Holy Wine!

In honor of the first full day of Passover, the Winedaddy felt it was necessary to shed some light on what exactly makes a Kosher wine, well, Kosher and why it's so hard to find one worth drinking.

As with any topic in Judaism, the notion of what makes a wine Kosher is a topic for debate. Of course, there can't just be a simple one sentence answer that explains everything but in the interest of keeping things simple here on the site, I'll break it down to what I think is a fairly simple explanation. A wine is only considered Kosher if it a) is produced and bottled under strict Rabbinical supervision and b) the people who are actually handling the grapes and the entire process must be Sabbath-observant Jews. This means that from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday (or on any major religious holiday), no part of the wine making process is allowed to happen (unless of course that process is malolactic fermentation, which last time I checked is a process that only Mother Nature can handle).

To take it one step further, there is also a process called Mevushal which allows for Kosher wine to be handled by non-observant Jews (i.e. sold in stores, served in restaurants who employee non-Jews, etc.). Mevushal is a process in which the wine is briefly heated to a boiling point and then cooled before the fermentation process happens. This basically kills off certain bacteria and ensures that a wine will remain Kosher. While some argue that this process can actually enhance the color and hue of a wine, it unfortunately kills off bacteria that may actually be helpful in the aging of fine wines.

So, what does this mean for you, oh Kosher wine seeking individual? (that would be the Winedaddy for 2 nights a year...the first and second nights of Passover). It means that it's hard to find decent Kosher wines because let's face it, they are not widely produced. Unless you live in a city like New York and Jerusalem with a hefty Kosher population, you ain't walking into your local supermarket and finding a Kosher wine worth dropping some shekels on. Until now.

Chateau Yon Figeac. This is a wine estate in Bordeaux that produces some really outstanding wines for their price range. I first heard about this wine when a colleague of the Winefather's snatched up a few cases of their Grand Cru Classe St. Emilion from the famous 2000 vintage. We were told it was a real steal and worth buying to cellar for 10-15 years. So that's what we did. Only later did I find out that these guys also make a Kosher wine that will rival many non-Kosher wines. If you doubt the Winedaddy, here's what Mr. Parker had to say about this estate (translated from their website mind you):

"I advise to the amateurs to follow closely this vineyard, which operated a remarkable reversal these last years, and that can provide relatively large quantities. He could eventually stand out as one of the best affair of the appellation."

I have yet to taste this wine but know several people who have and they unanimously agree that it exhibits the classic Bordeaux style of Merlot: Fruit forward and thick with a long finish.

The bottom line here is that for around $35, your going to be much better off with this wine than lots of the offering from other French houses. It's also a nice way to impress your Grandma Pearl or your Uncle Moshe who will probably be thankful you brought something to the Seder other than macaroons or a bottle of Manischewitz. Trust me, you'll be doing a Mitzvah. L'Chiam!