Kosher wine recommendations: 3 bottles for your Passover meal Leave a comment
Lion & Dove Rosé Moscato
Light, fruity and sweet, this is a lovely wine to pair with fruit-based desserts or dishes with sweet sauces. Kosher mevushal. Vegan. Alcohol by volume: 5.5 percent. Bottle weight: 615 grams (Average).
Imported and distributed by DMV Distributing: Available in the District at Rodman’s, Yes Organic Market (Petworth). Available in Maryland at Accents Liquor, the Fountain at Drug City, Kosher Bite, Quarry Wine & Spirits, Wine Loft, Wine Source in Baltimore; Bethesda Co-Op in Cabin John; Caps & Corks in Elkton; Downtown Crown Wine and Beer in Gaithersburg; Frederick Wine House, Old Farm Liquors, Riverside Liquors in Frederick; Kettering Liquors in Upper Marlboro; Liberty Liquors in LaVale; Moti’s Market in Rockville; Parkway Deli & Restaurant in Silver Spring; Town Center Market in Riverdale Park; Valley Wine & Spirits in Hagerstown; Walther Liquors in Perry Hall.
Unorthodox Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Simonberg-Paarl, South Africa, $16
Juicy and supple, with excellent verve and balance, this delicious bordeaux-style blend is a great match for any red meat or hearty pasta. Kosher mevushal. Vegan. ABV: 14 percent. BW: 570 grams (Average).
Imported by Victor Wines, distributed by M. Touton Selection: Available in the District at Downtown Liquors, Freedom Market, Grand Liquor, Morris Miller Wine & Liquor, Potomac Wine & Spirits, Rodman’s, S&S Liquor, Wagshal’s Deli, Watergate Vintners & Spirits. Available in Maryland at Accents Liquors, Quarry Wine & Spirits, Wine Source, Wine Works in Baltimore; Beards Hill Liquors in Aberdeen; Bradley Food & Beverage in Bethesda; Downtown Crown Wine and Beer in Gaithersburg; Dugan’s Discount Liquors, Vineyards Elite, Wine Loft in Pikesville; Maple Lawn Wine & Spirits in Fulton; Moti’s Market in Rockville; Old Farm Liquors, ’Ye Old Spirit Shop in Frederick; Pine Orchard Liquors in Ellicott City; Town Center Market in Riverdale Park; Town Hall Liquor & Bar in College Park; Wine Post in Glyndon; the Winery in Chester. Available in Virginia at Crystal City Wine Shop in Arlington; Wine Gallery 108 in Alexandria.
Unorthodox Chenin Blanc 2021
Coastal Region, South Africa, $16
This wine is representative of a lot of South African chenin blanc: fresh and lively, with flavors of Granny Smith apples and apricots, and eminently affordable. Kosher mevushal. Vegan. ABV: 12.5 percent. BW: 570 grams (Average).
Imported by Victor Wines, distributed by M. Touton Selection: Available in the District at the Bottle Shop, Calvert Woodley, Morris Miller Wine & Liquor, Rodman’s, Rosebud Liquors, Sheffield Wine & Liquor Shoppe, Wagshal’s Deli, Watergate Vintners & Spirits. Available in Maryland at Accents Liquors in Baltimore; Beards Hill Liquors in Aberdeen; Bradley Food & Beverage in Bethesda; Downtown Crown Wine and Beer in Gaithersburg; Frisco’s Beer & Wine, Old Farm Liquors in Frederick; Maple Lawn Wine & Spirits in Fulton; Moti’s Market in Rockville; Town Center Market in Riverdale Park; Town Hall Liquor & Bar in College Park; Wine Loft in Pikesville; the Winery in Chester. Available in Virginia at Crystal City Wine Shop in Arlington; Foods of All Nations in Charlottesville; Everyday Sommelier in Lynchburg.
Cellier des Terres Blanches Intuition Côtes du Rhône 2019
Rhône Valley, France, $16
A classic blend of grenache and syrah, with a splash of carignan, this wine is richly textured and savory. Look for some herbal garrigue and lavender to emerge above the deep, dark fruit flavors. ABV: 14.5 percent. BW: 570 grams (Average).
Imported by Tri-Vin, distributed by DMV Distributing: Available in the District at Riggs Liquor, Rodman’s, Yes Organic Market (Brookland, Capitol Hill, Petworth). Available in Maryland at A+ Liquors, Sandy’s Liquors in Elkridge; Apple Greene Wine & Spirits in Dunkirk; Downtown Crown Wine and Beer in Gaithersburg; Eastport Liquors in Annapolis; Old Farm Liquors in Frederick; Parkway Deli & Restaurant, Snider’s Super Foods in Silver Spring; Pine Liquors in Fort Washington; Pratt Liquors in Baltimore; Urbana Liquors in Urbana.
Masca del Tacco Susumaniello 2020
In “Native Wine Grapes of Italy,” author Ian D’Agata says the name susumaniello means “load up the donkey,” a reference to the grape being “a very productive variety and little else.” Two researchers devoted to revitalizing traditional grape varieties in Puglia found a single vineyard with some susumaniello vines in the late 1990s. Now, plantings are on the rise and we have a few varietal bottlings. D’Agata says pure “Susie” offers “a strong but not massive cloak” of texture, “also plenty of dark-cherry and plum aromas and flavors.” For this wine from Masca del Tacco, I would add noticeable sweetness, along with some chocolate notes. It’s fun and tasty, more than just another grape variety to cross off your list. ABV: 14.5 percent. BW: 610 grams (Average).
Imported by Caput Mundi, distributed by Impero: Available in the District at A. Litteri, Rodman’s. Available in Maryland at CuVino in Timonium; Di Pasquale’s Marketplace, Wells Discount Liquors in Baltimore; Downtown Crown Wine and Beer, FineWine.com, Gemelli’s Italian Market in Gaithersburg; Edgewater Liquors in Edgewater; Giolitti Delicatessen in Annapolis; Orion Wine & Spirits in Frederick; Simpatico Italy’s Finest in St. Michael’s; Town Center Market in Riverdale Park. Available in Virginia at Balducci’s (Alexandria, McLean), Bon Vivant Wine & Brew in Smithfield; Branch & Vine, Oxford Cellars, Strawberry Street Market, Yellow Umbrella Provisions in Richmond; Dolce Vita Wine Bar in Fairfax; Gvino in Leesburg; Italian Store (Lyon Village, Westover), Pentagon City Wine Merchant in Arlington; Market 2 Market in Alexandria; Vienna Vintner in Vienna; the Wine Attic in Clifton; WineStyles in Montclair, Yiannis Wine Shop in Virginia Beach.
Availability information is based on distributor records. Wines might not be in stock at every listed store and might be sold at additional stores. Prices are approximate. Check wine-searcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor.
