10 Passover Wines to Make Your Seder Shine
The Jewish holiday of Passover is known for its strict dietary rules. During the week-long festivity, observant families avoid leavened foods, like bread and cake, and eat meals that are limited to ingredients designated kosher for Passover. But another big part of the Passover celebration is wine.
Wine plays a central role in the two ceremonial dinners that kick off Passover, known as seders. During each seder, which involves a ritual retelling of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt, there are designated points in which participants are instructed to drink. In all, four glasses of wine are meant to be consumed. Though some merely sip a portion of the wine, many still take part in the full four-cup celebration. So, it’s important to find wines that are drinkable, enjoyable and pair with the celebratory meal.
But, for families that follow the traditional customs, the wines served will also have to be designated kosher for Passover. Whether you’re a Passover pro or were invited to your first seder, we break down the distinctions to keep in mind and which bottles to break out for dinner.
The Difference Between Kosher and Kosher-for-Passover Wines
When we speak of a food or beverage being kosher, it means that it follows specific, necessary parameters set by a respected religious authority. There are many different rules surrounding kosher foods and drinks that observing Jewish people follow year-round. This may include avoiding certain foods altogether (pork and shellfish cannot be eaten), not mixing certain ingredients (dairy and meat products cannot be eaten together) or following a specific method of production and preparation. Foods that follow these strict rules are indicated by a symbol on food products. This also holds true for wine and spirits.
However, there’s a separate certification that exists just for those foods or beverages that are also kosher for Passover. An item can be kosher all year and not be kosher for that one week—and that is where the confusion comes in.
What Makes a Wine Kosher for Passover?
A wine that is kosher for Passover will be made without grain products or leavening agents, such as any yeast that’s not kosher for Passover. Also, a kosher supervisor will oversee the ingredients, process and equipment used to ensure they meet a certain standard.
“What keeps any kosher wine kosher for Passover is simply this: Any additives—such as yeast or ML[malolactic cultures]—would need to be certified kosher for Passover,” says Jeff Morgan, founding winemaker of Covenant Winery. “Yeast [for wine] are inherently kosher for Passover, but if they were processed in a place where non-kosher ingredients were also processed, it could be a problem.”
In short: Any kosher wine will have to follow all kosher dietary laws and supervision, but kosher-for-Passover wines do this at a higher level and incorporate the grain and leavening restriction that is a hallmark of the holiday.
How to Tell if Wine Is Kosher for Passover
No one wants to bring the wrong wine as a guest to a Passover seder. Any kosher-for-Passover wine will have a “P” symbol or “Kosher for Passover” next to the kosher certification on the label.
The Best Kosher for Passover Wines to Buy
Covenant 2021 The Tribe Chardonnay (Lodi)
92 Points Wine Enthusiast
This elegant, lightly buttered and well-balanced wine offers golden apples, a touch of caramel and a smooth soft texture backed by a touch of lemon. Fermented by native yeast, it is medium bodied and nicely dry. —Jim Gordon
Golan Heights Winery 2018 Yarden Syrah (Galilee)
92 Points Wine Enthusiast
Dark violet-red to the eye, this wine has aromas of cassis, Chambord and orange zest. A web of opulent tannins supports flavors of dark plums, ripe summer cherry, toffee and chocolate covered espresso bean. A splash of Valencia orange shows up just in time for the soothing finish. —Mike DeSimone
Recanati 2018 Special Reserve Red (Galilee)
92 Points Wine Entuhsiast
This dark red-violet wine has aromas of cassis, blackberry and a touch of green bell pepper. It feels good in the mouth with plush tannins and flavors of black cherry, black currant, milk chocolate and violet and a bright finish. —M.D.
Recanati 2019 Reserve David Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Galilee)
91 Points Wine Entuhsiast
Dark ruby to the eye, this wine has a nose of fruits of the wood, smoked meat and thyme. It is bright at first sip. Flavors of cranberry and pomegranate are joined by firm tannins and notes of dark chocolate and roasted almond. There is a touch of violet on the long finish. —M.D.
Galil Mountain 2019 Galil Alon Red (Galilee)
90 Points Wine Enthusiast
Deep violet-red to the eye, this wine has aromas of cherry, blackberry and black pepper. Flavors of black cherry, raspberry, bittersweet chocolate and salted almonds are framed by plush tannins that dissolve into an orange zest finish. —M.D.
Covenant 2021 Mensch Zinfandel (Lodi)
89 Points Wine Enthusiast
This rich, smooth and mouthfilling wine packs in blackberries, strawberries and dark plums for a very fruity, ripe expression, backed by full body and light tannins. —J.G.
Domaine Bousquet 2021 Alavida Malbec (Mendoza)
89 Points Wine Enthusiast
This is one of the few Argentine Kosher Malbec wines on the market. The grapes were sourced from organic vines in Uco Valley. It’s fruit-forward, with notes of ripe plum and cherry on the nose and the palate. Soft tannins and lively acidity lead to a flavorful, medium finish. Best Buy —Jesica Vargas
Golan Heights Winery 2021 Mount Hermon White (Galilee)
89 Points Wine Enthusiast
This wine has aromas of pineapple, lemon and baked apple. It has flavors of pineapple, grapefruit, green apple, white flowers and a floral lift on the finish. Best Buy —M.D.
Backsberg 2019 Kosher Brut Méthode Cap Classique Sustainably Farmed (Coastal Region)
88 Points Wine Enthusiast
A nose of ripe apple, pear and melon repeats on the palate alongside medium acidity and foamy bubbles. It has a fresh, short finish. —J.V.
Backsberg 2020 Kosher Sustainably Farmed Chardonnay (Paarl)
88 Points Wine Enthusiast
This wine is medium-bodied and unoaked, offering ripe light notes of lime and white grapefruit. The nose leads with subtle lime aromas. On the palate, an oily texture and citrus character is supported by good acidity that carries the flavors throughout the long lemony finish. Best Buy —J.V.
Aura di Valerie 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
88 Points Wine Enthusiast
This Amarone highlights the earthiness of the Valpolicella region. The wine smells of dark-roasted coffee beans, pencil shavings, and chocolate-coated black cherries. Each sip features the earth notes first which then give way to the characteristic dark fruit expected in Amarone. —Jeff Porter
FAQs
Why Are There Four Cups of Wine at Passover?
Aside from the truth that a few glasses of wine make an extended family dinner a lot easier to digest, there’s actually a reason for this tradition. Wine is symbolic of freedom, and the four cups of wine are representative of the four phrases used in the Bible to describe God leading the Jews out of slavery. The number four also has a recurring theme within the holiday.
What Is the Symbolism of Wine on Passover?
Quite simply, freedom and redemption. But as an added benefit, the wine pairs beautifully with so many Passover foods, from a crisp white with matzo ball soup to a heartier red with brisket.
Is Kosher for Passover Wine Hard to Find?
Actually, it’s rather easy! Most kosher wine is also kosher for Passover, making it easier to sell this wine (and for consumers to stock up on bottles) year-round. But that’s not the case with some spirits. For example, you’ll be unlikely to find kosher-for-Passover whiskey, as whiskey is made with grain.