
The Kosher Terroir
We are enjoying incredible global growth in Kosher wine. From here in Jerusalem, Israel, we will uncover the latest trends, speak to the industry's movers and shakers, and point out ways to quickly improve your wine-tasting experience. Please tune in for some serious fun while we explore and experience The Kosher Terroir...
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The Kosher Terroir
The Rebel Grape: Carignan's Journey from Outcast to Icon
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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 adapting to new terroirs and playing crucial roles in viticultural history. By the mid-20th century, it became France's most planted grape before falling victim to its own success. Overcropped and mismanaged, it gained an undeserved reputation for harsh, tannic wines lacking distinction.
For Israeli agriculture, Carignan proved invaluable during the First Aliyah of the 1880s. Baron Edmund de Rothschild imported French cuttings to help establish Jewish farming communities, with Carignan's resilience perfectly suited to Mediterranean conditions. For decades, it formed the backbone of Israeli wine, particularly for sacramental purposes, before being overshadowed by international varieties in the quest for prestige.
Today, visionary winemakers have rediscovered this ancient varietal's true potential. Through careful farming of old bush vines, limited yields, and thoughtful vinification, they're revealing Carignan's extraordinary range – from powerful, structured reds reminiscent of top Rhône wines to light, chillable natural expressions, elegant rosés, and even rare white versions.
What makes Carignan truly special is its chameleon-like ability to express terroir. The same grape produces wildly different wines in France, Chile, California, and Israel, each reflecting their unique growing conditions with remarkable transparency. Add its natural resilience to drought, heat, and disease, and Carignan suddenly looks like the perfect varietal for our changing climate.
Whether you're exploring bottles from Vitkin, Tepperberg, or boutique producers in the Judean Hills, Carignan offers something authentically Mediterranean yet distinctly modern. In its journey from rejection to renaissance, it tells a quintessentially Jewish story of resilience, adaptation and rebirth – a narrative worth savoring with every sip.
www.TheKosherTerroir.com
+972-58-731-1567
+1212-999-4444
TheKosherTerroir@gmail.com
Link to Join “The Kosher Terroir” WhatsApp Chat
https://chat.whatsapp.com/EHmgm2u5lQW9VMzhnoM7C9
Thursdays 6:30pm Eastern Time on the NSN Network and the NSN App
Welcome to The Kosher Terroir. I'm Simon Jacob, your host for this episode from Jerusalem. Before we get started, I ask that, wherever you are, please take a moment and pray for the safety of our soldiers and the safe return of all of our hostages. Welcome back, my friends, to The Kosher Terroir, where wine meets story and where every glass uncorks a world of heritage, struggle, craftsmanship and soul. I'm your host, simon Jacob, and today we're going deep. I'm your host, simon Jacob, and today we're going deep. We're taking a journey not just through the terroir, not just through the vineyard, but through time. If you're driving in your car, please focus on the road ahead. If you're home, sit back, relax, open a bottle of wonderful kosher wine and listen.
S. Simon Jacob:In this episode is about one of the most misunderstood, overlooked yet extraordinarily resilient grapes in the wine world Carignan, yes, carignana, or Sardinia. Carignano or California as Carignane, and in Israel. Well, we'll get to that. This is the grape with thousands of faces, a thousand homes and a past so complicated. It could be a Netflix series. It has been vilified and glorified, torn up and replanted, blended into anonymity and, more recently, revived into something majestic. But what exactly is Carignan? Where does it come from? Why has it been both adored and dismissed across history, and what role does it play in the future of kosher wines? Today, we'll explore all of that and more. We'll unearth Carignan's tangled roots in Spain and France. We'll explore how it helped shape the agricultural identity of Israel, particularly in the early days of the Zionist movement. We'll talk about winemakers who are giving Carignan a second chance, or perhaps a fifth, and producing wines of surprising finesse and freshness. You'll learn about both red and white Carignan yes, white and about how this grape, once known mostly for cheap jug wine, is now making a bold, defiant return to quality and elegance. We'll get into production styles Think rich, unstructured Mediterranean reds. Think spicy, herbaceous reds from ancient bush vines. Think light, juicy, almost Beaujolais-style expressions. Think Carignan Blanc. Yes, that is a thing. And maybe most importantly, we'll get personal.
S. Simon Jacob:This isn't just a grape. This is a survivor, a comeback artist, a grape with something to prove. And if you're in the kosher wine world or looking to expand your palate beyond Cabernet and Merlot, carignan might just surprise you. You're sipping something light and chillable from the Judean hills or a deep-rooting carignan from Sardinia. This grape invites you to rethink what wine can be. So if you've ever thought a grape's past was boring, think again. And if you're someone who thinks kosher wine is stuck in the past, get ready to have your preconceptions shaken, decanted and poured into something truly fresh.
S. Simon Jacob:Let's uncork the story of Carignan the rebel, the worker, the shapeshifter. Let's find out why, in this moment and in this terroir-driven renaissance of kosher wine, carignan matters. But where does Carignan really come from, and how did it become both a cornerstone of agricultural identity and a scapegoat of industrial overproduction? Let's dive into Carignan's incredible story. So where does the story of Carignan really begin? Carignan's incredible story. So where does the story of Carignan really begin?
S. Simon Jacob:Like most grapefeller idols, its precise origins are a little fuzzy, wrapped in centuries of folklore, shifting borders and vine migrations. But most historians agree Carignan likely hails from northeastern Spain, particularly in the region of Aragon, where it was known as Cariana, both the name of the grape and the town. Yes, this grape is so old and storied. It gave name to a place. That's right. Carignan did not get its name from the town. The town got its name from the grape. That should tell you something. From there, carignan slowly began to move across the Mediterranean basin and wherever it went, it adapted Not just to new climates, but to new reputations.
S. Simon Jacob:Let's fast forward to the 19th century, france, where carignan's fate took a dramatic turn as europe recovered from the devastation of the phylloxia plague, which wiped out entire vineyards, carignan offered an answer. It was vigorous, resilient, high yielding and adaptable to the hot, arid conditions of the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. And so the French planted it Everywhere. We're talking about hundreds of thousands of hectares. By the mid-20th century, carignan became France's most planted grape. Yes, the most planted grape, france's most planted grape. Yes, the most planted grape, even more than Merlot or Grenache, think about that. But here's the rub With great yields came mediocre wine, because Carignan, left unchecked, can easily become a workhorse, pumping out bulk wines that are rustic, overly tannic and harshly acidic. That's exactly what happened in Languedoc. Carignan was dumped into supermarket blends, anonymous table wines and the infamous Vin Ordinaire. In short, carignan's reputation suffered. But let's hit pause here and cross over to a different Mediterranean country, israel.
S. Simon Jacob:Now, this part of the story is important, especially to listeners of the Kosher Terwa, because Karen Yan played a massive role in the rebirth of Jewish agriculture. In the early 1880s, as part of the First Aliyah, jewish immigrants began returning to the land of Israel. Many were inexperienced farmers, but they had a vision to till the land, build communities and revive ancient viticulture. With the support of Baron Edmund de Rothschild, cuttings from French vines were imported, among them carignan. Carignan was planted throughout the coastal plain and lower Galilee, especially in Zichron, yaakov, rishon, litzion and Binyaminah. Its resilience to heat, disease and inconsistent farming practices made it ideal for the nascent wine industry of Palestine under Ottoman and then British rule.
S. Simon Jacob:By the 20th century, carignan was the backbone of Israeli wine. But just like in France, quantity began to overtake quality. Carignan's versatility became its curse. For decades it was used primarily as sacramental wine, sweet kiddish blends or entry-level reds. But was the kosher wine industry's silent partner, always there but never celebrated. But something shifted.
S. Simon Jacob:In the early 2000s, in both Israel and globally, winemakers began to re-evaluate Carignan. They looked at the old bush vines, often neglected but still thriving. They asked what if we farm this grape with care? What if we lowered the yields? What if we picked at the right moment, fermented naturally and aged thoughtfully? That question lit a fire. Now some of the most interesting wines in the kosher world and the natural wine world are made from old vine carignan.
S. Simon Jacob:In California, winemakers are producing vibrant, chillable reds from dry farmed vines planted as far back as the 1940s. In Sardinia there is an appellation built around this grape with powerful, deeply savory wines. In Chile, especially in Mall Valley, carignan has found new Tepperberg, and Asaf Pass from Wittgen are crafting some of the country's most expressive and age-worthy Carignan base wines. So what happened? Why the turnaround? It's simple, really.
S. Simon Jacob:Carignan is not a bad grape. It's a misunderstood one. Like Pinot Noir or Grenache, it demands attention, it needs care, and when it gets it, when it's dry farmed, harvested at the right time, vinified with skill, it can produce wines that are stunningly complex. In fact, carignan has gone from a maligned blending grape to a darling of sommeliers and wine geeks around the world. Think about that transformation From bulk jug wines in post-France to sacred vineyards in early Zionist farming towns, to nuanced small production bottles in the Judean hills and Sonoma coast. Carignan has been there through it all. It's been cheap, it's been noble, it's been forgotten, it's been revived and, like any good character in a redemption arc, it's finally getting the recognition it deserves.
S. Simon Jacob:Let's explore the production style of Carignan in depth. We will cover red, white, rosé and the nuanced stylistic decisions winemakers make around the world, with a special lens towards kosher production. So now that we know Carignan's complicated, globetrotting past, let's talk about how it shows up in your glass today. Because if there's one word that defines Carignan in the modern era, it's versatility, and that's a massive shift from its reputation in the 20th century, where it was seen mostly as a mass production blending grape. But now Carignan is an artist's canvas. The range of styles is thrilling, from deep, structured reds to light, almost ethereal chillables and, yes, even whites. Ethereal chillables and, yes, even whites. Let's start with the classic style.
S. Simon Jacob:Traditional Carignan is deep, dense and tannic. Historically, carignan has been made into powerful, tannic, structured reds, especially in southern France and Spain and parts of the Mediterranean basin. These wines are often medium to full-bodied, rich in black cherry, dried herbs and baking spice, with firm tannins and often elevated acidity. Now here's the catch Carignan is naturally high in acid and tannins and its yields are vigorous. If you don't manage it properly, you get harsh, overly tannic, sour reds. But when you do manage it right, when you reduce yields, harvest at ideal rightnesses and allow for slow maturation, it produces wines with intense complexity and longevity. Think of the Carignons from Sardinia. These are serious savory wines, aged in oak, with notes of forest floor, iron and wild herbs. Pair that with grilled lamb and you've got poetry in a bottle.
S. Simon Jacob:In kosher winemaking, some Israeli producers are exploring this bold Mediterranean style. Look to Wittgen Winery, where Asaf Paz focuses on low-yield Mediterranean reds with real structure and personality. To Tepperberg, where Donny Friedenberg is crafting a single varietal Carignan that balances ripeness with restraint. Another face of Carignan could be called the Nouveau-styled, and it's juicy, chillable, with low intervention. Natural winemakers are picking Carignan early, using whole cluster fermentation, minimal oak and producing lively, juicy wines that almost feel like a hybrid between Bourget and Rhone Reds. These wines are bright, ruby in color, flavored with cranberry, sour cherry and crushed roses sour cherry and crushed roses and medium bodied with juicy, almost crunchy acidity. Serve them chilled and you're in for a real treat. These wines are approachable, food friendly and deeply expressive of terroir. It's an exciting style and it's coming to israel too. Agor, a boutique producer in the Judean Hills, along with other producers in the Galilee, are experimenting with early-picked carignan, wild yeast fermentations and amphora aging. They're producing kosher wines meant for sunshine and casual drinking. This is the future of chillable red wines in Israel.
S. Simon Jacob:But let's talk about old vine carignons, ancient bush vines and terroir. Here is where things get serious. Some of the world's most captivating carignon wines come from old bush vines, often 50 to 100 plus years old, growing in dry farmed vineyards with poor soil. Old vines produce less fruit, but that fruit has more intensity, lower sugar and phenolic depth. The resulting wines are earthy, complex and haunting, with savory undertones like black olive, dried fig, pencil shavings, and these are often found with an age-worthy core of restrained alcohol. In Chile, the Vigno project is dedicated to preserving old vine carignons. These wines are soulful, minimal intervention and packed with terroir. In Israel, though, we don't have Vignot-style associations yet, we do have vines planted in the 1970s and 80s, and some are being rediscovered. Look out especially for single vineyard expressions coming from the Reconati vineyard in the Upper Galilee.
S. Simon Jacob:Now let's shift gears. Did you know there's a white Carignan? That's right. Carignan Blanc is a real, genetically distinct varietal. It's extremely rare, primarily found in Roussillon and only cultivated by a handful of producers. This wine is textural, lightly aromatic and often reminiscent of white Rhone varietals. They have notes of white peach, almond, blossom and salinity, and are sometimes fermented in neutral oak or in forest reserve mouthfeel. This isn't a workhorse grape, it's a unicorn In kosher winemaking. It hasn't yet found traction, but watch this space. Israel's interest in white Mediterranean varietals is growing and it's only a matter of time before someone plants or imports Carignan Blanc. Now here's a twist.
S. Simon Jacob:Some producers, in both natural and kosher scenes, are making Blanc de Noir styles of red Carignan grapes. A South Pasen Witkin winery just introduced such a version, which is particularly spectacular. By gently pressing red Carignan and separating the juice from the skins quickly, you get a white or pale pink wine from red grapes, often structured like a white but with more body and depth. These wines are crisp and mineral driven, while often lightly oxidative and fantastic with spicy Mediterranean food or aged cheeses. It's not yet mainstream, but in boutique natural cellars in both California and Cantalona this style is making waves and the kosher version is picking up a clear fan base in the Tel Aviv wine scene.
S. Simon Jacob:And of course, carignan Rosé is a thing of beauty. Artfully described as summer in a glass, it offers tart red fruit along with streak of earthy minerality and often a dry finish that pairs beautifully with spicy food. In Provence it's used in blends, but in California some winemakers like producing single-varietal Carignan rosés Zippy, clean and perfect for chilled summer sipping. In Israel, rosé is trending upward, and a Carignan rosé with Israeli spices. Olive oil-heavy cuisine is a natural fit.
S. Simon Jacob:Let's take a quick world tour of some of the notable kosher carignan producers and styles. Vitkin Winery in Israel has a carignan-based Mediterranean red that's earthy, herbal and long-lived. The Tepperberg Winery in Israel has a single varietal, carignan. That's powerful and bold. Carignan that's powerful and bold. Hedgie Winery in California produces a small-lot, natural-style Carignan that's chillable, complex, with minimal sulfites. Capsanus in Spain offers some fantastic blends from Cantalonia that include an old-vine Carignan In the main natofa of Israel, while more focused on Rhone varietals. Keep your eyes open for a very special carignan project they have been working on.
S. Simon Jacob:So, whether it's bold or brambly light or zippy, pink, flirty or white and mysterious, carignan refuses to be pigeonholed. It is, without question, one of the most stylistically diverse grapes in the kosher wine world today. So let's dive into the legends, turning points, controversies and personal tales that shape the perception and the legacy of Carignan in both general and kosher wine worlds. To be honest, though, wine history can be dry if you let it, but Carignan, carignan's history reads like a novel with chapters of rebellion, redemption. With chapters of rebellion, redemption, abandonment and, most recently, an inspiring renaissance.
S. Simon Jacob:Let's start with a rebellion, literally In 1907, in southern France, the Languedoc is drowning in wine, thanks to Carignan and its high yields. The market is saturated, prices have collapsedire villages are going bankrupt. Angry growers take to the streets. Over 800,000 people gather in Montpellier in what becomes one of Europe's largest peasant uprisings. They chant risings. They chant Viva la vin natural. Long live natural wines. They're fighting against adulteration, overproduction and government inaction.
S. Simon Jacob:This was a Carignan revolt, because Carignan was the grape being overplanted, overcropped and exploited. And it didn't end quietly. Dozens were killed in clashes with the French military. A few soldiers even defected to join the protesters. This event changed French agriculture forever and it painted Carignan for decades as the grape of conflict and chaos.
S. Simon Jacob:By the 1980s, the European Union had had enough of low-quality overproduction. They initiated a massive Wien-Pull scheme to reduce the continent's wine surplus. Carignan was public enemy number one. Over a span of years, tens of thousands of acres were uprooted, not because Carignan was inherently bad, but because it had become the scapegoat of over-farming. France alone reduced its Carignan plantings by more than 60% between 1988 and 2000. It was a culling, and much heritage was lost. It was a culling and much heritage was lost, but ironically, what survived? The oldest, most stubborn vines in remote hills would go on to produce the finest Carignan wine we've ever seen.
S. Simon Jacob:Let's zoom in on Israel for a moment. By the late 1990s, israeli wineries were chasing prestige. Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet, sauvignon and Merlot were all the rage. Carignan was seen as primitive. Farmers were offered incentives to graft over or rip out Carignan vines and replant noble grapes. Some winemakers caved, but not all. In 2002, a young Asaf Paz later of Vitkin Winery tasted fruit from a forgotten Karanyan vineyard in Zichron. Yaakov Bush trained and dry farmed since the 1970s. He saw something the market didn't Incredible potential. Asaf became one of the first in Israel to champion Carignan as a varietal wine, showcasing it not as a workhorse but as a legitimate Mediterranean red. Today his Vitkin Carignan is one of Israel's finest kosher wines due to the power of vision and patience.
S. Simon Jacob:Here's a fun anecdote from a winery in California. A winemaker pours a Carignan to a guest. The guest swirls, sniffs and currently proclaims Mmm Syrah, northern Rhone, maybe Mendocino? The winemaker smiles Actually it's 100% Carignan. 70-year-old vines, dry-farmed. The guest's jaw drops. It's been Carignan's fate for years Mistaken, misidentified and underestimated.
S. Simon Jacob:But that misidentification isn't always bad. In fact, in the glass, carignan often echoes Grenache, syrah and even Barbera, depending on where and how it's grown. It's the chameleon grape, a master of disguise, Another myth. For decades, people assumed Carignan was the cousin of other southern French grapes like Cinzal or Grenache, but in the early 2000s, genetic mapping proved otherwise. Carignan is not closely related to Grenache. In fact, it has its own unique lineage. In fact, it has its own unique lineage closer to obscure Spanish varietals like Bhopal and Morastel. And then there's Carignan Blanc, long thought to be a color mutation of Red Carignan, but, as it turns out, it's a distinct variety altogether. This redefined how growers treated it, not as a curiosity but as something worth preserving. In 2019, a Carignan from Chile was named one of Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the Year.
S. Simon Jacob:Think about that A grape once destined for obscurity now celebrated on the world stage. In Israel, wines like Tepperberg's single vintage Carignan, wittgen's Mediterranean series and a special Infora H Carignan from Agour's boutique winery are proving that this grape isn't just relevant. It's essential to Israel's unique terroir expression. And here's a little secret Some winemakers whisper that old vine carignan, grown with restraint, could one day be Israel's answer to the top Rhone reds. We're not there yet, but the idea is growing. From revolts to rediscoveries, from exile to exaltation. Karen Yon's story is one of resistance, resilience and rebirth. And what could be more Jewish than that? All right, listeners, you've stuck with me this far. You know now that Carignan is a grape of grit, history and extraordinary transformation. But let's lighten the mood a bit, because Carignan is also full of surprises. Here are some of the most fascinating, quirky and unexpected facts about Carignan that even many wine lovers don't know, and I promise a few of these will make you say wait what, believe it or not.
S. Simon Jacob:For most of the 20th century, wine educators literally advised against using Carignan for premium wine. But why for premium wine? But why? Because of its natural high acidity, elevated tannins and its tendency to over-crop if not severely pruned. It was seen as a nightmare in the winery. But here's the irony those same flaws are now considered features when managed right. Considered features when managed right. High acidity that's great for food pairing. And aging, firm tannins they add structure. The lesson no grape is inherently flawed, only misused. Here's one for the hipsters and minimalists.
S. Simon Jacob:Carignan is a darling of the natural wine world. Why, you ask? Because it's often grown organically or biodynamically. It's already present in all vine bush plantings which don't require trellising. It's naturally disease-resistant, so it needs fewer chemical interventions and produces wild, energetic wines with punchy acidity and vibrant aromatics. If you've ever picked up a funky bottle with a hand-drawn label from Spain, chile or California, there's a decent chance you were sipping Carignan and didn't even know it.
S. Simon Jacob:Carignan was also once a sparkling wine. Yes, you heard that right. In parts of southern France during the mid-1990s, winemakers actually experimented with sparkling Carignan. It was blended into cheap fizzy reds sort of a rustic poor man's Lambrusco. Sort of a rustic poor man's Lambrusco. Most of those wines are now extinct, but some innovative producers are bringing the idea back. Imagine a Carignan petnat, fizzy, wild, herbal, with bright red fruit and savory edges. Someone in the kosher world, please make this happen.
S. Simon Jacob:By 1988, carignan covered over 160,000 acres in France alone more than all the vineyards in the United States combined. At the time it became known as the grape of quantity, not quality. In fact, jokes circulated among French winemakers that Carignan would grow even in the cracks of the sidewalk. That's how aggressive its growth can be. Today many of those vines have been pulled out, but the old survivors are now among the most prized heritage plots in Europe.
S. Simon Jacob:Let's talk genetics. Let's talk genetics. Carignan's closest relative is a grape called the Mazuelo which, plot twist, is actually another name for Carignan itself, in Rioja, spain. But there's also a rare grape called Morastelle Bruchet, which is a cross between Carignan and Graciano, grown in small amounts in southern France. It's darker, fruitier and even more obscure. Basically, carignan has extended family members lurking in unexpected places.
S. Simon Jacob:You can chill Carignan, and you should. This one catches a lot of people off guard. Carignan is a red grape, yes, but in its lighter expressions, especially when whole cluster fermented, is fantastic, with a slight chill, not ice cold, but cool like a pinot or a borzellet. Why does it work? Because its high acidity stays sharp and its red fruit notes become juicier and its tannins soften just enough for refreshing sips. So if you're drinking a light kosher Carignan from Judea or California, try it at 14C. It's a game changer. Here's another concept to blow your mind.
S. Simon Jacob:Carignan has a stronger sense of place than almost any other Mediterranean grape. You can take genetically identical Carignan cuttings and plant them in Roussillon, france, and get savory and peppery notes. Or if you planted them in the Mollet Valley in Chile, you receive earthy and rustic tasting notes. In Sonoma, california, you get more vibrance and floral notes. And in Israel's coastal plain, herbal, spicy and mineral notes stand out. By changing your location, you get wildly different results. That's terroir in action, and Carignan amplifies it. And Carignan amplifies it. It's like a talented actor, able to perform in any genre, depending on the script.
S. Simon Jacob:Many Cote d'Orone wines contain unlabeled Carignan. This is a wine industry secret. Carignan is not officially sanctioned as a primary varietal in many appellations, like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, for example, but it is quietly permitted in small quantities in other Rhone blends. So while your bottle label may list Syrah, grenache, morvedre, that peppery, smoky edge, that unexpected tang, might just be Carignan, whispering from the shadows. Surprisingly, there are still undiscovered old vine Carignan vineyards in parts of northern Spain, rural Italy and even in Israel. There are abandoned and misidentified old vineyards that were once planted with Carignan, some of which are now being rediscovered. This is part of a global movement rescuing lost vineyards and giving them new purpose. Kosher winemakers could benefit hugely from joining that movement, identifying legacy vines, farming them cleanly and showcasing Israel's agricultural history through Carignan.
S. Simon Jacob:Another relatively unknown fact is that Carignan might be the perfect grape for climate change. Let's close with this. In an era of rising temperatures, water scarcity and unpredictable weather, carignan is stepping into the spotlight. Why? Because it thrives in heat, handles drought like a champ, is resistant to mildew and rot, and matures with balanced sugars and acidity, even in extreme vintages. In other words, it's a grape for the future, especially in warm regions like southern Israel, california, chile and Spain, where sustainability is no longer optional but essential. So while the wine world races to adapt, carignan has already been there, waiting and ready. So we've traveled a long way with Carignan today, from its tangled origins in Aragon, spain, to the sun-soaked slopes of Languedoc, to the dusty training vineyards of early Israel, to the new generation of winemakers reclaiming its voice.
S. Simon Jacob:This grape has lived a thousand lives and through it all, one thing becomes clear Carignan is not just a grape, it's a symbol. It's a symbol of resilience, for surviving decades of overplanting economic pressure and global disdain and still being here. It's a symbol of transformation, for how a once-dismissed varietal can become the foundation of world-class wines. And for us, especially in the kosher wine community, it's a symbol of rediscovery. We live in a moment where kosher wine is no longer just about ritual. It's about quality, artistry and expression. Karen Young shows us how a grape, like a people, can wander, can be misunderstood, even rejected, and still rise again, stronger, prouder and more rooted in its truth.
S. Simon Jacob:That's not just a wine story, that's a Jewish story. So what now? What does this mean for you, the listener? It means that the next time you're shopping for a kosher wine, don't just reach for a Cabernet or a Merlot. Look for a bottle labeled Carignan. It might be bold and structured, it might be light and juicy, it might even be pink or white or sparkling, but it will never be boring. It might come from the upper Galilee or Pirat or a dry farm vineyard in Sonoma, but wherever it's from, it tells a story and by choosing it, you will become part of that story too.
S. Simon Jacob:Let's recap a few key points before we go. Carignan is one of the oldest cultivated varietals in the Mediterranean basin, likely dating back over a millennium. It was once the most planted grape in France and the backbone of Israel's early modern wine industry. It nearly disappeared due to overproduction, but old vines survived and now they are producing some of the most exciting wines in the Gozier world. It comes in many styles rich, rustic reds, fresh, chillable, natural wines, elegant rosés and even rare white expressions. It's climate-resistant, terroir-expressive and perfectly poised for the future of sustainable, artisanal winemaking. In short. Carignan is no longer the underdog, it's the comeback kid.
S. Simon Jacob:So, as we close this episode of The Kosher Terroir, ask your local wine shop if they carry Carignan Israeli, French, California, Spanish, whatever. Taste it. I want to leave you with a challenge: Reimagine your wine shelf. Make room for something surprising. Think about where it came from and then share it. Share it with friends, with family and with your community, because wine is meant to be shared and stories, especially stories of redemption, deserve to be told. If this episode inspired you, share it with someone curious about wine.
S. Simon Jacob:Leave us a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening. It helps our community to grow and visit our website, thekosherterroiscom, for wine recommendations, upcoming tastings and bonus content, including a future Carignan pairing guide. And don't forget to subscribe, because we have some incredible guests and grape spotlights coming up. In future episodes we'll be talking with winemakers, sommeliers and thinkers who are shaping the future of kosher wine, but for now, raise a glass to the rebels, to the survivors, to the vines we almost lost and to the wines that we are beginning to understand. I'm Simon Jacob, and this has been The Kosher Terroir, L'chaim. See you again next time. This is Simon Jacob, again your host of today's episode of The Kosher Terroir, I have a personal request. No matter where you are or where you live, please take a moment to pray for our soldiers' safety and the safe and rapid return of our hostages. Please subscribe via your podcast provider to be informed of our new episodes as they are released. If you're new to The Kosher Terroir, please check out our many past episodes.