Month: September 2019

Rosh Hashana is upon us again. The wine trade eagerly awaits the holidays because this is when the wine sales boom. The consumer also enjoys what is a buyer’s market because the promotions and special offers are at their peak.
Many people find wine buying an ordeal, but remember you only have to purchase one or two wines, yet put that against think the number of food items you will need to buy. When you are looking for the right wine, go in with a fixed idea how much you want to spend. Wine shops are worth a special visit because of the extra service, but you can find a great range of excellent wines in some supermarkets these days too.

Jay Buchsbaum was always known in my family as ‘Boobie’ Buchsbaum, because of long car conversations in the car, when he always called me ‘Boobie’. It used to amuse my children no end silently listening in the background. I thought it was a term of affection only for me, until I realized he called everyone ‘Boobie’. Now my children are grown up and I have grandchildren of my own, it serves to remind me how long we have known each other, but he is still known as Boobie Buchsbaum chez nous.

The Montefiore Windmill was built in 1857 and became a symbol of modern Jerusalem and a prominent part of the Jerusalem skyline. It is situated at Mishkenot Sha’ananim, founded by Sir Moses Montefiore, which was the first neighborhood outside the Old City Walls of Jerusalem. Now 162 years later, the windmill has been turned into a unique winery tasting room and visitors center. When I was recently invited to connect the dots between family, Mishkenot Sha’ananim and the windmill, I jumped at the chance. As a wine trade veteran and student of Israel wine history, I could not help but add the many relevant wine references at every stage.
Sir Moses Montefiore was a humanitarian, campaigner for Jewish emancipation, forerunner of Zionism and the world’s unofficial ambassador for the Jewish people. His coat of arms featured a lion holding a pendant with Jerusalem written on it……an idea since adopted by the Jerusalem municipality! He travelled to Israel no less than seven times, riding in his small carriage, the last time at the grand old age of 91!