The Kosher Terroir

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

Nestled in the ancient hills where Jacob once dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven, Hillel & Nina Manne have created something extraordinary, a boutique winery that transforms biblical terroir into world-class kosher wines. This episode takes you to Beit El Winery, where tradition meets innovation in every bottle.

With disarming candor and refreshing pragmatism, Hillel shares ...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

There's something magical about beginnings—especially when they're rooted in volcanic soil under sweeping Golan skies. Join me for an unforgettable visit to Sha'al, where Sam and Rivka Baum are writing the next chapter of Israel's wine story with their Family Baum Winery.

After years at prestigious Castel Winery, Sam identified this northern Golan location as &qu...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

The somber days leading to Tisha B'Av bring us face-to-face with profound loss and spiritual yearning. Why do we refrain from wine during this period of mourning? The answer lies not just in ancient texts but in the very soil of Jewish history and practice.

Wine flows through Jewish tradition as a symbol of both celebration and sanctification. When we abstain before Tisha B&apo...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

We take a behind-the-scenes look at Shiloh Winery's beautiful new visitor center for an exclusive first taste with Itay Metzger, VP & Winemaker at Shiloh Winery, of two groundbreaking wines that represent bold new directions for one of Israel's premier wineries.

What happens when traditional winemakers become students again? The answer lies in these two remarkable bott...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

Step into the sun-drenched vineyards of Anava, where founder Nadav Jesselson transforms traditional winemaking into a community adventure. Fresh from their inaugural harvest, Nadav shares the triumphs and challenges of nurturing vines through Israel's demanding climate – and the unexpected honor of having their first vintage selected by prestigious Yatir Winery.

What distinguis...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

Nestled among the rolling Judean hills sits Anava Vineyards, a place where passion, personal connection, and profound terroir converge to create something truly extraordinary. More than simply producing wine, Anava offers individuals and families the rare opportunity to craft wine from their own plots of land in Israel, guided by a world-class winemaking team.

Returning to our podca...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

Dive into the extraordinary world of Tannat, a grape that commands respect with its bold structure, remarkable longevity, and fascinating journey across continents. While many wine enthusiasts gravitate toward Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah, Tannat offers something profoundly different – a powerful red with ancient origins that challenges our assumptions about what bold wines can be.

T...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

What does it take to create a perfect wine? Is it even possible? And is Israel ready to produce a bottle that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's most acclaimed wines?

Deep in the hills of Shiloh, winemaker Amichai Lourie isn't just crafting excellent kosher wines – he's on a mission to create Israel's first 100-point wine. His newest releases, the Legen...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

The grape that once dominated French vineyards has risen from obscurity to become one of the most exciting varietals in kosher wine. Carignan's story is one of remarkable transformation – from bulk wine scapegoat to artisanal darling.

Born in northeastern Spain so long ago it gave its name to a town rather than the reverse, Carignan traveled through the Mediterranean basin adap...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

Wine begins with passion, curiosity, and an open heart – elements that define Penina Kustanowitz's remarkable journey into winemaking. Speaking while journeying from Jerusalem to Yerucham's Pinto Winery, Penina shares how a simple love for kosher wine blossomed into a full-fledged winemaking career that's quickly establishing her as one of Israel's rising stars.

...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

The soulful journey of Jeff Morgan from jazz saxophone virtuoso to kosher wine pioneer unveils a remarkable story of passion, transformation, and unexpected spiritual connection. With natural charisma and refreshing candor, Morgan recounts his first culinary awakening in France as a 19-year-old music student that would eventually reshape his entire life's trajectory.

At the hea...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

In this captivating second part of our conversation with Assaf Paz at Vitkin Winery, we move from vineyard stories to the glass itself. Though you can't taste through your headphones, Assaf's vivid descriptions bring each wine to life with such clarity that your imagination fills in the sensory gaps. His approach to winemaking—"taking down my ego, understanding that what I get...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

Nestled in the heart of Israel's Sharon coastal plain, Vitkin Winery has been quietly revolutionizing Israeli winemaking for over two decades. Founded in 2001, Vitkin has championed Mediterranean grape varieties that thrive in Israel's unique terroir.

Chief winemaker Assaf Paz welcomes us into his world with remarkable candor, sharing the extraordinary challenges of creati...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

Journey to the edge of the Judean Desert, where breathtaking vistas meet ancient biblical lands at Gilad Winery. Perched dramatically above steep drops into the Jordan Valley, this boutique gem has become a beacon for kosher Mediterranean-style wines under the passionate stewardship of Chaim Sackton.

As we sit surrounded by barrels in his intimate winery, Chaim shares the story of G...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

The world of kosher wine has embraced transformative approaches to viticulture that honor both ancient traditions and forward-thinking environmentalism. Sustainability isn't just a marketing term—it's a comprehensive philosophy that encompasses water conservation, solar energy, and holistic management, returning waste to the soil as nourishment. These practices create closed-loop s...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

In a groundbreaking conversation that challenges conventional thinking about kosher certification, Rabbi Yehoshua Grunstein reveals how Tzohar is transforming Israel's wine industry through a revolutionary yet deeply halachic approach to kashrut. 

After years serving Jewish communities around the world, Rabbi Grunstein discusses how Tzohar recognized a critical problem: many Is...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

The vineyard of tomorrow is materializing before our eyes, and kosher wine isn't just keeping pace—it's positioned to lead this technological revolution. 

Imagine walking through a Galilee vineyard where robots delicately prune vines while AI algorithms track each grape variety's development. Picture winemakers wearing augmented reality glasses that display real-time ...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

Prepare for an extraordinary Passover experience as we journey through the perfect wine pairings for your Seder table. Broadcasting from Rav Shlomo Katz's beautiful synagogue in Efrat, this special collaboration between The Kosher Terroir and JM in the AM delivers both practical wisdom and spiritual depth for the holiday.

Simon Jacob guides us through his meticulously curated w...

Send a Text Message to The Kosher Terroir

Imagine tasting wine as it was meant to be—pure, alive, and untamed by modern chemistry. This is the radical vision behind Petachya Winery, where brothers-in-law Petachya Wittenstein and Yaakov Singer are crafting kosher wines that challenge everything we thought we knew about winemaking in Israel.

Nestled in the ancient Ella Valley, their boutique operation produces wines with zero...