A week before Israel's 59th independence day, the folks at Benjamin Siegel are looking to celebrate a bit early with wine pioneer Orna Chillag.
By ARI MILLER
One week before Israel's 59th independence day, the folks at Benjamin Siegel are looking to celebrate a bit early with one of the pioneers of women in wine, Orna Chillag. With the upcoming release of her first ros , Chillag will be at the ritzy Benjamin Siegel for an evening of tasting, both of her wine and the restaurant's selected food pairings.
The evening's event is meant to be the first in a series of wine tastings featuring Israeli wine makers, and Chillag is a prime first choice. The Orna Chillag Winery released its debut bottles in 1998 to rave reviews. The Primo Merlot earned 89 points from Israel's premier wine critic Daniel Rogov, who also awarded the winery four stars in his 2006 edition of Rogov's Guide to Israeli Wines.
Chillag's previous incarnations have been in academia at Tel Aviv University, social activism in the political parties Raz and Meretz and as director of international affairs at the Tel Aviv municipality. She left it all behind to follow her dream and left for Italy to study enology (the study of wine and winemaking) at the Catholic University of Milan. A member of Le Donne Del Vino, an Italian organization of female wine makers, Chillag has also been honored by the city of Sauve for her work in quality wine making and promoting women in the world of wine.
Scheduled for this Wednesday evening, advance reservations are recommended for the event. Benjamin Siegel is located at the Opera Tower on the Herbert Samuel Promenade. Details: (03) 516-6224.