In a recent post on the wine forum he moderates, Israel’s leading food & wine critic Daniel Rogov noted that several of the leading Israeli boutiques will begin producing kosher wine starting with the 2010 vintage (that’s now!).

The wineries include Flam and Tulip and Saslove.

I am the US importer for both Flam and Tulip.

In fact I will be in Israel later this month for meetings, tastings, and vineyard visits with these and other wineries.

So…what do I think about their becoming “kosher”?

Well first off and most importantly – this should mean no diminishment in any way of the outstanding quality these wineries are so very capable of. Maybe a little more hands-off winemaking (literally) for the gifted winemakers themselves but I expect the same great juice from them all.

Becoming kosher was certainly a deeply considered decision based primarily in their belief that kosher status will provide access to a broader ready-made audience and kosher distribution channel in Israel and here in the US and elsewhere. This along with the knowledge that “kosher” in itself would certainly not mean a diminshment of the quality work and reputation they have worked so hard to establish…

And it seems clear that this should mean at least an initial significant lift in exports for them.

Someone should ask Castel what becoming kosher did for their wine sales in the US. Do we know? I’m guessing a spike followed by a plateau but I don’t know.

Too many US wine retailers still seem mostly stuck insisting on a “kosher” section (I’ve referred to this as a kosher wine “ghetto” since it tends to be in a dusty corner too often ). But…. Kosher Is Not a Country. Diet Coke is kosher. Cheerios is kosher. Merely labeling a wine kosher and then segregating all the kosher options into one corner without naming and marketing the wine region does (to me) something awful to wine – it DIS-locates a wine, pulling it out of its regional context, its terroir. The other thing a kosher section can sometimes do I feel for general, non-religious wine lovers is reinforce in their minds that kosher wine is for Jews, it’s not-for-me…and didn’t I hear it’s not so good anyway…?

On the other hand, leading wine retailers like Skyview Wines and Kosherwine.com have done much to elevate the quality of wine drinking for observant Jews all across the US with their successful presences both on-line and off.

US Jews are less than 2% of the population and the number of Jews spending significantly on premium kosher wines has got to be something much smaller than that, no?

BUT no doubt these wineries will sell more wine in the US and that’s a Very Good Thing – there are many who will now be able to enjoy these great wines for the very first time!

I just want the wine-loving world to see these wines as so much more than “Jewish wines”.

Israeli wine is Israel’s Great Ambassador, taking people behind the CNN Crtain and into the Real Israel, and we should never forget this when we identify our Ideal or Target Customers. PLUS…much of the wine from Israel is Good, and some of it is even GREAT.

The Judean Hills and Galilee/Golan are 2 of the most ancient and important wine regions in the world. Period.

We need more marketing focused on making strong positive mental associations not only with “Israel”  but also with the Judean Hills and the Galilee.

So…lots of work to be done, certainly new doors will open as they always do, while others may close.

I am excited to see the growth and evolution of these great boutiques! and I am honored to be (even in a small way!) an active participant.

I hope to see you soon!

Tweet This Post