The 19th Annual Kosher Food and Wine Experience (KFWE), hosted by Royal Wine Corp., was held February 10 at the Meadowlands Hilton in New Jersey. This event catered to trade professionals, producers, and the press, offering a comprehensive showcase of nearly 1,000 kosher-certified wines and an extensive selection of spirits from around the globe. I managed to attend both KFWE New York and KFWE London (February 18) and had the chance to taste many of the new and noteworthy wines entering the Kosher market.

Overall, the big news is that we are seeing more top wineries around the world making kosher wines. Royal, the mega distributor and producer, has a treasure in Menachem Israelievitch, their European expert who has built relationships with top wineries and succeeded in working with an increasing number of prestigious chateaus. Some of these wines come with stratospheric prices but if you have felt that you were missing out on superb Burgundy or Bordeaux wines, you now have many options. A new elite kosher production was from Domaine du Château Philippe Le Hardi. Renowned for its exceptional Burgundy wines, this estate recently introduced several kosher-certified offerings, including the first kosher-certified Grand Cru Clos Vougeot in two decades. At a sticker price of over $400 per bottle, this may be the most expensive current release on the kosher market.

KFWE 2025 also marked the introduction of kosher-certified malbec wines from the renowned Cahors region in France, particularly from Clos Triguedina. Three distinct malbecs were presented, including the 2022 Triguedina Malbec du Clos, a mevushal wine offering simple and fruity notes, suitable for casual enjoyment; the 2022 Clos Triguedina, a non-mevushal wine with more mature characteristics, showcasing the depth and complexity typical of the Cahors terroir; and the 2022 Clos Triguedina Probus flagship offering, a non-mevushal wine exhibiting great concentration and brilliant acidity, positioning it as one of the finest kosher malbecs currently available.

From the Beaujolais region, Château de Bellevue, located in the prestigious Cru Morgon of Beaujolais, made its debut. Kosher consumers are more familiar with the easy-drinking light and fruity Beaujolais wines often promoted for quick consumption after bottling. This is still an easy-to-drink gamay, but tasting the wine in London with winemaker Élodie Rousselot, and learning about the special terroir of the fields and the care for the winemaking process, helped me appreciate why this wine was so delicious.

A significant highlight of KFWE 2025 was the introduction of Herzog Wine Cellars’ new label, Yesod. General Manager Joseph Herzog explained that these were the first wines fully under the direction of their new lead winemaker, David Galzignato, with his precise requirements for particular brands of new oak barrels and his specific choices of yeasts, among other key nuances. Although Herzog continues to produce high-end wines under other sub-brands, this series demonstrates their best efforts from three renowned California vineyards. All three Yesod wines are Napa cabernet sauvignon grapes from sought-after vineyards including Montagna Vineyard in Pritchard Hill, Edcora Vineyard on Atlas Peak, and Padis Vineyards at Oak Knoll.

Among the distinguished wineries present was California’s Covenant Wines, renowned for its minimal-intervention, natural and vegan wines since 2003. Covenant displayed several notable selections including their newer mevushal (flash-pasteurized to be eligible for kosher restaurants and caterers in the U.S.) line Covenant Black Label. Winemaker Jeff Morgan confirmed for me that the Cabernet Black Label is made from the same grapes as their non-mevushal cabernet, so this may be a rare opportunity for those of you who want to see if you can tell the difference between mevushal and non-mevushal wines. Wine critic and blogger David Raccah declared the 2021 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Label to be the “Mevushal Wine of the Year.” It was also a special treat to taste Covenant’s Double-Edged Sword Brandy distilled from chenin blanc and aged for two years in wine barrels. This small-lot brandy offers a flavor reminiscent of fine cognac.

Elvi Wines, Spain’s exclusive kosher winery, is celebrated for its commitment to quality and sustainability. The Cohen family’s dedication has propelled Elvi to the forefront of the kosher wine world, with their son David serving as the global brand ambassador and daughter Leah now joining the family as a winemaker. At KFWE 2025, Elvi introduced the 2022 “Siblings by Mesorah,” a new series conceived by the Cohen siblings. This mevushal wine is crafted from 80% grenache and 20% carignan sourced from the Clos Mesorah vineyard. It offers a more-accessible profile compared to their flagship Clos Mesorah, targeting both younger consumers and those seeking high-quality mevushal options suitable for restaurant settings. Tasting notes highlight ripe blueberry, blackberry, hints of raspberry, and subtle soy undertones, all balanced by bright acidity and assertive tannins.

KFWE featured a dedicated room with only Israeli wines, with prominent wineries including Alexander, Barkan, Bin Nun, Carmel, Chateau Golan, Feldstein, Jezreel, Kamisa, Odem Mountain Winery, Pinto, Shiloh, Teperberg, Tulip, Tabor, and Yatir Darom. Most of the winemakers were present, many with stories of the challenges facing the industry due to the recent conflicts in the north and south. Winemaker Yaakov Oryah, famed for his unique creative wines, is now the winemaker at Pinto and served remarkable reds and whites made in Israel’s Negev. Particularly moving were the Darom Yatir bottles with a red anemone label, the iconic flower that blooms in the south and has become a symbol of Israeli resilience.

Essa Winery from South Africa made a notable impression with its new wines, particularly the 2023 Essa Seaside Riesling. You can really taste the sea with the minerals in this wine, which along with the Essa Fume Blanc were surprise sell out hits this year. These were extremely limited productions, but winemaker Josh Rynderman told me that Royal has placed a significant order for expanded production next year. These are also very affordable wines for the value.

With the ever-expanding kosher wine options available, consider trying a new region to expand your palate. L’Chayim!

Jules Polonetsky is a WSET 3 certified kosher wine expert and maintains a kosher wine education site at www.kosher-wine.org