Why is Seder night different from all other nights? Well for one, there’s a lot more to prepare. Not just the food (which itself can take weeks of planning and days of preparation), but also the Seder plate, the Haggadahs (deciding which to use/ sourcing enough copies) – and then there are the four cups.
While many of us stick with kiddush wine or grape juice, this is tradition rather than necessity. But with so much else to think about, who has time to source a sophisticated selection of kosher wines to see you through the night?
Well fret no more. We spoke to three kosher wine experts to get their top tips on how to elevate your four cups. Here’s what they had to say…
Jacob Betito, founder VINavon kosher wine experiences
The four cups of wine at the Seder get a lot of hype, especially among wine geeks like myself. But since the halachic requirement is essentially to drink a small cup (around 3.3 fl oz), my view is that this isn’t the moment to open your most expensive bottles. Instead, I like to take a thematic approach, choosing four wines which speak to the Exodus story itself. Here are my suggestions…
First cup: Single Vineyard Concrete – Syrah, Carmel Winery
The first cup accompanies Kiddush, the moment when ordinary time becomes sacred. The promise “I will take you out” marks the beginning of distinction – Israel stepping out from Egypt’s identity and becoming a people set apart. This bottle expresses this idea beautifully. Rather than blending grapes from many vineyards, the wine highlights one vineyard, one soil, one expression of the land.
Second cup: Herzog Lineage Malbec, Herzog Wine Cellars
The second cup follows Maggid, when the story of the Exodus is told. The promise “I will deliver you” becomes meaningful when the experience is remembered and shared across generations. The Herzog family has done just this, preserving its winemaking tradition for generations, carrying a story that survived upheaval and migration from Slovakia, the devastation of the Holocaust, and eventual renewal in America.
Third cup: Cabernet Sauvignon Superieur, Barkan Winery
The third cup is drunk after Birkat HaMazon, the blessing recited after the meal. Slaves eat in haste and scarcity, but free people sit, eat, and bless. The promise “I will redeem you” therefore represents life with stability, nourishment, and dignity. Aged patiently in barrel and bottle, this wine mirrors this stage of maturity and settlement.
Fourth cup: Wild Carignan Reserve, Recanati Winery
The fourth cup follows Hallel, songs of praise celebrating the purpose of redemption. The promise “I will take you to Me as a people” points beyond liberation toward covenant, mission, and future hope. Recanati Winery began not with vines but with a dream – to create wines that would represent Israel on the world stage. This wine unites past and future: crafted from old Israeli vines once overlooked, now rediscovered and celebrated.
Benjamin Gestetner, Kedem Europe
While many of us grew up thinking Pesach wine meant the same sweet kiddush bottle at every Seder, with so many excellent kosher-for-Passover wines now available, it’s the perfect time to try something new. Together, these four wines move from light and refreshing to deep and complex, mirroring the Passover journey itself…
First cup: Rosé du Castel, Domaine du Castel
From Domaine du Castel in Israel’s Judean Hills, this light rosé – typically made from Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc – offers flavors of strawberry, raspberry, and watermelon with bright acidity. Its refreshing character makes it an ideal opening wine, symbolising the first step toward freedom.
Second cup: Wild One, Asufa Chenin Blanc, Dalton
This is a distinctive, full-bodied white from Dalton Winery in the Upper Galilee. Part of their Asufa series, which the winemaker uses as a creative project to experiment with unique styles and techniques, it perfectly reflects the second promise of deliverance, and brings energy to the unfolding story of the Exodus.
Third cup: Herzog Special Reserve Pinot Noir, Herzog Wine Cellars
This elegant Pinot Noir from Herzog Wine Cellars in California offers cherry and raspberry flavors with subtle spice and soft tannins. Served after the meal, its balance and depth complement the third cup, symbolising redemption.
Fourth cup: Yatir Forest, Yatir Winery
To conclude the evening, I suggest Yatir Forest from Yatir Winery, a powerful Bordeaux-style blend featuring Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. With notes of blackberry, plum, and dark chocolate, this full-bodied wine provides a fitting finale, reflecting the final promise: “I will take you as My people.”
Adam S. Montefiore, Israeli wine expert
Seder night is the perfect opportunity to taste some quality wines, which is why I like to approach it as a wine banquet – starting the meal with a sparkling wine, followed by a white, a red and finishing with a sweet dessert wine (the white and red can also be extended to drink with the meal). I always select my Seder night wines from Israel, and the growers and winemakers especially need support at this time. This year, I have chosen wines from the Judean Hills, Upper Galilee, Negev-Judea and Golan Heights. Here are my picks…
First cup: Razi’el Brut, Razi’el Winery
This artisan sparkling wine can match any champagne in quality – which is perhaps unsurprising, as it’s handcrafted using the same traditional techniques. Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it is bone dry with delicate fruit aromas and a fresh acidity, and is a beautifully uplifting way to start your Seder.
Second cup: Lahat Lavan, Lahat Winery
This is a fresh, fragrant, refreshing white wine with good texture, which makes it the ideal second cup in my book. Lahat Winery, in the Western Upper Galilee, is one of those leading the white wine revolution in Israel. Made from Roussanne and Viognieris grapes, this bottle is full of flavour, with an interesting complexity, a mineral texture and a precise elegant finish.
Third cup: Petit Verdot, Yatir Winery
Classically used in Bordeaux blends, Petit Verdot grows very well in Israel, and this is one of the best. Situated in the northwestern Negev, on the outskirts of Yatir Forest, Yatir Winery’s vineyards are on a hill 900 meters above sea level. Deep-coloured and full-bodied, with aromas of ripe blackberries, blackcurrants and blueberries, this wine has a full, flavourful mouth feel, yet finishes elegantly with a long lingering finish.
Fourth cup: Yarden Heights Wine, Golan Heights Winery
As the fourth cup comes at the end of the meal, a dessert wine is not only appropriate, but highly recommended – and this luscious offering from Golan Heights Winery, has a freshness that prevents it from being cloying. Made from Gewurztraminer grapes, which are frozen at the winery, this is one of Israel’s most awarded wines, and arguably its finest dessert wine. Enjoy!
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