Over the past year or so, I have been trying to sit down and write a full article on M&M Importers in the US. Besides being the US importer for IDS wines, they also have imported a number of French kosher productions on their own. Even more impressive, they have begun contracting their own kosher productions in Italy. They started with bringing in the last kosher run of the company formerly known as Falesco, now known as Famiglia Cotarella. Actually Falesco still exists – but they have split the brand in two with the Merlot (Montiano) and Cabernet Sauuvignon (Marciliano) under the Famiglia Cotarella brand, while other wines such as their Syrah (Tellus – of which I recently learned there was a kosher production of in 2016, though that wine IS NOT imported by M & M – which from David’s notes, looks like a good move by them) remaining under the Falesco label. At the same time, they started production at a number of Italian wineries, with their first release 2018 Botteotto, Montepulciano D’Abruzo, a second press production at Valle Reale. A number of the upcoming releases are very interesting, including the first press Montepulciano from Valle Reale’s San Calisto vineyard, as well as about 20 other wines, including a Brunello (to be released sometime in the next year or two), two Chiantis – a regular Classico to be released this September and a Reserva coming out in another couple of years, 2018 Falesco/Famiglia Cotarella reds, as well as a return of the white Ferentano made of 100% Roscetto (which has not been made kosher since ’05 – I think),  and many others. In light of all of this, I planned on meeting up with Ralph Madeb and David Motovich, the proprietors of M & M, to go through their current releases, AND even more importantly I planned a trip to Italy to immediately follow my NY trip to taste through all of this new kosher production and speak with the various winemakers. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus has put those plans on hold for now – though I fully intend on making that trip as soon as the Italy ban is lifted. In the meantime, I did not want to hold up this post – as there is plenty of wine that I tasted through while in NY.

The truth is, I have known Ralph Madeb for about 30 years. He was very friendly with a cousin of mine and was in my wife’s class in High School. He was a character back then and nothing has changed. Super warm and friendly – really typifying the reception you get from the Syrian community of Brooklyn, which I grew up around. (I still have fond memories of eating fresh Lachmajin out of the oven at a friend’s house.) At some point Ralph became Dr. Madeb, a urologist who spent some time in Rochester doing his residency before returning home to open his practice. The extended Madeb family has long been involved in wine and has bought most of the high-end kosher wine productions en primeur. When the opportunity arose to become the importer of IDS wines, which is responsible for the famed kosher runs of Smith Haute Laffite among others, Dr. Madeb and his partner Mr. Motovich decided to take the opportunity and be involved in the kosher wine industry up close. This past week, we tasted through 14 wines – of which one was a library wine that is on my all-time favorite list and which happens to also be imported by M & M, the 2005 Valandraud. Another was a wine produced in Israel by the new Tabernacle winery, as one of the owners was at the dinner and wanted people’s opinions (I had already tasted these wines and thoughts can be found here.)

Also at the dinner was the US representative of Aegerter, Martin Sylvestre. Currently Aegerter has released three kosher wines, all of the 2018 vintage. These wines are excellent – but super young. It’s nice that we are finally getting a wide variety of kosher Burgundy! In fact, during our conversation, Mr. Sylvestre   expressed interest in perhaps even producing a greater number of kosher run Burgundies from the various sub-appellations. It would be a truly wondrous thing if all of a sudden we were blessed with a Clos-Vougeot! Of course currently, this is just talk. But, you never know….

One other interesting note, M & M has picked up distribution of the remaining Gefen Hashalom wines that had not had distribution until now. That translates to the Hans Wirsching Silvaner, which arrived in NY the same day as the dinner – and, much more importantly, the 2014 Von Hovel Rieslings (both the Hutte Oberemmel and Scharzhofberg) – which has not officially been sold outside of Europe until now. M&M bought up the remaining 3000 bottles from the winery, and they should be in NY soon. The 2014 Von Hovel wines are the absolutely best kosher Rieslings ever produced – and rank up there with the best kosher whites ever produced period. So for those of you in the US, this is truly excellent news.

Here are my notes on the M&M wines: