Holiday Wine

If you're celebrating Passover, or if you're visiting someone who is celebrating, we're here to help guide you through the sometimes confusing world of Kosher for Passover wine. The Jewish holiday of Passover starts two weeks from tomorrow, at sundown on April 22.

For a wine to be Kosher, certain conditions apply. The wine must be created under a rabbi's immediate supervision, with only Sabbath-observant Jewish males touching the grapes from the crushing phase through the bottling.

Kosher for Passover wine, however, must be made with fermenting yeast that has not been grown on bread and must exclude several common preservatives. That's maybe a little technical, but you can look at it this way: All Kosher for Passover wines are Kosher, but not all Kosher wines are Kosher for Passover. For example, not all of our Manischewitz wines are Kosher for Passover, but they are all Kosher. You can see the difference in labeling in the photo at the left. Even though both bottles are the Concord Grape variety, the 1.75L size, on the left, is marked "Kosher," while the 750ML size is "Kosher for Passover." The label markings are circled in red.  If you're looking at this on a small screen, at least you'll know where on the label to look for the proper symbols.

There are other specific symbols to look for on the wine labels. Here are the most common:

The U in a circle is a kosher certification from the Orthodox Union. The P stands for Passover. A wine with these two letters, arranged this way, is Kosher for Passover.

This states in plain English that the wine is Kosher for Passover. Immediately above the English are the matching Hebrew words. You may also find the term "Mevushal" on some Kosher for Passover wines. That means the wine remains Kosher regardless of who handles it. Here's what that looks like on a wine label:

At Joe Canal's, we keep all of our Kosher wines in one section, so that they're easily found. But whether you're the host, or trying to be a considerate guest, please do seek out the appropriate Kosher for Passover wine. And, as always, our staff will be happy to assist you with your purchase.

To help you plan your shopping, the following wines are in stock, and are Kosher for Passover:

-Barkan wines (all varieties)
-Bartenura Moscato and Pinot Grigio
-Goose Bay Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir
-Hai the Patriot Cabernet Sauvignon

And, as noted in the photo above, some of the Manischewitz wines are Kosher for Passover. You'll also find nearly every wine varietal available as a Passover selection. Please browse through our Kosher section, and you'll find additional choices.

For many years, Kosher wines did not enjoy the best reputation. If you notice the shelf tags in the photo at the right, you'll see that three wines there were rated 90 points or higher by Wine Enthusiast. These are all affordable wines, easy to enjoy on Passover or any other day of the year.

The popularity of Bartenura Moscato reinforces that point. At only $10.99 in the Bottle Club®, Bartenura is one of our biggest selling Moscato wines.

That was simply a select few of our Kosher for Passover choices. If your taste preference runs toward spirits, may we suggest a vodka made from potato (without any grain), such as Luksusowa, Blue Ice, LIV and Chopin. While they may not carry the Kosher for Passover symbols, there is no issue with enjoying them during Passover.

And if you need mixers, some Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Minute Maid Orange Juice (No Pulp and Some Pulp) and Simply Orange (Pulp Free and High Pulp) products may have the Kosher for Passover designation. The symbols tend to be hard to find, but we hope this primer can be helpful to you.

Please shop early for the best selection of our Kosher for Passover wines.