Temp Note: This wine should be chilled to 45ºF. (Pop it in the fridge overnight and let it warm up in the glass after serving.)
Hanukkah begins next week (December 18th – December 26th), so today’s libation is kosher. Our staff was delighted to find this Sauvignon Blanc from Chile – it’s mevushal but FULL OF FLAVOR! The Terra Vega displays all the green pepper and grapefruit notes that we expect in a Chilean SB and comes in the perfect package for your kit.
Assorted Table also carries several other kosher wines and wines from Israel.
WHAT MAKES A WINE KOSHER?
This is a wine produced in accordance with Judaism’s religious laws & dietary practices. To be considered kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must supervise and, in many cases, handle the entire winemaking process; from the vineyard to the bottle! Any ingredients used, including yeast, acids, and fining agents, must be kosher. Having wines that are certified kosher is somewhat contemporary because kosher winemaking ingredients were not available until the 1920’s.
According to https://wineindustryadvisor.com/, about 30% of Israel’s wine brands are certified kosher and account for 90% of wine production in Israel today.
MEVUSHAL WINES
Mevushal is Hebrew for “cooked”, and this is a reference to the act of bringing the wine to a boil. Once the wine is flash pasteurized, it is allowed to be handled by non-jews and retain the status of kosher.
The symbols on the back labels are called a hechsher. This is a rabbinical mark of an authorized body that certifies the wine or food product as Kosher.
Many Kosher wines are also vegan due to the strict rules surrounding the fining agents & yeasts that are used. No animal byproducts like isinglass, casein, or gelatin will ever touch these wines!