“This is delicious!” exclaims a friend, tasting a wine and requesting a second glass. “Are you sure it’s Kosher?”
If you are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, this year, you are in for a delicious treat. For much of this century, most families sipped the sweet, grape-y Manishevitz. Today you will find some excellent, affordable, and delicious Kosher wines being produced in regions around the world that quite often outshine non-Kosher wines at a similar price point.
If you are hosting a large party, you might take the opportunity to stock up on several different Kosher wines so you can serve a few as an aperitif, and then pair them with different courses. At the end of the evening, you might also ask your guests which wines they liked the best, and make note of your favorites for your next trip to the wine shop. Most of these wines are so delicious you will want to serve them all year round.
Below are tasting notes on several Kosher wines readily available through an online wine shop or at your local wine store or market. As many of the side dishes served at Rosh Hashanah are sweet, these selected wines will pair nicely with honey cake, carrots, apples dipped in honey, and other delights that represent sweet good fortune for the coming year.
Chardonnay
***2006 Baron Herzog Chardonnay Special Reserve Kosher, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA $13
Buttery croissant on the nose and medium-bodied palate of ripe, vanilla scented baked white-fleshed fruit on the palate. Medium-plus finish of spiced baked pear. Incredible value for the price, great structure and robust flavors. This wine can work as an aperitif on its own or to accompany full-flavored Rosh Hashanah dishes such as baked chicken or fish.
****2006 Herzog Wines Chardonnay Kosher Central Coast, CA $13 BEST BUY
Succulent aromas of jasmine, honeysuckle, and ripe tropical fruit leap out before a satisfying palate of citrus, pineapple, and ripe sweet mango. If you like the spiced baked apple style of Chardonnay with its butter style and hint of oak, this great value wine offers a new twist.
Article comments
1 - Ruvy
Nice to see that two Israeli wines made it into your list - even if I can't afford them!