Shavuot and Kosher Wine Focus with Yochi Herzog of Kedem/Royal Wine Corp.

JM in the A.M. >> Don't worry folks, our good friend Jay Booksbomb is still our man when it comes to kosher wine and still is the world's number one kosher wine sier. But once in a while, especially when we get the opportunity, believe you me, with his travel schedule, our guest travel schedule, we rarely get the opportunity, but we get the chance every few months to speak with Yoki Herzog live in studio. We do not pass up on that opportunity. Is the president of Royal Wine Ketm. He'll help us get to the holiday of Shuis with some great shuis and summer recommendations. He is with us live in studio on this Tuesday morning and I say welcome to JM in the AM. >> Thank you. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. >> We're honored. We're honored >> that you that you a couple of days before took the time to stop by here. It's amazing. So, thank you. >> It's important. You know, our relationship goes back decades. Who ever thought we would say that that it goes back decades >> decades that you do spreading the word of Hashem and Yiddish the music all over the world. Uh it's important enough for me to be here. I appreciate that very much. Uh we've already had some reaction from our listeners. People need answers to certain questions which we'll ask you. But you walked in this morning and handed me two photographs. One looks like a uh member of the I assume the Israel Air Force or Defense Forces. >> Sure is. >> Uh who is looking out uh I assume on the perimeter of the country with his binoculars while he's wearing fillin. Why'd you bring me this photo? >> Because as you know my father always tells us we're not in the keshan business only. We're in the kdish hashem business. >> Y >> so wherever we are, wherever we go, we're from Orthodox Jews. Spread the word of Hashem. Spread the beauty of Shabba. Spread the beauty of Yiddish. Look what President Trump did. >> Yeah. >> I mean, I was in Israel last week. Just got back. Everyone's talking about it. Trump Shabbat. Trump Shabbat. So, what I told my non-religious, my non yet religious >> Israeli friends. I said Trump and I have a bunch of new customers that committed to do half Shabas. They can't the full Shabbat. You know, the project we developed a few months ago. >> We spoke about it on the air. Sure. >> We called the Shab. of a few very reputable Israeli wine makers, suppliers that decided to keep Shabbat. But this specific picture >> is Royaki, the developer and wine maker of a special winery called Tulip. >> Is this him as well? >> That's him. That's him. >> Both pictures are him. >> Both pictures. So he hasn't put Philan in years. And when the war started, he's a senior commander in the Israeli uh >> air force. >> Air Force while guiding all the missiles into Gaza after October 7th. So I was talking to him everything on Zoom and Zoom and phone calls. So randomly as Jay knows all the time, I said, "Roy," and he says, "Bet, but I haven't put on years." I said, "Roy, do me a favor. You're busy keeping the tim coming against the missiles. We need protection. Added protection. He says, "I love the idea." Mad on the Avita. I told him, "No, go a step further. Put bringing it to the top. He's in the watchtower. All the missiles going all the F-16s going into Gaza and Iran and everything. He's a very senior commander. >> I shouldn't say his name maybe for security, but a very great guy." And uh he came the next day putting on the fillin with his uniform in the tower as you see here and went all over. Everybody in this was talking about it. Roy Fin and then a few weeks later he sends me a picture randomly that is sitting at a meeting >> right >> and uh and wearing talis and fill in and learning some Yiddish kite >> it's so easy to connect the nonaffiliated Jews the pint just a little bit showing them the beauty of Yiddish kite the beauty of Shabbat and back and the enemies made it even easier uh so he's the wine maker at Tulip >> wine maker founder >> and he's the founder of tulip And Tulip has a story. >> Tulip is in in Kartikva, >> the village of Hope. Next time you're in Israel, you must if you've been there. >> I have a feeling we were, but I I have to visit. Correct. >> Tulip is one of the most unique wineries. Every time you drink a bottle of tul, you're doing a mitzvah, helping dozens of older people, younger people, learning disabilities, Down syndrome, all different. They live on their own. Special needs, special needs people, and they work in the winery. It's unbelievable to watch. It's called the quatikva. >> Where did you even come up with this idea? Amazing. >> And then tulip is a great wine. There's some white wines for and they have the amazing black tulip which is very popular. >> Unbelievable. Y Herzog's here, president of Kadm Royal Wine, talking about talking about this these incredible I mentioned that you're going to discuss I didn't think we'd lead off with it, but you would discuss your initiative about reaching out to those you were in business with who are not yet religious because you're recommending as you did in the last conversation we had on the air, you're recommending others take on the same responsibility to, you know, wish everyone a good chab this Thursday call and wish a good Yiff. Some people might say, "Oh, there's a not real is not exactly the most popular," if you know what I mean. It's not like calling someone pes, but still they need to be aware. And of course, uh it would be amazing for people to go ahead and give them a yiff greeting before Thursday night. Um all right, so a couple of questions. We'll start off right away. You mentioned the holiday of obviously uh uh uh the the this year might be different in in a non-shabus year. How many of the meals that you eat on the of the four on Yantiff are dairy meals? >> So our Mik Ashkan has to eat at least one and many times two, >> right? >> To eat the >> So when I grew up more brings it down and it's not the correct so when I grew up it was always nighttime meals dairy, daytime meals meat. That's how it was in my house. And I and I was trying to think because I can't imagine my father would authorize a dairy meal for Friday night. So this year I was like for instance us we're having a dairy meal on the first day of Yantiff. I don't remember if it's night or day. I have to find out but Shabas is going to be two meat meals because hey Shabas >> Shabas correct. >> So I wonder I wonder if people make this adjustment or if they just keep whatever they have and they >> I'm not sure. It's a good good question, but I know a lot of people who do the night meals dairy and it's also easier to be up at night to learn after meat after dairy meal fish instead of having steak and >> of course if they're serving cheese danish in the shul you want to be prepared properly. >> Exactly. Exactly. >> What's the menu in your sh cuz some today you don't have a sushi bar. >> Amazing. >> I wonder I wonder if anybody sets up wine tables. You compare the fish and the wine during the middle of the night. It's amazing to see this next generation of young people. They come in. Yeah. They want some snacks and they want some sushi, but they're sitting and learning all night long. How many of us seeik minanim all over the world? It's it's unbelievable. See, you're a very positive person. So, I can't get you to even criticize a drop the fact that there's some outrageous menus in the middle of the night Thursday night. I can't I can't get you to even hint to the fact that maybe we don't need all of that in all these jewels on Thursday night. You know, I know my father, you know, well, he was a Holocaust survivor. He always tells me, he says, >> "You have to adjust to today's generation." He tells it to me all the time that the young people today are different than the the young people of 50 years ago or 60 years ago. They're learning. They're doing mitzvah and they want to have some good wine and good schnaps and as long as it's under control, as long as it's normal, nothing crazy. It's it's you have to >> Everybody has their own definition of crazy, but I hear that >> they have to serve the young people. They should know and tuffle. That's the most important thing. You can't tell them the main thing is the sushi and the steak and the flesh and the wine. The main thing is to mitzvah and kiru eaten. And yes, you can have a good time while at it. Uh, you actually brought and I'm I'm saying it like this because we just said dairy and meat over the holiday. Obviously, the white ones that you brought along are more dairy appropriate. Yes. Perfect. Especially with the hot weather we have this week here in Israel is probably even hotter. I brought interesting wines from all over the world. Actually, I bought a California wine, an Israeli wine, and an Italian wine. All whites. Delicious, easy, light to drink and perfect for fish dishes or pastas. >> So the bartinura one is what? Which variety of wine is that? >> Pog grigio. >> Ah, hey bart. >> Pogio is the same. >> I thought that's a red wine. I guess I'm wrong. >> No, pinogio is white. It's a famous grape. >> No. >> And the the famous blue mosscato which is low alcohol on the sweet side. This one is a dry easy drinking fruity just a delicious white wine. Bartanura Pogio. >> And the Herszog lineage is the one from California. >> Herszog lineage. So Svenon Blanc is California. Yes. Lineage. As you know, we're the eighth generation in the wine business. >> As popular as I think it is cuz I see it everywhere. >> Very very popular. The lineage blanc. A little different taste than the pog grigio. A little more body to it. A little more Jay would describe it with his beautiful languages and florals and >> citrus and more citrus. A little more grapefruit lemony. really be beautiful nice wine >> and the middle one over here is bark very famous wine from Israel has a wine called the W Chardonnay very it's more richer wine a bigger wine bigger mouth feel from Israel so yes so this year listen we got to support Israel as you always have to do >> right >> and then you want to give people choices somebody wants Israel California Italian you name it we have it >> the stronger shekel helps the wine business or it hurts the wine business >> not really know effect. >> Yeah, it's a big effect. Israelis are crying terrible because they lost the val they get paid in dollars. >> So the Israeli Israeli exports are crying because the value went down by 20 25% because we have tariffs. >> We still have tariffs in America. So imported wines as you see have gone up in price. We're trying to keep it check to work with the suppliers. It's but it's it's it's a headache. But domestic wines, that's where California comes in. uh doesn't have the tariff issue or the cycle exchange issue. >> Wow. Uh okay, a couple of questions. You ready? >> Sure. >> You sent me this. We made a big deal about it on the air and I want you to just expound a bit. This is the Herszog Chardonnay. Got a 93 in one of the prominent magazines. 93 is a very high grade. People who aren't familiar. >> 100. >> 100's the highest. But it's but it's always hard to get into the 9500 range, right? Like 93 is really really a superior wine. What's so great about this Herszach Chardonnay? >> The if you want something wow, over the top, we call it almost a red wine. The Russian River Chardonnay is one of our best, most popular wines. And the beauty of these ratings is the last 6 months we got on the Herzog Russian River Chardonnay, the Chalkill, you know, the big wow wines 93. Some of some of the red wines got a 96 rating. Wow. >> We have a belief organic cabernet got a 93 rating. So, we're upping the game all the time. Better quality, quality, quality. And to show it all off, this rating doesn't come from the Jewish press on or Nakam Seagull. This came from wine enthusiast, wine spectator, very reputable wine magazines or wine writers. James Suckling is a very famous guy and he gave some of our wines 96 ratings. So, it's part of the Kashm business is we want to show the nonaffiliated Jews. Yes, you can have kosher wines that is as good if not better than any non- kosher varietal on the shelf. So you want to California here's great herz are California wines with amazing ratings and you can drink them and enjoy them. I would probably give this one a 93, right? I wouldn't give the Chardonnay because Namigo wouldn't appreciate it. But what about this? The Bartinura orange mimosa that I'd probably give at least a 93, right? >> It's amazing. It's amazing to see, you know, different flavors, different profiles. Certain people like Dime, certain people like sweet wine. So, you know, the Barton Mosscato, which is very popular. So, we developed the whole Barton line in cans. >> Mimosa, luchi, peach mosscato, very very popular the young people. It's easy to drink, low alcohol. You go to the beach, go to the pool or go to shul, you don't want to open a bottle of wine. You you pop the can. So, yeah, these are very, very popular. And yes, certain people like dry wines, certain people like sweet wines, and we have it all available. >> And the orange mimosa from uh Bartonura is an orange and wine cocktail. Is this available everywhere at this point? >> Yes, sure. It's >> in all the stores. >> All the stores. Mimosa, the peach, uh the mosscato can has been the first ones out two years. And the last 6 months, we added flavors like luchi, mimosa, and also goes well with cheesecake after the delicious meals with all the amazing cheesecakes available. One guy wants mimosa with his cheesecake. One guy wants peach with his cheesecake. >> Do you go for the standard cheesecake or do you you know like haliva cheesecake or chocolate cheesecake or strawberry cheese? What's the fruit cheesecake? >> Cheesecake out of be. My wife baked two delicious big cheesecakes. They're already dough already out of the oven yesterday. I came home. It was smelling delicious. I was flicky so I couldn't even taste it. I said no. I like good original cheesecake with the cream cheese and the and the dough on top of it. Yeah. Good. >> Isn't it funny that we would never eat it the rest of the year? I would never eat cheesecake the rest of the year, but ah >> but cheese Danish is sweet the whole year. >> That's true. Cheese Danish I would have throughout the year and some people make an amazing cheese Danish. I'm not going to start listing the bakeries but some of them are absolutely remarkable. And if you're lucky >> in the middle of the night they'll be serving cheese Danish in your shul. Yes. If you're lucky. We'll see what happens. If you ate milk, you got to be careful, >> right? Um, unless you're a Yaki. And by the time the cheese dainers come out, >> I'll never forget my my brother used to tell me in the old days there, you know, we make fun of the extensive menu right in the middle of the night right now. My brother would tell me in the old days at about 2:30 in the morning, they'd bring out a box of cheese danish and within about 60 seconds it was gone. And that was it. That was the entire night's, you know, offerings in the shul. Very, very different now in 2026 to say the least. Uh, please ask Yi if Royal Wines will be importing Sagote white Pratt wine. I can only get it in Israel. >> It's a new wine. I heard about it, but it's not available yet. But I guess if See, the problem is a lot of these wineries, they make small batches >> and it's not worth bringing it. small batches of a new wine to test it locally and then if they have extra, they'll export it. But I'm going to look into it. I heard about it, but it's not available yet. >> But is that the issue that if if it's not enough cases, it's just not worth bringing. >> They keep it for the local market, >> right? >> And that's it. And and their expansion would once they're big enough to expand that variety. >> Sagot. Sagot's a big wine boutique, but bigger boutique has amazing wine. And we have the red brat which is very tasty. And we also have some nice wines. Sagot. So which uh what percentage of allig products make it to the United States? 50 or more close to 90 95? >> Oh, >> the whole line of sight goat everything probably 90% >> 90 gets to the US. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. >> And and they'd be enjoying it in Israel how much earlier than us a typical wine that's released >> between 6 months to a year depending on >> how long to get here. >> If they'll test him, the wine maker wants to make a small batch. >> Jealous. Jealous. Huh. >> To test and see. And if he has enough, he'll send something. >> So if somebody would be living in your lion, they'd have more of a chance to get the latest psyot wine. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. >> Simple. And also they'd have an opportunity to stay uh on schedule with the parios. >> Well, no, it changes. Oh. Oh, you mean >> I'm saying if they were in your >> We're going to be messed up the next >> I like how you said it. We're going to be messed up. Correct. >> And all the Everybody talks about this. You know that when you go to and they're like a different partial you but you have the to read both. >> Yeah. Well >> certain people say you don't have to >> the question is on the that's the famous question we generally hold on the but many people are mocked but in fact in in Brooklyn uh there is a sh in Brooklyn may happen in my also but maybe not not as many tourists from outside of of the area. in Brooklyn there will be a minion for people who are from Israel who need you know their para for that shabas but I'll tell you what frustrates me Mr. Herzog, now that we're on the topic, curious about your opinion. It's amazing that this is the thing that our Torah s ages throughout the generations would not act to correct. What should we do? We should be on the same para as of course Eric Israel being the center of our Jewish world. >> Sure. >> The first week we either should read two parios, right? Shvi should be the entire, you know, paraso or it would be naso. Yeah, or we um uh >> catch up the week later >> or no, we're at MKA. That shab is you read the whole bar and that's the end of it. >> It drives me nuts and nobody thought it. >> It's a good question. But and not only that, also by Mos Mi, you know, we wait till the end, right? >> And then we read uh they read separate and we read together. I once heard a reason for it. I just don't remember. There is a reason why >> because you want paras to be before or something. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Something like that. It's it's all about what par has to be before which holiday the whole thing. >> Uh so you join me on this campaign and I'll continue to help you with your campaign about getting people to you know speak to those aravantiff and uh encourage unaffiliated people to get more involved. >> By the way on the on the way back I came back with lal last week. Very nice service actually. >> Are they serving kosher wine on the plane? >> Of course Israeli wine >> but but >> Oh strictly Israeli. I'd like >> I'm trying to get some California wine but it's not working so quick. They've never served non Israel. >> Occasionally, occasionally, not yet. But uh I asked the flight attendant that you know they had a Castell wine, not Mushel. Do you mind if I open it myself? >> Uh because not I didn't want to insult her. Oh, she gave me the bottle with a cork through two glasses. The guy sitting next to me and we finished most of the wine >> and you finished the whole bottle and then you woke up and the plane landed >> and we got to talk about Trump and Shabbat and everything. So very sweet flight attendant and I asked, "By the way, when was the last time you did a proper Shabbat?" She says, "Oh, it's been a while." I says, "Why don't you take this Shabbat here and do a half Shabbat? You can't do full Shabbat." >> Meaning she'll be in the US. >> She was on the way here. Yeah. >> Why don't you do 12 hours? So she calls over the main flight attendant, the head uh whatever they call them, captain, not the captain, the the main supervisor, >> super the head super flight attendant of the flight, elderly lady. Very nice people. We had a 20-minute conversation. And they both looked at each other and said, "Who deck?" And they they told me they're going to keep this past Shabbat 12 hours going to shut the phone, shut the television. I said, "The beauty of Shabbat is that we're not a slave to these stupid iPhones. We're all addicted. iPhone, iPhone, smartphones, regular phones, 12 hours, shut it." We do it 25 hours, I told her. >> And they were into it. >> They were very much into it. Very much into it. They said, "Yes, we'll try to keep a Shabbat." Are there airlines that are serving kosher uh American wines or not? >> The United Airlines. >> Are they serving? >> Oh, yeah. On the Tel Aviv route all the time. Now, are they flying? No, no, they're not Tel Aiv, but occasionally they'll have it on the European flight. The lineage actually United has the lineage. Cabernet Sovenon and the Soven Blanc who went through committee and everything approved. >> Who does it from your end? Who has to go to United and make this pitch? Is it you or something? >> We have people. We have We have sales people. >> But what in what position? like a regular salesperson does it. They follow up and uh >> United happens to be I I got the contact through somebody. So I'm I'm in touch and Sharon my assistant obviously who you know and she follows up with them but they place orders Delta has it Delta United American when they fly to Tel Aviv. They all have our wines >> and uh and some keep it for European flights. >> So what would your grandfather say if he knew that Delta Airlines is serving kosher wines of yours? Hashem Hashem we got so far. Listen, my grandfather, as you know, survived the Holocaust, came to America penniles. >> I was just going to say came here with nothing. >> Nothing. 1948 actually, it's when he came to America and he built and built and built and Bashem, he always had this vision of growing the business, helping more people get jobs. As you know, we employ hundreds of people, Bashem, and spreading the word of great kosher wines all over the world. >> Unbelievable. And uh this yontiff starting on Thursday night, everyone will have an opportunity to pair their uh delicious whether it's meat meal or fish meal or dairy meal with great kosher wines. And I'll tell you another thing that's grown like crazy. Talk about, you know, us knowing each other for decades. I remember a conversation we had about 30 years ago on the air where we were lauding the fact that a certain Jewish community finally had its own kosher wine retailer. that community today. Do you know how many kosher wide retailers there are? I mean, I remember discussing with you on the air how we couldn't believe it that we've gotten to the point where a where where a you know um a >> dedicated >> a a a a a large Jewish community could actually sustain its own kosher wine store. And now >> they're all over the place. It doesn't do not only the beauty of it, not only New York and New Jersey, you know, Lakewood, Muny, Brooklyn, all that, but you have them in Chicago, in Miami, Los Angeles, um, Detroit. Detroit actually own smaller communities, but growing communities have specifically dedicated 100% kosher, wine, and liquor. Don't forget, >> a big part of the problem was because a lot of wine and liquor sales are done on the weekends. So Shabas was a problem. But the Jewish community grew, the kosher Jewish community grew so much that they can afford to have stores closed on Shabas and open six days a week in Detroit. I think Cleveland, Chicago has a few stores. It's amazing. >> Don't forget our friends across the street at Filler Up. >> Of course. T of course. >> Are you kidding? Mendy over at Filler Up. Go say hi everybody. >> What' they do in aisle one? I saw they built a massive one there in Pake. A massive kosher wine store. Beautiful. You've been there a few years now. They expanded it. Yes. >> Unbelievable. What's going on? I'll tell you >> this. The Jewish community hashem is growing tremendously and the needs are there and more housing, more more affordable living, you know, which is a big issue in the front community and uh and yes, and there's more choices for better foods and wines, etc., etc. >> Boy, oh boy. Unbelievable. All right, there you go, folks. take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful khag and incredible yontiff. Uh I thank you very much for being here today. And the final word is encourage everybody who wonders if they can be in touch with people who are not yet observing that they know in their lives especially the ones in the business world. For some reason it seems that those casual conversations often go better than than family or personal people you may know. Those conversations you can attest to the fact usually go very well. >> It's so easy. I'm telling every one of you listeners, please take upon yourself in the next 48 hours, you're going to call a business acquaintance, whether you're in insurance business, finance business, nursing home business, you have nonaffiliated Jewish people, you'll be surprised at the reaction. You call them up Friday, not this Friday, but the typical Friday say just want to wish you a good chabas that's all going to say we're not doing a deal today. No, no, no business. I'll call to say good job this Thursday. I'm calling to wish you happy holiday. What holiday? wrote when we got the Torah from Muhammad Sinai. Talk about the beauty of Yiddish kite. You'd be surprised how quickly they're going to all connect a one step closer to Yiddish kite and one step closer to Msiah. Uh thank you for being a backbone of support for everything we do for all these years. It's much appreciated and we greatly appreciate the fact that we continue to do this going forward. So, thank you so much. >> Pleasure, pleasure, pleasure. And let's not forget of >> and of everywhere. Even Israel >> everywhere. >> Even Israel needs one connected to Israel of >> finally. >> Not everyone. You can't do it on wine. I don't know. That should be it has two food products. >> Yeah. >> So, can we do it wine and matzah? I don't think so. Should be eight of tapin. >> But the wine is >> should be there. Yeah. So, maybe have the bottle wine. Have the the egg and the matzah and a bottle of wine or or a can. put him next. >> All of a sudden, the new migra started by our friends at KDB. I love it. Thank you. Much appreciated. Brothers and sisters in Israel, we are with you. It's your favorite America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program heard on listener sponsored digital radio. Round the weather.com and the network and of course on the beloved NSN app.