Behind the Cork™ - Barkan Vineyards Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon

2020 Barkan Vineyards Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon ($29.99)

Barkan Vineyards is located a half-hour driving distance from both Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem in Israel. And, yes, it’s a Kosher wine. But not just a Kosher wine, a really good Kosher wine!

Barkan Platinum is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that are grown in the Upper Galilee. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is aged for 18 months in “phenomenal” French oak barrels that provided unique characteristics to the wine.

Barkan Vineyards Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby in color with a nice aroma of dark fruit and spices. On the palate, this wine is rich in dark fruit flavors. The oak and bottle aging has smoothed out the tannin for a soft mouthfeel. It finishes rich and soft.

If you’re looking for a really good Cab, that just happens to be Kosher, look no further. Barkan Vineyards Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon is a great wine at a tremendous prices. That’s a perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Alavida Organic Kosher Cabernet Sauvignon

2022 Domaine Bousquet Alavida Kosher Cabernet Sauvignon ($18)

Alavida Cabernet Sauvignon joins an exclusive group of wines: it’s USDA-certified organic and kosher. As Argentina’s first wine of its kind, Alavida stands as one of the few wines globally to achieve this remarkable dual status.

The name “Alavida” translates to “To Life” in Spanish, inspired by the traditional Hebrew toast “L’chaim!”

The Domaine Bousquet estate, nestled in Argentina’s Uco Valley, is owned by Anne Bousquet and her husband, Labid al Ameri. Anne Bousquet emphasizes Argentina’s rich diversity and highlights their multi-cultural family’s commitment to certified organic wines in Argentina since 1997.

The winemaking process for Alavida closely resembles that of a non-kosher wine, with two notable exceptions. Kosher ingredients like yeast are used, and the wine undergoes physical production and handling by a Sabbath-observant Jewish team under the supervision of a rabbi.

Alavida Malbec boasts a deep purple hue and captivating aromas of rich red and black fruits, accompanied by a subtle hint of sweet tobacco. On the palate, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied with flavors of black cherry, black berry, and a touch of cocoa on its pleasant finish.

At an affordable price point, this Cabernet Sauvignon, certified USDA-organic, mevushal and kosher Ⓤ, makes an ideal choice for this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Let’s raise a glass to “L’chaim” and cheers!

For more information on kosher wines, see my recent blog.

ABV: 14.5%, RS: 2.15 g/L, Total Acidity: 5.92 g/L, pH: 3.69

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Domaine Bousquet

What Makes a Wine Kosher?

Photo by Aaron Ovadia on Unsplash

Kosher wine is made just like other table wine, with an extra set of rules to make it consistent with Jewish dietary law. In order for a wine to be deemed kosher (Yiddish for "proper" or "fit"), it must…

  • Be made under the supervision of a rabbi

  • Contain only kosher ingredients such as the yeast and the fining agents

  • Made with equipment that has been certified by a rabbi to make kosher wines

  • Be free of preservatives or artificial colors

  • Be handled from start to finish by Sabbath-observant Jews

  • Producers of Concord-based wines (such as Manischewitz) that are sweetened with corn syrup must produce special "kosher for Passover" bottlings which are labeled as such

  • Some kosher wines are heated as part of the production process. These wines are known as ‘mevushal’ which literally means the wine was ‘cooked’

  • Kosher wines will have certification symbols. One of the most common looks like a ‘U’ in a circle Ⓤ, suggesting that it’s certified by Union of Orthodox Rabbis. A ‘K’ in a circle Ⓚ indicates it’s kosher, a ‘K’ in a circle with a ‘P’ Ⓚ-P is kosher for Passover, a ‘K’ in a star, cRc and Hebrew ‘ר‎כש ’ are also indicators that the wine is kosher.

So, in summary, kosher wines don’t necessarily taste any different from non-kosher wines, or have higher or lower quality; they simply must be produced in accordance with a set of Jewish dietary laws.

L’Chaim! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Alavida Malbec

2021 Alavida Malbec ($19)

World Malbec Day is coming up on Sunday, April 17th, an annual holiday that commemorates the founding of the first agricultural school in Argentina in 1853, which was instrumental in the early cultivation of Malbec in the South American nation. And, here’s a great way to celebrate!

This Alavida Malbec is USDA-certified organic and kosher. It’s also vegan, gluten-free and Ecocert-approved. And, it tastes great!

The name Alavida is composed from the Spanish “to life” which is ‘a la vida.’

The grapes for Alavida are grown above 4000 feet in the Andean foothills of the Uco Valley in Argentina. There, daily temperature swings can be up to 60 F resulting in more natural sugar from the hot days and more acidity from the cold nights - a great recipe for wine making!

The winemaking process for Alavida is almost identical to that used in making a non-kosher wine, with two exceptions. Ingredients such as yeast must be kosher, and the wine must be physically made by a sabbath-observant Jewish team under the supervision of a rabbi. For Alavida that means double the number of people involved: a Jewish team member to handle grapes and wine, paired with a home team member standing alongside and directing. For Alavida, that entailed five duos! Winemaker Rodrigo Serrano gave the work orders; his Jewish counterparts executed them.

This Alavida Malbec is medium purple in color with aromas of red fruit, spices, herbal notes and buttery-oak. On the palate have flavors of red fruits and red raspberry, medium tannin, medium-low acidity, some earthiness and hints of the oak on the finish.

Alavida Organic Kosher Malbec is a wonderful wine that is fully deserving of being a Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Look for this one and raise a glass for World Malbec Day on April 17th. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Origins Organic Imports and Domaine Bousquet (via Creative Palate Communications)