I love Pesach. I have always loved Pesach. There are many reason why Pesach holds such a fond place in my heart; perhaps it could be some subconscious memory of my first seder when I was a mere 12 hours old, or my love of all things matzah and cream cheese related. It could be due to my love of family gatherings and the drama that inevitably ensues, or my love of Torah and the springs of spirituality that sprout forth from the mouths of all present at the Pesach seder. All those could be true. But in reality, they probably aren’t. The real truth as to why I will forever have an unadulterated affinity towards the holiday of Pesach and specifically the sedarim is the mitzvah we partake in that allows us to sample, savor and enjoy the living liquid produced from fermented grapes. The wine.
I have learned some things over the years of drinking at the sedarim. Pesach is a drink-a-lot, drink-it-quick and move-to-the-next-drink type of holiday. For enophiles this is quite troubling. How can we swirl the wine in the glass with a full cup? How can we parse through the palate to detect rose petals, freshly cut garden hose and limestone without the necessary time and concentration? Those who enjoy the beauty contained within a finely structured, full-flavored, palate-pleasing wine are faced with a quandary. How do we make the most of our Pesach Seder drinking experience while still following the proper halachos for amount of wine in the glass and drinking time? But don’t fret enophiles across the kosher world, I have the answer.
The first cup should be our biggest wine, and then we should move our way down in alcohol and boldness until the fourth cup is the easiest-drinking, lightest of all our wines. Now, the time restrictions and the fullness of our glasses are things we just have to deal with based upon each individual’s halachic holdings, but this theory of the decreasing nature of the wines holds true across the board. By using this logic we can enjoy the best wine first, and the descending quality and alcohol will match the ascending cup number until we find equilibrium with the fourth and last cup. Now on to the top-five list.
5. Herzog Chateau Fourcas Dupre 2012
This wine is a classic bordeaux blend of 44 percent each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with 10 percent Cabernet Franc and 2 percent Petit Verdot. The wine has 13 percent alcohol and is not Mevushal. This is either a cup-one or cup-four wine. Cup one due to its really sublime nature and its beautiful earthy structure, but cup four as it’s clearly not a fruit bomb and can allow the palette a touch of a break from perhaps three stronger fruit wines in cups one, two and three. Currently selling on kosherwine.com for $31.99.
4. Borgo Reale Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2013
The producer Borgo Reale is a leader in the Italian wine kosher market, making wines that highlight the excellent old-world region and the old-world grapes native to Italy. This wine has 13.5 percent alcohol and is the first wine on our list that is Mevushal. This is a cup-four wine for sure. It’s easy drinking, light in alcohol and pure in its structure so that the fruit shine. This wine is truly a gem on the kosher market. Currently selling on kosherwine.com for $11.99.
3. Yarden PN 2012
This specific wine is 13.5 percent alcohol and is not Mevushal. It is produced entirely from Pinot Noir grown in the Golan Heights, which is perhaps a region that can grow these grapes due to its cool climate, rocky volcanic soil and high altitudes. This wine was aged in French Oak barrels for 16 months, which produced a complex wine layering fruit, floral and spice characters with that of rich oak and nuances of vanilla. This is a cup-four wine as it’s almost dessertish and can be a sweet aftertaste to the end of the meal. Currently selling on kosherwine.com for $26.99.
2. Chosen Barrel Carrera 2012
This wine is a private-label wine from kosherwine.com. I know you say “It’s not fair—you are the fine-wine consultant for kosherwine.com, you are biased.” True I am, and yes I am biased, so don’t believe me about the quality of the wine, go out and try it yourself, that’s perfectly fine with me. Or if you prefer then follow the Jewish Week’s annual wine guide that ranked this wine as the number 2 wine for red wines under $25. My ranking this as the number 2 wine under $35 for the seder is simply reflective of the Jewish Week and their rankings. But truly it is a special wine. The grapes were sourced from the Jerusalem Hills and were chosen by us for you. Hence the chosen barrel. It comprises 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 25 percent Barbera. This wine is 14.8 percent alcohol and is Mevushal, the grapes were harvested at night and it is unfiltered. The wine spent 13 months on oak and is a fruity wine showing red to black fruit with raspberries and blackberries on the nose. This wine is either a first- or second-cup wine. Currently selling only on kosherwine.com for $21.99.
And the number one red wine for the seder under $35 is…….
1. Matar Stratus 2013
You want to impress a kosher wine enophile, you want to be considered a kosher wine connoisseur, then start drinking Matar. The Stratus is produced from 100 percent Shiraz grapes grown in the Galilee. This specific wine is 15.4 percent alcohol and is not Mevushal. It has a Minnesota Viking purple color, and is very young looking. The wine has aromas of strong red fruit, ripe cherries, ripe raspberries, strawberries and cranberries, which is a great feat considering the grape varietal and its tendency more towards spice than fruit. The palate is full bodied in its structure and has excellent balance and acid and has a wonderfully building finish. This wine is easily a cup-one wine. Let it breathe for at least one hour before enjoying and it will not disappoint. A really spectacular wine. Currently selling on kosherwine.com for $31.99.
By Yosef Silver
