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While none of the ingredients that make up wine (alcohol, [[sugars (wine)|sugars]], [[acidity (wine)|acidity]] and [[phenols (wine)|phenols]]) is considered non-kosher, the ''kashrut'' laws involving wine are concerned more with who handles the wine and what they use to make it.<ref name="Oxford pg 383"/> For wine to be considered kosher, only Sabbath-observant Jews may handle it, from crushing until the bottles are sealed or the wine is pasteurized, whichever occurs first.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}
While none of the ingredients that make up wine (alcohol, [[sugars (wine)|sugars]], [[acidity (wine)|acidity]] and [[phenols (wine)|phenols]]) is considered non-kosher, the ''kashrut'' laws involving wine are concerned more with who handles the wine and what they use to make it.<ref name="Oxford pg 383"/> For wine to be considered kosher, only Sabbath-observant Jews may handle it, from crushing until the bottles are sealed or the wine is pasteurized, whichever occurs first.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}


Wine that is described as "Kosher for [[Passover]]" must have been kept free from contact with [[chametz]]. This would include [[grain]], [[bread]] and [[dough]].<ref name="Oxford pg 383"/>
Wine that is described as "[[kosher for Passover]]" must have been kept free from contact with [[chametz]]. This would include [[grain]], [[bread]] and [[dough]].<ref name="Oxford pg 383"/>


===Mevushal wines===
===Mevushal wines===

Revision as of 01:29, 2 March 2018

Kosher wine
Kosher wine label from 1930.
Halakhic texts relating to this article
Torah:Deuteronomy 32:38
Mishnah:Avodah Zarah 29b
Babylonian Talmud:Avodah Zarah 30a

Kosher wine (Hebrew: יין כשר, yayin kashér) is grape wine produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws (kashrut).

To be considered kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must supervise and sometimes handle the entire

kosher for Passover" must have been kept free from contact with chametz, examples being grain, bread and dough.[2]

When kosher wine is produced, marketed and sold commercially, it would normally have a hechsher ("seal of approval") of a kosher certification agency, or of an authoritative rabbi who is preferably also a posek ("decisor" of Jewish law), or be supervised by a beth din ("Jewish religious court of law").

In recent times, there has been an increased demand for kosher wines and a number of wine producing countries now produce a wide variety of sophisticated kosher wines under strict

Kedem and Manischewitz, are both based in the Northeastern United States
.

History

See also: Alcohol in the Bible
Ancient Israelite wine press at Migdal HaEmek.

The use of wine has a long history in Judaism, dating back to

New York
.

Beginning in the 1980s, a trend towards producing dry, premium-quality kosher wines began with the revival of the

Bordeaux.[2]

Role of wine in Jewish holidays and rituals

It has been one of history's cruel ironies that the [Christian medieval]

halachically exempted from using [kosher] red wine, lest it be seized as "evidence" against them.

— Pesach: What We Eat and Why We Eat It, Project Genesis[4]

Almost all

Redemption of First-born ceremonies, the obligatory blessing of Borei Pri HaGafen ("Blessed are you O Lord, Who created the fruit of the vine") is almost always recited over kosher wine (or grape juice
).

According to the teachings of the

drunkenness with its consequent loosening of inhibitions is described by the ancient rabbis in Hebrew as nichnas yayin, yatza sod ("wine enters, [and one's personal] secret[s] exit"), similar to the Latin "in vino veritas
". Another similarly evocative expression relating to wine is: Ein Simcha Ela BeBasar Veyayin—"There is no joy except through [eating] meat and [drinking] wine".)

Requirements for being kosher

Further information: Kosher foods § Wine

Because of wine's special role in many non-Jewish

religions, the kashrut laws specify that wine cannot be considered kosher if it might have been used for idolatry
. These laws include Yayin Nesekh (יין נסך), wine that has been poured to an idol, and Stam Yainom, wine that has been touched by someone who believes in idolatry or produced by non-Jews. When kosher wine is yayin mevushal (יין מבושל – "cooked" or "boiled"), it becomes unfit for idolatrous use and will keep the status of kosher wine even if subsequently touched by an idolater.

While none of the ingredients that make up wine (alcohol,

phenols) is considered non-kosher, the kashrut laws involving wine are concerned more with who handles the wine and what they use to make it.[2] For wine to be considered kosher, only Sabbath-observant Jews may handle it, from crushing until the bottles are sealed or the wine is pasteurized, whichever occurs first.[citation needed
]

Wine that is described as "

kosher for Passover" must have been kept free from contact with chametz. This would include grain, bread and dough.[2]

Mevushal wines

As mentioned above, when kosher wine is mevushal ("cooked" or "boiled"), it thereby becomes unfit for idolatrous use and will keep the status of kosher wine even if subsequently touched by an idolater. It is not known whence the ancient Jewish authorities derived this claim; there are no records concerning "boiled wine" and its fitness for use in the cults of any of the religions of the peoples surrounding ancient Israel. Indeed, in Orthodox Christianity, it is common to add boiling water to the sacramental wine. Another opinion holds that mevushal wine was not included in the rabbinic edict against drinking wine touched by an idolater simply because such wine was uncommon in those times.

Mevushal wine is frequently used in kosher restaurants and by kosher caterers so as to allow the wine to be handled by non-Jewish or non-observant waiters.

The process of fully boiling a wine kills off most of the fine mold on the grapes, and greatly alters the

aging potential.[2]

Recently, a process called flash pasteurization has come into vogue. This method rapidly heats the wine to the desired temperature and immediately chills it back to room temperature. This process is said to have a minimal effect on flavor, at least to the casual wine drinker.

Irrespective of the method, the pasteurization process must be overseen by mashgichim to ensure the kosher status of the wine. Generally, they will attend the winery to physically tip the fruit into the crush, and operate the pasteurization equipment. Once the wine emerges from the process, it can be handled and aged in the normal fashion.

According to Conservative Judaism

In the 1960s, the

teshuvah
, because (a) some wines are not made by automated processes but rather, at least in some steps, by hand, and (b) on rare occasions non-kosher fining ingredients are used in wine preparation. Silverman later retracted his position.

A later responsum on this subject was written by Rabbi

heksher
or not. He also noted that a number of non-kosher ingredients may be used in the manufacturing process, including animal blood.

Dorff concluded a number of points including that there is no reason to believe that the production of such wines is conducted as part of pagan (or indeed, any) religious practice. Most wines have absolutely no non-kosher ingredients whatsoever. Some wines use a non-kosher ingredient as part of a fining process, but not as an ingredient in the wine as such. Dorff noted that material from this matter is not intended to infiltrate the wine product. The inclusion of any non-kosher ingredient within the wine occurs by accident, and in such minute quantities that the ingredient is nullified. All wines made in the USA and Canada may be considered kosher, regardless of whether or not their production is subject to rabbinical supervision. Many foods once considered forbidden if produced by non-Jews (such as wheat and oil products) were eventually declared kosher. Based on the above points, Dorff's responsum extends this same ruling to wine and other grape-products.

However, this teshuvah also notes that this is a lenient view. Some Conservative rabbis disagree with it, e.g. Isaac Klein. As such Dorff's teshuvah states that synagogues should hold themselves to a stricter standard so that all in the Jewish community will view the synagogue's kitchen as fully kosher. As such, Conservative synagogues are encouraged to use only wines with a heksher, and preferably wines from Israel.

Regional Kosher Wine Consumption

Photo of Yarden wine bottle from Israel, 2007

United States

The United States of America contains roughly 40% of the Jewish population of the world, and most US wine stores, particularly in the northeast, have a small kosher section.

Historically, kosher wine has been associated in the US with the

labrusca rather than vinifera grapes. Due to the addition of high-fructose corn syrup, the normal bottlings of Manischewitz are, for Ashkenazi Jews, not kosher during Passover by the rule of kitniyot, and a special bottling is made available. This cultural preference for a distinct, unique variety of wine dates back to Jewish settlements in early US history. [8]

Today, there are thousands of kosher wines available in every conceivable style from virtually all of the world's wine-producing regions.

References

  1. ^ T. Goldberg "Picking the perfect Passover wine" MSNBC, April 19th, 2004.
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-19-860990-6
  3. ^ "Chile produces kosher wine". Wine Spectator. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  4. ^ Rutman, Rabbi Yisrael. "Pesach: What We Eat and Why We Eat It". Project Genesis Inc. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Rashi On Genesis 3:7
  6. Babylonian Talmud
    Tractate Berachot 40a and Sanhedrin 70b
  7. ^ Elliot Dorff, "On the Use of All Wines" YD 123:1.1985 Archived 2009-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "The 11th Plague? Why People Drink Sweet Wine on Passover". Retrieved 2011-11-04.

External links

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