can insert a couple of electrodes into a liquid such as wine or water and boil it but that's not quite the same as is being claimed here! This particular thingie (I do like that word, almost as much in fact as I like the sound of 'lawsy, lawsy') is said not only to age wine but to convert Beaujolais Nouveau into a "more full-bodied, compled wine" and make your Sauvignon Blanc dryer, all according to the inventor by breaking up "water clusters". I am tempted to use a minor vernacular cuss-word here but I will avoid that. Let me say instead that I consider this claim and statement abject bovine manure. (Should anyone have trouble converting "bovine manure" into the vernacular, drop me an IM.)

Ditsydine, Hi.... Actually, wine consumption is on the way up in Israel. For many years wine consumption was limited to 3.9 liters per person annually and was thought of by many as related primarily to sacramental purposes (Kiddush, special Holidays, etc). Today, Israelis are consuming between 7.5-8 liters annually and, like the rest of the world moving from semi-dry to dry, from white to red and from less to more sophisticated and complex wines. That figure may not put us in the league of France, Italy, Luxemburg, etc (at about 60 liters per person annually) but it does put us near the league of England, the USA, etc (at about 10-11 liters annually). Also on a positive side, wine and alcoholism are only very rarely co-related in Israel most people drinking their wine in moderation, with company and to accompany meals. Estimates are that we will reach the 10 liter mark within another 2 - 3 years. Even more important - the quality of Israeli wines has taken a quantum leap forward in recent years, and the best wines of the country comfortably compete with those of many other wine-growing regions of the world these days.

Michelle, Hi... I'm not sure how you took my comments as Israeli bashing. I was "bashing" neither Israelis nor high-tech people as a group but only that segment of those populations that have well earned being bashed from time to time. The day that we Israelis or any other individual or group of people lose our perspective and stop laughing with and at ourselves will be a sad day indeed.

Keep in mind as well that unless you have specifically checked with your host and agreed to bring wine to "go with the dinner", your hosts are under no obligation to open the wine you bring - that being justly perceived as a house gift and not necessarily to be served with the dinner in question.

Three points and one anecdote: The first point: Indeed I would claim that Israel does boast several restaurants that would comfortably earn their Michelin stars if situated in Europe. Among two stars I would rate Moul Yam and Raphael, those in Tel Aviv and Arcadia in Jerusalem. For somewhere between one and two stars would add Carmella ba Nachala, Chloelys, Orca, Pronto, Toto, FoodArt (yup, they spell it with the two words unseparated) and and Yo'ezer in Tel Aviv as well as Aluma in Kfar Vradim. The second point: I receive a great many requests from my readers for restaurants in which they can dine when out of Israel. Many of those requests are for me to list 2 and 3 star restaurants. I always respond to my letters and e-mails but those people generally get a polite recommendation to the effect that they don't need me for that. What they need is a copy of the Michelin guide. And then there are the requests that are a delight to respond to - asking for "not necessarily prestigious" but really good restaurants regardless of price. Those people often get rather long responses from me. People who love food love sharing that love. The third point: Some of the restaurants I most adore in the world have "stars". Some don't even know what the Michelin guide looks like. I never go to a restaurant because it has stars. I go for the dining experience. Oddly enough perhaps, I believe that is what gastronomy and the gastronomic arts should be all about. The anecdote: About five years ago I dined with a very well known European chef who commented to me about many of the Israelis that came to his restaurant. His words, summed up - I'm the last stop on their route before they fly home. They can tell me exactly where they ate and precisely how much the bill came to but the don't remember what they ate. Of course I am not implying that all Israelis are snobs or status seekers. We do, however, have our generous share and lawsy, lawsy, they can be amusing.

You will find no person anywhere more upbeat about the potential for fine dining in Israel than this critic but the idea of our little country becoming a super-star in the culinary world is most assuredly not in the cards. No question but that the country has some extraordinarily talented chefs and some superb restaurants but there are several factors working against such an international-level happening: 1. The land area of Israel is a mere 7,992 square miles (which is five percent of the land area of California) and the number of tourists who visit annually is under two million (which is only about 4% of the number who visit Spain each year) 2. That Israel can support only a very limited number of upswing restaurants is made apparent in that fewer than 15% of the population of the country has ever spent more than NIS 80 (approximately US$ 17.00) for a meal. 3. With the exception of McDonald's, every foreign chain of restaurants (mass-market, upswing mass-market, coffee houses and fast-food eateries) has gone belly up. 4. The turnover (or, if one prefers, closing rate) of Israeli restaurants is more than three times as rapid as that in Europe and North America, the average life-span of most restaurants being from 6 – 9 months. Fine Israeli restaurants that live long enough to celebrate their 10th birthday under the same ownership and/or with the same chef are a rarity indeed. 5. With specific regard to the hi-tech people, do keep in mind that many of these good folks dine out on "tlushim" (coupons) given to them by their companies and these coupons allow them to dine in nearby restaurants for the magnificent sum of 35 shekels (about US$ 7.60). Several good restaurants have gone broke trying to feed these people a decent meal at that price, and more than a few chefs have burst into tears because a goodly number of hi-techies in Israel are far more partial to diet Sprite than wine with their meals. A perhaps good example of the problem – when Adam Tihani and Francesco Antonucci opened their Tel Aviv branch of "Remi" it was indeed one of the most sumptuous and elegant restaurants in the country and, under the reign of chef Ruby Portnoy, the food bordered on magnificence. Truth be told, prices were high but the experience (culinary and social) was well worth the investment. Despite all of this, Remi could not survive, for as in the New York branch, merely breaking even at the restaurant required a turnover of 1.5 couverts at every table for lunch and 1.5 couverts every evening at dinner. Such a turnover is possible in a city such as New York, a city in which 20,000,000 people either reside or enter and leave every day and where more than 1.5 million people work within a 10 block radius of the restaurant and reside within an hour of it. It is not possible in a country the population of which is under 7 million, and at which the outlay for a dinner would be the equivalent of one to two week's salary. One hates to be a curmudgeon all of the time, but let me remind us all that the per capita average income in Israel is less than half of that in the United States and that Israeli taxes are approximately 30% higher than in the USA. Let me also remind us that a fair percentage of the population will not eat in the truly best and most unswing restaurants because of the requirements of kashrut or hallal. Indeed when traveling abroad, a certain segment of the Israeli population seeks out true high-end dining. Some of those people truly enjoy the foods on which they are dining and the culture that surrounds such dining but many hunt these places out because they perceive them as a kind of "status". On returning to Israel they may dine just as well but first of all they do it only periodically and second often complain vociferously even if the local prices are only half what they spent while in Europe or the Americas. None of which should be taken to imply that fine dining is not possible within Israel. It is indeed, and that at many levels –including a range from super-simple, unpretentious and inexpensive eateries to highly stylized, socially "in" and often quite dear restaurants at which the food is superb. Also not to misunderstand – I too look forward enormously to the opening of Jonathan Roshfeld's new establishment and to that of Chaim Cohen (Cohen, by the way, will be the consulting chef, in residence only long enough to train the staff and then to step into full-time consultancy). And on that note, to borrow a line from Samuel Pepys: "And so to bed"

This thread has got to be the funniest thing since monkeys. The last time I was asked for ID was at a restaurant in Manhattan when I was 15 years old. Like all good teen-agers of that day of course I had phoney ID with me and my Scotch sour was serve promptly.

In my role as wine critic, I will taste anything that may be of interest to my readers. In my role of wine lover, I truly and most sincerely hope that all reading this will live long enough to see the day when, for my own pleasure, I purchase wine in either a can or a plastic container. If that should be the case, I can assure you all a very, very long life indeed.