I like bold, full-bodied red wine with a leisurely meal, but not for the four cups at the Passover seder. In my book, red wine is to be sipped and savored. At that rate, the seder would last all night and everyone else at the table would mutiny. I usually have Malaga; the warm sweetness brings back memories of long ago seders in my childhood home. But I admit that the third and fourth cups are more pain than pleasure. I am ready to graduate, and find quality wines I can drink at the pace required.
There are different opinions about what is required by halacha for the four cups. Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of kashrus for the Orthodox Union, reviewed what Torah luminaries have said: “Rav Moshe Feinstein said the wine had to have alcohol but he didn’t specify the amount. Rav Soloveitchik said that, following the Rambam’s opinion, the wine for kiddush must be wine that could be kosher for libation on the alter, which excludes mevushal wine. The Rav used non-mevushal wine for kiddush but used grape juice for the other three cups. Many, including the Chazon Ish and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerback, used grape juice.”
Shai Perry, CEO of Cobalt Brands, Importers of Fine Spirits, is very knowledgeable about wine, and gave me suggestions for the four cups ranging from solid but softer dry reds to sweet ones. Perry enthusiastically recommends Binyamina’s Yogev Winery; their wines are not expensive but really great quality. He thinks the Yogev Cabernet Merlot blend would make an excellent seder wine. “This wine is a go-to in my house,” he said. “It’s not too heavy but still offers a very round and flavorful pallet.” He also recommends the Cabernet Sauvignon from Luria, a “great little winery in the Galilee,” and the Malbec from Psagot, another excellent Israeli winery. For a sweeter profile, he likes the Rose from Dumaine Castel.
Sweet and/or sparkling wines are good choices for people who don’t want a full-bodied red, and there are some within that category that have a more upscale profile. In the rankings for this guide there are categories for Rose, Dry Sparkling and Late Harvest wines. They are all contenders for anyone who prefers a lighter wine for the four cups.
Elizabeth Kratz, editor of the Jewish Link Wine Guide, says Yarden makes a pink, bubbly, not too sweet Brut sparkling wine that’s one of the best on the market. Razi’el Rose is another good sparkling wine. Kratz also suggests the Ya’acov Oryah sweet wines. SMLH stands for Skin Macerated Late Harvest. “It’s sweet but complex, interesting and different,” she said.
Gewurztraminer Ice Wine from Germany is another sweet but quality wine. Psagot dessert wine has a flavor similar to sherry and would make a good last cup at the seder.
Dr. Kenneth Friedman, a contributor to the Jewish Link Wine Guide, said another option for those who want to have red wine, but a lighter version, is to pour some red wine in the cup and then fill with it white.
If you’re hosting a seder this year, you may want to check with your guests about what kind of wine they prefer. Or just get a variety. With so many quality kosher wines to choose from, you can please every palate.
Bracha Schwartz is the special sections editor at The Jewish Link.
