Kosher wine is produced like any other white, rosé, or red wine, but with a key exception—it must be made under the supervision of a rabbi and use certified kosher ingredients and equipment, according to Jewish law. Although not all Jewish wine lovers solely drink kosher wine, it’s important to have a few bottles on the table for Passover. All of the wines on this list are certified kosher, though not all are certified kosher for Passover so pick up the bottle that works best for your celebration. So we turned to leading Jewish food and wine experts—and a few of our own team members—for their recommendations on the best Kosher wines to serve with your Passover meal.
1. O'Dwyers Creek Sauvignon Blanc, $19.99
"This one is always my go-to white wine for dinners and Passover especially. It's light, not sweet, and very drinkable.” —Shannon Sarna, editor of The Nosher
2. Carmel King David Sacramental, $16.99 for 1.5L
This isn’t a wine you would enjoy a glass of with dinner—think of it as a fancy Manischewitz. It's the best quality kosher wine for blessings, hands down. —Sarah Yaffa, lead data analyst for Food52
3. Covenant Chardonnay Lavan Sonoma Mountain, $41.99
“This is an elegant white wine that pairs beautifully with matzo ball soup. It also works great with gefilte fish! We serve Covenant Chardonnay Lavan (which means “white” in Hebrew) to kick off our Passover seder at home. And we keep drinking it until we get to the red meat course. The wine is sourced from a single 12-acre vineyard called Scopus, at the top of Sonoma Mountain in northern California. We have been making Covenant Lavan from these same vines since 2011. It never disappoints!” —Jeff Morgan, founding winemaker at Covenant Winery
4. Bartenura Moscato, $11.97
“This has what I would call a cult following—it's sweet and bubbly and a great dessert wine, but also just a fun wine for someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously. Perhaps a step up would be Herzog Late Harvest Orange Muscat.” —Shannon Sarna, editor of The Nosher
5. Segal's Wild Fermentation Cabernet Sauvignon, $21.99
“A little bit different from traditional kosher wines, Segal's Wild Fermentation is funky (in a good way) and jammy all at the same time. This wine's deep flavor comes from spontaneously fermented yeast found naturally in Segal's vineyard. It pairs very well with meaty dishes (think lamb) and can also be enjoyed all on its own (it may need to breathe for a bit to completely open up).” —John Kunza, publisher of Unpacked
6. 2017 Yarden Galilee Chardonnay, $23.49
“Fruit sourced from vineyards in the northernmost region of the Golan Heights at 3,900 feet in elevation. The climate is fairly cool which provides nice acidity in the wine. The wine has notes of fresh lemon, lemon curd, ripe pear, white flower, and baking spices. It's round and full-bodied but balanced out by the acidity and touch of minerality from the volcanic soil.” —Margaux Reaume, co-founder of Argaux
7. Ramon Cardova Rioja, $12.97
"A great red for anyone who prefers a red that isn't too full-bodied and is very moderately priced under $20.” —Shannon Sarna, editor of The Nosher
8. Covenant RED C RED Blend, $48.99
“Our RED C RED is a blend of grape varieties—mostly Petite Sirah, Syrah, Grenache and Zinfandel—grown in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. It's our “go-to” red for all occasions. Easy drinking yet layered with enough flavor and texture to satisfy even the most discerning wine geek. We call it the “ultimate Passover wine,” because of its name: RED C. The double entendre refers to the famous Red Sea crossed by Moses and the Israelites as they fled Egypt, which also happens to be the story of Passover!” —Jeff Morgan, founding winemaker at Covenant Winery
9. Tulip Black, $60.99
“A blend, this wine is made to impress and the 2016 vintage is especially delicious but is harder to find on the shelves. Heavy notes of dark fruit, it's amazingly balanced and dry. On top of just tasting delicious, the winery also has a great story. Tulip employs hundreds of local adults with developmental and emotional disabilities to help out in the winemaking process.” —John Kunza, publisher of Unpacked
10. Petit Castel, $52.99
"A great Bordeaux for the French wine lover, priced around $50. —Shannon Sarna, editor of The Nosher
Written by: Kelly Vaughan
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4 Comments
But curious about odd timing choice (yours or editor's)...why
post more than two months before Passover?
Good idea, as the French say en theorie.
But not en practique.
IMHO, way too early.
On this model, I'll expect your Memorial Day picnic articles soon, when snow is still on the ground, Thanksgiving advice in mid September & Christmas cookie recipes before the kids go out for Halloween!
Maybe three to four weeks before, not two and a half months...
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