With the vast array of kosher wines available, it’s no wonder so many are bewildered about what to drink at the Seder.
Wine is the elixir of Jewish life. It marks the celebration of religious lifecycle events, sanctifies Shabbat and yom tov, and commemorates the sacred covenant between the Jewish people and Hashem. Biblical references to wine begin with Noach, and in archaeological records, clay amphorae for storing wine excavated in ancient Shiloh have been dated to the period of the mishkan. The Jewish relationship with wine is intimate and ancestral. Yet, for many, wine remains a mystery.
The vast selection of kosher wines today leaves many bewildered about what to drink at the Seder. The optimal choice for the Seder is red wine, and, when possible, non-mevushal wine. Beyond that there are no right or wrong choices, only preferences.
One popular approach is family tradition. The motif of Seder night is memory, a re-telling of an ancient narrative of national liberation through the Hagaddah. And yet, within the framework of the Seder, there is the living memory of family tradition that becomes a quasi-codified part of the Seder night . . . “This is the way my father or zaide used to do it.” Aficionados who drink expensive wine the rest of the year may forego the finer bottles on Seder night in favor of the inexpensive and sweet wines of their childhood sedarim. This is not a lowering of standards, but an elevation of meaning. The associative and emotional connection to our parents and grandparents through the wine they drank at the Seder is part of the ritual of memory that links us back to that sacred night, millennia ago, when our forefathers gathered at midnight as slaves and took their first steps into freedom.
Aficionados who drink expensive wine the rest of the year may forego the finer bottles on Seder night in favor of the inexpensive and sweet wines of their childhood sedarim.
Another approach is the concept of hiddur mitzvah (beautifying a mitzvah). The Seder is the night of our liberation. The arba kosot represent the four expressions of redemption G-d uses to promise our freedom: “I will bring you out . . . I will deliver you . . . I will redeem you . . . I will take you” (Exodus 6:6–7). There is perhaps no greater occasion in Jewish tradition for celebration and gratitude. As such, many people follow the approach of the sages who say that it is meritorious to spend more on a mitzvah when possible and purchase more expensive wine for the Seder than they do the rest of the year.
Practically, some people prefer low-alcohol wines. The tradeoff for low alcohol, however, is generally high sugar. Wine becomes dry when the fermentation process converts the grape’s sugars into alcohol. Fermentation is stopped early to achieve low-alcohol wines, which leaves high levels of residual sugar. People who are sensitive to both alcohol and sugar should consult a rabbi.
Two great Seder options are pinot noir and rosé. The juice of all wine grapes runs clear. Those brooding cabernets and opaque merlots are actually clear juice when freshly pressed. Red wine gets its color when the grape skins sit in the juice for an extended period after pressing, called “maceration.” During maceration, tannins (naturally occurring, bitter and astringent compounds) also leach into the wine from the grape skins, which gives red wine its astringency and mouth-drying effect. High-tannin wines can be difficult to drink for arba kosot. Pinot noir is ideal because its skins are thin and contain fewer tannins. Rosé wines can be made from any red wine grapes, but instead of a long maceration process, the skin contact is brief, allowing just a small amount of coloring and low levels of tannin into the wine. The result is fresh and fruity wines that can be drunk more easily at the Seder.
Regardless of your ultimate wine choice—expensive or not, sweet or dry—each of the arba kosot is a kos shel berachah—a celebration of redemption, a cup of gratitude to Hashem and a cup of prayer for our ultimate deliverance. May Hashem bring us to that glorious day soon.
Zev Steinberg is a private wine consultant and runs kosher tours in Bordeaux, France (winewithzev.com). He is also the Director of Market Development & Sales at www.idrinkkosher.com.