L’chaim! You're about to toast your favorite couple on their newfound marriage. You know that the wine in your glass is kosher, but what does that mean?
• To be considered kosher, a Sabbath-observant Jew must be involved in the entire wine-making process, from the time of harvest to the actual bottling. Then, there is kosher wine and kosher Mevushal wine…. Wine that is Mevushal (goes through a heating process) can be poured by a non-observant Jew and still remain kosher. That’s why most restaurants and caterers serve only wine that is Kosher Mevushal.
• Only certified Kosher products such as yeast and filtering agents can be used during the preparation of the wine
• Kosher law does not prohibit the use of specific wine styles, grape varieties or origin
• No animal products may be used during the production of the wine.
• Grapes that come from brand new vines cannot be used when the wine is being made. After the fourth year they become eligible to use; however, every seventh year the fields must be fallow.
• Champagne refers only to wine bottled in the Champagne region of France – and while there are several Kosher Mevushal Champagnes, they do tend to be rather expensive. No worries – plenty of Sparkling Wine (the terminology for all bubbly wine produced outside of Champagne) absolutely fit for a l’Chaim.
• On Shabbat, obligatory blessings called Kiddush are required over cups of kosher wine or grape juice.
• Juice from approximately 600 grapes is required to make a single bottle of wine!
Now you know a little bit more about the wine with which you’re about to toast, stand up, say a few nice words about your loved ones and enjoy a sip!
Here's a blurb I wrote recently for an upcoming eBook on Shabbat:
ReplyDeleteAn Invitation to Kosher Wine
Discover the joy of kosher wine with Rafi Schutzer, aka the
@KosherWineGuy, a dot com guy (“If people ask me for
investment advice I tell them to invest in their health and
their marriages.”) turned kosher wine guy and founder of
the Premium Kosher Wine Collective. Just as honey is
used on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize a sweet new year,
sweet wine has long been used to make Shabbat just a
little sweeter. Though the "tradition" of making syrupy sweet
kosher wines for Shabbat Kiddush may be a legacy of
having to make wine from inferior grapes whose flavor
required a sweet cover-up, things began to change round
about 1984 when a kosher wine revolution began in Israel.
The Golan Heights Winery started making real wine from
classic grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
and Chardonnay. In the United States, the Royal Wine
Company, under the Baron Herzog label, soon followed suit.
There are now so many good kosher wines available that it
is hard to imagine the situation were ever different. Here are
some wine suggestions for your Shabbat table: Israel’s Galil
Mountain Winery at Kibbutz Yiron makes the well extracted
and eponymous Yiron. The 2007 is now in stores. My wife’s
favorite is the Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon Rose which
is similar to their white Zinfandel. The white Zinfandel (also a
rose) will be easier to find. For special occasions (like any
Shabbat) I recommend the 2008 Lavan, a Chardonnay from
Covenant Wines, Napa Valley. At less than $40 the bottle it
can actually be considered a value wine when compared to
a white Burgundy with a similarly good pedigree. Just remember
a few things: tasting wine is a learning experience, don't be
afraid to try new things and on Shabbat, you can and should
always serve your favorites. L’Chaim!
http://www.Twitter.com/KosherWineGuy
http://www.Facebook.com/KosherWine
http://www.KosherCuvee.com
How interesting! Thanks for sharing :)
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