Kosher Wine Club

One of the many types of wine clubs to choose from is a kosher wine club. Simply put, this type of club sends out only kosher wines as part of their shipments.

Wine Clubs=Fun!

Wine clubs are such fun! Who could argue that there is just something great about getting a knock on your door and the UPS man delivering your wine club shipment? It’s great, no doubt about it (except for that annoying part of your credit card getting charged…oh well).

Many to Choose From

Wine clubs come in every shape and size. Most wineries have their own wine clubs, some wine shops have their own clubs and some online wine shops/sites have their own as well. Belonging to the wine club just means that you receive wine shipments from the producer/store anywhere from 2-12 times a year.

What Do You Get?

If you belong to a winery’s wine club, chances are you will receive their new release or estate wines or even their hard-to-find reserve wines. If you are part of a wine shop or wine store wine club, you may be getting the newest, greatest find from Argentina or somewhere else. There are many themes you can choose from and as such, many types of wines could come your way. It’s a great thing to do to get exposure to wines you might not have otherwise considered.

Ask the Right Questions

There are MANY types of wine clubs to join. My recommendation is to research the club before you join. Ask questions: How many times a year do you receive a shipment? What is the average cost? How many bottles per shipment? Is there a minimum amount of shipments you have to agree to before dropping? Is there a red wine or white wine only option?

Kosher Wine Clubs are an Option

Kosher wine simply means the wine is signed off by a Jewish Rabbi or by “rabbinical authorities”. The wine cannot be opened, poured or handled (open bottle) by any non-Jew. Contrary to popular belief, kosher wine is not necessarily boiled or brought up to near-boiling temperatures as some think…wines that go through that process are called “Mevushal” and can be handled, poured and opened by any non-Jew.

Good Resources

In the U.S. there are more and more kosher wineries opening up, so the options for drinking kosher wines here are ever increasing. Some good resources to look into: www.kosherwine.com and www.kosherwinereview.com. Kosherwine.com even has its own wine club that you can join.

Kosher Wineries

Some other options for joining a kosher wine club is to join a kosher winery wine club. Hagafen Cellars in California’s own Napa Valley has produced some outstanding Cabernets (and I have personally had the opportunity to try them a few times). Baron Rothschild (you know the name) even produces kosher wines…so why not try a French Bordeaux that also happens to be kosher? There are many others. So next time you find a kosher wine club to belong to you too will get that smile knowing another wine shipment has arrived!

Kosher Recommendations

Every once in a while a group of wine-loving friends that work with me in the industry (aka "cork dorks") get together and do a comparative tasting. One of the themes we did recently was kosher wine. Here are some good ones we tasted Enjoy!:

• Herzog 2002 Alexander Valley Merlot

This wine showed amazing intensity for a Merlot. Ripe soft grape tannins were backed up by a fair amount of wood tannins. We all agreed that this wine needed time to age and soften up a bit more. Boysenberry and cherry fruits round out the nice texture.

• Hagafen 2001 Napa Valley Syrah

This wine was my overall favorite of the evening. This Syrah is made from 2 very well known vineyards in Napa (Hestan and Page-Nord Vineyards)that other well known wineries produce wine from--such as Siduri and Rosenblum. Since Hagafen sourced fruit from great vineyards, they made some great wine. Classic Syrah nose of coffee, intense blueberry, and smoke really come out in the first sniff. Since it is a 2001, it is drinkable now.

• Baron Rothshchild 2001 Haut Medoc

When this bottle was pulled out after tasting, I thought whoever brought it made a mistake and did not buy a kosher wine. I was wrong. The Rothschild family is famous when it comes to French wine (think Lafitte and Mouton for Bordeaux). It turns out that in 1988 the family tried making a kosher wine as well, and it seems to be going over well. This wine displayed classic Bordeaux characteristics: earthy, a bit herbal, cassis and vanilla. This wine was not as heavy as the American ones, which in turn will let it pair better with a larger variety of foods..

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