Vocabulary for Kosher Wines (Part II)

Monday, March 22, 2010 by Sarah M.
kosher winesThink you’re a kosher wine expert? Then I’m sure you know all of these wine vocabulary words, continued from last week’s post…

Pairing: Matching food and wine for an ideal flavor combination. Pairing is a subjective process, although most can agree that white wines work best with lighter dishes like fish, while red wines are best suited for beef and other heavy meals.

Sherry: A wine fortified with brandy produced in the Sherry Triangle of Jerez, Spain.

Tannins: Sometimes called the “pucker power,” tannins are the components of a wine that dry out your mouth, made from grape skins, seeds, and stems. You can also taste tannins in a strong cup of tea without cream or sugar.

Varietal: A type of wine, as defined by the specific grape it comes from.

Zinfandel: A varietal of red grape that’s been vital to California’s wine industry since the 19th century. White Zinfandel is still made with red grapes, although their skins are removed very early during production.

Now that you know all these helpful wine terms, shopping for kosher wines should be even more enjoyable. Visit www.KosherWineRack.com for the best selection of kosher wine on the market.

Your Kosher Wine Vocabulary List (Part I)

Monday, March 15, 2010 by Sarah M.
If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of kosher wines, it might help to brush up on some of the wine industry’s key words and phrases. Read on for our wine vocabulary list, from acidity to zinfandel:

Acidity: Measures the sourness of a wine. Very sour wines are called “tart,” while wines with hardly any acidity are termed “flat.”

Body: The body of a wine defines the concentration of its flavors. Full-bodied wines feel heavy in your mouth, like milk, and light-bodied bottles are more like water. Medium-bodied wines are somewhere in the middle.

Decant: To transfer wine from its bottle to a separate glass container (decanter), either to let the wine breathe or eliminate the sediment in aged red wine.

Fortified: Wine featuring a distilled spirit, often brandy, added sometime during fermentation. If the fortification occurs in the middle of fermentation, the result is a stronger, sweeter wine, as the distilled component will prevent yeast cells from converting sugar to alcohol.

Mevushal: A type of kosher wine heated during production to guarantee its purity. While non-mevushal wine can lose its kosher status if opened or poured by a non-observant party, mevushal wine will always remain kosher.

The History of Israeli Wine

Monday, March 8, 2010 by Sarah M.

When most people think of legendary winemakers, they imagine vineyards and wineries in regions of Italy and France. And while these countries have been bottling wine for a long time, the Israeli wine industry dates back just as early — to biblical times, in fact.

Located along a wine trading route connecting Egypt and Mesopotamia, Israel absorbed knowledge and techniques from passing traders and manufacturers, and wine became a large part of Israeli culture. Israeli wine became popular in other regions as well, including the Roman Empire.

Despite its optimistic beginning, the Israeli wine industry all but died out between the 7th and 18th centuries, beginning with the conquest of the Middle East by Muslims. Wineries and vineyards were closed, and some of the area's indigenous varieties of grapes were lost forever.

The Israeli wine industry began its revival with Baron Edmond de Rothschild of France, who helped found the Carmel Winery in 1882, which remains Israel's leading producer of wine. Rothschild shared his knowledge of winemaking techniques, in addition to importing several types of French grapes to region.

Israeli wine improved again about a century later, when winemakers diverged from traditional sweet kosher wine to bottle dry vintages as well. Since then, Israeli wine has been recognized for its quality by critics the world over.

Bartenura Moscato Wines for Only $9.99!

Monday, March 1, 2010 by Sarah M.
In this economy, you might be asking yourself, “Can I get good wine for under $10?” At some stores, you'd be lucky to find a good bottle for twice that, but www.KosherWineRack.com stocks delicious Bartenura Malvasia, Freisa D'Asti, and Moscato wines — all for only $9.99.

The Bartenura Malvasia is a gently sweet red wine bottled in Italy with subtle accents of cherry and blueberry. Experts recommend pairing the 2008 vintage with dessert, pizza, or moderately spicy food.

Bottled in 2007, the Bartenura Freisa D'Asti is a deeper red, boasting 10% alcohol content to the Malvasia's 5.5. Set apart by its honey and black cherry flavors, the Freisa D'Asti should be served lightly chilled, either by itself or alongside fruit or dessert.

Last, the Bartenura Moscato 2008 is a refreshing white that tastes as fantastic outside on a humid summer day as it does matched with hors d'oeuvres in a more formal setting. Drink your Moscato chilled and enjoy the excited notes of tangerine, nectar, melon, and pear. For a bubbly alternative, try the Bartenura Moscato Piemonte.