At an evening of food and wine, you might well start with a glass of champagne, particularly if the bottle bears the legendary name of Rothschild.

The first kosher Barons de Rothschild champagne, released this week at £60-plus, was one of the alcoholic highlights of the 2016 Kosher Food and Wine Experience, held at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel in Piccadilly on Tuesday.

"It balances the freshness of Chardonnay with the toasty notes of Pinot Noir and the silkiness of the blend because of the long ageing," explained brand managing director Frederic Mairesse. "We age it for four years."

Those among the 900 guests who opted to delay their tasting until dessert may have been disappointed as the samples were rapidly downed.

Consumers at the Kedem Europe event ranged from sleek young businesswomen in knee-high boots to frock-coated Chasidim.

"It's a complete cross-section of British Jewry," observed Martin Kaye of book distributors Kuperard.

Brandishing his exhibition handbook, he added: "I mark the wines I like and try them throughout the year." One of his favourites was Amarolo, a blended red from high-end Israeli boutique winery Alexander, for which his written comment was "Magic".

Thirty producers from four continents exhibited their fine wines, whiskies and liqueurs, from the Finnish Moses vodka to Goose Bay wines from New Zealand.

In between whisking their glasses round the various stalls, visitors could enjoy a buffet selection including freshly rolled duck pancakes, beetroot-coloured sushi, lamb tagine and salt beef in rye bread rolls.

Justin Kohn of Israeli vineyard Tabor recommended a German-style white, Adama Gewurztraminer, to follow the spicy tagine. "A little fruitiness takes the acidity away," he said. "Some people in Israel enjoy that."

First-time exhibitor Matar, based in the Golan Heights, which launched a kosher range four years ago, was another illustration of Israel's growing wine trade. Matar's Cumulus 2013 red was commended by Londoner Belinda Marks.

"I come here every year and I always find a new wine or liqueur to go and buy," she said.

Russian-born Katerina Bomstein's choice was the flagship red, Clos Mesorah, from Anne and Moises Cohen, Israelis who founded a vineyard in Spain.

"I love good wines," said Ms Bomstein, who works for the Spanish Tourist Board in London.

"I buy kosher wine on a Friday night. This is my first time here and I love it."

Another new exhibitor was Hagafen, one of a number of Californian producers.

"Any time an Israeli dignitary visits the White House, we supply the wine," said its marketing director, Michael Gelven.

Samples included Hagafen's popular Pinot Noir. "Ever since the movie Sideways, Pinot Noir sales have gone through the roof," Mr Gelven reported.

A selection of top malt whiskies - Glenfiddich among them - was also available at the event for the first time.

As one guest calculated, the event's £50 entry price was decent value on the basis that "if you go into a shop and buy a £15 bottle of wine on spec and don't like it, it's a waste.

"But you can go round here and try a selection of wines and find out what you like."