What is Kosher Wine?

The French may think they own the bragging rights to wine history, but Jewish winemakers were making wine over 5,000 years ago when the ancient Gauls drank only water with dinner. In fact, the Jews may have the oldest codified relationship to wine of any people on earth.

In Jewish culture and custom, wine holds a very special position. It is considered to have spiritual significance and the blessing over a glass of wine—called Kiddush—regularly marks the beginning of religious ritual.

Jewish winemakers have struggled to overcome enormous challenges during the last two thousand years. Prior to that time, they lived in Israel, where vineyards and winemaking were common practice. But the Roman conquest of Jerusalem changed all that, and most Jews embarked upon the Diaspora, a period of exile that frequently brought them to lands not particularly suited to grape growing. However, tradition mandated the drinking of wine, and vintners would do their best with the means they had at their disposition, even if it meant using dried raisins instead of grapes!

A century ago, Jewish immigrants to America found local Concord grapes to be plentiful. However, these native American grapes produced wine with a so-called "foxy" character. Keeping the wines sweet made them more palatable, and this sweet style became synonymous with kosher wine, even though thousands of years of Jewish winemaking had produced wines that were dry more often that not.

In recent history, kosher wines have improved dramatically as winemakers have increasingly used vinifera grapes-the Mediterranean species that includes Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. It is now not uncommon to find dry, varietal kosher wines that can also measure up to today's secular qualitative standards. These wines come from both the New World and the Old World. Many of the best come from California, France, Spain and Italy in the northern hemisphere, and Australia, Chile and South Africa in the southern hemisphere. A new generation of Israeli winemakers is also raising the bar for kosher wine quality in the land of the earliest Jewish winemakers.

What makes a wine kosher? Because wine is used to welcome the Sabbath, kosher wine can be handled only by Sabbath-observant Jews—those individuals who strictly observe kosher dietary laws. In addition, kosher winemakers are forbidden to use any products, such as unauthorized yeasts or animal-based fining agents that might fall outside the parameters of kosher convention and thus compromise the ritual essence of the wine.

That’s it! There is no difference between the techniques used to make a fine kosher wine or a fine non-kosher wine.

For more information on kosher wine please don’t hesitate to contact us at the winery.

The Herzog Story

The Jewish people have a special relationship to wine that predates even the Romans and Greeks. For the ancient Jews, whose temple in Jerusalem was renowned throughout the fledgling civilizations of the Middle East, wine played an important role in religious ritual. Today, thousands of years later, it continues to do so. Kiddush, the prayer over the wine, traditionally announces the beginning of the Sabbath on Friday night as well as other holidays. 

And so it should come as no surprise that the Herzog family has been making wine for a long time. They trace their winemaking origins back to Philip Herzog, who made wine in Slovakia for the Austro-Hungarian court more than a century ago. Philip’s wines were so appreciated by Emperor Franz-Josef, that the emperor made Philip a baron. The Baron Herzog wines—a line of premium yet moderately priced California varietals—are named to commemorate the honor.

Baron Philip made both kosher and non-kosher wines. The kosher wines were made in a separate cellar and tasted remarkably like his non-kosher wines. Indeed, the wines were made in the same basic manner. However, the kosher wines required a Jewish, Sabbath-observant cellar crew. (What is Kosher Wine?) 

During World War II, Philip's grandson Eugene hid his family from the Nazis by moving them around the Slovakian countryside. After the war’s end, he emerged from behind a false wall in a courageous Christian friend’s woodshed to reclaim his family’s winery. 

But three years later, the new Czech communist regime drove the Herzogs away from their European home for good. Forced to leave with little more than the clothes on their backs, the family said goodbye to their former royal economic and social stature. 

Eugene brought the family to America in 1948 after the Holocaust. He arrived in New York City with his wife, Sidonia, six of his own children and two additional war orphans. They moved to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn with only enough money to rent a two-bedroom tenement flat. With his winemaking skills, Eugene found a job at a small kosher winery tucked away into a storefront on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. For a paltry salary, he made sweet, Concord-grape wines in the cellar. (European grape varieties for dry wines were not easy to obtain in post World War II New York.) He also drove the wine delivery truck. But because the company was so poor, he was paid for his driving acumen in company shares, not cash. 

For years the shares were worthless, but by 1958, all the other shareholders had given up their shares. They assumed the business was doomed to failure. Eugene and his sons, who all went to work at the winery, proved them wrong. They called their new venture Royal Wines, in deference to their grandfather, Philip.

In 1985, the Herzog family decided to expand their winemaking operations to California, where they make wine under two separate labels: Baron Herzog and Herzog Wine Cellars. After twenty years of renting space in various wineries, the family was finally able to build its own state-of-the-art winery just south of Santa Barbara, in the town of Oxnard. Here, under the supervision of head winemaker Joe Hurliman, Herzog Wine Cellars has created a center for high-end contemporary winemaking in a tradition that dates back nearly six millennia.

For more information on Herzog Wine Cellars, please see our web links on the home page, or e-mail info@herzogwinecellars.com. Our phone number at the winery is 805.983.1560

Baron Herzog Chardonnay, Central Coast 

Production 
Approximately 8% of the grapes, from the Russian River appellation, are barrel fermented and held sur lie for 7 months. The balance of the grapes from the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara County are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Each wine is produced separately and a blend is made prior to bottling.
Awarded 87 points and a "Top Value" recognition from the Wine Spectator. 

Style and Description 
The Central Coast fruit displays tropical fruit, citrus, and chamomile. The barrel fermented Russian River fruit contributes oak notes in the nose and mouth and body. 

Aging 
The structure if the wine will allow it to age for 2 to 4 years if properly stored at 55º-60º F 

Baron Herzog Sauvignon Blanc, California 

Production 
The grapes for this wine were hand harvested from selected Central Coast vineyards in the Santa Barbara and Edna Valley appellations. We barrel fermented approximately 20% of the juice in new French Oak barrels and cold fermented (55º F - 60º F); the balance in stainless steel. The barrel aged portion spent three months aging and the lots were blended before bottling. 

Style and Description 
Luscious mouth feel and distinctive aromas of lychee, melon and light green pepper. Very light yet bold in the mouth with wonderful fruit flavors on the finish. 

Aging 
Gains complexity as it ages; with the fresh fruit aromas retained during the 18 months following harvest; gains honey/woody patina during the next 18 months. Will age 3 to 5 years if stored at 55º-60º

Baron Herzog White Zinfandel, California 

Production 
Whole cluster pressed in order to reduce color extraction, but maximize aroma components. Cold (48ºF - 56ºF) fermentation in stainless steel to retain fruit and refreshing acidity. 

Style and Description 
Classic White Zin—Pink, fresh and fruity. Light, refreshing, off-dry wine with aromatic notes of cotton candy, cranberry, and strawberry. Well balanced with bright acidity and low alcohol to complement food. 

Aging 
This wine is not to be aged. It should be stored at 55ºF-60ºF and consumed within two years of the vintage

Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 

Production 
To encourage concentration and focus in the 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet, some free-run juice was bled off following destemming and crushing to fermenter. Fermentation was completed in stainless steel, and elevation was completed in new American and French oak barrels for 20 months. Bottled without fining or filtering. 

Style and Description 
Complex layers of berry, cherry, coffee overlay subtle herbaceous notes with vanilla and spice finish. Medium deep red color with firm tannins that allow long aging. 

Aging 
If stored appropriately at 55º F - 60º F this wine will gracefully age 8 – 12 years. As it is unfined and unfiltered, it may form a natural sediment as it ages

Baron Herzog Merlot, Central Coast 

Production 
The Merlot grapes achieved full ripeness with, early morning harvest immediately followed with destemming and crushing. Inoculated with cultured yeast and fermented in stainless steel at 86º F - 92º F. Remontage two times daily, pressing at dryness. The wine under went partial malolactic fermentation in order to retain fruit forward character and aged in French oak for 10 months. 

Style and Description 
Very distinctive strawberry jam and berry aromas framed by notes of French oak. The bright fruit flavors carry into the mouth, balanced by a medium body and soft tannins. 

Aging 
This wine has not been designed for long aging, but will gain complexity over the next 3 to 5 years when stored at 55º - 60º F. 

Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 

Production 
The fruit for this wine was hand harvested from the Warnecke Vineyard on two separate days to capture optimum ripeness. The grapes were crushed and destemmed to fermenter and cold soaked for 3 days before fermentation. Upon completion of malolactic fermentation the wine was racked to new, American oak barrels and aged 20 months. Bottled without fining or filtration. 

Style and Description 
This is a full bodied, highly extracted wine. Dominant layers of classic Cabernet qualities of blackberry, green pepper, cranberry and cassis dominate are framed by firm, yet approachable tannins and good acidity. Top notes of toasted oak blend in smoothly on the finish. 

Aging 
Stored between 55º F - 60º F will age very well for between 5 and 8 years. Because the wine is unfined and unfiltered it may produce a harmless sediment as it ages. 

From herzog.com