Covenant Wines recently set up shop in Berkeley, California. Winemaker Jeff Morgan and Associate Winemaker Jonathan Hajdu are trying their hands at a Mevushal (flash-pasteurized) red blend. Mevushal has gathered a somewhat iffy reputation, even among kosher winemakers. The idea of boiling wine hardly seems appealing to a seasoned wine drinker.
That's why Covenant operated for ten years without making Mevushal wine. However, in 2013, a new technique was developed that allows winemakers to heat the grapes as opposed to the wine. The technique, flash-détente, involves heating the grapes very soon after harvest and subsequently cooling them in a vacuum. The juice takes on red grape color immediately. The grapes are then racked, pressed, and fermented as any other batch would be.
The Tribe Red is making people rethink Mevushal wine. This spicy, dry, full-bodied wine has been giving plenty of critics pause on what it means to be Mevushal.
On a lighter note, check out what a very hungry Shlomo has to say:
Do you have opinions about typical Mevushal wine? Have you tried The Tribe Red? How does it compare?
