Kosher wines have lagged behind the mainstream industry historically when it comes to certain wine styles, but consumers are increasingly curious about “natural,” “minimal intervention” and “orange” wines, according to Sagie Kleinlerer, managing director of Covenant Wines, one of the nation’s largest kosher wine producers.
Also known as “skin-contact” white wine, orange wine is made from white wine grapes that are fermented with their skins intact—a technique more commonly used in red wine production. Traditionally, white winemaking involves separating the juice from the grape skins soon after crushing.
“People are finally getting comfortably out of their comfort zone in the kosher wine world,” Kleinlerer, who owns his own eponymous label, told JNS.
Covenant sells lines called “the tribe” and “mensch.” Many of the wines on its website are listed as under the supervision of the Orthodox Union.
Kleinlerer told JNS that there is no legal definition in the United States of “natural wine,” and interpretations vary widely.
The term generally refers to wine that is made with as little intervention in vineyards and wineries as possible. It often includes organically grown grapes, lacks additives and uses an unfiltered processing method.
Kleinlerer’s wines are unfined and mostly unfiltered, and he produces bottles that meet European Union standards for natural wine, he told JNS. His wines are also certified kosher by the OU.
“Unfined” refers to wine that isn’t treated with agents like gelatin or casein, which are sometimes used to make wine look clearer and to adjust flavor. The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau does not require disclosure of fining aids on labels.
Industry sources told JNS that kosher consumers are seeking not only more “natural” wines but also those that are more “approachable” and lighter, with moderate alcohol levels and softer, easy-drinking flavors.
Philippe Dallacorte, who owns the kosher Great Neck, N.Y., wine store LaVino, told JNS that “new world” wines from various regions are gaining prominence among kosher consumers, who are showing interest in new styles and regions. They are also asking for wine with lower alcohol levels.
“There’s been a demonization of alcohol in the past three to five years, and I think some people don’t want to stop drinking but want to have a bit of a conscience,” Dallacorte told JNS.
“They ask for lower alcohol content, so it doesn’t affect them as much as regular alcohol content,” he said.
Eli Silins, who founded the kosher Camuna Cellars in Philadelphia, also said that there has been growing interest in lighter, more drinkable and less alcoholic kosher wines.
“There’s been a shift from bolder wines to lower alcohol ones,” Silins told JNS. “I think that’s a general shift that has taken over the kosher world after it took over non-kosher trends.”
Producers and retailers also told JNS that there is broader interest in smaller, niche brands.
Dellacorte said that high-end kosher wines from lesser-known producers often sell well but may need extra promotion.
“High-end wines don’t stay on the shelf,” he said. “There is big demand for that. If the company that makes them is completely unknown, they need an extra push.”
