Kosher Food and Wine Experience LA was superb! אוכל כשר פסטיבל היין היה מעולה !

I've never been to Israel however in my mind knowing that Israel is sacred land, it's rich with history, culture, beauty, I picture it to be mystical, breath taking and mesmerizing. With its diverse landscapes and scenery, ranging from desert in the south, to lush green hills in the north, the majesty of the country should be captivating.

Israel is the only country in the world where life revolves around the Hebrew Calendar. Everything is scheduled around the Jewish holiday and Saturdays are known as rest days. Israel is also known for primarily eating and drinking Kosher.

In the Bible wine is known for two distinctly different grape beverages: the first, unfermented, refreshing and lawful; the second, fermented, intoxicating and unlawful. The distinct differences are;

YAYIN: Intoxicating, fermented wine (Genesis 9:21), TIROSH: Fresh grape juice (Proverbs 3:10) and SHAKAR: Intoxicating, intensely alcoholic, strong drink (often referred to other intoxicants than wine) (Numbers 28:7).

The Hebrew word yayin means wine, the Jewish blessing for wine is "barukh atah adonai eloheynu melekh ha'olam borey periy hagafen" meaning "blessed are you O Lord our God, creator of the fruit of the vine."

The Hebrew word "kosher" means "right" or "proper." When applied to food, the term indicates that an item is fit for consumption according to Jewish Law. In order for meat to be kosher it must be ordained and humanely slaughtered and performed by a highly qualified, G-d-fearing specialist called the Shochet. After slaughtering the animal it's inspected to pass kosher health inspections. Then the process of koshering the meat occurs. It is crucial to perform the soaking and the salting procedure in accordance to Jewish Law in order to drain all of the blood. The koshering process that includes de-veining (Traibering). Only then is the animal is categorized as "Kosher, Meat."

With that said, now you have a brief understanding of how important wine is, and what it means to eat and keep kosher. Kosher Food and Wine Experience LA Festival 2016 was held at Peterson Automotive Museum and it was stupendous! KFWELA held two events on the same day, the first being from 1pm-4pm for trade industry and 6pm-9pm for the public who wanted to experience KFWELA. The Petterson Museum was turned into a hot spot, with RGB color changing LED lighting. The vibe was ultra chic, beautiful people, a plethora of exotic food and wines represented throughout Israelis' wine region. The VIP lounge featured fine spirits from Scotland, Russia, Israel, UK and Mexico. The selection of rare wines, delectable morsels and gourmet delicacies was divine.

Israel has 5 wine regions, the first is Galilee which includes the sub-regions of the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee and lower Galilee. The second is Judean Hills, surrounding the city of Jerusalem, third is Samson region, located between the Judean Hills and the Coastal Plain, the fourth is Negev desert region and last but not least, Shomron region, which includes the Sharon plain located near the Mediterranean coast and just south of Haifa.

KFWELA was not only educational, they brought the best of the best to represent Kosher food and wine. What a spectacular sight to see, a sushi bar situated in the museum, the most intriguing part of the night was the Cuban men that were actually hand rolling cigars, the event was intriguing on every level. I have to say since I wasn't exposed to kosher food, I always assumed it would be mundane, boy was I wrong! Not only was it delicious, from the seasoned quail eggs, sushi, caviar, rich desserts, tequila, gin and much more, everything was represented and presented by the finest and exquisite brands.

Thank you Kosher Food Wine Experience LA for putting on an event that not only enlightened it's guest, exposed us to exceptional products but made you feel at home in a museum that's filled with priceless and antique cars.

If you missed out KFWELA catch their sister events KFWE London, New York and Miami. Their goal which they have successfully succeeded in bringing the world distinguished wines and spirits from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. Their events feature over 300 wines as well as finally craft spirits across the globe, definitely something that you wouldn't want to miss.

L'Chayim!