Kosher wine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kosher wine (Hebrew: יין כשר, yayin kashèr) results only when wine is produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, the Jewish dietary laws of (kashrut, Hebrew: כשרות), and then is known as "kosher wine". However other branches of Judaism are more "lenient" with these laws, see views of Conservative Judaism below. Reform Judaism does not often observe these laws.
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[edit] According to Orthodox Judaism
In general, kashrut deals with avoiding specific forbidden foods, none of which are normally used in winemaking, so it might seem that all wines are automatically "kosher". However, because of wine's special role in many non-Jewish religions, the kashrut laws specify that wine cannot be considered kosher if it might have been used for "idolatry".
Some of these concepts include:
- Yayin Nesekh (Wine that has been poured to an idol, or with idolatry in mind.)
- Stam Yainom (Wine that may have been touched by someone who might believe in idolatry, but wouldn't have had it in mind at the time of contact.)
- When kosher wine is mevushal ("cooked" or "boiled"), it thereby becomes unfit for idolatrous use and will keep the status of kosher wine even if subsequently touched by an idolator. See section below for more details.
- Intermingling - There are prohibitions on several foods, including wine, in order to prevent intermingling amongst non-Jews in order to reduce the chances of intermarriage.
In recent times, there has been an increased demand for kosher wines and a number of wine producing countries now produce a wide variety of sophisticated kosher wines under strict rabbinical supervision, particularly in Israel, the United States, France, Italy, South Africa, and Australia. Two of the world's largest producers and importers of kosher wines, Kedem and Manischewitz, are both based in the Northeastern United States.
[edit] Non-Kosher Additives
Non-kosher ingredients commonly used in wine manufacture are Bull's blood and isinglass[1][2].
[edit] When sold commercially
When kosher wine is produced, marketed and sold commercially to Orthodox Jews, it must have the hechsher ("seal of approval") of a supervising agency or organization (such as the "OU" sign of the Orthodox Union), or of an authoritative rabbi who is preferably also a posek ("decisor" of Jewish law) or be supervised by a beth din ("Jewish religious court of law") according to Orthodox Judaism.
[edit] According to Conservative Judaism
A number of halakhic authorities within the Conservative movement hold that wines produced in the New World are acceptable. Specifically, in situations in which there is no reason to believe that the production of such wines is conducted as part of paganistic (or indeed, any) religious practice, the wines are thus kosher, regardless of whether or not their production is subject to rabbinical supervision. This position holds for wines produced within the United States, almost exclusively, and is codified in several pronouncements of the Rabbinical Assembly, the halakhic organization of Conservative Judaism in the United States. There are, however, a number of notable posqim, even within the Conservative Jewish community, who oppose this apparent "leniency", or who accept it with a number of caveats. (See Isaac Klein: Jewish Religious Practice ISBN 0-87334-004-3)
[edit] Procedure for production of Mevushal wines
As mentioned above, when kosher wine is mevushal ("cooked" or "boiled"), it thereby becomes unfit for idolatrous use and will keep the status of kosher wine even if subsequently touched by an idolator.
Traditionally, this edict was followed literally. The boiling process killed most of the fine mold or "must" on the grapes, and greatly altered the tannins and flavours of the wine. The result was typically a weak, insipid wine. Rather than being full red in colour, it often displayed an opaque, permanganate-coloured tone.
Later, the process was modified to require only that wine be heated to 90 degrees Celsius. (At this temperature, the wine is not bubbling, but it is cooking, in the sense that it will evaporate much more quickly than usual.) This managed to reduce some of the damage done to the wine, but still had a substantial effect on flavour.
Recently, a process called flash pasteurization has come into vogue. This method avoids causing the juice of the grapes to simmer or boil, and is said to have a minimal effect on flavour, at least to the casual wine drinker. Indeed, the non-kosher winery Château Beaucastel flash pasteurizes and its wines are considered among the world's finest, although few others have copied this technique. Ironically, relatively flavourful flash pasteurized wines faced resistance in the market as observant Jews had come to associate kosher wine with the traditional pinkish, tea-colored wines.
In most territories, the bulk of kosher wine is supplied by wineries producing both kosher wine and wine for the general market. However, irrespective of the method, the pasteurization process must be overseen by mashgichim to ensure the kosher status of the wine. Generally, they will attend the winery to physically tip the fruit into the crush, and operate the pasteurisation equipment. Once the wine emerges from the process, it can be handled and aged in the normal fashion.
[edit] Role of wine in Jewish holidays and rituals
Almost all Jewish holidays, especially the Passover Seder where all present drink four cups of wine, on Purim for the festive meal, and on the Shabbat require obligatory blessings over filled cups of kosher wine that are then drunk. At Jewish marriages, circumcisions, and at Redemption of First-born ceremonies, the obligatory blessing of Borei Pri HaGafen ("Blessed are you O Lord, Who created the fruit of the vine") is almost always recited over kosher wine (or grape juice.)
According to the teachings of the Midrash, the "forbidden fruit" that Eve ate and which she gave to Adam was the grape from which wine is derived. The capacity of wine to cause drunkenness with its consequent loosening of "inhibitions" is described by the ancient rabbis in Hebrew as nichnas yayin, yatza sod ("wine enters, [and one's personal] secret[s] exit".) Another similarly evocative expression relating to wine is: Ein Simcha Ela BeBasar Veyayin ("There is no joy except through [eating] meat and [drinking] wine".)
