Michael Solomonov is the James Beard Award-winning chef who in 2008 opened his world-famous Zahav Restaurant in Philadelphia. He would chart his path in the Israeli culinary world following the death of his older brother, David, who killed by terrorist snipers on the Lebanese border in October of 2003.
Just before David’s death, Michael, cooking at a well-known Italian eatery in Philly at the time, spent several weeks in Israel with his brother, who was on furlough and about to be released from his IDF service. In a spirit of Israeli brotherhood, David had volunteered for service on Yom Kippur so another soldier could be home on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
About a month later, Michael received the call that his brother had been killed.
A couple of months later, Michael, thinking of the time he spent with David immersed in the local culture of Israeli food, created a memorial dinner at David’s military base. It was then that Michael would decide to change his focus back in America to cooking Israeli food.
“Until I visited that place,” Solomonov told the New York Times in a 2011 feature, “I had no intention of cooking Israeli food. But after my brother’s death, the path I was going to take became clear.”
Of Bulgarian Jewish heritage, Solomonov was born in the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba, spent his childhood in Pittsburgh and returned to Israel with his family when he was 18, taking the only job he could find in a bakery, where he would form his incredible work ethic and love for Israeli food.
Solomonov’s Zahav restaurant is not kosher but serves no pork, shellfish, nor dishes mixing milk and meat. In addition, the award-winning wine list, curated by Zahav Beverage director Steven McAllister, features many Israeli wines, both kosher and non-kosher, including Pelter, Golan Heights Winery, Tabor, Teperberg, Yatir, Clos de Gat, Jezreel, Recanati, Flam, and Carmel. (There’s also the local kosher wine, Camuna Cellars, Blaufrankisch.)
McAllister recently partnered with Asaf Paz, owner and winemaker of Israel’s Vitkin Winery, to produce a white and red for the restaurant as part of its spotlight on Israeli wine and food. Vitkin, with its focus on Mediterranean grapes, was an ideal choice, and this partnership has produced a white and red exclusively sold by Zahav named “Galia,” Hebrew for “wave.”
The two wines are the Galia, Grenache Blanc, 2021 and the Galia, Grenache Noir, 2020. Grenache is an ideal variety for the hot Mediterranean climate as a late-ripening grape. It predominates in the Southern Rhône Valley, where it is most highly regarded.
I was lucky enough to taste the Grenache Noir on a recent Shabbat.
Tasting notes, Galia, Galilee, Grenache Noir, 2020:
In the glass, light and bright ruby red, with a nose of red and black fruit: cherry, strawberry, redcurrant, black cherry, and dry fig, black olive, and notable white pepper. Earthy on the palate with more red and black fruit. Low to medium acidity, moderate tannins. Herbal/floral character. Fresh fruit with nice balance. Lovely wine.
$46, 13% ABV, non-mevushal. Available only at https://www.galiawine.com/.
Dr. Kenneth Friedman, WSETIII, is a longtime wine writer, historian, and consultant. He channels his passion for food and wine into creating exploratory tastings, having hosted many international winemakers along the way. His wine columns and reviews can be found on Instagram @kosherwinetastings.
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