What Makes Wine Kosher?

There’s no reason to whine about kosher wine anymore. Kosher wine has come a long way from the syrupy sweet Manischewitz Concord Grape you may remember.  Today, kosher wines win awards all over the world.

 

But what is kosher about kosher wines? After all, the ingredients are basically the same. So what makes a wine qualify as kosher?

 

In his book Art of Kosher Wine Making, Dr. Barry Nadel reviews the five issues in Jewish law that relate to whether or not wine is kosher. He goes into much more detail, but in summary, the five issues are:

 

Orlah – In Leviticus 19:23, it says that the fruit of trees for the first three years are forbidden for use. This rule is observed even today. Therefore, if wine is made from grapes whose vines are less than three years old, the wine cannot be considered kosher.

 

Ma’asrot and Trumot – The Biblical basis for ma’asrot and trumot is Leviticus 22:15. In its simplest form, it means that, when the Holy Temple stood, the Jewish people in Israel were required to donate a percentage of their produce to the Levi’im (Levites) and Kohanim (Priests). These families had no independent income. They worked exclusively tending to the Temple. These portions are referred to as ma’asrot and trumot.

Today, in the absence of a Temple, the rabbis have given us an alternate method for redeeming a portion of our produce before it’s kosher to eat. According to Nadel, this is done “at the end of the wine making process, before bottling when it is fit to drink.”

 

Avodah Zara – Judaism is scrupulous about avoiding associating with avodah zara (idol worship). Wine used by non-Jews in religious ceremonies, such as sacramental wine in the Catholic tradition, cannot be considered kosher. There are strict rules about knowledgeable, religious Jews supervising the winemaking process from the point at which the grapes are crushed until the wine is sealed in bottles.

 

Kilahyim – Technically this refers to mixing of species. Regarding kosher winemaking, it means that the grapes have to come from a vineyard in which no other kinds of trees are growing. As an example, Nadel includes a photo of cherry trees growing amidst a vineyard in California. The grapes from this vineyard would be unusable in the preparation of kosher wine. 

 

Mevushal – Related to the prohibition of sacramental wine, kosher wine that has been boiled before bottling is called yayin mevushal (cooked or boiled wine) and may be handled by non-Jews without rendering it non-kosher.

 

Beyond explaining these five differences between wine that’s kosher and wine that is not kosher, in Art of Kosher Wine Making, Nadel addresses himself to the hobbyist who wants to make kosher wine at home. It’s obvious that Nadel is a scientist. There’s a surprising amount of chemistry in the process of making wine and he explains why it’s necessary to understand these concepts. The book is packed with specific information on topics such as fermentation, characteristics of different types of grapes, blending, corking and much more.

 

Pirke Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) asks “Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.” Whether you plan to make kosher wine at home or are just curious how it’s done, Dr. Barry Nadel’s guide guarantees you will learn something about the kosher wine you used for kiddush last Shabbat.