As many have read on these pages, a few wine events have come and gone – with one last one happening today in NY, the City Winery event held in agreement with the Jewish Week and their kosher wine list for Passover. Not to throw the baby out with the bath water, but the list of wines that were chosen for winners this year, are fine and many that I really like, but I hope you all love the wines I have listed here too. As I walked around KFWE this year, and IFWF, and Gotham’s Kosher Wine Extravaganza, I was asked over and over for a simple list of great and reasonably priced kosher wines.

So, with two weeks before Passover – here is my list. A few caveats first, this is MY list! This is not a list that will make many happy. These wines are the wines that make me happy. No wines here would be considered over ripe, over sweet, or all over the place. The wines here are listed in the order of cost. That said, the top line wines – what I call Top Flight wines, are not defined by cost at all. In that list you can find a 2013 Yarden Sauvignon Blanc, one of the best kosher Sauvignon Blanc wines I have ever tested. At the same time the list includes some of the best high-end kosher wines I have ever tasted that go for $100 or so a bottle. The list of Top Flight wines, are ALL wines that I would buy without hesitation, no matter the cost (if I can afford it of course).

Passover is time of year when Jews buy the most wine, along with Rosh Hashanah, and the American New Year. That is why all the kosher wine events happened a month or two before the Passover festival. It gives the wineries and distributors a chance to showcase all their wines that each appeal to different market segments. So, no there are no sweet or semi-sweet baseline wines here. There are many very good 15 or so dollar bottles of wine, that can be bought at Skyview, Gotham, and all the other wine stores I have listed on the right hand side (as always I NEVER make money from them and I never know or care what people buy, the list is whom I buy wines from and so I can recommend them to others).

Also, the amount of money you spend does not define the value or quality of the wine. Take for example the 24 dollar Lewis Pasco Project #1 wine – a stunning wine that needs time or needs serious decanting, an insane wine that kills it for the price. Same goes for the Vignobles David Reserve or the Capcanes Peraj petita, and many others.

Seeing the list and checking it twice (could not help myself), I am sure there will be a question – what defines a wine as a Top Flight wine and why are there wines that are not on it? The Top Flight wines, is a list of wines that personally was wowed when tasting them. That does not mean that the Peraj Petita, as wonderful as it is may or may not compare to another wine on the 50 dollar and above list – that would not be fair. What it does mean was that when I tasted it, I was wowed, and I said this is a wine that everyone should get – no matter the price. In the end, this is not about which is better than the rest it is a way to whittle down the list of wines that I enjoyed from a massive set of thousands of kosher wines available here in America. That is why I made the list. In hindsight, I am sure I will have missed some wines, but you can be always look at the blog and if a wine you want is not on the list, by my omission, but scored an A- or higher, it was probably a good bet to have been on this list.

Finally, it is our custom to drink four cups of wine on Passover, but to power down these wines is far to hard for me. I rather decide to drink simple wines like the Tabor Via bubbly red, non mevushal wine. It is simple to chug, tasty, and perfectly fulfills the custom. For the main course, I am happy to open a Top Flight wine and enjoy that at a calm and enjoyable pace.

In the end, these are my picks, they are easy to find and in my opinion, really good. There is also the Jewish Week’s list and Yossie Horowitz (of Yossie’s Corkboard) also comes out with a list.

So there you have it – enjoy good kosher wine for a reasonable price and enjoy the Passover holiday for what it should be, which is enjoying time and our heritage with our families! Happy Passover to you all. Post what wine you will be enjoying, I would love to hear from you guys on what you will be drinking throughout the holiday!

Wines below 20 dollars:

2012/2013 Domaine Netofa White
2013 Domaine Netofa Rose (QPR)
2012 Domaine Netofa Red
2010 Barkan Pinotage, Special Reserve
2011 Barkan Cabernet Sauvignon, Winemaker’s Reserve
2012 Galil Viognier (un-oaked) – the one with not as nice
2012 Yarden Chardonnay, Odem Vineyard
2012 Recanati Chardonnay, reserve
2013 Recanati Yasmin Cab/Merlot (mevushal)
2013 Recanati Yasmin White (NOT mevushal)
2011 Weinstock Petite Sirah, cellar select (mad QPR)
2010 Weinstock Cabernet Franc, Cellar Select (mad QPR)
2010 Weinstock Zinfandel, Cellar Select
2012 Capcanes peraj petita (mevushal) (QPR)
2012 Capcanes peraj petita (non mevushal) (QPR)
2012 Tabor Sauvignon Blanc, Adama
2011 Tabor Shiraz, Adama
2009 Carmel Appellation Cabernet Franc
2012 Goose Bay Sauvignon Blanc
2012 Goose Bay Fume Blanc (QPR)
2012 Goose Bay Chardonnay
2012 Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso (QPR) (do not laugh 2012 is lovely!)
2011 Dalton Alma, Caberent and Merlot
2011 Dalton Petite Sirah (QPR)
2011/2012 Le Mourre De Lisle Cotes du Rhone(mevushal) (QPR)
2010 Chateau d’Arveyres (QPR)
2012 Beit El Carignan
2012 Tulip White Tulip
2013 Hagafen Sauvignon Blanc
2012 Don Ernesto Collage

Wines below 25 dollars:

2011/2012 Domaine Netofa Tinto (liked the 2011 better but this is still nice)
2011 Reacanti Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve
2012 Carmel Riesling, Kayoumi (QPR)
2011 1848 Chardonnay, 5th Generation
2011 Trio The Secret (Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah) (Israel only)
2012 Haroe Winery Merlot (Israel only)
2012 Haroe Winery Petite Verdot (Israel only)
2012 Lewis Pasco Project #1 (mad QPR)
2009 and 2010 Ella Valley Cabernet Franc (QPR)
2009 Ella Valley Syrah (QPR)
2012 Tzora Judean Hills (QPR)
2013 Lueria Rose (very nice)
2010 Tabor Adama II (Shiraz/Cabernet)
2010 Tzuba Syrah Metsudah
2012 Binyamina Late Harvest Gewurtztraminer
2012 Dalton Semillon (QPR)
2011 Vignobles David Reserve (mad QPR)
2007 Yarden Blanc de Blanc (mad QPR)
2012 Tulip White Franc
2012 Recanati Petite Sirah (mad QPR)
Porto Cordovero, Ruby Port, n.v.
Porto Quevedo, Ruby Port, n.v.
Hagafen Dry Riesling

Wines from 25 to 35:

2010/2011 Tulip Mostly Cabernet Franc
2009 Teperberg Merlot, Reserve
2009 Teperberg Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve
2012 Covenant Tribe Red
2011 Tzora Shoresh Red
2012 Domaine Netofa Latour, White
2011 Bravdo Coupage
2010 Recanati Cabernet Franc
2011 Bazelet HaGolan Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Shiloh Legend
2011 Adir Cabernet Sauvignon
2011 Dalton Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve
2008 Hagafen Sonoma Coast Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (375mL)
2010 Four gates Chardonnay

Wines below 50:

2009 Yatir Syrah – lovely!
2011 Gvaot Cabernet Sauvignon, Gonna
2010 Gvaot Pinot Noir, Gofna
2011 Bazelet HaGolan Merlot, Reserve
2010 Adir A
2011 Chateau Rollan de By (mevushal)
Drappier Carte Blanche
Darppier Carte d’or
2010 Odem Mountain Winery Cabernet Franc
2011 Lueria Grand Vital
2005 Borgo Reale Signi Brunello Di Montalcino
2010 Four Gates Merlot
2010 Four Gates Cabernet Sauvignon

Wines above 50:

2010 Chateau Haut Condissas
2009 Hevron Height Makpelah
2011 Echo de Roses Camille
2010 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon

Top Flight Wines (wines worth it no matter the price – within your idea of reason)

2010 Castel Grand Vin
2011 Flam Syrah reserve
2010 Flam Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve
2010 Flam Merlot, Reserve
2010 Tzora Misty Hills
2012 Capcanes Peraj Habib (Crazy QPR)
2009/2010 Elvi Wines Clos Mesorah
2011 Capcanes Flor de Flor
2011 Capcanes Peraj Habib
2012 Reacanati Marselan – Lovely
2011 Gvaot Pinot Noir, Gofna
2005 Chateau Malartic Lagraviere
2005 Chateau Leoville Poyferre
2011 Shiloh Mosaic
2011 Domaine Netofa Latour, Red
2011 Adir Shiraz
2010 Adir Plato
2009 Yatir Forest
2009 Elvi Herenza Reserva
2009 Carmel Limited Edition
2012 Recanati Syrah/Viognier – lovely!
2012 Recanati Wild Carignan – LOVELY!
2013 Yarden Sauvignon Blanc – AWESOME
2010 Recanati Wild Carignan – LOVELY!
2011 Recanati Special Reserve
2012 Shirah Power to the People
2011 Dalton Shiraz, Kerem Hoshen
2012 Vignobles David Chateauneuf Du Pape
2011 Gvaot Masada
2011 Chateau Moulin Riche
2007/2008 Four Gates Merlot
2010 Four Gates Frére Robaire Bordeaux blend