With Seder fast approaching, one job to tick off the list is picking up the wines for the four cups.
Two Sederim and four cups of wine at each mean you’re probably going to need a minimum of eight bottles — more if you’re hosting a crowd. Growing up, our family’s long table was lined with Palwin Number Ten. Four cups of that low alcohol sticky sweet wine were family friendly but we might as well have been tossing back shots of grape squash.
Since then, kosher wine has improved exponentially. The list of vintages from a range of countries is huge. Fine French wines, selections from Spain and Italy as well as award-winning wines from Israel and a raft of New World bottles.
Which makes the task harder. If you need inspiration, here are a a few wines worth seeking out.
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Most wines are better with food, which makes choosing the ones you drink during the service harder as you’ll most likely be pairing them with a sliver of matzah or Hillel sandwich. Look for lighter reds like the merlot cabernet blend from Unorthodox — this botte also scores for aesthetics, with a gorgeous label packed with intricate details that will (a) look good on your table and (b) give your guests something to stare at during the service, should their minds wander. Other lighter reds worth seeking out include a fabulous Israeli wine — Jezreel’s Alfa and Herzog’s Californian Pinot Noir.
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It's customary for many to stick with red wines but others have a tradition of whites at their Seder ceremony. One of my picks is the Rimapere Rothschild New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The French winemaker’s coat of arms contains five arrows, which is what Rimapere means in Maori — and what you’ll see on the label. It’s light, lemony and easy to drink.
Another great white pick is Israeli winery Yatir’s Mt Amasa White, Made from grapes grown in the Yatir Forest between the Judean Hills, Negev and Judean Desert, it’s a wine matured for 5 months in combination of concrete amphorae, oak barrels and stainless steel vats. A blend of viognier, chenin Blanc and roussanne it has peachy summer fruit flavours.
Or you could go for French rosé Hippy from Roubine. It’s also light and easy to drink. I tasted it without food and loved it. If you’re looking for something easy on the eye you’ll enjoy admiring the cheerful label.
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If you’re looking lower alcohol, especially for that last cup, there are a few options out there. Italian winery Cantina Giuliano has introduced a sweet white — Sweet V — made from Vermentino grapes with less than 7% alcohol and similarly low in price. Another option to serve towards the end of your evening is from Spain — Elvi’s Sangria. It’s light and fruity with natural fruit flavours of orange, lemons and berries. And finally, Zion’s Fizzaro, a sparkling rose made from moscato grapes. It’s light and sweet with only 9% alcohol.
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Finally, some harder hitting wines that you may want to save to drink with your meal or choose as host gifts for wine lovers. Each deserves a special mention. If you, like me, are keen to support the Israel’s winemakers especially this year — you’ll love the first two. Virtuous from Five Stones — one of my favourite wineries, their name derives from the fives stones with which David defeated Goliath — is aged 15 months in oak, giving it a vanilla-ish note and their flagship wine.
From boutique winery, Jezreel is their flagship wine, Icon. The 2019 vintage is a full-bodied a blend of Syrah and Carignan which I’d definitely pair with a meaty meal. And from Elvi’s Anne and Moisés Cohen, their flagship Clos Mesorah, made from 100 year-old vines and gorgeous label with a hidden message from the winemaking family which they change every couple of years.
And, if you’re looking for a few more budget-friendly options here are a selection. All great and a wallet friendly way follow fulfil your mitzvah. Look out for Dalton’s red, Canaan (£15.99); from Chateau Les Riganes a malbec (£14.99) and from Israeli winery Barkan, Givon, a Cabernet Sauvignon (£12.99)
