This is the 5th post in my series on kosher wine!

Woo!

But this one’s a little different.

It’s not just for people who know nothing about kosher wine — it’s for all you fantastic, curious people who may want to know more.

If you are “What? There’s wine that is kosher?!?!” You are still fantastic and inquisitive, but you may want to refer back to an earlier post. I will do a brief overview for this one, though.

First things first. Do not assume Passover wine has to be sweet.

Let’s talk!

Most people know nothing about kosher wine! So wherever you are with your knowledge, you are ahead of 99% of people on this planet.

Go, you!

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 like Bordeaux or Chianti 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 absolutely staying in my lane.

There is delicious Kosher wine and not so delicious Kosher wine, just like every other wine. Absolutely no difference in taste.

(I just met someone who claims that there is a difference. I plan to challenge them to a blind taste comparison. I will report back!)

There are all kinds of kosher wine. There is white wine, red wine, rosé wine and sparkling wine. There is sweet wine and dry wine. You want it, there is a kosher version!

(In fact, there are a number of well known wines that will do a kosher “run” so to speak. It is not every year, though, so always verify from year to year.)

Remember when I mentioned that Kosher wine has to follow certain rules. It actually has to prove it by being certified.

I will not be going over all the different certifications. There are a lot!

If you are buying Kosher wine for yourself or to bring to someone who keeps Kosher you want to make sure the wine has some certification. The real issue is if someone keeps kosher, they have to trust that the wine is actually kosher.

Let’s discuss this important issue of trust!

4 bottles of kosher wine from Israel — **These wines were being poured at a kosher wine tasting I attended.**

**They are all from Israel, and I highly recommend them. They are delicious. They are kosher for Passover. They are not mevushal.**
**Because they were poured by someone not Jewish, they actually were no longer Kosher!**

WHAT?!?!

I really was not going to get into Mevushal until this happened. Mevushal means cooked or boiled. It is a unique form of pasteurization. If a wine is Mevushal, it can be served by anyone and remain Kosher.

Those who believe that mevushal wine is not the best wine will request non mevushal wine.

However, it must be handled properly. Since I drink both kosher and non kosher wine, the fact that the wine was no longer kosher did not affect me. For those who do, it was a betrayal of trust.

Kosher certification is no different than a certification of vegan or gluten free. It needs to be trusted.

Just like you wouldn’t sneak an egg into a vegan dish, honoring kosher rules is about basic respect.

As for Passover, it needs to be certified that it is kosher for Passover. That means a P next to the certification.

two wine bottle labels indicating they are kosher for passover — **There you go! Follow the arrow!**

**Two different types of certification. Each of them has a P next to them.**
**You’re good to go!**

If you want to know more, word to the wise here:

If you are fortunate to be near a wine store that sells kosher wine, not all of them are equal.

a whole wall of kosher wine in a wine store — **We are talking about a lot of kosher wine here!**

**If you are in Riverdale,** **Skyview** **has a huge choice! My understanding is that it is the retail division of** **kosherwine.com.**

one low shelf of kosher wine at a wine store — **Then we have this!! Do not shop for kosher wine at any place that looks like this!**

**Lying on the floor to shop? Insulting!**

Where I live, there are many stores that do have a good selection.

As for advice, that varies. Just because someone is knowledgeable about wine, does not mean they are knowledgeable about kosher wine. At least they are trying. However, verify that non mevushal wine is being handled properly.

Use my blog posts as guides so that you can be an informed consumer wherever you go!

Now on to some more fantastic suggestions from me!

Some are new and some are fantastic old standbys!

3 bottles of kosher wine with 2 kiddush cups — **Cardova has long been a favorite of mine with their Rioja!**

**I have also recommended the Garnacha. Now the rosé joins the fun! Can’t go wrong with these!**

5 bottles of Baron Herzog kosher wine — **Baron Herzog wines are old favorites.**

**These are very reasonably priced. There are higher end wines at all price points! I am insanely frugal, so these are my go-to wines!**

1 bottle of kosher rosé wine called Hippy — **Here’s another rosé! It’s from France.**

**Meet Hippy! Enjoy!**

Well, we’ve seen wines from Spain and California and France. Let’s check out Israel again:

Speaking of not knowing enough, that is me and Israeli wines.

I am unfamiliar with the different wine regions and how they differ. I am fascinated with some of the indigenous grape varieties that are not familiar to me.

But I am asking questions and learning!

I never realized how many Israeli wines were not Mevushal. If you are buying wine for someone observant, play it safe and make sure it is Mevushal.

Trying different wines is the best way to learn. Fun, too!