straight to hell

[Kcwhippet]

Seder is indeed the Passover meal that occurs the first two nights of Passover.

Kosher wine is made in accordance with kashrut - the Jewish dietary laws. It's a bit complicated, but the essential elements are as follows. The wine must be made under rabbinical supervision. It can't be handled by non-Jews unless it undergoes mevushal, which translates to cooking or boiling. The old way was to heat the must until bubbles showed - about 194 F. The modern method uses flash pasteurization, which very quickly heats the must to about 185 F and very quickly cools it down. The wine then goes through normal fermentation. Fining can't be done with egg whites or gelatin, so bentonite is generally used. That's the quick version. Also, kosher wines made in Israel ar subject to Shmitta, another aspect of kashrut. This requires that no harvest be made during certain years so the land can lie fallow. The last Shmitta year was 2001, so you shouldn't be able to find any kosher wines from Israel with the 2001 vintage date. Incidentally, fruit is considered kosher already, so kashrut doesn't apply to to grape growing. It's only when they're harvested that it comes into play. Simple, isn't it?

[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 04-12-2006).]