EVEN THE MOST finicky
wine snob won’t be able to “pass
over” the new generation of
kosher wines. Increasingly, the
mindset is that since Jews are
commanded to drink four cups
of wine at the Passover seder,
they might as well drink high-
quality wine.

The last decade has witnessed
a veritable explosion of high-
quality kosher wines, a far cry
from the heavy, sweet and vague-
ly medicinal wines that graced
the seder tables of yesteryear.

“These days there are so
many different kosher wines
out there that even Trader Joe’s
sells them, and you know what?
They’re not bad,” said Arlene
Mathes-Scharf, speaking at the
time of year when her email
was humming, her phone was
ringing off the hook and
her website — kashrut.com —
was getting countless hits from
consumers who find them-
selves in Passover-related food
and wine quandaries.

Indeed, industry insiders
report that for more than a
decade, the variety and quality of
kosher wine has been on the
rise, matching customers’
tastes and demands.

“Today’s Jewish con-
sumer is more sophisticat-
ed and discerning, and not
satisfied with sacramental
wine,” said Jay Buchsbaum, a
vice president at the New Jer-
sey-based Royal Wine Corp.

“They have more disposable
income, and they’re willing
to spend a little more for a
good wine. They’re not will-
ing to settle.”
In addition to kosher wine
industry giants such as Carmel
from Israel, Baron Herzog from
California and Bartenura from
Italy, many smaller European
boutique wineries are securing
kosher certification for a seg-
ment of their wines.

“They like that there’s a
ready market for better
kosher wine today,” Buchs-
baum said. “They know that
the moment the grapes are
crushed, the wine has already
been bought.”
WHY IS
PASSOVER HIGH
SEASON FOR
KOSHER WINE?
The demand for kosher
wine also makes a steep climb
around the time of Passover, the
widely celebrated Jewish holiday
that often attracts a mix of fami-
ly members and friends with
varying needs at the same seder
table. In such scenarios, even
those who don’t keep kosher
laws might purchase kosher
wines. “It’s safer that way,”
Buchsbaum said.

It’s no wonder, then, that 40
percent of all kosher wine is
sold in the months leading up
to Passover.

“If you estimate that a seder
has 18 adults who each drink
four cups, that adds up. There’s
a lot of wine coming in the
door,” said Israeli wine
blogger and colum-
nist David Rhodes,
who runs the “Drink
Israel” Facebook page.

Since seder participants
drink so much wine at the tra-
ditional gathering — much of
it on a relatively empty stomach
— before the meal, it’s impor-
tant to supply wine that won’t
make them too drunk to
appreciate the message of the
seder, warned California-
based kosher wine critic and
blogger David Raccah, who
runs kosherwinemusings.com.

“That’s why it’s the worst
time to try ‘bombastic,’ high-
alcohol wines,” Raccah said.

“You’ll want to stick to light
wines like Via Sparkling,
preferably under 10 percent
alcohol, that won’t land you flat
Top: Brunomsbarreto; corks (left): bookzaa; stain and cork: photohomepage; corkscrew (facing page): inbj/iStock/Thinkstock.com
18 MARCH 30, 2017
JEWISH EXPONENT
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM