Years ago, drinking only kosher wine meant missing out on renowned wines from prestigious regions like Bordeaux and Tuscany. Baron Edmond & Benjamin de Rothschilds’ Chateau Clarke released the first kosher Bordeaux in 1988, and other wineries followed. Today, many top wineries worldwide collaborate with local kosher supervisors to produce wines under esteemed labels that wine connoisseurs desire.

Unfortunately, the elite Bordeaux First Growths have yet to offer kosher wines, and there are still significant gaps in the market, particularly for options like Port, Sherry, and many wines from Italy and Australia. However, major Jewish population centers are increasingly well-stocked, with selections from notable wineries like Pontet Canet, Le Dome, Domaine Chevalier, and Smith Haute Lafite in Bordeaux, with more available online. Burgundy remains under-represented, but Maison Aegerter, a leading producer, has worked with IDS to provide an increasing number of kosher options. In addition, Ralph Madeb has secured products from Italian wineries producing kosher wines for the first time.

Are the kosher wines produced by these non-kosher wineries as good as their mainstream non-kosher versions? The answer is nuanced, primarily revolving around the production process rather than the ingredients themselves. While some fining agents and specialty yeasts must be certified kosher (due to concerns about ingredients that can include by-products from non-kosher animals), these factors are not usually significant to the wine’s final taste. The critical difference in kosher wine production lies in the availability of the kosher supervisor, or “mashgiach,” who must be present from the very beginning of the winemaking process. Since winemaking begins immediately after grape harvesting, the mashgiach must be on-site immediately.

Read the full article at the Wine and Whisky Globe and at the Jewish Link, Washington Jewish Week and Baltimore Jewish Times