Three delicious kosher wines highlight our list this week: A rosé moscato from Italy offers sweetness and fizz, while a bordeaux blend and a chenin blanc from South Africa bring classic flavors to the holiday table. We round out this week’s list with a great value côtes du rhône and a heritage red from southern Italy.
Lion & Dove Rosé Moscato
One and one-half stars
Italy, $12
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).
GREAT VALUE: Unorthodox Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Two and one-half stars
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).
Unorthodox Chenin Blanc 2021
Two stars
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).
GREAT VALUE: Cellier des Terres Blanches Intuition Côtes du Rhône 2019
Two and one-half stars
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).
Masca del Tacco Susumaniello 2020
Two stars
Puglia, Italy, $22
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).
Availability information is based on distributor records. Prices are approximate. Check wine-searcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor.
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