Royal Wine Corp has wines from rare regions for the kosher market

These are some of the kosher wines that expert Gabe Geller recommends for the holidays

As Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach — erev Rosh Hashanah is September 25 —this is the perfect time to broaden your horizons and discover the kosher wine gems that Israel, California, Italy, and France have to offer. It’s not too soon to start thinking about festive meals, gatherings with loved ones, and other traditions that go hand-in-hand with the fall Jewish holidays.

Fortunately, these notable wine-producing regions have had another exceptional year for kosher wine production. That means there’s an excellent selection of exciting releases to choose from – and one less thing to worry about. The wines ready to serve now, so whether you’re planning to host a crowd or be a guest, you’re sure to find something deliciously suitable for the holiday table. All wines and spirits from Royal Wine Corp are certified OU kosher.

Wine expert Gabriel Geller is the PR director for Royal Wine Corp, the largest producer, exporter, and importer of kosher wines and spirits. He has recommendations for holiday wines that offer quality and value across all price points. Here’s the rundown:

Toast in the New Year with a refreshing glass of Herzog Lineage Momentus ($19.99) or enjoy organic-certified-no-sulfites-added Herzog Variations Be-leaf Cabernet Sauvignon ($24.99). Both pair well with beef and other traditional holiday meats.

Terra di Seta from Tuscany, which opened in 2008 and is the first fully kosher winery in Europe, offers world-class and competitive Chianti Classico wines. It’s about to release a Super Tuscan called Guiduccio, with a SRP of $75.

This year, Terra di Seta won some of the highest accolades from the Wine Spectator, James Suckling, and Decanter, with many top ratings as high as 97 points.

Connoisseurs of Italian wines can look forward to Ovadia Estates’s Vermentino and the Lovatelli Barbera d’Asti. Villa Mangiacane, a renowned Italian producer, also is releasing its first kosher wine, Magnificus, a Super Tuscan with a SRP of $60.

Barkan Winery, one of the largest producers in Israel, recently sent its star head winemaker, Master of Wine Ido Lewinsohn, to tour the U.S. market before the High Holidays.

Among the impressive wines he presented, the Barkan Classic Argaman, with a SRP of only $12, has won industry-wide recognition and high ratings. Segal Winery, also overseen by Lewinsohn, released the Segal Native Marawi, with a SRP of $25. Marawi is an ancient grape variety indigenous to the Holy Land; the grape was used for winemaking and the sacred services in the Temple in Jerusalem more than 1,900 years ago.

Carmel Winery, the veteran Israeli winery founded by Château Lafite’s Baron Edmond de Rothschild in 1882, released Buzz, a line of fruit flavored Moscato wines. These fun, low-alcohol, sweet, fruity wines target Generation Z, and are meant for casual drinking and parties. Its SRP is $11. Three different flavors are available: peach, mango, and pineapple.

On the French side, Royal is proud to introduce the J. de Villebois Sancerre Silex, with a SRP of $50. Sancerre wines, from the Loire Valley, have been trending for a few years already, and the kosher market is no exception. This high-quality, complex Sauvignon Blanc features the terroir’s characteristics, with crunchy, juicy citrus flavors, earthy mineral and saline notes, and hints of flint. Château Les Riganes from Bordeaux, which already offers a red blend, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a rosé, just introduced two new varietal wines, a Malbec, and a Cabernet Franc, which like the other wines from this producer also retail for only $12.

Royal also is looking forward to this fall’s release of the first kosher Châteaueuf-du-Pape from the prestigious Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils in the Rhône Valley. Its SRP is $100.

“While we have had continued success working with prominent Bordeaux and Burgundy producers, it was time for us to add some great Rhône wines to our portfolio,” Mr. Geller said. “And with the upcoming additions of some great Italian wines, our portfolio continues to expand with an increasingly comprehensive selection of superb wines from around the world. Most importantly, I am excited for our customers who are eager to discover regions and wines that until now have been hard to come by in the kosher market.”

About Royal Wine/Kedem

The Royal Wine Corp. was founded in 1848. Its mission is to be the premier manufacturer, importer, and distributor of specialty wines, spirits, and liqueurs from around the world. The commitment to perfection and family tradition spans over eight generations and has experienced growth since its beginning. Royal’s portfolio of domestic and international wines ranges from the traditional wine producing regions of France, Italy, and Spain to up-and-coming ones including Israel, New Zealand, and Argentina. Royal Wine Corp.’s spirit and liqueur portfolio also offers sought-after scotches, bourbons, tequilas, and vodkas, as well as such hard-to-find specialty items as flavored brandies and liqueurs.

Royal Wine Corp owns and operates the Kedem Winery in upstate New York, as well as Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, California. Follow Royal Wine Corp on social media, www.facebook.com/RoyalWineCorp; @royalwinecorp.

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