About Galia by Zahav
At Zahav, Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook helped bring Israeli cooking to the American table. With Galia by Zahav, Solomonov and Cook–in partnership with Zahav Beverage Director Steven McAllister–aim to introduce Americans to the often-overlooked winemaking of the region.
In late 2022, McAllister set out to identify an Israeli wine producer with whom to collaborate on a proprietary blend. In Assaf Paz of Vitkin Winery in the Galilee, McAllister found an ideal partner–one of the finest producers in the region famed for his focus on Mediterranean grape varieties. The first bottling–one white wine and one red wine–is available now.
McAllister hopes to collaborate with other exemplary winemakers in the region. With each future bottling, Galia will showcase the quality and breadth of Israeli winemaking.
Galia means ‘wave’ in Hebrew. Led by Zahav Beverage Director and Sommelier Steven McAllister, Galia seeks to partner with Middle Eastern winemakers to produce wines that pair well with the food served at Zahav and your table at home.
StevenMcAllister
Food has long been a focal point of Steven McAllister’s family life. With one set of grandparents who owned a diner, and the other who owned a grocery store that housed a small butcher shop (a classic South Jersey tale), Steven comes from a family with food at its heart.
By the time he was twenty-two, Steven had held most every front-of-house position in a restaurant. In 2015, he joined the service team at Abe Fisher in Philadelphia, CookNSolo’s intimate fine dining restaurant that was known for its expert beverage program. The restaurant became Steven’s wine service training ground, tending
bar with a focus on off-the-path wines, craft cocktails, and amaro (before the aperitif became popular on craft beverage menus). In 2019, he secured his Court of
Master Sommeliers Level 2 certification and joined the service team across town at CookNSolo’s flagship Israeli restaurant, Zahav. Since 2021, Steven has been the Beverage Director for the company at-large and nightly sommelier at his home restaurant. Today, he holds the keys to introduce Zahav guests to the often-overlooked, and exemplary winemaking of the region.