Passover 2007

Light, Sweet Red Wines

Here's a quick list of light, sweet red wines. Not all of them have been reviewed in The Kosher Wine Review, but I will indicate the ones I like.

Best Overall: Ohra Kal. "Kal" means "light," and this is a light, sweet wine from around the hills of Jerusalem. This wine is my top recommendation for a light, sweet wine, with only 3.5% alcohol and a taste of actual wine.
Wine is preferable over grape juice for the seder, but if you can't drink wine or can't stand the flavor, it's perfectly acceptable to drink only grape juice instead (you may ignore the theory floating around that you must have a half-wine, half-juice mixture). I recommend Golan Heights Grape Juice. Instead of something horrifying and purple, you might enjoy this grape juice from one of Israel's best wineries.
Bartenura Malvasia. A light red wine, and acceptable.
Zakon Muscatini. Muscats are generally sweet wines, but usually they're high in alcohol. This one is about half the alcohol of the others.
Conditon is very high in alcohol and very heavy, and far too sweet for me — but my wife and guests enjoy it a great deal, and who am I to argue?
If you can find it, try Zimra (from Dalton). It's a non-vintage red sweet wine from one of Israel's best wineries.

Dry Red Wines

An important question is not just what wines to drink, but what order to drink them in.

I have a simple rule: the first cup of wine should be a simple, lighter-bodied wine. A full-bodied wine, especially one that's very high in alcohol, is not very easy to drink on an empty stomach.

Of course, having said that, I've also been known to violate that rule to have a very special bottle of wine for the first cup — Chateau Giscours, for example, which is full-bodied and very complex wine indeed.

Some of these wines are old favorites; others are on the list for the first time.

First One or Two Cups

My top pick this year is Gedeon Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium-bodied red wine from the hills near Jerusalem. It's imported by Abarbenel and should be available throughout the US.
Not only is this a good wine in it's own right, but I've found that many individuals who won't touch a dry wine seem to enjoy this one. The wine is mevushal, which is a consideration at my seder, and is moderately priced.
Tishbi Cabernet Petit Syrah. With any luck the current vintage is as good as the 2002 — which I thought was excellent. A light red wine, and a very inexpensive one to boot, this wine is a bargin. Last year this was my top choice for the first cups, and almost certainly you can't go wrong with it this year.
Etienne Bailly Beaujolais-Villages 1999. Beaujolais Villages is the wine I use for all occasions, especially when I need wine for someone who doesn't like dry wines. I've recently started using the Etienne Bailly; this replaces the Abarbanel Beaujolais Villages, my previous favorite.
I should mention, by the way, that the 2005 vintage of the Abarbanel Beaujolais Villages needs a solid half-hour of air before it becomes drinkable. This is very different than previous vintages, and what seemed to be at first a problem with the wine itself ultimately resolved itself over time.
Valero Malbec 2002 is a nice, soft wine for someone who'd prefer a cup of something that's not so challenging.

The Next Cups

The Gamla Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 is an outstanding, delicious, and well-balanced wine.
From New Zealand, East Goose Bay Pinot Noir would be an interesting change of pace. This is a medium-bodied wine, which makes it suitable for the second cup.
Two Abarbanel wines that I recommend — I apologize for not posting a formal review — are from the hills of Jerusalem. One is Issac's Ram, a Cabernet Sauvignon; the other is Pardess, a Merlot. Both were excellent and are suitable for just before food (the second cup) or just after food (the third and fourth cups).
Segal's Galilee Heights Cabernet Sauvignon 2000. This wine is simply excellent for the second cup, just before food.
Galil Mountain Winery Yiron 2002 is another excellent choice from the north of Israel.

To answer a question from one of my readers: These wines range in price from about $12 (Beaujolais Villages) to about $17 (Segal's Cabernet Sauvignon) per bottle. The Ohra Kal is only $5 or so per bottle, and I purchase a case every year to have on hand for the entire year.

Non-Traditional Choices

If we expand beyond red wines, we can look at a few non-traditional choices for a festive seder.

If you'd like a white wine, Segal's Galilee Heights Chardonnay Special Reserve 2002 is a very nice choice. Or perhaps you can try Hagafen Napa Valley Johannisberg Riesling 2002, a favorite of mine for over twenty years.
If you want to clear your palate after the meal, Abarbanel makes a very dry sparkling wine that's light and very lively, Cremant d'Alsace Brut.
Both the Kraemer Blanc des Blancs and Bartenura Prosecco are inexpensive sparkling wines that work surprisingly well.
For quite a bit more money, try the Monopole Blue Top Champagne, another Abarbanel wine. Since it was the wine of choice on the Titanic, perhaps it's the one that most appropriate as we sing of the Egyptian chariots sinking beneath the waves.
Laurent-Perrier Champagne is certainly not inexpensive, but is very much the best kosher champagne I've tasted. I must ask my local rabbi if I'm allowed to put a strawberry into the fourth cup!
Weinstock White Zinfandel is recognized as an excellent wine by non-kosher experts — for example, by the Wall Street Journal. It's semi-dry and light red (orange?) in color, so it can be argued that it's really a traditional choice after all. Don't foist it off on your guests as a "sweet" wine, however; if your guests prefer sweet wines, get them something else or try the Zinfandel out on them sometime in advance.

Personal Picks

So, did I follow my own advice? Here's a list of what I actually purchased for the seder. And let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy and Kosher Passover!