2024 Best Updated Guide to buying kosher wine when you really know nothing about it

Spoiler alert:You will never know if it’s kosher just by looking! Or tasting!

Was this you last year: “I know nothing about kosher wine!I don’t even know where to start!”??

Is that you this year?

I’ve got you covered! This is what you want to know!

Let’s talk!

And if you want to celebrate with the newest post about kosher wine click here for:

This is how you celebrate with kosher wine when you know nothing about it!

You can also click the button below!

(Some great new wine recommendations are coming too! Woo!)

Let’s start with congratulations to all!

For those who are new to this post you may ask: why are you congratulating me? I know nothing about kosher wine and don’t know where to start! Well, you are in good company. Most people know nothing about Kosher wine. Many people don’t even know it exists.

Congratulations because you admit to knowing nothing! Congratulations again, because if you are reading this you are inquisitive enough to want to find out.

For those who are here again for the fabulous updates, you are being congratulated for going above and beyond to refresh your kosher wine knowledge and discover new fantastic wines! Hat’s off to you incredible people!

Let’s review for everyone:

At it’s most basic, kosher wine is made in accordance with Jewish dietary law. Just as Old World wines have to follow specific wine production rules, so does Kosher wine.

I have no intention of discussing Jewish dietary law. I’m talking wine here. I am staying in my lane.

Kosher wine must be made under the supervision of a rabbi. Whatever is added to the wine during production must be Kosher. Oh, and only observant Jews may handle the wine during production.

If you keep kosher, I assume you know all that .

I do not keep kosher, but I have friends and relatives that do.

I went to a huge Kosher Wine tasting a few years ago. It looked exactly like any other wine tasting I have been to. Knowing I didn’t keep kosher, I was asked by someone who was observant what non Kosher wine tasted like. I told them that there was no difference. No great mystery.

There is good Kosher wine and not so good Kosher wine, just like every other wine. Absolutely no difference in taste. There is white wine, red wine, rosé wine and sparkling wine. Yep, even Champagne. (That means it has to be made in the Champagne region in France. I trust you read my post on Champagne, but if you didn’t, here’s the link.)

Kosher wine is pretty much made wherever non Kosher wine is.

In fact, there are certain well known wines that are now being made Kosher.

Kosher Whispering Angel Rosé Wine

Non-kosher Whispering Angel Rosé Wine

Tada!

Recognize that label?

Can you spot the difference?

Nothing like giving away the answer!

That K in the star is the key here!

Remember when I mentioned that Kosher wine has to follow certain rules. It actually has to prove it by being certified. That K in the star is proof of that. By the way, there is a cost for that.

If you are buying Kosher wine to bring to someone who keeps Kosher you want to make sure the wine has some certification. There a number of different certifications.

There is no way I am getting into all the certifications. Insane amount around the world. The real issue is if someone keeps kosher, they have to trust that the wine is actually kosher.

No different than a certification of vegan or gluten free. It needs to be trusted. By the way, kosher wine is vegan.

If you are bringing wine for Passover, it will need to say that the wine is Kosher for Passover.

Here are some examples:

Do you see the circle around the K?

That is an example. The P next to it tells you it is Kosher for Passover. And yes, this K is a different certification.

This bottle shows the circle around the U. That counts too.

Again, the P states that it is Kosher for Passover.

There is also a term that you may want to be aware of: Mevushal.

Mevushal means cooked. It does not change the taste of the wine. If a wine is Mevushal, it can be served by anyone and remain Kosher. This is probably more than you want to know, but if you are buying the wine for someone observant, play it safe and make sure it is Mevushal.

Ask in the store. Sometimes the marking is tiny and in Hebrew. You almost need a magnifying glass. Seriously.

Here come some fantastic recommendations:

This one is my personal favorite.You may find it within the Spanish wines and/or in the kosher section.

Absolutely wonderful Rioja.

I often recommend this wine for great drinking. It is delicious. There is a more expensive version, but I actually prefer this one.

Baron Herzog has reliable Kosher wines that I have enjoyed. The ones shown here are not particularly expensive.

They have a number of different price points, so explore if you wish.

A huge shout out to my brother-in-law. He does keep kosher, and I trust his taste in wine.

The following recommendations come from him:

Below is an incredibly delicious Bordeaux style red from Israel. (You can only call a wine Bordeaux if it actually comes from there. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc are the grape blend in a Bordeaux.) And yes, it is kosher for Passover. I spotted the P.

Another incredible red blend wine from Israel. Please note that this is Deep Red, not to be confused with the one that is just Red. Dalton is a very well known wine producer. Check out some of the others should you want. This is also kosher for Passover.

He also recommends these 3 wines.

I didn’t want there to be just red wine recommendations.

Kosher wines, just like non-Kosher wines, can be dry or sweet. With both types, most people prefer a dry wine.

HOWEVER, some people grew up drinking a very sweet Kosher wine for Passover. It is NOT the only wine you can drink for Passover!

I, personally, won’t drink it or buy it. I feel that if someone likes that type of wine, they are welcome to buy it themselves. You do you.

Some sweet wines can be dessert wines. They can be absolutely delicious.

These are some kosher sweet fruit wines. They come in different flavors. Wild berry is another great one.

I mix these with Cava and frozen berries. Read about it in my post called Best Wine Drink to start the party off right that isn’t Champagne. Find it here.

There are thousands of Kosher wine options. If you are bringing it to someone who is observant, follow the guidelines above.

If you want to just drink a delicious Kosher wine anytime, feel free. I have seen Kosher wines on a wine list at a decidedly non kosher restaurant. No reason not to.

Remember, what I said that most people don’t know anything about Kosher wine. When I originally wrote this post, I wanted to find out what ChatGPT knew about it. While some information was correct, it stated that you have to have Kosher wine with Kosher food. WRONG! HAHAHAHA! It’s not just people who don’t know. I kindly corrected it.

I wonder if I looked now whether ChatGPT had learned from its mistake.

Have fun with wine, and keep learning. No reason not to!

Enjoy!

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