Kosher Wines for Passover

American wine consumption and knowledge are increasing astronomically, and this translates to higher expectations.  In both my professional and personal circles, I have noticed a huge rise in demand for Kosher wines that aren't just Kedem or Manischewitz -- the two products traditionally served at Jewish holidays. Both of these sweet wines are made in the Northeast from vitis lambrusca table grapes, rather than from fine wine vitis vinifera grapes.

My Jewish clients and friends are excited by some newer Kosher wines now available, though the appropriateness of some wines depends on the strictness of the practitioners. From the hip rabbi making amazing syrah here in California to the vibrant wine Renaissance happening in Israel, it's clear that now is the time to celebrate Passover with better wines. Below is a great website resource and some of my favorites from recent tastings... B'Teavon!

www.kosherwine.com 

1)   Yarden, "Blanc de Blancs" (Galilee, Israel - 2000) 

Yummy, yummy bubbles. I was very impressed by this 100% chardonnay-based sparkler, which was aged for four years and made in the classic Champenoise method. It's dry, unlike many other sparkling Kosher wines, so for people who want to toast with something like a "real" Champagne, this is a great bet. 

2)  Yarden Chardonnay, "Katrin,"  (Northern Golan Heights, Israel - 2004)

Winemaker Victor Schoenfeld has a deft hand with cool-climate chardonnay from the northern part of the Golan Heights, an area that is well-suited to the grape. This chardonnay is for lovers of big, round, buttery whites, as it's fermented in new French oak barrels for nine months.

3)  Galil Mountain Winery, "Yiron" (Golan Heights, Israel - 2004)

I blind-tasted this wine last week at a luncheon with LA-based international ambassadors from all around the world. It is a stunning blend of cabernet, merlot, and syrah (to which I awarded my personal high score out of all the days' reds). It was fun to see it was a product I had never tasted before, and I look forward to tasting more wines from the Galil Mountain Winery, based at the Kibbutz Yiron in the upper Galilee area of Israel. Impressive effort!

4) Kiddush Hashem Syrah  (Santa Ynez, CA - 2003)  

Made by rabbi Samuel Perez, we served this amazing Kosher syrah at Spago's Passover seder where it beautifully complimented the gourmet version of traditional holiday foods.  This is a Rhône-style syrah with lots of earth and pepper rather than the fruity-softness of Aussie shirazes. Terrific wine for Jewish and non-Jewish lovers of syrah.