October 21, 2025 • 30 mins
Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir
Sweet can be serious, as we look at Moscato’s long road from ancient Muscat vines to Piedmont’s low-ABV sparkle, and the cobalt-blue bottle that took kosher wine mainstream. Along the way, we explain why this fragrant style became a first-love wine for so many people who once felt intimidated by tannins, tasting notes, and cellar talk—and how it still manages to honor religious tradition all while elevating the mood of the moment.
Muscat grapes harvested for aroma are gently pressed to preserve their perfume, then cooled for fermentation, which is paused early to retain residual sugar and natural CO2. All while abiding by DOCG guardrails for Moscato d’Asti. We contrast that rigor with the myth of “sugar water,” then taste it in detail—honeysuckle on the nose, white peach and citrus zest on the palate, a bright spritz, and a clean finish that invites another sip.
The story widens from Bartenura’s pop-culture breakout to a full kosher Moscato category built by Israeli and Italian producers, plus smart packaging moves like cans and splits that brought wine into spaces once dominated by beer. We address critics head-on, reframing sweetness through the lens of purpose and pointing to a future of organically farmed, site-expressive Moscato at 8–9% ABV that keeps joy while adding depth. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a sweet wine, this conversation might change your mind—or at least give you a new glass to share.
Enjoyed what you heard? Subscribe, share with a wine-curious friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find us. Then tell us your Moscato story on Instagram with #TheKosherTerroir or via email TheKosherTerroir@gmail.com.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:08):
Welcome to the Coastal Terra.
I'm Simon Jacob, your host forthis episode from Jerusalem.
Before we get started, no matterwhere you are, please take a
moment to pray for the safereturn home of all our soldiers
and the full return of all theremains of our hostages.
(00:30):
If you're driving in your car,please focus on the road ahead.
If you're relaxing at home,please open a delicious bottle
of kosher wine and pour a glass,sit back and relax.
Welcome back, friends, to theKosher Terroir, the show where
we wander across vineyards, meetthe people behind the bottle,
(00:53):
and explore how Kosher winetells stories of tradition,
terroir, and transformation.
I'm your host Simon Jacob.
Today we're popping opensomething delicious, something
that made a bridge from grapesto glass, from sacred table to
social table.
I'm talking about Moscato.
(01:15):
Think back for a moment to thelast time wine surprised you.
Maybe a bold red that made yousit up, or a crisp white that
whispered summer breeze.
For many drinkers in ourcommunity, that first wow, I
like this wine moment came withsomething lighter, sweeter, and
(01:37):
friendlier.
A wine that said you don't haveto know everything to enjoy
something.
You don't need to lean back,judge the tannins, view the
legs, just sip, smile, andrelax.
And maybe that wine was Moscato.
Picture this, the azure bluebottle of a particular brand,
(02:00):
sitting on the Shabbat table inBrooklyn, then showing up in the
VIP bottle service display inMiami.
Picture someone's first date, arooftop bar, a wedding
reception.
They didn't order the heavy cab,they ordered the sweet sparkler.
Dozens of discovered momentswhere wine ceased being
(02:24):
intimidating and becameapproachable.
And so the question looms, isMoscato just sugar and
marketing, or is there meaning,craft, and substance behind it?
Over the next few minutes, we'lltravel from the ancient Muscat
vines of Piedmont to thesun-drenched Galilee and Judean
(02:45):
hills.
We'll explore how a grape that'sbeen growing for a millennia
found a new life in kosher wine.
We'll drink, we'll analyze,we'll unpack love and criticism.
And yes, by the time we finish,I hope you'll not only
understand Moscato better, but Ihope you'll be inspired to reach
(03:06):
for it, explore with it, andthen go further.
So go ahead, grab a chilledbottle, or even better, pop a
can.
Make yourself comfortable, andlet's begin.
Let's wander back in time to aplace where vines grew wild and
people discovered their power.
(03:28):
The grape at the heart of thestory is a muscat blan a petite
gran.
Its name hints at small grains,little berries, intense
aromatics, and this grape familyis ancient.
Archaeologists have found muscatvines in Egyptian tombs.
(03:48):
Records show Greek shipscarrying muscat wines across the
Mediterranean.
That means this grape, new traderoutes, cultural exchanges, and
quiet dinners long before modernbranding existed.
In Piedmont, Italy, winemakersstarted refining it into
(04:08):
something special.
A gentle, soft, sparklingMoscato de Asti.
They recognized the perfume-likearomas of honeysuckle and the
softness of peach, thebrightness of lemon zest in the
muscat grape.
But they didn't turn it into aheavy, serious wine.
(04:30):
They stopped fermentation earlyso that the natural sugars
remained and the alcohol stayedlow, often around 5%, allowing
the wine to keep its livelysparkle.
Now here's where Jewish historyintersects in interesting ways.
Sweet wines have always had ahome on Jewish tables, from
(04:52):
Malvasia in medieval Italy tosweet muscats in the Levant, to
dessert wines in twentiethcentury Palestine.
Why sweet?
Because historically sugar meantsecurity, preservation,
celebration.
A sweet wine didn't spoil asfast.
(05:13):
It brought joy, it remindedpeople of the land, of
abundance, and of blessing.
When kosher wine producerslooked for styles that were
forgiving, approachable, andfun, ideal for Shabbat meals and
simkas, they found a perfectcandidate in the Muscat family.
(05:34):
Light alcohol means easier tointegrate in meals.
Sweet means less barriers toentry for someone who says, I
don't like wine yet.
Let's paint a specific scene.
In the 1950s, Israel, awinemaker in Galilee experiments
with muscat grapes under amodest oak tree.
(05:55):
He says to his apprentice, makeit sweet, make it happy, make
people smile when they pour it.
That mindset was less aboutcompetition and more about
community.
The wine is part of thegathering, children laughing,
grandparents telling stories,plates being cleared, so the
(06:18):
origins of the style are bothnoble and joyful.
Another anecdote in Piedmont,Italy, one wintner used old
horse drawn presses in the 1920sin early fermentation tanks that
were wooden.
The resulting Moscato d'Asti wasso aromatic.
(06:39):
Locals nicknamed it vino diflore, flower wine.
It wasn't about robustness, itwas about delicacy.
It was an aesthetic carried intothe kosher versions too.
So when you pour Moscato today,you're tapping into a lineage of
(06:59):
sweet wine that spans geographyand centuries.
It's not accidental, it's verymuch by design, and that brings
us to its modern rise.
Here's where the tale getscommercial and cultural.
In the 1980s, in New York'skosher wine corridors, there was
(07:21):
a quiet revolution.
A major importer, Royal WineCorporation, believed that
kosher wine didn't have to bejust red, or dry reds, or
bargain blends.
They imported an Italian Moscatofrom Piedmont and positioned it
under a new label, Bartonura.
(07:42):
The bottle was striking, brightcobalt blue, gold accents,
Hebrew text, something thatstood out on the shelf.
The sweet taste made it easy forpeople who didn't drink wine to
actually enjoy wine.
Cue the 1990s and early 2000s.
Shabbat tables, college parties,celebrations.
(08:05):
It spread.
And then the pop culture caughtwind.
Hip hop artists name checked thebottle.
Nightclubs featured it.
Suddenly kosher wine brokeoutside the community and into
the broader lifestyle space.
To quote an unnamed Italianexport manager, we went from
(08:26):
selling 10,000 cases a year tohitting six figures almost
overnight because suddenlypeople weren't afraid of the
bottle.
Today industry estimates placeBartunur Moscato's annual volume
at around 10 million bottles.
830,000 cases approximately.
That makes it not just theleading kosher wine.
(08:48):
It's arguably the biggest.
In the kosher segment, it's astar.
But the ripple effect is equallyimportant.
Israeli producers noticed.
Carmel launched their selectedmoscato and later their buzz
flavored line.
Tepperberg introduced a MoscatoWhite and Moscato Red.
(09:09):
Dalton created their CanonMoscato, and many others
followed, including some Italianlabels.
Together they built a globalkosher moscato category.
In the US, the kosher wine shelfexpanded.
In Israel, weddings and partiesadopted sweet light moscados.
(09:30):
In the UK, the kosher wineimporter shelves shifted to
include bubbly cans and chilledsingles.
Here's the key insight.
Volume doesn't mean compromise.
While Moscato became a massmarket star, many of these
producers maintained koshercertifications, maintained real
(09:52):
wine production, and activelymarketed to new consumers rather
than solely chasing novelty.
A winemaker from a family-runvineyard in the Judean Hills
told me over lunch, when weplanted Muscat vines, neighbors
said we were making candy, butthen they tasted it, light,
(10:14):
fresh, and before you know it,they passed the bottle around
and said, This is wine too.
So the rise of Kosher Moscato ispart social, part cultural, part
economic.
It's a lesson in how wine canadapt and thrive in a
faith-based ecosystem, and thenleap into the mainstream
(10:36):
culture.
So let's dig a bit deeper now,tastefully and truthfully.
Myth one Moscato is just grapejuice with sugar and alcohol
added.
Reality, many, many legitimatemoscados are real wines,
fermented, regulated, andtraceable.
(10:57):
The same rules of viticultureapply grape variety, terrois,
fermentation, aging if any, andbottling.
The main difference is style,lower alcohol, higher remaining
sugar, and sometimes a gentlesparkle.
Italian Moscato d Asti is aprotected DOCG designation where
(11:22):
law demands grapes grown inPiedmont, sparkling,
semi-sparkling methods, and theNaby V, an alcohol by volume
around five to six percent.
Israeli muscat wines are seriousas well, often made from muscat
canali or muscat of Alexandriagrown in the Galilee, Golan, or
(11:48):
the Judean Hills.
Production is similar to anyother wine.
Muscat grapes are harvested whenaromatic and ripe.
They're pressed gently topreserve fragrance.
Cool fermentation tanks are usedto slow yeast activities.
Fermentation is stopped early,cooling or filtering, so
(12:10):
residual sugars remain.
Some producers retain naturalCO2, the charmat method, to
deliver sparkle.
Others simply tank ferment it toretain a light fizziness.
Bottled, they all bottle withlow ABVs between 5 and 6% to
(12:32):
maintain the fragrance andsweetness.
If you compare that to jug wineor fortified blends, those may
use added sugars, flavoringagents, or reconstituted juices.
But in contrast, respectedkosher moscados tend not to take
that shortcut.
They rely on muscat grapes,aromatic juice.
(12:55):
That's a key truth.
Now for some tasting time.
I'd like for you to envisionyour glass in front of you, or
go ahead and pour if you haveone.
The appearance pale gold,sometimes with a silver hue.
In light, the bubbles may form adelicate ring around the rim.
(13:20):
The aroma or the nose ishoneysuckle, orange blossom,
white peach, a hint of apricot,maybe even a whiff of mint or
lemon zest.
You might even detect lychee orpear skin.
In the palate, the taste.
(13:40):
The first sip is light-bodied.
There's a soft spritz of sparkleif the producer kept the CO2.
The sweetness is clear butbalanced.
It's not usually syrupy unlessit's flavored or an after dinner
style.
The acidity keeps it fresh.
(14:02):
Its finish is clean, delicate,lingering.
Little note of blossom or sweetcitrus, not heavy.
It doesn't ask for chewing.
It invites sipping and smiling.
So what would you pair it with?
Here are a few suggestions thatyou might not expect.
(14:26):
Spicy Sejuan chicken.
The sweetness cools the heat.
Brie or camembert with fig jam.
The sweetness echoes the fig andthe acidity cuts.
Fresh fruit salad with mint.
The wine mirrors the fruits,elevates the mint.
(14:49):
And of course, an eclair or alight lemon tart.
A sweet dessert partner thatdoesn't overpower.
It's also perfect chilled.
My favorite.
Pour it over ice with friends,laugh, talk, and pour it again.
It's just great.
(15:09):
Sometimes wine doesn't alwaysneed gravitas.
Sometimes it just needs a glow.
Here's an insider tidbit.
One Italian producer told methey once tasted a batch of
Moscato and said, this is toosweet even for us.
But if you dilute it slightly,they found it soars among
(15:31):
first-time consumers.
He said we realized we weretrying to make wine for critics.
Instead, we should be makingwine for enjoyment.
So yes, it is wine.
Real grapes, real fermentation,real craft, and yes, it's easy
to enjoy.
That's the brilliance.
(15:51):
Now let's unpack the numbers andthe demographics, because as
someone who's tried todistribute wines in the past, I
found the data tells an amazingstory.
In North America, the kosherwine segment remains relatively
small compared to mainstreamwine.
But within it, Moscato hascarved out a massive share.
(16:15):
Industry estimates suggestroughly 25 to 30% of kosher
retail wine volume is Moscato orMoscato style.
Just think about that.
One quarter to nearly one-thirdof the shelf space.
That's huge.
In the US, the typical retailfor a normal 750 milliliter
(16:39):
kosher moscato falls in the$12to$17 range.
For example,$14.99 to$17.99 forpremium Italian kosher moscato.
That's Bartonura.
$11.99 to$13.99 for valued tierIsraeli Moscatoes, like in
(17:00):
Carmel.
Compare that to a bar cocktail,often$12 to$15 for one drink, or
a bottle of mid-tier dry wine,$20 to$30.
Moscato is accessible.
Typical ABV, alcohol by volume,is around 5%, as we've said.
(17:23):
That means that each sip givesyou the wine experience without
the heavy buzz.
In a wellness era, that's a bigplus.
It fits brunches, poolsideafternoons, and lighter
evenings.
Millennials and Gen Zers, drawnto sweet, approachable,
portable, Instagram friendlypackaging helps.
(17:45):
Women, especially younger women,as the surveys show, have a
higher uptake of moscato inkosher markets among female
drinkers compared to heavierreds.
And lifestyle consumers, outdoorgatherings, festivals, backyard
parties.
Moscato fits the casual mood.
(18:07):
In order to attract thatspecific demographic, Bartonora
has gone into some innovativepackaging.
The first is they created singleserve, 250 milliliter cans that
they package as a group of four.
They also have 1.5 litermagnums.
(18:28):
Also 375 milliliter single servebottles, as well as sleek
chilled crates with brightlabels, again targeting the
younger drinkers.
The production geography forMoscato is in Italy, in
Piedmont, Moscato d'Asti, theDOCG, and Lamardi.
(18:53):
In Israel, in the Galilee, theGolan Heights, the Judean Hills,
Muscat vineyards are plantedspecifically for sweet, low ABV
wines.
In the United States andCalifornia, their kosher
producers making muscat ormuscato style wines in Lodi and
the Central Coast.
So why is it such a strategicproduct?
(19:16):
Mainly because for distributorsit has a high turn rate, sweet,
crowd-pleasing, and lesscellaring, if any sellering
required.
It has a cross demographicappeal with both faith-based
buyers and mainstream consumers.
It also follows the trend oflower alcohol, sweeter taste,
(19:39):
especially when it's in itsconvenient pickup and drink
packaging.
Another story one of thedistributors told me was when
they launched the four-pack cansin 2019, they placed them next
to the Kraft beer in Jewishcommunity stores.
(20:00):
Sales surprisingly exploded,people buying for summer
barbecues, lake days.
That cross-channel placement wassignificant as wine entered
spaces previously reserved forbeer.
One woman in New York told methat this was my first wine that
(20:20):
I liked.
She'd been drinking beer overthe years until someone handed
her a chilled kosher moscato,and she said, Oh, I can do this.
At a recent summer wedding,instead of heavy wine, we served
sweet Moscato.
Guests danced, spilled, laughed,and remembered the day.
(20:42):
Social media snapshots, showingbright bottles, pastel labels,
Instagram feeds full of youthfulenergy.
Moscato has become the imagefriendly wine.
Koshu Community Dinners Becauseit's sweet and low alcohol, it
bridges generations.
Grandpa may prefer his CabernetSauvignon.
(21:05):
Cousins prefer their craft beer,and the younger guests go for
Moscato.
All around the same table.
So what are some of the criticalvoices?
It's too sweet to be seriouswine, Samalier once told me.
I won't serve Moscato to myclients.
It lacks structure.
(21:27):
It's a gateway wine, not adestination, some critics say of
Moscato.
It's just for novelty, anothercommented.
It's an Instagram wine, not aseller wine.
It's not even being marketedproperly.
The unit price for a twenty fourcan case is worse than a four
pack.
Yes, we caught that anomaly too,and we will discuss it later.
(21:51):
All that said, here's how Irespond to both the negative and
positive opinions.
Sweet wines have always beenserious.
Think of Sauternes, Toket,Twenty Ports.
These were revered.
The issue isn't sweetness, it'sexpectation.
If you expect bold tannins,spine chilling minerality, then
(22:16):
yes, Moscato will disappoint.
But if you expect joyful,aromatic, sociable wine, it can
exceed.
One winemaker told me we madeour Moscato thinking of a dinner
table.
It must make people talk,connect, smile.
It was never meant to sit in thecellar.
(22:38):
That shift in purpose isextremely powerful.
Also, the gateway critique.
I say good.
Let's get more drinkers intowine culture.
If Moscato is the door, let'swalk through it together and
explore the rest of the hallway.
And yes, there are pricingoddities.
(22:59):
Like our earlier example, the 24can case sometimes costing more
per can than the four-pack.
It's a distribution and retailanomaly.
It's not a product flaw.
It points to the fact that thekosher market still has
idiosyncrasies, supply chainquirks, niche import markups,
(23:21):
and packaging premiums.
Distributors don't want you toknow, but if you'd want 24 cans,
don't buy the 24 can case at$129.99.
Because of a marketing anomaly,buy six four packs and save more
than 30 bucks.
Please just let that be ourlittle secret brought to you by
(23:44):
the Kosher Terrois.
But let's look ahead now,because Moscato isn't done.
In fact, I'd argue it's enteringits most interesting phase.
In Israel's Judean Hills inGalilee, younger winemakers are
planting muscad vines withorganic or biodynamic methods.
(24:05):
They're placing emphasis onvineyard elevation, cooler night
temperatures, longer hang times.
The resulting moscados arecooler, fresher, less syrupy,
more refined.
Imagine a premium moscato withan 8 to 9% ABV, a little
sparkle, a little depth, stillsweet, but with terroir
(24:29):
expression.
The canned culture isn't goingaway either.
Expect multi-canned cartons,mixed flavor packs, peach
moscato, mango moscato, and evensingle serve glasses targeting
festivals, food trucks, urbanpicnics.
The key is accessibility andquality, so the younger consumer
(24:52):
doesn't think they'recompromising by choosing this
format.
Labels are becoming lighter,fonts more modern, and colors
pastel.
New social campaigns focus lesson what does this oak aging
impart, and more on who are youwith?
How are you feeling?
(25:12):
Moscato fits the lifestyle.
A day date in the park, a lovelybrunch with friends, an open-air
rooftop barbecue?
It all means kosher wine is notjust for the synagogue shelf.
It's part of the weekend mix.
But can the perception ofMoscato be elevated?
(25:32):
Some producers are highlightingvineyard sites, grape clones,
residual sugars, and ABV, andsome even pairing suggestions.
Imagine a kosher Moscato reservemade from old vine muscat,
limited to 300 cases,bottle-aged with an 8% ABV.
(25:55):
Not just a party wine, butsomething collectible that
elevates the category whilestill preserving its entry level
value.
In global trends, sweet andsemi-sweet wines are growing
globally on a compound annualgrowth rate basis of between 10
and 11%.
Moscato can ride that wave, butespecially if kosher producers
(26:19):
export to non-Jewish markets andemphasize low alcohol, fruit
forward taste, that opens doorsfor kosher wines beyond the
niche.
One final note, in our currentmoderation culture, in many
parts of the world people drinkless but expect better.
A 5% ABV, sweet wine, servedchilled, fills that gap.
(26:44):
You can enjoy the ritual of winewithout waking up the next
morning with regret.
That's a powerful positioning.
So as you pour your next glass,remember, Moscato is not at the
end of its journey.
It might just be at itsbeginning.
Here's what I hope you take awayfrom our time together.
(27:08):
Moscato isn't just the sweetwine you pass by in the store.
It's intentional.
It's crafted to bring peopletogether, to lower the barrier,
to make wine welcoming.
It's rooted in tradition,ancient Muscat vines, reimagined
by modern kosher producers andembraced by younger drinkers who
(27:32):
aren't afraid to chill it andenjoy it.
It's proof that kosher wine canbe fun and credible, that you
don't need to start with theheaviest red to feel like you're
part of the story.
If you're new to wine, letmoscado be your friendly
handshake.
Let it say welcome in, youbelong.
(27:53):
And if you've been in the wineworld for a while, pour it
chilled, let it surprise you.
You might find nuance in itssweetness you didn't expect.
Before you go, I invite you toshare your Moscato story.
First step, first bottle, tag uswith hashtag the Kosher Terroir
(28:13):
on Instagram or at the KosherTerroir on Twitter.
Tell us where you were, who youwere with, what made you smile.
If you enjoyed today's episode,please subscribe, share us with
a friend who's wine curious, andleave a review.
Your support helps us keepexploring, keep educating, and
(28:38):
keep sipping thoughtfullytogether.
And don't forget to check outour previous episodes, where
we've dug into sustainability inIsraeli vineyards, explored
hidden varietals like Carignon,and met winemakers who are
reshaping what kosher winemeans.
You'll find links in the shownotes.
(28:59):
I'm Simon Jacob.
Thank you for joining me on theKosher Terroir.
Until next time, stay curious,keep raising your glass, and try
serving Moscato, especiallychilled.
(29:23):
This is Simon Jacob, again, yourhost of today's episode of the
Kosher Terrois.
I have a personal request.
No matter where you are or whereyou live, please take a moment
to pray for our soldiers' safetyand the complete return of all
of our hostages remains.
(29:43):
Please subscribe via yourpodcast provider to be informed
of our new episodes as they arereleased.
If you are new to the KosherTerra, please check out our many
past episodes.
Welcome to the Coastal Terra.
I'm Simon Jacob, your host forthis episode from Jerusalem.
Before we get started, no matterwhere you are, please take a
moment to pray for the safereturn home of all our soldiers
and the full return of all theremains of our hostages.
(00:30):
If you're driving in your car,please focus on the road ahead.
If you're relaxing at home,please open a delicious bottle
of kosher wine and pour a glass,sit back and relax.
Welcome back, friends, to theKosher Terroir, the show where
we wander across vineyards, meetthe people behind the bottle,
(00:53):
and explore how Kosher winetells stories of tradition,
terroir, and transformation.
I'm your host Simon Jacob.
Today we're popping opensomething delicious, something
that made a bridge from grapesto glass, from sacred table to
social table.
I'm talking about Moscato.
(01:15):
Think back for a moment to thelast time wine surprised you.
Maybe a bold red that made yousit up, or a crisp white that
whispered summer breeze.
For many drinkers in ourcommunity, that first wow, I
like this wine moment came withsomething lighter, sweeter, and
(01:37):
friendlier.
A wine that said you don't haveto know everything to enjoy
something.
You don't need to lean back,judge the tannins, view the
legs, just sip, smile, andrelax.
And maybe that wine was Moscato.
Picture this, the azure bluebottle of a particular brand,
(02:00):
sitting on the Shabbat table inBrooklyn, then showing up in the
VIP bottle service display inMiami.
Picture someone's first date, arooftop bar, a wedding
reception.
They didn't order the heavy cab,they ordered the sweet sparkler.
Dozens of discovered momentswhere wine ceased being
(02:24):
intimidating and becameapproachable.
And so the question looms, isMoscato just sugar and
marketing, or is there meaning,craft, and substance behind it?
Over the next few minutes, we'lltravel from the ancient Muscat
vines of Piedmont to thesun-drenched Galilee and Judean
(02:45):
hills.
We'll explore how a grape that'sbeen growing for a millennia
found a new life in kosher wine.
We'll drink, we'll analyze,we'll unpack love and criticism.
And yes, by the time we finish,I hope you'll not only
understand Moscato better, but Ihope you'll be inspired to reach
(03:06):
for it, explore with it, andthen go further.
So go ahead, grab a chilledbottle, or even better, pop a
can.
Make yourself comfortable, andlet's begin.
Let's wander back in time to aplace where vines grew wild and
people discovered their power.
(03:28):
The grape at the heart of thestory is a muscat blan a petite
gran.
Its name hints at small grains,little berries, intense
aromatics, and this grape familyis ancient.
Archaeologists have found muscatvines in Egyptian tombs.
(03:48):
Records show Greek shipscarrying muscat wines across the
Mediterranean.
That means this grape, new traderoutes, cultural exchanges, and
quiet dinners long before modernbranding existed.
In Piedmont, Italy, winemakersstarted refining it into
(04:08):
something special.
A gentle, soft, sparklingMoscato de Asti.
They recognized the perfume-likearomas of honeysuckle and the
softness of peach, thebrightness of lemon zest in the
muscat grape.
But they didn't turn it into aheavy, serious wine.
(04:30):
They stopped fermentation earlyso that the natural sugars
remained and the alcohol stayedlow, often around 5%, allowing
the wine to keep its livelysparkle.
Now here's where Jewish historyintersects in interesting ways.
Sweet wines have always had ahome on Jewish tables, from
(04:52):
Malvasia in medieval Italy tosweet muscats in the Levant, to
dessert wines in twentiethcentury Palestine.
Why sweet?
Because historically sugar meantsecurity, preservation,
celebration.
A sweet wine didn't spoil asfast.
(05:13):
It brought joy, it remindedpeople of the land, of
abundance, and of blessing.
When kosher wine producerslooked for styles that were
forgiving, approachable, andfun, ideal for Shabbat meals and
simkas, they found a perfectcandidate in the Muscat family.
(05:34):
Light alcohol means easier tointegrate in meals.
Sweet means less barriers toentry for someone who says, I
don't like wine yet.
Let's paint a specific scene.
In the 1950s, Israel, awinemaker in Galilee experiments
with muscat grapes under amodest oak tree.
(05:55):
He says to his apprentice, makeit sweet, make it happy, make
people smile when they pour it.
That mindset was less aboutcompetition and more about
community.
The wine is part of thegathering, children laughing,
grandparents telling stories,plates being cleared, so the
(06:18):
origins of the style are bothnoble and joyful.
Another anecdote in Piedmont,Italy, one wintner used old
horse drawn presses in the 1920sin early fermentation tanks that
were wooden.
The resulting Moscato d'Asti wasso aromatic.
(06:39):
Locals nicknamed it vino diflore, flower wine.
It wasn't about robustness, itwas about delicacy.
It was an aesthetic carried intothe kosher versions too.
So when you pour Moscato today,you're tapping into a lineage of
(06:59):
sweet wine that spans geographyand centuries.
It's not accidental, it's verymuch by design, and that brings
us to its modern rise.
Here's where the tale getscommercial and cultural.
In the 1980s, in New York'skosher wine corridors, there was
(07:21):
a quiet revolution.
A major importer, Royal WineCorporation, believed that
kosher wine didn't have to bejust red, or dry reds, or
bargain blends.
They imported an Italian Moscatofrom Piedmont and positioned it
under a new label, Bartonura.
(07:42):
The bottle was striking, brightcobalt blue, gold accents,
Hebrew text, something thatstood out on the shelf.
The sweet taste made it easy forpeople who didn't drink wine to
actually enjoy wine.
Cue the 1990s and early 2000s.
Shabbat tables, college parties,celebrations.
(08:05):
It spread.
And then the pop culture caughtwind.
Hip hop artists name checked thebottle.
Nightclubs featured it.
Suddenly kosher wine brokeoutside the community and into
the broader lifestyle space.
To quote an unnamed Italianexport manager, we went from
(08:26):
selling 10,000 cases a year tohitting six figures almost
overnight because suddenlypeople weren't afraid of the
bottle.
Today industry estimates placeBartunur Moscato's annual volume
at around 10 million bottles.
830,000 cases approximately.
That makes it not just theleading kosher wine.
(08:48):
It's arguably the biggest.
In the kosher segment, it's astar.
But the ripple effect is equallyimportant.
Israeli producers noticed.
Carmel launched their selectedmoscato and later their buzz
flavored line.
Tepperberg introduced a MoscatoWhite and Moscato Red.
(09:09):
Dalton created their CanonMoscato, and many others
followed, including some Italianlabels.
Together they built a globalkosher moscato category.
In the US, the kosher wine shelfexpanded.
In Israel, weddings and partiesadopted sweet light moscados.
(09:30):
In the UK, the kosher wineimporter shelves shifted to
include bubbly cans and chilledsingles.
Here's the key insight.
Volume doesn't mean compromise.
While Moscato became a massmarket star, many of these
producers maintained koshercertifications, maintained real
(09:52):
wine production, and activelymarketed to new consumers rather
than solely chasing novelty.
A winemaker from a family-runvineyard in the Judean Hills
told me over lunch, when weplanted Muscat vines, neighbors
said we were making candy, butthen they tasted it, light,
(10:14):
fresh, and before you know it,they passed the bottle around
and said, This is wine too.
So the rise of Kosher Moscato ispart social, part cultural, part
economic.
It's a lesson in how wine canadapt and thrive in a
faith-based ecosystem, and thenleap into the mainstream
(10:36):
culture.
So let's dig a bit deeper now,tastefully and truthfully.
Myth one Moscato is just grapejuice with sugar and alcohol
added.
Reality, many, many legitimatemoscados are real wines,
fermented, regulated, andtraceable.
(10:57):
The same rules of viticultureapply grape variety, terrois,
fermentation, aging if any, andbottling.
The main difference is style,lower alcohol, higher remaining
sugar, and sometimes a gentlesparkle.
Italian Moscato d Asti is aprotected DOCG designation where
(11:22):
law demands grapes grown inPiedmont, sparkling,
semi-sparkling methods, and theNaby V, an alcohol by volume
around five to six percent.
Israeli muscat wines are seriousas well, often made from muscat
canali or muscat of Alexandriagrown in the Galilee, Golan, or
(11:48):
the Judean Hills.
Production is similar to anyother wine.
Muscat grapes are harvested whenaromatic and ripe.
They're pressed gently topreserve fragrance.
Cool fermentation tanks are usedto slow yeast activities.
Fermentation is stopped early,cooling or filtering, so
(12:10):
residual sugars remain.
Some producers retain naturalCO2, the charmat method, to
deliver sparkle.
Others simply tank ferment it toretain a light fizziness.
Bottled, they all bottle withlow ABVs between 5 and 6% to
(12:32):
maintain the fragrance andsweetness.
If you compare that to jug wineor fortified blends, those may
use added sugars, flavoringagents, or reconstituted juices.
But in contrast, respectedkosher moscados tend not to take
that shortcut.
They rely on muscat grapes,aromatic juice.
(12:55):
That's a key truth.
Now for some tasting time.
I'd like for you to envisionyour glass in front of you, or
go ahead and pour if you haveone.
The appearance pale gold,sometimes with a silver hue.
In light, the bubbles may form adelicate ring around the rim.
(13:20):
The aroma or the nose ishoneysuckle, orange blossom,
white peach, a hint of apricot,maybe even a whiff of mint or
lemon zest.
You might even detect lychee orpear skin.
In the palate, the taste.
(13:40):
The first sip is light-bodied.
There's a soft spritz of sparkleif the producer kept the CO2.
The sweetness is clear butbalanced.
It's not usually syrupy unlessit's flavored or an after dinner
style.
The acidity keeps it fresh.
(14:02):
Its finish is clean, delicate,lingering.
Little note of blossom or sweetcitrus, not heavy.
It doesn't ask for chewing.
It invites sipping and smiling.
So what would you pair it with?
Here are a few suggestions thatyou might not expect.
(14:26):
Spicy Sejuan chicken.
The sweetness cools the heat.
Brie or camembert with fig jam.
The sweetness echoes the fig andthe acidity cuts.
Fresh fruit salad with mint.
The wine mirrors the fruits,elevates the mint.
(14:49):
And of course, an eclair or alight lemon tart.
A sweet dessert partner thatdoesn't overpower.
It's also perfect chilled.
My favorite.
Pour it over ice with friends,laugh, talk, and pour it again.
It's just great.
(15:09):
Sometimes wine doesn't alwaysneed gravitas.
Sometimes it just needs a glow.
Here's an insider tidbit.
One Italian producer told methey once tasted a batch of
Moscato and said, this is toosweet even for us.
But if you dilute it slightly,they found it soars among
(15:31):
first-time consumers.
He said we realized we weretrying to make wine for critics.
Instead, we should be makingwine for enjoyment.
So yes, it is wine.
Real grapes, real fermentation,real craft, and yes, it's easy
to enjoy.
That's the brilliance.
(15:51):
Now let's unpack the numbers andthe demographics, because as
someone who's tried todistribute wines in the past, I
found the data tells an amazingstory.
In North America, the kosherwine segment remains relatively
small compared to mainstreamwine.
But within it, Moscato hascarved out a massive share.
(16:15):
Industry estimates suggestroughly 25 to 30% of kosher
retail wine volume is Moscato orMoscato style.
Just think about that.
One quarter to nearly one-thirdof the shelf space.
That's huge.
In the US, the typical retailfor a normal 750 milliliter
(16:39):
kosher moscato falls in the$12to$17 range.
For example,$14.99 to$17.99 forpremium Italian kosher moscato.
That's Bartonura.
$11.99 to$13.99 for valued tierIsraeli Moscatoes, like in
(17:00):
Carmel.
Compare that to a bar cocktail,often$12 to$15 for one drink, or
a bottle of mid-tier dry wine,$20 to$30.
Moscato is accessible.
Typical ABV, alcohol by volume,is around 5%, as we've said.
(17:23):
That means that each sip givesyou the wine experience without
the heavy buzz.
In a wellness era, that's a bigplus.
It fits brunches, poolsideafternoons, and lighter
evenings.
Millennials and Gen Zers, drawnto sweet, approachable,
portable, Instagram friendlypackaging helps.
(17:45):
Women, especially younger women,as the surveys show, have a
higher uptake of moscato inkosher markets among female
drinkers compared to heavierreds.
And lifestyle consumers, outdoorgatherings, festivals, backyard
parties.
Moscato fits the casual mood.
(18:07):
In order to attract thatspecific demographic, Bartonora
has gone into some innovativepackaging.
The first is they created singleserve, 250 milliliter cans that
they package as a group of four.
They also have 1.5 litermagnums.
(18:28):
Also 375 milliliter single servebottles, as well as sleek
chilled crates with brightlabels, again targeting the
younger drinkers.
The production geography forMoscato is in Italy, in
Piedmont, Moscato d'Asti, theDOCG, and Lamardi.
(18:53):
In Israel, in the Galilee, theGolan Heights, the Judean Hills,
Muscat vineyards are plantedspecifically for sweet, low ABV
wines.
In the United States andCalifornia, their kosher
producers making muscat ormuscato style wines in Lodi and
the Central Coast.
So why is it such a strategicproduct?
(19:16):
Mainly because for distributorsit has a high turn rate, sweet,
crowd-pleasing, and lesscellaring, if any sellering
required.
It has a cross demographicappeal with both faith-based
buyers and mainstream consumers.
It also follows the trend oflower alcohol, sweeter taste,
(19:39):
especially when it's in itsconvenient pickup and drink
packaging.
Another story one of thedistributors told me was when
they launched the four-pack cansin 2019, they placed them next
to the Kraft beer in Jewishcommunity stores.
(20:00):
Sales surprisingly exploded,people buying for summer
barbecues, lake days.
That cross-channel placement wassignificant as wine entered
spaces previously reserved forbeer.
One woman in New York told methat this was my first wine that
(20:20):
I liked.
She'd been drinking beer overthe years until someone handed
her a chilled kosher moscato,and she said, Oh, I can do this.
At a recent summer wedding,instead of heavy wine, we served
sweet Moscato.
Guests danced, spilled, laughed,and remembered the day.
(20:42):
Social media snapshots, showingbright bottles, pastel labels,
Instagram feeds full of youthfulenergy.
Moscato has become the imagefriendly wine.
Koshu Community Dinners Becauseit's sweet and low alcohol, it
bridges generations.
Grandpa may prefer his CabernetSauvignon.
(21:05):
Cousins prefer their craft beer,and the younger guests go for
Moscato.
All around the same table.
So what are some of the criticalvoices?
It's too sweet to be seriouswine, Samalier once told me.
I won't serve Moscato to myclients.
It lacks structure.
(21:27):
It's a gateway wine, not adestination, some critics say of
Moscato.
It's just for novelty, anothercommented.
It's an Instagram wine, not aseller wine.
It's not even being marketedproperly.
The unit price for a twenty fourcan case is worse than a four
pack.
Yes, we caught that anomaly too,and we will discuss it later.
(21:51):
All that said, here's how Irespond to both the negative and
positive opinions.
Sweet wines have always beenserious.
Think of Sauternes, Toket,Twenty Ports.
These were revered.
The issue isn't sweetness, it'sexpectation.
If you expect bold tannins,spine chilling minerality, then
(22:16):
yes, Moscato will disappoint.
But if you expect joyful,aromatic, sociable wine, it can
exceed.
One winemaker told me we madeour Moscato thinking of a dinner
table.
It must make people talk,connect, smile.
It was never meant to sit in thecellar.
(22:38):
That shift in purpose isextremely powerful.
Also, the gateway critique.
I say good.
Let's get more drinkers intowine culture.
If Moscato is the door, let'swalk through it together and
explore the rest of the hallway.
And yes, there are pricingoddities.
(22:59):
Like our earlier example, the 24can case sometimes costing more
per can than the four-pack.
It's a distribution and retailanomaly.
It's not a product flaw.
It points to the fact that thekosher market still has
idiosyncrasies, supply chainquirks, niche import markups,
(23:21):
and packaging premiums.
Distributors don't want you toknow, but if you'd want 24 cans,
don't buy the 24 can case at$129.99.
Because of a marketing anomaly,buy six four packs and save more
than 30 bucks.
Please just let that be ourlittle secret brought to you by
(23:44):
the Kosher Terrois.
But let's look ahead now,because Moscato isn't done.
In fact, I'd argue it's enteringits most interesting phase.
In Israel's Judean Hills inGalilee, younger winemakers are
planting muscad vines withorganic or biodynamic methods.
(24:05):
They're placing emphasis onvineyard elevation, cooler night
temperatures, longer hang times.
The resulting moscados arecooler, fresher, less syrupy,
more refined.
Imagine a premium moscato withan 8 to 9% ABV, a little
sparkle, a little depth, stillsweet, but with terroir
(24:29):
expression.
The canned culture isn't goingaway either.
Expect multi-canned cartons,mixed flavor packs, peach
moscato, mango moscato, and evensingle serve glasses targeting
festivals, food trucks, urbanpicnics.
The key is accessibility andquality, so the younger consumer
(24:52):
doesn't think they'recompromising by choosing this
format.
Labels are becoming lighter,fonts more modern, and colors
pastel.
New social campaigns focus lesson what does this oak aging
impart, and more on who are youwith?
How are you feeling?
(25:12):
Moscato fits the lifestyle.
A day date in the park, a lovelybrunch with friends, an open-air
rooftop barbecue?
It all means kosher wine is notjust for the synagogue shelf.
It's part of the weekend mix.
But can the perception ofMoscato be elevated?
(25:32):
Some producers are highlightingvineyard sites, grape clones,
residual sugars, and ABV, andsome even pairing suggestions.
Imagine a kosher Moscato reservemade from old vine muscat,
limited to 300 cases,bottle-aged with an 8% ABV.
(25:55):
Not just a party wine, butsomething collectible that
elevates the category whilestill preserving its entry level
value.
In global trends, sweet andsemi-sweet wines are growing
globally on a compound annualgrowth rate basis of between 10
and 11%.
Moscato can ride that wave, butespecially if kosher producers
(26:19):
export to non-Jewish markets andemphasize low alcohol, fruit
forward taste, that opens doorsfor kosher wines beyond the
niche.
One final note, in our currentmoderation culture, in many
parts of the world people drinkless but expect better.
A 5% ABV, sweet wine, servedchilled, fills that gap.
(26:44):
You can enjoy the ritual of winewithout waking up the next
morning with regret.
That's a powerful positioning.
So as you pour your next glass,remember, Moscato is not at the
end of its journey.
It might just be at itsbeginning.
Here's what I hope you take awayfrom our time together.
(27:08):
Moscato isn't just the sweetwine you pass by in the store.
It's intentional.
It's crafted to bring peopletogether, to lower the barrier,
to make wine welcoming.
It's rooted in tradition,ancient Muscat vines, reimagined
by modern kosher producers andembraced by younger drinkers who
(27:32):
aren't afraid to chill it andenjoy it.
It's proof that kosher wine canbe fun and credible, that you
don't need to start with theheaviest red to feel like you're
part of the story.
If you're new to wine, letmoscado be your friendly
handshake.
Let it say welcome in, youbelong.
(27:53):
And if you've been in the wineworld for a while, pour it
chilled, let it surprise you.
You might find nuance in itssweetness you didn't expect.
Before you go, I invite you toshare your Moscato story.
First step, first bottle, tag uswith hashtag the Kosher Terroir
(28:13):
on Instagram or at the KosherTerroir on Twitter.
Tell us where you were, who youwere with, what made you smile.
If you enjoyed today's episode,please subscribe, share us with
a friend who's wine curious, andleave a review.
Your support helps us keepexploring, keep educating, and
(28:38):
keep sipping thoughtfullytogether.
And don't forget to check outour previous episodes, where
we've dug into sustainability inIsraeli vineyards, explored
hidden varietals like Carignon,and met winemakers who are
reshaping what kosher winemeans.
You'll find links in the shownotes.
(28:59):
I'm Simon Jacob.
Thank you for joining me on theKosher Terroir.
Until next time, stay curious,keep raising your glass, and try
serving Moscato, especiallychilled.
(29:23):
This is Simon Jacob, again, yourhost of today's episode of the
Kosher Terrois.
I have a personal request.
No matter where you are or whereyou live, please take a moment
to pray for our soldiers' safetyand the complete return of all
of our hostages remains.
(29:43):
Please subscribe via yourpodcast provider to be informed
of our new episodes as they arereleased.
If you are new to the KosherTerra, please check out our many
past episodes.
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