RECOMMENDED
FRANCE: Chateau Giraud Sauternes, Kosher Edition; Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, Kosher Edition; Laurent-Perrier, Champagne Brut NV Kosher VersionFROM ISRAEL: Castel, Grand Vin Castel; Recanati Wild Carignan Reserve; Yarden MerlotFROM THE U.S.: Prix Vineyards Reserve SyrahFROM SPAIN: Elvi Wines EL26 Priorat- Master sommelier Richard Betts
If you remember when kosher wine meant mostly cheap and sweet, you probably know that the second part is no longer true. Today, there are plenty of quality kosher wines being made around the world.
But did you also know that kosher wine has come so far there now are super-premium varieties that go for more than $100 a bottle?
The syrupy kosher wines of the past stemmed mainly from economics. Jewish immigrants to America needed wine, a crucial part of their religious traditions, but didn’t have access to high-quality grapes. So they used the Concord grapes that grow in the Northeast, producing wines with an unpleasant character, usually described as “foxy,” which was masked by adding sugar.
But in recent years, a number of producers have begun making classic red and white kosher wines. A pioneer was Herzog Wine Cellars in Southern California, and there also is a growing wine industry in Israel.