Kosher Sparkling 101
This past week saw a first at Backsberg, and to my knowledge for South Africa as well. With equal quantities of nervousness and excitement, we bottled our maiden vintage of Kosher Sparkling wine. The sparkling wine is being made in the Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) style, equivalent to the traditional French Champagne production method. The bottled wine is now undergoing the all-important secondary fermentation in the bottle that will result in the formation of the sparkling bubbles.
Making kosher wine is an involved process. Starting with the harvesting of the grapes, anyone (i.e Jews and non-Jews alike) is allowed to pick the grapes. Once the grapes come into the cellar, their skins broken and the juice exposed, however, only observant Jews are allowed to handle the production of the wine. A Rabbi as well as a supervisor (Mashgiach) from the Jewish food regulatory body, the Beth Din, manage the process on our behalf.
There are two types of kosher wine: that which is flash-pasteurised and that which isn’t. The wine is taken up to about 87 degrees Celsius and cooled down in a matter of seconds. Flash-pasterising the wine is rooted in historical principles of hygiene, whereby back in the proverbial day, wine was boiled as a method of purifying it. The vast majority of kosher wine is flash-pasteurized and is thus Mevushal. Mevushal allows for the wine to be served by non-observant Jews at kosher functions.
Coming back to the Kosher Sparkling, the next stage of the process involves ageing in the bottle where the wine will pick up delicious flavours from the lees (inactive yeast cell sediment). Ten months from now, riddling will begin whereby over a number of weeks the inactive yeast cells are slowly moved to the top of the bottle. Finally, the neck of the bottle will be plunged into a freezing solution, the frozen deposit removed and the bottle stoppered with a sparkling wine cork. Add some packaging and voila, Backsberg Kosher Sparkling will emerge. I can’t wait to pop the cork on this bubbly!
SB
In the pic about the symbol below is the Kosher stamp from the Beth Din, and above that a similar stamp of approval from the equvalent body in the USA (for our Kosher Pinotage).
This post was written by:
Simon Back- who has written
56 posts on the Back Chat Blog. After finishing up studying economics at UCT in 2007, Simon has joined his family wine farm, Backsberg. When he is not trying to figure out what marketing wine means, he is authoring his blog, Back Chat.Author's web site: Backsberg
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Tags: Beth Din, Champagne, Kosher, Méthode Cap Classique, Sparkling Wine
November 11th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Simon, this is profoundly interesting. It takes some special care to produce a kosher product in seems.
Are there significant cost implications in this process?
November 11th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Hi Henre,
Yes, there are definite cost implications. Unfortunately the services of the Rabbi and Mashgiach don’t come for free! There is a also major ongoing costs associated with the certification that is involved.
SB
November 11th, 2008 at 10:23 am
And I reckon there’s little market locally for it? Export mainly I assume?
November 11th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Hi Simon,
I’d love to test the market with this wine. Our clients constantly request the normal Cap Classique (which is out of stock now) because they know the quality of Backsberg. The local market might just surprise you!
November 11th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Henre,
Well, yes and no. There are pockets in Cape Town and Joburg that are vibrant. Generally, major sales happen at two periods of the year, namely around the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.
I think the Kosher Sparkling will be great for Jewish functions, be they weddings or Bar Mitzvahs throughout the year.
Export wise, the East Coast of the US is a major Kosher drinking market, and the destination of a fair bit of our Kosher wine.
November 11th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Rob, indeed, I am very optimistic for the prospects of the Kosher Sparkling.
November 11th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Simon, Hello…..
You may or may not know my name but I am the wine critic for the Israeli daily, HaAretz. Would much appreciate it if you would contact me by email to drogov@cheerful.com
Best wishes
Rogov
November 11th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Nice to hear about you guys making kosher Champagne. First a comment (from Daniel Rogov on his site), most kosher wines are not flash-pasteurized. The few wineries that do flash-pasteurize their wines, do it to sell to Jews that will serve it at an occasion. Most wines are non-mevushal because it tends to harm the longevity and overall liveliness of a wine.
That said, I have ALWAYS enjoyed the Backsberg wines that I have tasted. Recently, I have not seen your kosher wines (not all your wines are kosher) anywhere I shop. Not online, or in a west coast wine shop. I see them online in some east coast shops, and may call them in time.
Is there a reason for the lack of distribution and marketing to our stores of preference?
Keep up the good work and congratulations!
November 12th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Hi Daniel,
Just dropped you an email.
SB
November 12th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
David,
Interesting, perhaps I should caveat my comments with Kosher Wines coming out of SA. Re distribution, the major reason is that we changed importers about two years ago. Where are you based, so that I can follow up?
SB
December 1st, 2008 at 10:47 am
I really hope to see this come out as far as the western US as well. An addition re mevushal wines - the mevushal process allows them to be served by anyone, not just non-observant Jews. Frankly, it makes for easier entertaining, especially at a catered event.
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:44 am
Hi Irene, indeed, as you say it allows the wine to be served by anybody. And yes, mevushal wines are more practical when it comes to functions. I hope to have the wines out on the West Coast in the not too distant future. SB
February 9th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I would like to try the kosher sparkling wine. Where in SA is it available? Can I purchase a case direct from you?
February 9th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Hi Stan, thanks for your interest. We will be releasing the Kosher Sparkling towards the end of the year. I have got you details and will drop you a mail when we have it available for tasting. Cheers, SB