Passover wine -- stop your kvetching it's improved

Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:09AM EDT

By Leslie Gevirtz

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Jews around the world celebrate Passover next week and whether this will be your first or your 50th seder, wine plays an integral part of the feast.

You don't have to be condemned to swallowing four cups of the sweet, sacramental Kiddush wines that generations of American and English Jews have swilled during the banquet that recounts the story of Exodus.

Someone has been in a kitchen slaving over a hot oven or a simmering lamb tagine; weeping over horseradish; chopping and dicing nuts and dates; perhaps there's even homemade gefilte fish. Whatever traditional elements the chef has laid on, they have spent hours and often days in preparation.

Shouldn't the wine reflect that effort and complement the dishes? And if you are commanded to drink four cups of wine, shouldn't it be something you would want to drink?

Just as Jews are scattered all over the world, so are kosher wines. Kosher wines are made just like any other wine, only the production is supervised by a rabbi and any and all additives used in the fermentation process must be kosher-approved. The wine's label will say "kosher for Passover".

Sometimes the label will say "mevushal" or "non mevushal." Mevushal means the wine has been flash-pasteurized to 175 degrees Fahrenheit (79.44 C) and may be opened and served by a non-observant person.

A first glass of Goose Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or Israeli made Tishbi Chardonnay or Castel 'C' Blanc could be a nice start. All are crisp and clean with a light finish.

Or, as this is truly a celebratory occasion, perhaps champagne? France's Laurent-Perrier or Nicolas Feuillatte both make kosher fizz.

The complexity of the Passover tale is reflected in what goes into the food - the bitter herbs such as horseradish, the sweet charoset (often a secret family recipe) made of nuts, dried fruits, apples and wine.

So for the main courses, perhaps Kings Blend from the Hamasrek winery in the Judean Hills where winemaker Nahum Greengrass explained he combines "the technology of California with the Israeli style of Old World wines."

Kings Blend is 80 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 percent Merlot and 5 percent Zinfandel that has been aged in French oak for almost two years.

Or the Robert Parker-rated Capcanes Peraj Ha'abib Flor de Primavera, a Spanish old-vines Grenache grown by a cooperative of 80 Catholics in the Priorat winegrowing region in Catalonia.

Until 1995, Cellar Capcanes sold mostly bulk wine to Miguel Torres, and then Barcelona's Jewish community sought them out to make a kosher wine.

"That took quite an investment of time and money, but the effort was definitely worth it," winemaker Jurgen Wagner said.

"The Jewish community in Barcelona only took about half the first year's production," Wagner said. "We kept making it anyway because it may have been kosher, but it was really good quality wine. Now, I'd say most of the people who drink it, aren't Jewish and they probably don't know it's kosher."

Carmel's Cabernet Sauvignon Private Collection from Israel's largest vintner may be easier to find and shouldn't disappoint. And if a lighter red or single-varietal is required, Four Gates Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot Noir or Hagafen Zinfandel both from California could suit.

And, as the almond torte or honey cake is brought out for dessert, perhaps Heights Wine should be offered. The name is not only a play on Germany's Eiswein, but also is similarly harvested and produced from frozen vines, Golan Heights winemaker Victor Schoenfeld said.

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