I actually studied up on kosher wines about a year ago, but didn’t write up what I learned at the time.

First things first: what makes a wine kosher? Well, kosher wine will carry a hechsher from an authority certifying that it was produced in accord with kashrus, which is the portion of halakha (Jewish religious law) dealing with dietary concerns. This mark indicates that any additives (such as fining agents) were kosher, production was supervised by the appropriate overseers (called mashgichim), and the wine is either mevushal or every step of the production was done by an observant Jew. This all has to do with the historic use of wine in idolatrous religious practises and the strict prohibition in the Torah of the use of such wine (yayin nesach), as well as a Rabbinical injunction against the use of unsupervised wine (stam yaynom).

Mevushal means “cooked” or “boiled”. Once a wine is mevushal it can be handled by non-Jews without losing its kosher status. Wine can be rendered mevushal at any stage after the press, but in the US most mevushal wine is heated prior to fermentation. Mevushal can broadly be taken as synonymous with pasteurised and follows the same procedure; thus, in modern production flash pasteurisation is seen as a way to reduce or eliminate the deleterious effects of heating the wine. While it definitely will help stability from a microbial standpoint, opinions are divided: some claim that flash heating has a positive effect on the wine’s character, while others claim that it reduces the aging potential and gives the wine a cooked fruit character.

There’s actually another level to kosher certification, which has to do with Passover. At Passover kashrut becomes even more restrictive, so a wine can be kosher for other times but not for Passover. If a wine just says “kosher”, it’s not suitable for use during Pesach; it must specifically say “kosher for Passover”.

Manischewitz Concord Grape
Background: The quintessential kosher wine, but not one that can be considered “fine” by any stretch of the imagination. When Jewish immigrants to the US began making wines from the native Concord cultivar of Vitis labrusca, the resulting wines had a foxy flavour and unpleasant bitterness. Thus, they were usually sweetened quite heavily to make them palatable. According to the bottle this contains “not less than 51% Concord”, leading me to wonder what else is in it. Interestingly, Manischewitz is an example of a wine that’s not kosher for Passover. Their normal line of wines are sweetened with corn syrup, which under the strictest interpretation of kashrut is forbidden at Passover. Owing to this, at Passover you can find a special bottling on the shelves that is sweetened with cane sugar. Kosher for Passover and mevushal.

Nose: Musky grape juice with yeast overtones.

Taste: Syrupy sweetness makes it hard to taste anything. Fruity, distinctly Concord taste; no real nuances.

Overall: Well, it didn’t kill me. Given my druthers I’d just have grape juice, which I think is actually less sweet.

Tishbi Cabernet-Petite Sirah 2007
Background: Produced by Tishbi Estate Winery in Binyamina, Israel. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Petite Sirah. Screwcap closure which for some reason I had the damnedest time opening. Kosher for Passover, mevushal, and vegan.

Nose: Cherries and coriander, a bit of rubber.

Taste: Woodsy and herbal, with a lightly sour finish.

Overall: Light and easy-drinking.

Don’t forget to check the archives for a couple more kosher wines.

Being from Michigan, the natural choice for North was to go with a local wine, so I rummaged around and found a bottle from St. Julian. St. Julian is Michigan’s oldest winery, and is also the largest. They source grapes from a large number of growers, all of which are located within 50 miles of the winery.

For South, I turned to the sunny climes of California. Honig is located in Napa Valley (Rutherford, to be precise) and has a terrible Flash-infested front page that refuses to work on my computer.



Charts comparing climates (as always, click for a larger version)

In short: Michigan doesn’t get quite as warm or stay warm for as long, while California is a lot drier during the growing season.

Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2007: Brix at harvest 23.6, 97.6% Sauvignon Blanc and 2.4% Semillon. Aging was 33% neutral oak, 67% stainless steel. 13.5% ABV.

Braganini Reserve 2007 Sauvignon Blanc: Brix at harvest 20.8, 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Aging was 100% stainless steel. 12% ABV.

Blind(ish) tasting time! Wine A is much darker than Wine B, so I’m actually fairly certain which is which right off the bat.

Nose: A is musky and citrusy, while B is lighter, sweeter, and very tropical.

Taste: A is still quite citrusy, but some mango and peach show up, with an overall impression of stodginess. B fruitier but lighter and still leaning toward the tropical with maybe a hint of lime, but also some slight alcohol notes. Both exhibit similar amounts of acidity.

Overall: Both are nice crisp wines, with A being a bit more robust for standing up to food but B edging ahead for sipping by having a cleaner flavour profile and more liveliness.

And the reveal: As I suspected, A is North and B is South.

The wine: Badia a Coltibuono Sangioveto di Toscana 2000. 13.5% ABV single varietal wine matured in oak for a year.

Ahem.

Inky leather-scented silk. Spiced nuttiness demands Puttanesca.

Moschofilero is an aromatic pink-skinned grape that is indigenous to the Peloponessos region of Greece, and is used mainly in the production of premium white wines. Though it was at one time thought that it was related to Traminer, this appears to be false. Wines produced from this delicate cultivar tend to be subtle and crisp, with medium to high acidity.

Boutari Moschofilero 2006

Background: Dry white wine made from 100% Moschofilero grapes grown in high elevation vineyards in Mantinia. Boutari's wines are widely available in the U.S., usually at a fairly good price which makes them a good introduction to Greek wines.

Presentation: Clear glass bottle; the attractive label features Dionysus in Spring. Pours a clear light yellow. 11.5% ABV

Nose: Melon and rose petals on a background of musky fruit.

Taste: Lively acidity, pleasant lemony citrus, intense fruit and a long, slightly bitter finish.

Overall: Nicely balanced, crisp white wine. Not the best Moschofilero out there, but quite drinkable.