Kosher Wine Is Not What You Think
For far too long, kosher wine has been more or less synonymous with the sweet, often syrupy bottles from brands like Manischewitz and Mogen David. And while those are undoubtedly kosher, they are far from representative of what most kosher wines taste like. To cut through the misperceptions, here is a primer on what kosher wines are all about.
What makes a wine kosher?
What is kosher wine? Kosher wine is any wine that has been approved by the appropriate rabbinical authorities as having met the criteria that guide the growth of kosher grapes and the production of kosher wines. In practice, there are a handful of critical aspects that must be followed: A rabbi has to watch over all aspects of production; only kosher ingredients are permitted in production; no additives like artificial coloring agents or preservatives are allowed; and the equipment on which the wine is produced and processed has to have been certified as kosher by the appropriate rabbinical authority. Finally, only Sabbath-observant Jews are permitted to be in physical contact with it throughout the process. Aside from that, everything else about kosher wines is the same as it is for non-kosher wines—they are made from the same grape varieties, use oak or not, and more. Some kosher wines are also mevushal, which means that they’ve been flash pasteurized, a process that allows non-Sabbath-observant Jews (and non-Jews, too) to handle the wine, and for Orthodox Jews to still be able to consume it. However, mevushal wines are a small percentage of the overall larger category of kosher wines, the majority of which are non-mevushal.
What is the difference between kosher wine and regular wine?
As noted above, the only significant differences between kosher wine and non-kosher wine are the rabbinic supervision, the inclusion of kosher-certified ingredients, and the use of kosher-certified equipment. Of course, kosher wine brands all differ in terms of the grape varieties they use and the styles of wine that they produce, but that is also the case with non-kosher producers, as well. Kosher red wine, kosher white wine, kosher champagne, and more all have to adhere to the same set of basic rules. Kosher for Passover wine, however, (it’s also often referred to as Passover wine) is required to be fermented from yeasts that haven’t been propagated on bread products.
Is there alcohol in kosher wine?
Yes, there is alcohol in kosher wine.
Why is kosher wine so sweet?
It’s not necessarily sweet at all. The most famous brands of kosher wine tend to be sweet, but that is a stylistic decision that the producers make, not at all a prerequisite of kosher wine in general. The vast majority of kosher wine isn’t sweet at all and tastes no different from non-kosher wine.
Is kosher halal?
Kosher law dictates the foods and beverages that observant Jews are permitted to consume. Halal law dictates the foods and beverages that observant Muslims are allowed to consume. There are some overlapping aspects of kosher and halal laws, but they are not the same. And observant Muslims are not permitted to consume alcohol, so there is actually no such thing as halal wine.
What champagne is kosher?
There are many kosher sparkling wines available, including a number of them from the Champagne region of France. Some of the most popular kosher sparkling wines include Bartenura, Herzog, Elvi Cava…and even Laurent-Perrier, the grand Champagne house, produces a kosher Champagne. There are many more options than many people realize.
What brands of wine are kosher?
Among the most popular brands of kosher wine are Ben Ami, Manischewitz wine, Bartenura Moscato, Barkan, Yarden, Yogev, Psagot, Joyvin, and Dalton Canaan, among others.
Browse our full selection of Kosher wine online or check out our selection of highly-rated Kosher wine for a great new Kosher wine to try this week!
