Don't Passover Your Wine

Filed in archive Wine News on April 10, 2006

You can have your Passover and your wine too, which considering the time of year is a good thing. I knew that kosher food was very involved to make, but it didn't really occur to me that so much care would also have to be used when making wine for this occasion.

From The Times Herald Record: Most kosher wines are also kosher for Passover. Wines that are kosher for Passover must adhere to rules beyond what is required to be just kosher - they cannot, for example, contain various ingredients that aren't allowed at Passover - and for many winemakers it makes sense to make a single line of wines that is both kosher and kosher for Passover.

The process starts with special treatment and attention to cleanliness. Rabbis or their assistants supervise the wines' production, from crushing to bottling. The wines are made with special enzymes and yeasts and fining agents - not animal byproducts, such as gelatin, for example - that clarify the wine. Often their labels sport an "O" with a "U" inside with a "P" near it. Some labels simply say "Kosher for Passover."

This article also goes on to suggest some specific wine choices including red, white, and sparkling wines.