Strictly kosher

Wine is woven into the fabric of Jewish ritual and celebration. All Jewish celebrations feature the blessings of wine in some form. The marriage ceremony invokes the specific prayer, “Blessed are you Lord, who created the fruit of the vine”.

From the Fall of the Temple, to the Roman Occupation—on up to today, the Jewish people are true to their belief that wine must be produced kosher to their dietary laws. Once the grapes have been harvested, only an observant Jew may touch or move the grapes in the process of making the wine. From crush to bottling, the complete winemaking process must reflect kosher laws—especially in regards to the fining of the wine. For example, wine must be kept from contact with grains, breads and dough. It is also common to pasteurize the wine, to keep it kosher, even though there are no records concerning boiled wine. If the wine is produced any other way, or the grapes come in contact with anyone other than an observant Jew, the resulting wine cannot be considered kosher.

In North America, kosher wine was initially produced from Concord grapes.

It would be generous to say the resulting wine was on the extreme sweet side. Then again, sweetness has always a been factor with sacramental wines, regardless of religious stripe. I have had the pleasure, all the same, to taste kosher wine from Galilee, the Napa Valley and Europe, any of which would delight those with discerning palates.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
Huff Estates recently produced a kosher 2014 Sculpture Series that is a treat and a tribute to the team at Huff, as they expand the reach of their already excellent wines.

I just happened upon their latest in this series, depicting the “moose plunge” by artist Charles Pachter. This V.Q.A. Ontario wine is artfully sculpted to showcase Ontario wines created by the capable hands of passionate winemakers.

This Riesling has less petroleum on the nose and more greengages—more nuance of almond and white grapefruit—making this wine a perfect companion to food. It is available at Huff’s tasting room on County Road 1, for $22 a bottle.

A shout-out to Barley Days and the release of this year’s Oyster Stout. Its dedicated following will now find it available at Barley Days Brewery, located on the Loyalist Highway just west of Hagerman Farms.