The coronavirus pandemichas upended all of our lives in different ways. Alas, Passover is just aroundthe corner, and although many of us will make our seder alone or with only our immediate family, wine still plays acentral role as part of The Four Cups.
Kosher wine almostalways is also kosher-for-Passover (with very few exceptions but still, checkthe bottle to be sure). So how to approach Passover wine buying in thecoronavirus age?
The important point to make is that you shouldbe reading this column from the comfort of your home, staying safe from thisunprecedented threat against our health. Nothing matters more, and that 2001 Chateau Pontet Canet is worthzilch if you’re not around to enjoy it. So listen to the experts, hunker down,and read on to learn where you can buy great kosher wine from safe inside yourabode.
I’ve used all the various online resources tobuy wine in recent years, so I will list some of my favorites. We’ll start withthe online retailers, and for brevity’s sake I’ll mention my two favorite andreliable sites.
The Online Choices
The biggest (easily) is kosherwine.com and its sister site, jwines.com.
With the largest and most diverse inventory —including library wines and many hard-to-find bottles, and some bottles thatonly kosherwine carries (includingsome that they help produce) — kosherwine.com is the obvious choice. Theyoffer free shipping on full cases, including mixed cases, and usually will getyour order to you within 1-to-2 business days here in Baltimore.
A smaller, more “Mom and Pop” outfit is onlinekosherwine.com. OKW has a very niceselection, and offers discounts which essentially equate to free shipping withcases.
Check their website, as they usually make thepromo codes very visible and easy to apply (currently the promo code isCART10). Shipping takes 1-2 business days for those located in Baltimore.
Call the store (855-798-0787) with anyquestions. They are always eager to please.
California Winery Clubs
I am a member of various kosher “wine clubs,”and for my part, the only worthwhile ones are those in which you are able tochoose what you want. I have joined the wine clubs of all of the kosherwinemakers in California over the years and here’s what I suggest:
Shirah Winery: Rock star winemaker brothers Gabe and Shimon Weiss offer aquarterly wine club in which you get a variety of new and sometimes unavailablebottles for $250, plus tax and shipping. (https://shirahwine.com/product/tasting-room-member/)
Hagafen Winery: The oldest of theall-kosher wineries in the United States, Hagafen has a very flexible clubprogram in which you can choose how much you would like to spend (between $95and $250, plus tax and shipping), and have access to the Hagafen Prix label,not available elsewhere. (https://www.hagafen.com/Wine-Club)
Covenant Winery: Covenant Winery, of Berkeley, California, offers premier winethrough their Landsman or Kiddush WineClub, in which they offer club-only wines and other discounts and perks.You can choose between a monthly shipment ($108, plus tax and shipping) orshipments three times a year ($285 and up, plus tax and shipping). (https://covenantwines.com/wine-clubs/)
Hajdu Winery: Jon Hajdu, winemakerat the aforementioned Covenant Winery, offers his own label of groundbreakingwines. His Adventurer’s Guild Wine Cluballows you to receive wines you won’t even see anywhere else, and oftenvarietals of which you are unfamiliar. ($232, plus shipping and taxes.) (https://www.hajduwines.com/Wine-Clubs)
Herzog Winery: Kosher wine behemothHerzog offers multiple club choices. Keeping in mind that Herzog produces afull line of wines from inexpensive supermarket choices to high-end bottlesworthy of the finest cellars, their club prices run the gamut of veryaffordable to more premium pricing. Other discounts and club member perks arenoted here: (https://herzogwine.com/wineclub/)
Liquid Kosher: Not a winery, but curated and maintained by sommelier AndrewBreskin. Liquid Kosher’s The Cellar WineClub offers limited-allocation and exclusive wines. Membership will allowyou 4-6 wines per quarter ($199-$249, plus shipping and taxes). (https://liquidkosher.com/)
Please stay safe, and as always, feel free to reach out to me @kennethfriedmaneventson Instagram with any of your kosher wine questions.
Dr. Kenneth Friedman is a Baltimore-born kosher wine aficionado/connoisseur. He is known for his unsolicited wine advice and runs many local kosher wine tastings.
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