Periodically I will hear someone say that a food is kosher because “a rabbi said a prayer over it.” Not true. Kashrut is a complex topic, so I’ll tackle in it manageable “bites.”
Since Shabbat is coming, let’s start with wine.
- Kosher wine is wine that has been produced and handled only by Sabbath-observing Jews, and for which all ingredients were also kosher.
- You can tell if wine is kosher by looking for the hecksher (rabbinical mark) on the label.
- The rules for kosher wine go back to ancient times, when wine was used to worship idols. To avoid wine that has been tainted by idol worship, kosher wine must be handled only by observant Jews. This includes the servers who pour the wine.
- Wine has an important role in many Jewish celebrations, including welcoming Shabbat, making Havdalah at the end of Shabbat, kiddush for holidays, brit milah (circumcision) and weddings.
- Not all kosher wines taste “like cough syrup.” Some labels are now producing wines that can compare favorably with non-kosher wines on the market.
- Some people like the sweet wines like Manischewitz.
For more information about kosher wine, check out this article from the Kosher Wine Society.
Related articles
- Announcing Wine Blogging Wednesday #56: Fine Kosher Wine (corkdork.typepad.com)
- The Economic Origins of the Kosher Wine Conundrum (wineeconomist.com)
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