Kosher Wine

The term kosher is used to indicate food items that are prepared in such a way that they are considered appropriate or even safe for Jewish people to consume. There are wines made that fit into this kosher category.

What Makes a Wine Kosher?

Kosher wines start out with the same basic use of grapes as any other wine. They grow on the vine and then are picked by anyone at all. It is at that point that kosher wine is treated differently. The process from there needs to be supervised by a rabbi to make sure that unclean hands do not touch the beverage. Some of the steps will most likely even be completed by the rabbi.

Meshuval Wine

If a wine is meshuval, it means it has been pasteurized. Once this type of wine is processed, it always is kosher no matter who bottles or even serves it. The problem is that the pasteurization process of bringing the wine to a boil and then cooling it down does not make for a great tasting wine. This process makes the liquid lose a lot of flavor since the mold or "must" on the grapes is killed off. Traditional kosher wine when prepared this way ends up being weak flavored, and pale in color. There is absolutely nothing robust or deep about it. A process has been developed where the wine is brought to 90 degrees Celsius instead of to a full boil. This allows some flavor to remain, but the end result is still weak flavored. In recent years a flash pasteurization process has been developed that allows the wine to be brought quickly to a boil and then just as quickly cooled down. This technique allows the resulting wine to be considered kosher as well as still flavorful. There are some Orthodox Jews that don't feel comfortable with flash pasteurization as a way to create kosher wine since it is not a traditional way to prepare wine. Baron Herzog and Weinstock are both reputable brands of kosher wines.

Non-Meshuval Wine

If a kosher wine is non-meshuval, then it is processed under a rabbi's supervision in a more traditional wine-making manner, but in order for it to remain kosher, only kosher people can touch it at any given time. This means that it could not even be bottled or served by someone who was not Jewish. The logistics of keeping non-meshuval wine kosher anywhere outside of Israel itself can become staggering, so most kosher wines outside of Israel have undergone the meshuval process.