A New Guide to Visiting Wineries in Israel

My latest Washington Jewish Week column is out: "A New Guide to Visiting Wineries in Israel" (October 22, 2026). Israel now has more than 400 wineries, close to 200 of them with visitor centers — so which ones are actually worth visiting? The column sorts through the guides that can help, from Wine Journey: Israeli Adventure to the classic Wine Route of Israel.

The centerpiece is a new, free resource: Yechiel Chovav (Wolgel)'s Guide to Israeli Wine. Yechiel — winemaker, sommelier, and Master Mezcalier, who spent several years at Agur Winery in the Judean Hills — has put together something far more opinionated than the books: expert personal views on which wineries are worth your time and money. His starting point is three questions: where will you be? Do you want a real meal, or is a cheese board enough? And are you after a tour or a tasting?

Read the column here: https://washingtonjewishweek.com/a-new-guide-to-visiting-wineries-in-israel/ — and read the guide here: Yechiel's Guide to Israeli Wine. I've also added the guide to the News Media and Key Guides list in the sidebar so it stays findable.

Israel Finally Has a Wine Map. Now Comes the Hard Part.

Wine map of Israel (Israel Wine Regions, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Israel Wine Grape Council (2026))

My Washington Jewish Week column from September looks at Israel's new official map of wine regions. I start with three glasses of Pinot Noir from Burgundy, the Sonoma Coast and Central Otago, because the whole point of a map is that place shows up in the glass, and the new regional profiles make that case for Israel too: the Upper Golan gets 650 to 1,200 millimeters of rain a year, the Negev Highlands about 50.

I also walk through what the 85 percent rule does and does not guarantee, why naming a region on the label stays voluntary with "Israeli wine" as the lawful default, and the origin records a winery must keep if it does. The map is not finished and is not meant to be, and the winemakers I asked see it as a good first step.

Read the full column in Washington Jewish Week: Israel Finally Has a Wine Map. Now Comes the Hard Part.

Japanese Manga Wine Education

 Great entertaining and educational comics covering various wine regions. Fun! Kudos to Uncorked for this resource, I hope more editions are forthcoming. 

I would pay for print editions!

Barbaresco Finally Arrives at the Kosher Table

Barbaresco wine, an Italian wine made from Nebbiolo in Piedmont. (Photo credit: wikicommons/Jeff)

For years the kosher world knew Piedmont mainly for sweet Moscato in a blue bottle. My September column covers a real change: Cantina Traversa, a family winery founded in 1834 on the Canova hill in Neive, now makes two kosher Barbarescos, which Gabriel Geller of Royal Wine Corp. describes as the first ever made.

I explain what Barbaresco actually is, compare the two 2021 bottlings (David Raccah gave the Starderi 96 points), and offer advice on aging and decanting, since these Nebbiolos need time. At around $80 a bottle they are an investment, so I also suggest two easier entry points: Traversa's Barbera d'Alba and the Masseria Cascina Minot Langhe Nebbiolo.

Read the full column in Washington Jewish Week: Barbaresco Finally Arrives at the Kosher Table

Zero Alcohol Wines Enter the Kosher Market

J. Folk UnWine Red Wine (Courtesy of Jules Polonetsky)

Health concerns, the habits of younger drinkers and the new weight loss drugs have turned dealcoholized wine into big business, but kosher consumers had almost no options until now. My August column looks at two new arrivals distributed by Royal: J. Folk Unwine from South Africa's Swartland, described in the trade press as the first kosher certified dealcoholized wines in the United States, and Divin from the Loire Valley.

I cover the Unwine Rude Red, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage blend at about $22, and the Lush Sparkling Chardonnay at about $25, and explain why the kosher market trailed behind. I also take up whether these wines can be used for Kiddush and the four cups at the seder.

Read the full column in Washington Jewish Week: Zero Alcohol Wines Enter the Kosher Market

It's a Mechaya! Loew Vineyards Honey Wine Launches Under Star-K

(Photo credit: Loew Vineyards)

Loew Vineyards in Mount Airy has released Mechaya, the first honey wine produced in Maryland under Star-K certification. My August column tells the story behind it: the Löw family made honey wine in Galicia, first in Bursztyn and later in Lemberg, until the Holocaust interrupted the business, and this release opens a new chapter for the family winery.

I explain how mead is made and why fermenting honey all the way dry is harder than it sounds, then suggest how to use it at the table: well chilled as an aperitif, with gefilte fish, with roast chicken and with anything involving apples, which makes it a natural for Rosh Hashanah. This is decidedly not a sweet dessert wine.

Read the full column in Washington Jewish Week: It's a Mechaya! Loew Vineyards Honey Wine Launches Under Star-K

Buying Kosher Wine Online

(Photo credit: Adobe Stock/Oksana)

Amazon and Instacart have taught all of us to expect free shipping, but kosher wine retailers do not have those economies of scale, and there is no free l'chaim. My July column compares what the major online kosher wine sellers actually charge to get wine to your door.

I lay out a shipping cost comparison chart, explain the two common approaches (free shipping above a bottle count or above a dollar total), and note sellers like IDrinkKosher that refuse to play the free shipping game at all. There are also a few pro tips, including discount codes from podcasters and bloggers, and checking whether a low price is simply missing sales tax.

Read the full column in Washington Jewish Week: Buying Kosher Wine Online