The End Of Western Civilization: Chateau Chicago

The apocoylpse is here...Chateau Chicago.
From today's LATimes:
LATimes: ChateauChiicago

Tom

I love guys like this. They have the guts to do to improve urban life that so many lack and much of what they do turns out to be a very positive input to what may be some of the most run-down parts of a city.

The only apocalyptic notion involved is that involving the planting of Concord grapes. If he's going to go into grape jelly that's fine, but wine??? I think Manischewitz has and justifiably should have the final word on the abysmal Concord!!!

Best
Rogov

I love guys like this. They have the guts to do to improve urban life that so many lack and much of what they do turns out to be a very positive input to what may be some of the most run-down parts of a city.
The only apocalyptic notion involved is that involving the planting of Concord grapes. If he's going to go into grape jelly that's fine, but wine??? I think Manischewitz has and justifiably should have the final word on the abysmal Concord!!!
Best
Rogov

Harumph......at one time, Manischewitz used to be produced in Chicago. Just carrying on the legacy.
Actually...DavidBruce's first Ho-Made wine was made from Concord grapes. It fooled a lot of the experts of that day.
Tom

Harumph, harumph and double harumph..... Going on memory entirely, but I believe Manischewitz was founded in New York and until their takeover by the Centerra group production was entirely in New York State. The kosher winery that was based in Chicago produced the wines that were known as Mogen David (translate that to The Star of David). No fear though, the Concord grape wines of Mogen David were every bit as abysmal as those of Manischewitz. Following is part of a piece that appeared recently in my syndicated column in the US.




Appropriate For Passover
© Daniel Rogov


There is a good chance that for nearly sixty years the two happiest people in the world during the Passover holiday were Leo Star and Meyer Robinson who were the principal owners of the Monarch Wine Company. Among the reasons for their joy was that Monarch is the producer of Manischewitz wine and on the Seder tables of Jews from New York City to Moscow and from Buenos Aires to Nome, Alaska, there is no single wine that appears more frequently.

In 1987 Manischewitz became part of the Centerra Wine Company portfolio. Nothing has changed and Manischewitz remains the best-selling kosher wine in the world. So well known is this wine that Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Shirley MacLaine and even Harry Belafonte have told jokes about it. If the truth be told, however, there is absolutely nothing funny about Manischewitz. Made primarily from Concord grapes, which may be fine for eating and making grape jelly but are capable of producing only the most mediocre wines, this is a wine that is famous primarily for its odd reddish-brown color, high acidity, coarseness, outrageous sweetness and foxy aromas.

That Jews all over the world have become convinced that Passover, like Kiddush and other sacramental occasions must be celebrated with sweet wine is merely an odd quirk of history. During the days of the Roman Empire, when nearly all wines were sweet, it was only logical that kosher wines would also be sweet. Later, when Europe mastered the art of making dry wines, kosher wines became as dry as any others. It was only during the 15th century when sweetness once again became the norm for wines that were kosher and the reason for the turnabout was entirely political. It was then that laws were passed in Germany, Hungary and Italy that forbad Jews to own the best wine growing lands.

The response to these laws was the development of the first Jewish wine-growing cooperatives, their primary goal being to maintain a supply of wines that were kosher. Whether those wines would be of high quality or barely drinkable was not an issue. As Tevya in "Fiddler on the Roof" reminds us, however, tradition is important, before too many centuries had gone by, Jews all over the world took it for granted that harsh, coarse wines were a required part of their culture.

The truth is that there is no Biblical, Halachic or Talmudic injunction that tells us to drink bad wine at any time of the year. So long as a wine has been certified as kosher it is drinkable at any time of the year and, whether at the brit mila, the wedding, the joyous Friday night kiddush or on Passover, the holiday of freedom, there is simply no reason to spoil otherwise marvelous meals by drinking inferior wines.

Harumph, harumph and double harumph..... Going on memory entirely, but I believe Manischewitz was founded in New York and until their takeover by the Centerra group production was entirely in New York State. The kosher winery that was based in Chicago produced the wines that were known as Mogen David (translate that to The Star of David). No fear though, the Concord grape wines of Mogen David were every bit as abysmal as those of Manischewitz. Following is part of a piece that appeared recently in my syndicated column in the US.
Appropriate For Passover
© Daniel Rogov
There is a good chance that for nearly sixty years the two happiest people in the world during the Passover holiday were Leo Star and Meyer Robinson who were the principal owners of the Monarch Wine Company. Among the reasons for their joy was that Monarch is the producer of Manischewitz wine and on the Seder tables of Jews from New York City to Moscow and from Buenos Aires to Nome, Alaska, there is no single wine that appears more frequently.

In 1987 Manischewitz became part of the Centerra Wine Company portfolio. Nothing has changed and Manischewitz remains the best-selling kosher wine in the world. So well known is this wine that Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Shirley MacLaine and even Harry Belafonte have told jokes about it. If the truth be told, however, there is absolutely nothing funny about Manischewitz. Made primarily from Concord grapes, which may be fine for eating and making grape jelly but are capable of producing only the most mediocre wines, this is a wine that is famous primarily for its odd reddish-brown color, high acidity, coarseness, outrageous sweetness and foxy aromas.

That Jews all over the world have become convinced that Passover, like Kiddush and other sacramental occasions must be celebrated with sweet wine is merely an odd quirk of history. During the days of the Roman Empire, when nearly all wines were sweet, it was only logical that kosher wines would also be sweet. Later, when Europe mastered the art of making dry wines, kosher wines became as dry as any others. It was only during the 15th century when sweetness once again became the norm for wines that were kosher and the reason for the turnabout was entirely political. It was then that laws were passed in Germany, Hungary and Italy that forbad Jews to own the best wine growing lands.

The response to these laws was the development of the first Jewish wine-growing cooperatives, their primary goal being to maintain a supply of wines that were kosher. Whether those wines would be of high quality or barely drinkable was not an issue. As Tevya in "Fiddler on the Roof" reminds us, however, tradition is important, before too many centuries had gone by, Jews all over the world took it for granted that harsh, coarse wines were a required part of their culture.

The truth is that there is no Biblical, Halachic or Talmudic injunction that tells us to drink bad wine at any time of the year. So long as a wine has been certified as kosher it is drinkable at any time of the year and, whether at the brit mila, the wedding, the joyous Friday night kiddush or on Passover, the holiday of freedom, there is simply no reason to spoil otherwise marvelous meals by drinking inferior wines.

Yup...I was thinking MogenDavid. Me bad. Nice rant above, though, Daniel.
Tom