Each new moon, groups of kosher wine buffs worldwide come together to crack open special bottles of wine and to fill their stomachs with gourmet kosher grub. The Rosh Chodesh clubs (or RCCs, as they are known) were started in New York by oenophile, Yossie Horwitz.
At Horwitz’s New York home, his August Rosh Chodesh festivities included an aperitif of Golan Heights Brut Rosé 2008, with platters of charred Shishito peppers, olives and crusty baguettes.
His guests then sipped and slurped no less than 11 high-end kosher wines (from wineries around the world) while feasting from his table — laden with dishes that included salmon tartare; veal roast — 24-hour sous vide-cooked veal roasted with garlic glaze and maple bourbon sweet potatoes; “Dinosaur rib” — beef ribs coated in a spiced, dry rub then cooked for 72 hours sous vide and coated in hickory-smoked mesquite glaze. All his own work.
After this fantastic feast they polished off lemon drizzle cake, red wine sorbet and a bottle of dessert wine, Chateau Guiraud Sauternes 2000.
“I started the Rosh Chodesh club about five-and-a-half years ago so I could share special bottles of wine with people who would really enjoy them with me,” explains corporate lawyer, Horwitz, who is a father of five, from 17 years old down to a new-born.
“My wife isn’t really a wine lover. I’d accumulated a group of wine friends but they tended not to be who I was spending Shabbat with, and I didn’t want to open special bottles for people who wouldn’t appreciate it.”
Former Wall Street Journal wine columnists, Dorothy Gater and Jon Brecher had been in a similar predicament and decided to start an annual “open the bottle night”. “Once a year is not enough, so I wanted to meet more often. As I’m religious and observant, I felt a hedonistic enjoyment like this should be tied to a spiritual occasion — hence Rosh Chodesh.”
Horwitz’s family in Israel, where he grew up, weren’t wine lovers. “My dad would have a shot of Amaretto a couple of times a year, to celebrate a special occasion, and we’d drink sweet Kiddush wine on Shabbat.” A family friend brought a bottle of wine to a Seder and Horwitz was intrigued. “I really enjoyed it and I started visiting a wine shop in Jerusalem, each week, to find out more, as they did wine tastings.”
From there, he became involved, in the 1990s, with a wine forum run by Israeli wine writer, the late Daniel Rogov. At the same time, Horwitz was eating out regularly when Israeli restaurant culture had started to burgeon.
Known among his friends for his wine and food knowledge, he became the go-to man for recommendations. He started a regular email newsletter listing meals and wines he’d enjoyed. The distribution list grew steadily and he began focusing on his wine recommendations — all personally gained from visits to the wineries.
Over the years, the newsletter has developed into wine blog www.yossiescorkboard.com, which has between 10,000 and 11,000 followers. Hundreds of wine-drinkers contact him for wine advice every week and he replies to each one. “I don’t need much sleep.” The RCC dinners developed from his passion for wine. He planned the evenings meticulously: “as a lawyer, I like rules and limits.”
Attendees were limited to 10 — “I only have space for that many in my dining room, and also that is how many could reasonably taste enough wine from one bottle.” Each guest was required to bring a bottle, which also had to comply with certain rules: “Wines must be at least seven years old, preferably not readily available and pre-approved by me. We have people of all economic levels participating, so it needed to be fair both to those able to spend a bit more, and to allow those with less money to feel good about what they are bringing.”
He had intended buying in simple kosher snacks, but foodie friend, Yedidya Cohen offered to bring home cooked sous-vide ribs. “They were amazing! Yedidya produced amazing food for us on a low budget for two years.” When Cohen pulled out, Horwitz took on the catering. “My original idea of bought in snacks was definitely not going to suffice. So, with Yedidya’s support, I started doing it myself. I always liked to cook but had been too busy for years. Now I do all the work.”
After a year of regular dinners, the club went national and international. “I’ve visited clubs all over New York, in Miami, Los Angeles, Israel and London. They all follow the general rules, the main point being to enjoy the wine with others who appreciate it.” The spin-off RCCs may use private chefs, go to restaurants or cook at home.
Solicitor and founder of kosher meat smokery, Blue Smoke, Andrew Krauz, is a member of the London RCC, founded by Richard Davidoff. “A wide range of people attend. It’s a genuine exploration of what kosher food and wine can be, and it has been great to connect with RCCs across the world.”
Horwitz is delighted: “Thousands are enjoying fine kosher wines and eating good food because of the Rosh Chodesh clubs, with some buying wines specifically to age and bring to the clubs.”
For information: Yossie@yossiescorkboard.com
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