| By :
Mark Etinger
When most people think of top winemakers in the world, France is usually the first place that comes to mind. But if you were to delve a little deeper into history, you would find that Jewish winemakers were crafting wine 5,000 years ago when the ancient Gauls--who resided in the area of France and Belgium--were still drinking water with their meals. The Jews may have the longest running-recorded relationship with wine in history. Throughout the years kosher wines have gained a reputation of being syrupy and sweet, mainly due to the abundance of concord grapes Jewish immigrants found upon arriving to America. However, in recent years kosher wines have become much more varied and dynamic as jewish wine makers have used the vinifera variety of grapes. Vinifera are the Mediterranean grapes that produce such popular wines as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Nowadays, it's pretty common to find just as many dry, varietal kosher wines that measure up to today's secular wines' quality standards. Here is a list of 5 exotic kosher wines from around the world that defy the traditional sweet, syrupy concord wine: - Segal's 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve (Israel) Made from grapes grown in the Galilee region, this fruity, yet dry and lingering red kosher wine is rich with a black currant undertone and shows light tobacco notes. Segal's is owned by Barkan, Israel's largest wine producer, yet it still shows it own unique qualities that set it apart. - Herzog 2007 Late Harvest Clarksburg Chenin Blanc (California) This lovely white has been pretty popular with kosher wine lovers for years, and for good reason. It's dual sided flavor—at one moment slightly sweet, and the next curiously dry—makes it almost vacillate on the palate. It has a delicious raisin and honey scent and flavor. It's light and has relatively low (9 percent) alcohol content. - Flechas de Los Andes 2007 Gran Malbec (Argentina) This dark ruby kosher wine offers a full, earthy flavor. This sultry kosher wine boasts notes of raspberry, chocolate, and dark licorice, with a soft oak and tannin undertone. It is produced in the Mendoza province of Argentina. - Goose Bay 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) This 2007 kosher wine displays a signature grassy aroma and has a long finish. Sauvignon Blanc is typically known for it balance of sweet and dry, and this Marlborough is no exception. The bold, luscious flavor had the right amount of zippy acidity to make it the perfect compliment to chicken or salmon dishes. - Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Palomino Fino (Spain) This kosher sherry broadens the spectrum of modern Jewish wine with its rabbinically supervised, extra dry fino, exhibiting woody, olive like flavors. Gonzalez Byass is a reputable sherry bodega in the Andalucia region. In Spain, Tapas and fino are a classic combination. If you're looking for an appetizer to pair with it try a smoked fish with fennel and arugula salad. This fino could also work great for chicken and fish dishes, and works well when used for Kiddush.
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