Passover starts (or started, depending on when you’re reading this article) at sundown on Monday, April 22.
The annual Jewish holiday commemorating their liberation from slavery continues until the evening of April 30.
During this annual holiday, there are many special, traditional feasts, including Seder on April 22 and April 23.
As part of the Seder, many people drink wine. And for many Jewish people, that means drinking only kosher wine.
There are many rules about what makes a wine kosher. There’s also a fair bit of confusion.
This week, you can learn all about kosher wines, as well as tasting notes for a few suggested kosher wines, many of which cost less than $16 a bottle.
Hope you enjoy.
WHAT IS KOSHER WINE?
First, let’s talk a bit about some of the misconceptions about kosher wine. Contrary to popular belief, making kosher wine does not involve a rabbi. The wine simply needs to be made by people who observe the Jewish Sabbath, the traditional day of rest on Saturday.
Other rules apply to kosher wine, including making sure that all the ingredients in the wine are kosher. This means no animal products added to the wine. Kosher wines should also not come into contact with bread or grain products.
Additional rules apply. Fortunately, you don’t have worry about memorizing these rules. Many wine stores have sections set aside where you can easily find kosher wines. And many winemakers produce wines that have been certified kosher and say so on the label.
WHO PRODUCES KOSHER WINE?
Another myth about kosher wine is that it only comes from certain producers from parts of the world. The truth is winemakers anywhere in the world can make kosher wine. And many winemakers do just that. As a result, there are kosher wines from Israel, Australia, Argentina, California and France, including certain wineries in Bordeaux and Champagne.
TASTING NOTES
2021 Barkan Vineyards Classic Chardonnay ($15.99 at Table & Vine in West Springfield)
Country – Israel
Grape – Chardonnay
Tasting Notes – If you love bone-dry white wines, you will absolutely love this outstanding, understated wine. This subtle white wine has a fascinating blend of soft, understated flavors ranging from peach to sea salt, roasted butter and a slight hint of green apple. Highly recommend.
2021 Barkan Vineyards Classic Pinot Noir Negev Israel ($13.99 at Table & Vine)
Country – Israel
Grape – Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes – Soft, subtle, fruit-forward red wine that really hits its stride the day after you open the wine. The first day, I found the wine a bit too fruity (almost raspberry like) for my taste. The second day, the wine really smooths out and the fruit flavors are less intense and more subtle and cherry like.
2021 Teal Lake Cabernet Merlot ($12.99 Suggested Retail Price)
Country – Australia
Grape – Blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot
Tasting Notes – This light, refreshing, flinty dry red wine from Australia absolutely blew me away. Flavorful and extremely dry, this wine tastes great straight out of the bottle and the next day as well. With flavors ranging from toasted almonds to dried raspberries, my wife and I adored this wine right from the start. Let me add that the flavors linger long after each sip.
2022 Domaine Bousquet Alavida Malbec ($16.99 at Table & Vine)
Country – Argentina
Grape – 100% malbec
Tasting Notes – For those of you who prefer slightly bigger, earthier wines, this robust yet smooth malbec from Argentina just might be the red wine for you. Bold fruit flavors include hints of plum, cherry and blackberry. There are also slight hints of nuts, particular almonds, on the finish that give this wine a distinct, delightful taste.
2019 Domaines Barons de Rothschild Legende Bordeaux Rouge ($17.99 at Table & Vine)
Country – Bordeaux, France
Grape – 50% cabernet sauvignon, 50% merlot
Tasting Notes – This delightful blended red wine illustrates why France’s Bordeaux region has such as well-earned reputation for making elegant, charming wines. Made with a classic Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes, the flavors here are soft and subtle with hints of fresh fruit (blackberry and cherry) without being overpowering.
Laurent-Perrier La Cuvee Brut Champagne ($64.99 at Table & Vine)
Country – Champagne, France
Grape – 50% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir, 15%, pinot meunier
Tasting Notes – A classic bone-dry Champagne from one the oldest Champagne houses (founded in 1812) in France’s Champagne region, this delicious sparkling wine hits all the right notes. Its flavors are crisp, dry, slightly nutty (think roasted almonds) and refreshing.
Cheers!
Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican’s Weekend section every Thursday.