Six-plus months ago, Kosher Wine had its start to the wine-tasting season, for 2024. First, it was a trade-only KFWE (Kosher Food and Wine Festival in New Jersey), then the Jewish Link Grand Wine Tasting (also in New Jersey), and then A Wine & Food Night by KWD, in Brooklyn. I wrote about the three-day extravaganza here in this post. In the long post, I wrote that I thought it was time to move from the public-laden KFWE Kiddush to the more nimble area-based tastings. The scale of the three tastings, even the KFWE-trade tasting was far more in line with what people needed to taste and be educated. Still, there was no public option for Royal wines, but actually, the two tastings were better for Royal than KFWE could ever be. The point of the area-focused tastings was to make sure that the people who live in those areas are represented by what they may wish to taste. I hope that in the coming years, the wine stores will be allowed to weigh in on what wines should be showcased at these area-specific events, from massive portfolio distributors, like Royal.

In the post, I wrote that the ball was now in Herzog Winery’s court to bring back the IFWF of old. The vast majority of the people at the KFWE VIP Experience 2024 event at the Herzog Winery in Oxnard, this past week, came and left experiencing EXACTLY what I hoped for 6+ months ago. Herzog did exactly what it was supposed to do, it highlighted the quality of their wines and the quality of their restaurant, and it allowed Royal to curate the wines it wanted to promote to the folks in Southern Califonia, whether that was actually implemented or not.

I will say, that I hope Herzog Winery continues this idea, having a more intimate interaction/experience for their customers, by hosting the event at the winery. It showcases what they do/have best. The naming (AKA KFWE) I think is a mistake. The point here is that it was NOT a KFWE, it was a Wine and Tierra Sur Tasting at Herzog Wine Cellars, with a smattering of other wines. That overall approach used to be called IFWF (International Food and Wine Festival). However, that was also a misnomer, as the focus was more on Herzog and some French wines, even in 2008. In the end, trying to sell this event as anything more than Herzog and Tierra Sur undermines what Herzog sells. With that said, no one left there unhappy, to me, and from whom I spoke at the event, it was a hit and it should be continued!

Herzog Wine Tasting

A few hours before the KFWE event took place, Elchonon Hellinger, owner of Elk Wines, and I made our way to Herzog Wine Cellars to taste some Herzog wines I had yet to taste. Before Elk arrived I was speaking with Joseph Herzog (Vice President and Partner) and David Galzignato (Director of Winemaking and Operations) about many a thing and the California 2021 vintage came up. Up until this tasting, I had tasted all of the 2021 wines that were released, except for a few. With all of them, I was highly impressed and posted about them a few times, here, here, and here. The wines before me, other than a few 2021 wines, were all from the 2022 vintage. I can tell you now, the 2022 vintage does not show as well as the 2021. Simple. It is riper, less controlled, and feels like one that may not age as well. That said, at the end of the wine tasting I made this statement, the work you have done over these past two years clearly shows that you have raised the floor for Herzog Wine Cellars. The issue I have is that fewer wines push the ceiling, at least these past two years, than in previous years. I am sure that has a lot to do with the viticulture and the direction of the winery, as a whole, and I think that overall it is a win.

With that said Herzog Winery continues to win as the top Mevushal wine option every year. They also do very well with the QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Wines. I expect them to be on those lists every year, Herzog Wine Cellars excel at the Mevushal Process and they excel at making quality wines for a reasonable price, across their portfolio, and with the work of David and his team, they have raised the floor of those wines over the past two years.

The Yesod Wines, a new wine label, does not show the name Herzog anywhere on them. It is their first foray into making some of the best wines in the world. While tasting them I said that while I feel the work in these wines, the clear effort to raise the floor of the overall wine approach, it lacked the pop for me. The best wines in the kosher world, when you smell them, make you salivate, they make you want to taste more, and the alcohol levels on them allow you to do that without feeling off-kilter. The Yesod wines, in my opinion, are well-made wines for the sort of Kosher wine drinkers that are targeting. Classic Napa wines with a big body, enough acidity, and loads of fruit.

The wines I oohed and aahed about were the 2023 Herzog Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg Reserve (mevushal), and the 2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Special Reserve. Why? Because, in the past, these two wines (Herzog white wines in general) and the Napa Blue Label Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, were rarely on point. These two wines showed me the biggest change, the raising of the floor, and the focus, overall. A steady-eddy approach to winemaking, which may not garner you as many ceiling-pushing wines, at the start, but an approach that raises everything and one that I am sure will eventually get Herzog to even further heights.

My many thanks to Joseph Herzog, and David Galzignato for setting up the meeting, sharing your wines with us, and taking time out of your busy schedule (the day of the event!) to meet with us. The wine notes follow below in the order they were tasted – the explanation of my “scores” can be found here and the explanation for QPR scores can be found here:

2023 Herzog Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg Reserve, Clarksburg, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The fruit had botrytis, modeled after Savennieres, old vines Chenin Blanc. The nose of this wine is lovely, showing white peach, pear, apricot, quince blossom, rich honeysuckle, pear blossom, sweet Lipton lemon tea, and sweet oak. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is fun, it is bone dry, showing great acidity, lovely mouthfeel, almost oily, with a lovely plush mouthfeel, starting with Lipton tea, honeysuckle, honeyed melon, pear, white peach, lovely mouthfeel, a true joy! The finish is long, tart, funky, and rich, with green notes, floral notes abound, and bone dry and rich sweet oak. Drink by 2028. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.50%)

2023 Herzog Chardonnay, Russian River, Russian River, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, tropical, fruity, smoky, and ripe, with hickory, sweet vanilla, butterscotch, sweet dill, and peach/pear. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, and balanced, with lovely acidity, with rich pear, apricot, sweet oak, butterscotch, buttery brioche, and sweet dill, with rich sweet fruit that works with the American Oak. The finish is long, ripe, and a bit candied, but balanced with great acidity, smoke, rich vanilla, hints of banana, and oak. Drink by 2028 (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2023 Herzog Chardonnay, Chalk Hill, Special Edition, Chalk Hill, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is nice with great bright fruit, lovely tart peach, pear, melon, and great sweet oak. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is lovely, tart, and balanced, with rich acidity, nice smoke, and good weight, showing pear, peach, melon, and hints of tropical, but balanced, and nice focus with good oak. The finish is long, and tart, with no butter here, great wine, more Chablis than Burg in style. Nice! Drink by 2028 (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.50%)

2023 Herzog Pinot Noir, Chalk Hill, Special Edition, Chalk Hill, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is nice, I would have liked it brighter, with good cranberry, plum, sweet spice, hints of loam, and rich earth. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is hefty, with dense fruit, good enough acid, lovely red fruit, cranberry, plum, nice earth, nice loam, and smoke. The finish is long, dirty, and earthy, with nice loam, green notes, sweet tobacco, and dark chocolate. Nice! Drink until 2031. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.50%)

2022 Herzog Quartet, Special Reserve, California (M) – Score: 88 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is blue and black, with sweet oak and a nice balance. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is balanced, but too ripe for me, good stuff, ready to go, drink now, with rich boysenberry, plum, blackberry, and red fruit, a blend of fruit that brings a approachable style but the fruit is over the top for me. The finish is good enough, drink now. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County, Special Reserve, Lake County, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
Herzog’s approach to the Lake County Cabernet Reserve has been consistent and enjoyable since the 2017 vintage.
The nose of this wine is lovely, rich, extracted, ripe, but balanced, with rich aromas, and the approach is really impressive, showing blue and black fruit, nice sweet oak, and sweet spices. Lovely! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied is lovely, showing great acidity, layered, extracted, and rich, with sweet oak, boysenberry, blackberry, ripe cherry, and rich smoke, with sweet oak, lovely mouth-draping tannin, bravo! Approachable no but it will improve with time. The finish is long, dark, brooding, balanced, and really fun. Bravo! Drink by 2034. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 15%)

2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Special Reserve, Napa Valley, CA (M) – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely, it is a bit better than 2021 with great black and red fruit, sweet oak, tar, smoke, and tobacco, showing as a Napa should show, Bravo! The mouth of this full-bodied wine is really fun, and tart, with great acidity, lovely fruit, blackberry, plum, plush mouthfeel, nice complexity, sweet fruit, ripe, but lovely! The finish is long, ripe, balanced, candied, and yet tart with sweet and ripe fruit, Bravo! Drink by 2032. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.50%)

2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, Alexander Valley, Alexander Valley, CA (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The 2021 vintage had the same ABV but this wine is fat, hot, alcoholic, and showing too much sweet oak, sweet dill, and ripe fruit. The nose of this wine is ripe, too much for me, followed by alcoholic notes, and overpowering sweet dill, sweet oak, smoke, and ripe fruit, candied red and black fruit, hints of blueberry, anise, and tar. Wow, this stuff is over the top! The mouth of this full-bodied wine is too much for me, it has the acidity, but it lacks the balance I crave, the blackberry, plum, cassis, candied blueberry, intense sweet ak, sweet dill, cloying fruit, with fierce heat/alcohol, wrapped in some nice tannin. The finish is long, intense, and fiery with alcohol, sweet dill, sweet tobacco, milk chocolate, and more heat. This may come around, but I cannot like it for now. Drink until 2030. (tasted July 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek, Single Vineyard, Dry Creek, CA – Score: 87 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is a bit too ripe for me, it is nice, with black and blue fruit, showing tar, anise, smoke, sweet vanilla, sweet spices, and smoke. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, a bit too far for me, with sweet smoke, missing some acidity, the fruit is a bit pushed, showing blackberry, plum, boysenberry, fig, and smoke, with mouth-coating tannin. The finish is long, too ripe, with sweet oak, and sweet spices, but the ripeness throws me. Drink by 2028 (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 16%)

2022 Sonoma-Loeb Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, CA (M) – Score: 86 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is balanced but it is a bit simple, hot, and ripe, with enough fruit to keep you but it is too ripe and candied. Drink by 2026 (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.50%)

2021 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Limited Edition, Napa Valley, CA – Score: 88 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is nice enough but too ripe and not exactly what I hope for from Napa Valley. The wine is bold and ripe and rich, too ripe, candied, with smoke, anise, and sweet spices. Drink by 2028. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.50%)

2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone Six, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, CA – Score: 91 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ripe, candied, and rich, with deep concentration, complexity, and nice smoke. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, layered, smoky, concentrated, and extracted, with hints of blue fruit, blackberry, and dark plum, with rich plush and juicy fruit, dark and brooding, with smoke, mouth-draping tannin, and rich smoke. The finish is long, dark, brooding, and rich, but too ripe, smoky, and candied, with milk chocolate and sweet tannin. Drink by 2033. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 15%)

2021 Yesod Cabernet Sauvignon, Edcora Vineyard, Atlas Peak, Napa Valley, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is lovely, it is ripe, balanced, fresh fruit, smoky, and dirty, with rich anise, ripe fruit, with some salinity, black and red fruit, and sweet tobacco. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is rich, layered, not overly extracted, approachable, rich, and layered, it can 5 use years in the bottle first, with blackberry, plum, sweet oak, rich mouth-draping tannin, elegant, and approachable but the density and firmness and fruit focus is where it needs to be. The finish is long, dark, ripe, smoky, and ripe, with candied fruit, sweet tobacco, milk chocolate, anise, graphite, and pencil shavings. Drink from 2030 until 2040. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 15.5%)

2021 Yesod Cabernet Sauvignon, Padis Vineyard, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, CA – Score: 91 (QPR: EVEN)
The wine is ripe, a bit uncontrolled for me, showing black fruit that is a bit too far for me, the fruit overpowers the nose and I cannot get to the wine. The mouth of the full-bodied wine is a bit too far, it is deeply concentrated, extracted, and overripe for me, the sweet oak is nice, but the blackberry, blackcurrant, and plum are a bit over the top, still, the wine is professional, with mouth-draping tannin, but the fruit is a bit too much for me. Drink from 2030 until 2040. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 15.5%)

2021 Yesod Cabernet Sauvignon, Montagna Vineyard, Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley, CA – Score: 94 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is pure heaven, showing ripe black and red fruit, lovely floral notes, rich anise, ripe and dense, with rich tar, smoke, sweet herbs, complex, and layered, with bright fruit, really impressive. The fruit shows the control and focus needed for a wine of this quality. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is really dense, layered, extracted, inky, mineral-driven, rich, and elegant, really impressive, Bravo. The mouth is ripe, but has so much in the tank, that this wine will impress for a long time, but now, the wine is the most impressive, showing blackberry, plum, dark cherry, and elegance. Bravo! The finish is long, tart, bright, fruity, smoky, dense, with sweet tobacco, dark chocolate, dense minerality, graphite, lovely!!! Drink from 2028 until 2040. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 15.5%)

—————————— Other Herzog wines tasted ——————————

2023 Herzog Choreograph, Lineage, Clarksburg, CA (M) – Score: 89 (QPR: GREAT)
This is a field blend that I have liked in previous vintages and while this is nice the ripeness does go a bit far and makes it unbalanced. The nose of this wine is ripe, showing heat, with loads of oak and vanilla, a bit of sweet dill, red and blue fruit, foliage, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine has good acidity but the ripeness overpowers the mouth with ripe boysenberry, raspberry, strawberry, and smoke. The vanilla and smoke are overpowering along with the ripeness. The finish is where things are a real issue as the ripeness becomes untenable which makes me wince, along with some nice tannin, aggressive ripeness, and bitterness. With time the ripeness calms but the balance is still not there on point, it improved with a day of air and showed a bit better than at opening. Drink until 2027. (tasted August 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.%)

2023 Herzog Sauvignon Blanc, Lineage, Lake County, CA (M) – Score: 86 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is nice enough, I wish it was a bit cleaner, showing orange, pear, lemon, and floral notes. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine has some acidity, but again, the wine could be cleaner, with orange, too much pith, pear, lemon, and green notes. Drink now. (tasted August 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Generenation VIII, Double Creek, Chalk Hill, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is too big and oaky for me at the start, the wine shows intense oak, sweet dill, vanilla, mocha, blackberry, deep smoke, ink, tar, anise, pencil shaving, iron shavings, and balance.
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, but what really throws me at the start is the amount of oak that hits me, it is literally oak juice, with sweet vanilla, and mocha, it has balance with enough acidity, and the tannin structure is draping and elegant, the fruit is a bit too bold for the weight, at least for now, with blackberry, plum, boysenberry, layered, and concentrated, lightly extracted, with more mocha, sweet oak galore, and sweet dill.
The finish is long, ripe, oaky, and smoky, with minerality, but the real focus is the oak, ripe fruit, vanilla, cacoa, milk chocolate, and sweet chocolate-covered tobacco. Drink from 2030 until 2038. (tasted August 2024) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hills, Special Edition, Sonoma County, CA (M) – Score: 91+ (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is a bit ripe at the opening, and while I find it okay, it feels a bit out of balance. The nose is black and red with ripe fruit, smoke, smoked herbs, tar, loam, and spices. The mouth of this full-bodied wine, while nice enough, lacks the balance I crave. It has the fruit focus, but the lack of acidity to bring this thing together is holding it back, with a too-ripe-for-me profile it shows blackberry, cassis, plum, sweet herbs, sweet spices, a good enough finish, some minerality, smoke, tobacco, and lots of milk chocolate. Drink from 2028 until 2035. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Edition, Rutherford, Rutherford, CA (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ripe and while I had hoped it too would be balanced, sadly, it lacked that balance from the start. The nose of this wine is ripe, with round notes of ripe fruit, chocolate, ripe black and red fruit, with some cooked notes of plum, blackberry, cassis, and anise. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, without enough acidity to handle this massive body, showing black plum, blackberry, sweet cassis, too much milk chocolate, too much oak, and nice tannin, but overall not as refreshing as I hoped. The finish is long enough with more chocolate, sweet smoking tobacco, more oak, vanilla, sweet dill, and sweet spices. Drink until 2032. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2023 Herzog Chardonnay, Lineage, Clarksburg, California (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
This is a classic Cali Chard with less oak than in previous vintages, which I like. The nose is balanced, tart, and refreshing with clean apple, pear, peach, and some quince notes, good. The mouth on this medium-bodied wine is open and ready to enjoy with good acidity, hints of butterscotch, not too much oak, Asian pear, apple, almonds, and a nice viscous mouthfeel. The finish is long, tart but ripe, and balanced, with green notes, yellow apple, pear, and more toast. Drink now. (tasted September 2024) (in Oxnard, CA) (ABV = 14%%)

KFWE VIP Experience 2024

The layout of the event was done with an eye toward Herzog wines and the Tierra Sur Restaurant. As you entered, the wine bar was stacked with many of the top Herzog wines. It also had bubbly wines, some Drappier, Herzog Sparkling wines, and some other stuff that do not matter. They also had sweet wines, Chateau Piada 2016 (not yet ready), some Late Harvest Chardonnay, Forebearers (I missed the vintage), and other sweet wines.

One thing I was asked a few times was if there was a “sale”, a coupon, or a deal for those attending the event – for the Herzog wines. I think this may have been a missed opportunity – for those in the valley or near it – to be enticed to buy Herzog wines. I understand, by law, I think, people could not buy wines at the event, but maybe a follow-up email with a code and links to the Herzog wines that are available for sale on the Herzog website? Just wondering aloud.

Only later, did I find out that to the right of the wine bar, next to the non-Mevushal Yesod wines were they pouring some non-mevushal old French Bordeaux. They had some 2016 Giscours which was crazy good, and they had some 2017 Fourcas Dupre and 2017 Chateau Gazin Rocquencourt. They felt shockingly ready, though when I got home I opened them and those must have been early-enjoyable bottles. In the end, the 2017 reds are not in the ready column of French Bordeaux wines, I am sorry Ezra for making you worry enough to pop a Roy, I am sure it is still enjoyable!

Further ahead of you, as you make your way towards Tierra Sur, there was space to sit and talk, and on the left, before you enter the restaurant, there was a table with ESSA wines, Terra di Seta wines, some Cardova and Sforno wines. Next to that was the lovely Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc and some Lovaetelli wines. The ESSA Emunah 2020 continues to shine along with the 2020 Terra di Seta Chianti Classico Riserva.

To your left, you had the other bar, which was hosting some incredible alcohol/whiskeys and manned by the incomparable Shlomo Blashka, Spirits Educator of Royal Wines Corp, who flew on Tuesday from New Jersey and flew out the same day back to NJ headquarters! That is what I call whiskey devotion!! Great work my man, and Shlomo was also very kind to watch my laptop bag – you are the man Shlomo!!!

In this area, Herzog laid out tables and space to sit and talk. I find this idea awesome! Clearly, it came at the cost of more wine tables, but in return you had people hanging out, chatting, eating, tasting, and enjoying themselves, which is the EXACT point of these events! Education! Educating the public is hard when they have 2 inches of space to themselves!

As you walk into the final room, you find the Israeli table/counter to your left. As is my want, I tasted through the table, of those that I had not yet tasted. Sadly, none of them screamed out to me, other than the 2021 Netofa Latour Blanc.

As you cross the room, there are more tables and seats to enjoy and then you come to the French table. Now, to be fair, the table had nothing new to me, which is 100% fine. It is kind of my thing to know every Kosher French Wine. However, they did have a 2018 Chateau Gazin Rocquencourt Grand Vin, Blanc! Yes! Now we are talking! The wine has NOT yet reached its window, though, tasting it there and at the 2022 KFWE LA, it has evolved. I think I gave that wine too short a window, but I always lean towards opening wines earlier and enjoying them before they die! There was also a lovely bottle of 2020 Chateau Malartic, Red, which was showing nicely, but too early. There may have been something else, but I forget now, and that was it!

Tierra Sur Restaurant

This takes us to to Tierra Sur, which was hopping at the start and end. As I will describe below, the people at this tasting were very laid back, there was no kiddush-club vibe here at all. No airs and graces here, these people were there to have a good time and enjoy wine and great food! The line at the start was a bit crazy, but things calmed soon enough. One of the things I love about LA Folks is their desire to come late and leave early, one of the most unique human mentalities and makeups that define a city!

After the line calmed, and I was done tasting the wines I “needed” to taste, I got in the line and struck up conversations with the people in the line. The most I got was – be careful you are talking to a Rabbi, from a person in the line, as I chatted with a mild-mannered man dressed very unlike some Rabbis I know. The folks were all fun, laid back, and very knowledgeable about the food and wine from Herzog. Clearly, these were people who knew, understood, and appreciated the winery. More than once, when I was waiting in line, as we were closing into the window where you could see the Chefs doing the work, the head chef was chatting with customers that come often to the restaurant, yes the line was a bit slow, so yeah.

So let us talk about the food. At the window, there were two dips, the garlic/Jalapeno Aioli and some red one. Next to that were some of the most addictive fries I have ever soon. Now, to be clear here, I personally saw people almost eating them out of the metal bowl! As soon/fast as the chef put them in the bowl – they left the bowl! I will admit, I had some, and they were darn good!

Next to that were the now famous hot honey chicken sliders. I will state, I did not love any of the bread that night, but the chicken was solid as was the slaw on top of it. I do not know if there was hot honey on top or fried in, but either way, I did not taste that – but the chicken was tops (sorry I could not help myself!) After that, there were some loaded potatoes – but that is not my thing.

To the left was a table filled with charcuterie, but sadly, that is also a food I do not enjoy, at this time, so I skipped it. But from what I heard the table was a hit! It was also food people could get while waiting in line, which helped as well I think!

Next, came a table with some really nice-looking salad, which I skipped, and some incredible chicken liver, yes, really good!

The next table was manned by the one, the only, Jonathan Auchterlonie – Director of Food And Beverage. He was slicing the fish for the sushi and the sashimi. That stuff was addictive, maybe almost as crazy as the fries! They do not compare, there was Tuna, Salmon, and Yellowtail, and I love yellowtail! So yeah, Jonathan saw a bit too much of me. There was also rice which was used for the sushi, and I often asked for plain rice to enjoy with some food that we will discuss next!

After that was a table with smoked brisket, which was good enough but the 1st cut was a bit dry. The meatballs and spaghetti were not my thing. There was also some Mac & Cheese, yeah, anyone who knows me knows that would never be consumed by me. However, all that was not important, was what was on the last table! The last table had perfectly cooked duck in one chaffing dish and lamb on crostini on a large platter. Those two things alone made the last table the winning table! Do not get me wrong the fries and chicken were solid as were the fish options, but the last table won the show! I hammered rice and duck all night, apologies to all those who had to see me while waiting in some line, my sincere apologies, epic food! The lamb crostini was equally impressive, great work!

Closing Thoughts

In closing, I think this was a real success. Outside of the naming, which I did not care about one way or the other, I think this was a big hit! I mean that personally and from the vibe I got from everyone I spoke with. Further, the event did what it was meant to do: showcase Herzog Wines and Tierra Sur. It should have also added a table to showcase the wine clubs they have. Herzog had that at the Peterson one year and I have no idea if it worked. To be fair, wine clubs are more accepted now, so maybe this could have been a good time again to try. Also, some sort of coupon or incentive to follow up the event for those who live in and around the winery!

Overall, from what I saw, and felt, and the people I spoke with the event was a hit. The Wine Bar was the place to be as the evening came to a close. All the fun/great wines were there and the staff were just a joy to be around. Every table, bar, and food station was staffed by people dedicated to your enjoyment. They were there with a smile, wine, food, and a great attitude. Having been on that side for a few KFWE, I know that it is not an easy job! The staff went above and beyond, the winery put on quite a show, the restaurant was happy to keep filling up bowls of crack fries, and everyone else in the restaurant as well! I have to give a HUGE cheer to all the staff and pourers. Still, we cannot forget the folks not at the tables pouring or serving the food, David Whittemore (Marketing and Public Relations Director of Herzog Wine Cellars), David Galzignato (Director of Winemaking and Operations at Herzog Wine Cellars), Joseph Herzog (the man that makes Herzog Winery go!), and all the others in that building that made this event such a success!

Finally, a major aspect I have glossed over is thefluidity of the space. Sure, there were fewer wine tables but what was there was highlighted well and the people who came to enjoy them, actually, had a chance to do just that!

Bravo to the team, this needs to happen every year, if you all survived, and I really hope I am invited back! Thanks so much to everyone at Herzog Winery and Tierra Sur, and the staff, and the pourers, great work, and here is to many more years, no matter the name!