Thankfully, it’s been a while for us. As I recall, people broke out whiskey at the end of each day at our last shiva when only family remained. Our condolences.
Jay - my condolences. You most definitely did the right thing.
Jim - for your sake I hope instead they say “dammit, he drank all the good stuff…”
Very good point that I shall not argue with. 
The AJ Adam Mag is OUTSTANDING and a great QPR. I bought 4 of them, opened one, loved it, and bought two more. This was the second one I opened. It is a great QPR at under $40 each. Very floral on the nose with apricot and citrus and white pear on the palate.
Jay – I’m sorry for the loss of your Mom.
Every shiva I have attended has been dry (or virtually dry), and my family – needless to say, like Tom Hagen (Kraut-Mick), tends toward the hard stuff – I really like the vino idea. Note to my kids…
Happy to hear on the 2014 AJ Adam mags. I picked some up from Grapes a while back.
who could ever say this was the wrong thing to do?
sorry for your loss but happy your mom’s very long life
Jay…Baruch dayan haemet. And I want to thank you for your post…in my opinion a lovely and “right” way to remember your mom during shiva.
Incidentally…Good article in today’s WSJ about some who attend services only once a year…during the high holidays for Yizkor…you honored your mom…well done.
Sorry for your loss. When we sat Shiva for my dad, we drank wine from his cellar that he had given to me the year before he died. He always loved to share good wine and we drank several first growths that he collected in the 60’s.
After the funeral, we returned to my mother’s house:
We did not drink any old Manischewitz.
We found three bottles of Red Burgundy Champagne from New York in the liquor cabinet that we did not open.
We found six ounces of Aubert in a bottle in the refrigerator with a cork stuffed in the top. I think I brought it to her house three years ago. I tasted it. Unmistakably Cali Chard and not oxidized. My wife reported that it was terrible.
We did find a bottle of 3 star Courvoisier that had never been opened. The ullage was a bit below bottom shoulder so you can guess how old it was. T top. Sheared off. Cork too dry to remove, so filtered through a paper towel. Very interesting. Tasted like Cognac with with a caramel rear palate. Pretty weird.
not much to add except to say sorry for your loss Jay. all the best to you/your family.
I always imagined a good percentage of my cellar being opened at my funeral. I see it as a celebration of life, and wine is a big part of my life.
Jay,
HaMakom y’nachem etkhem b’tokh sh’ar a’vaylay Tzion v’Y’rushalayim
Ned
I have sat Shiva only for very conservative family members. Mirrors covered, etc. I could not imagine having wine in that scenario. But Jay’s circumstances appear different, and I think what he did was very respectful, and what his mom would have wanted. I love that Jay’s mom liked Aubert Chard.
Sorry for your loss. And what you did certainly sounds fine to me.
So sorry.
May her memory be a blessing.
Sorry for your loss, I know you shared some fabulous times with her.
These are some of the wines I tasted at Jay’s house.
Jay, you’re a lucky guy to have had your mom around till 96. As my late uncle said, she ‘rung’ the bell.
After the evening service, Jay talked about his mother, and he did so in a story which I can’t/won’t repeat here. ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
I did learn that Jay was taught how to host a large group from his Mom. If you’ve ever attended a party at his home, you know what I mean. When I walked in, and saw all that wine, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve never known anyone to drink wine at a Shiva house; but under the circumstances, it made sense.
With all due respect to your mom, I thought the Aubert had a little too much oak for me.
The SQN was delicious.
My favorite was the Adam. Oh boy was that delicious.
My WOTS (wine of the Shiva) was the '12 Scarecrow. This baby drank like it was 10+ years old. Jay told me to hang around so I could have a taste. Lots of people got to experience a wonderful wine, and a few of us really appreciated it.
Many of us know that Jay attends and hosts offlines. At his home Thursday, I got to meet Jay Hack. His mom was a wonderful woman. Sorry that I never met her. May her memory be a blessing to all that knew her. She raised a special son.
Dan
Jay,
I’m sorry to hear that your mother has passed away. I can’t imagine how difficult it might be. Thank you for sharing and I hope you and your family have everything needed as you share this time together.
PS. Those wines look awesome…love the Magnum of JJ Adam.
No Manischewitz in my Dad’s cellar but some Baron Herzog Kosher wine that was long since past.