8 of the Best Kosher Wines You'll Ever Drink

Rosh Hashanah 2019 will begin in the evening of Sunday, September 29 and ends in the evening of Tuesday,  October 1

Stop by our New Ballas location for all your Kosher wine needs!

They have a very large selection!

8 of the Best Kosher Wines You'll Ever Drink
By Erin De Santiago, Certified Specialist in Wine

Kosher wine is wine made while following extra rules and guidelines so that it remains in line with Jewish dietary laws. It must be made under a rabbi's supervision, only contain kosher ingredients, and be processed using specially certified equipment. There can be no added preservatives or artificial colors, and the wine can only be handled from start to finish by Sabbath-observant Jews.

Meaning of Mevushal and Passover Wines
If a wine is labeled as Mevushal, it can be handled by and served by non-Jewish servers. During production, it must be heated to around 180F, with a process known as flash pasteurization. Techniques developed in flash pasteurization help minimize any effect on the wine's flavor.

If you see a wine that notes it's for Passover, it must not contain certain additives. Legumes and corn syrup are two of the additives that cannot be present in kosher for Passover wines. You'll find that most kosher wines are already approved for Passover, but some producers like Manischewitz add corn syrup to their normal bottlings. If they produce specific wines that are approved for Passover, they use real cane sugar versus corn syrup and the bottles will denote they are "Passover Certified."

We have a few of the wines on the list in stock at our New Ballas and Forsyth locations.

Domaine du Castel 2011 Grand Vin 

(we have a different vintage in stock)
Gayot rates Domaine du Castel 2011 Grand Vin as one of their top 10 kosher wines, rating it 15/20. It's produced by Judean Hills in Israel, and Gayot notes it could easily be mistaken for a family-owned French winery with its focus on Bordeaux style varietals. Judean Hills is regarded as one of Israel's top wine producers, and they note this particular Bordeaux-style red blend has been referred to as the "greatest kosher wine in the world."


Bartenura Moscato d'Asti

(we have a different vintage in stock)
Skyview Wines names the 2015 Bartenura Moscato d'Asti as their #1 best kosher wine for 2017. It's an Italian Moscato renowned for its lightly fizzy texture, and it has hints of pear, nectarine, melon, and floral flavors on the palate. They recommend pairing it with cheese-based dessert dishes, like a chilled slice of cheesecake.

Baron Herzog Chenin Blanc
The Baron Herzog Chenin Blanc is on KosherWine.com's list of best 90 point plus rated kosher wines. The grapes come from California's Clarskburg appellation, and the wine exhibits fruity notes of gooseberry, white peach, and nectarine. They recommend serving it young and chilled to experience the best of the intense fruity aromas and flavors. It pairs well with fish and chicken dishes.

Destihl Wild Sour Rose

Destihl Wild Sour Rose....$9.99 / 4pk
Sour Rose Ale with apple and raspberry
This limited release combines a traditional berliner-style weisse bier with apple and raspberry. It's packed with berry and citrus aromas, subtle sweetness, tartness and dry finish to round out this unique sour rose ale.

Madre de Todos Los Muertos Mezcal

Madre de Todos Los Muertos Mezcal....$48.99
Madre Mezcal is made with 70% agave Espadin and 30% agave Cuixe (Karwinskii) agave. The agaves are roasted in an earthen pit, and fermented with local well-water and wild yeast found in the mountain air. Distillation is done in the family’s aged copper still. Madre has a hint of smoke, with a sweet fragrance. Herbal notes of sage, earth, and minerals appear on the tongue, with a lingering floral finish.

2015 Condado de Hazo Ribero del Duero Crianza

2015 Condado de Hazo Ribero del Duero Crianza...$19.99
Aromas of blackcurrants, crushed violets, rosemary and thyme. Full body, good concentration and silky tannins with a pure and vivid finish. Drink or hold.
Rated 93/100 James Suckling
Cherry, red plum and currant flavors are ripe and juicy in this bright red, supported by firm tannins and citrusy acidity that give way to a vanilla- and floral-accented finish. Offers a fresh fruit core, with solid structure. Drink now through 2025. 4,000 cases imported. — TM
Rated 90/100 Wine Spectator

Tinto Pesquera Crianza

2014 Tinto Pesquera Crianza....$33.99
Very bright, ripe and nicely captured ripeness, this has dark cherry and plum as well as a stony edge and some raw earthiness. The palate has energetic appeal, harmonious fruit and oak, and a dark berry and chocolate finish. Drink now.
Rated 92/100 James Suckling
Rated 90/100 Wine Spectator

Dominio de Eguren Codice Red

2017 Dominio de Eguren Codice Red...$8.99
Blueberries, blackberries and hints of nutmeg on the nose. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Shows refinement and easy accessibility. Drink and enjoy.
Rated 91/100 James Suckling

Tom Bush joins The Wine and Cheese Place

THE WINE & CHEESE PLACE ADDS AN EXCITING NEW TEAM MEMBER!

The Wine and Cheese Place is very pleased to welcome TOM BUSH to the team at our Chesterfield location. Tom was most recently the Wine Director at Balaban’s before it closed a few weeks ago. Before that, Tom was an owner of St. Louis Wine Market and a manager at The Wine Chateau. Beyond his expertise with wine and whiskey, Tom might just be the nicest guy around!

Tom describes how he first got into wine: “Many years ago while celebrating an event in our young lives, my wife Judy and I ordered a half bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape at a French restaurant in Chicago. Our lives were changed forever.”

We have some great projects planned with Tom—such as bringing back our Wine Club—and we intend to have him host a series of wine classes. Stay tuned!

Head over to our Chesterfield store located at 14748 Clayton Rd. (636) 527-1144 and say hello to Tom! 

You can also email him at tom@wineandcheeseplace.com

99 Point Italian White From Antinori

99 Point Italian White From Antinori

Sometimes I feel like a broken record when talking about Antinori's Cervaro Della Sala. Every vintage, the Cervaro gets amazing press and praise. It is often compared to the greatest Chardonnay based wines in the world by critics and customers alike.
2017 Antinori Cervaro Della Sala Chardonnay....$55.99
This is big and powerful, without being ripe and heavy. So much apple, stone, and hints of toffee. Aromatic. Full-bodied, layered and framed with phenolic tension and a great finish. Muscular and agile at the same time. One of the best I have tasted.
Rated 99/100 James Suckling

Peter Michael Winery

2017 Peter Michael Chardonnay La Carriere...$95.99

The 2017 Chardonnay La Carriere is a rich, powerful style of Chardonnay, yet it stays vibrant and fresh, with terrific balance. Notes of orange blossom, pineapple, caramelized citrus, and white flowers, as well as a touch of minerality all, emerge from this full-bodied, multi-dimensional, layered beauty that's going to evolve for at least a decade.
Rated 97/100 Jeb Dunnuck
A barrel sample (mainly from the Hyde clone), the 2017 Chardonnay la Carriere has a drop-dead gorgeous nose of dried apricots, warm pineapple, guava and pear tart with hints of candied ginger, honeycomb and orange blossoms. The palate is medium to full-bodied, rich and creamy with great freshness and some mineral accents coming through on the long finish. 2,560 cases are expected to be produced, to be released in February 2019.
Rated 94-96/100 Wine Advocate

2014 Peter Michael Les Pavots...$179.98
Incredible aromas of pine tree, mineral, cigar box and tobacco leaf but then it turns to currants and black truffle. Forest fruit and forest floor. Soya. Full body, round and decadent with a combination of ripe fruit and earth, spice and long finish. The uniqueness of Pavot is streaming here. Drink or hold
Rated 98/100 James Suckling
The 2014 Proprietary Red Les Pavots (3,570 cases) is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot aged in mostly Taransaud barrels with a small helping of Darnajou thrown in. This wine is fabulous in the vintage, although certainly less profoundly concentrated and extracted, as well as structured, compared to the 2013, which was off-the-charts fabulous. This is a brilliant wine, charming, with front-end loaded plum, blackcurrant and black raspberry fruit interwoven with graphite, tar and truffle notes. The wine has sumptuous texture, sweet, velvety tannin, and a long, full-bodied finish. It should drink well for at least two decades.
Rated 95/100 The Wine Advocate

Kelt Cognacs - new expressions

Kelt Single Barrel Cognac Tour du Monde Captain's Barrel...$59.99
KELT Captain’s Barrel is for the connoisseur who wants something unique but does not necessarily want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars.
We use our famous VSOP blend as the base and then we let the barrels do the talking. We select the Limousin barrels we believe will give the best results from the 6-12 year range and designate these as Captain’s Barrels. The barrels are painstakingly examined and thoroughly researched from their first day in service.

Once the selection is completed we embark on the Tour du Monde. This is the legendary 3 month Ocean Maturation exclusive to KELT which brings out hidden qualities in the Limousin oak and rounds off the cognac in a beautiful and unique way making the KELT cognac the smoothest on the market while presenting a remarkably broad pallet of tastes and aromas.
Once the barrels return to Cognac we do a tasting to gauge the effects the Ocean Maturation has had on each barrel. The ones with the most interesting results are selected for bottling. Nothing is done with this cognac upon its return. The barrels which have been approved as interesting enough to be Captain’s Barrels are sent directly into the bottling hall and bottled barrel by barrel. They are bottled at Tour du Monde strength which is around 42% alc/vol or 84 proof (it will vary depending on the weather conditions during the Tour du Monde between 41,5 and 42,5%) and most importantly they are NON CHILL-FILTERED.

Each barrel varies in character but the basic characteristics of the VSOP remain. There are only 360 bottles of each barrel. These are unique and can never be produced exactly the same again. Each bottle is numbered and comes with its Tour du Monde certificate showing ships, ports of call and the dates.

Kelt Grande Champagne Cognac Tour de Monde Commodore...$89.99
KELT Commodore is the most recent addition to the KELT range. It is the first addition since the retirement of our founder Mr. Kelt and as such a true test of whether the philosophy of uncompromising attention to detail, quest for excellence and genuine quality of Mr. Kelt has been passed on to the successors who have been under his tutelage for over 20 years.

We are happy to announce that the KELT Commodore won Double Gold and best cognac of 2015 at the WSWA competition. It seems that we are maintaining the course set by Mr. Kelt and he has let us know that he is most pleased.

The KELT Commodore attempts to combine the most interesting qualities of a Grande Champagne VSOP, Napoleon and XO. The blend is extremely complex and depends heavily on the barrel selection for the Ocean Maturation.

Once the blending is completed we embark on the Tour du Monde. This is the legendary 3 month Ocean Maturation exclusive to KELT which brings out hidden qualities in the Limousin oak and rounds off the cognac in a beautiful and unique way making the KELT cognac the smoothest on the market while presenting a remarkably broad pallet of tastes and aromas.

We use our extensive experience and stock of Limousin oak barrels in the most creative way to get the maximum effect from the Ocean Maturation. For our Commodore we use barrels of between 8-15 years of a particular quality and history. The exact composition and details are a closely guarded secret know only to two persons within the company.
The blending and Tour du Monde puts our Commodore squarely in a tasting age of an XO but it still maintains the pleasant vanilla and fruit notes of a younger cognac.

Kelt Cognac Serendipity...$59.99
Finished in Sauternes Barrels
Non Chill Filtered
So new, it is not even on their website yet!

Svöl Aquavit

Svöl Danish Style Aquavit...$35.99

The earliest mention of "aquavit" was in a letter written by Danish Lord Eske Bille in the 1500s. Danish aquavits are made from un-aged, grain-based spirit and are typically the most caraway-forward style of aquavit. Our Danish-Style aquavit features the finest caraway from Finland as its lead flavor. The caraway is rounded out by several other botanicals from around the world including Icelandic angelica root and birch bark. It is a subtly spicy yet balanced spirit that's perfect in savory cocktail experiments.

BOTANICALS




Svöl SwedishStyle Aquavit...$42.99
Swedish aquavits share some similarities with their Danish cousins. They are also made from grain-based spirit and are often un-aged, although some are aged for short periods of time (less than 1 year). The main differentiator is that Swedish aquavits tend to lean on slightly sweeter botanicals like dill and fennel in addition to caraway. Our Swedish-Style aquavit features fresh dill which is cold infused before the other botanicals are added, and fennel that's been cracked and roasted to release its flavor and aroma. The result is a brighter flavor profile that's perfect in refreshing cocktail experiments.
BOTANICALS

Still 630 Headless Horseman Whiskey

Still 630 Headless Horseman Whiskey...$35.99 / 375ml

Originally the Imperial Pumpkin from O'Fallon Brewing, decapitated and now a malevolent ghost, damned to roam the darkness in search of his head.  This brewery collab whiskey will ensnare you with notes of caramel, vanilla, and single malt to distract your senses and soon have you searching for your own head.

Field Recordings Pet Nat

2018 Field Recordings Pet Nat Dry Hop...$19.99 / 750ml
Paso Robles, California
Could not help myself. Had to try it. Thought it would be good and guess what? It rules. Best experiment ever. Wish we tried more. A measly 600 case exist." - Andrew Jones, winemaker

2018 Field Recordings Pet Nat Cab Franc Rose...$19.99 / 750ml

Over the past few years we have been experimenting with crafting a sparkling wine using the ancestral method, AKA Petillant Naturel.  The creation of this wine requires perfect timing.  It must be captured in bottle at just the right level of natural sugar so it is perfectly carbonated upon release.

2018 Field Recordings Blanc de Franc...$19.99 / 750ml
100% Cabernet Franc
100% Paso Robles
This sparkling rose of Cabernet Franc was crafted using the ancestral method, Petillant Naturel. The creation of this wine requires perfect timing. It must be captured in bottle at just the right level of natural sugar so it is perfectly carbonated upon release. Much different than typical sparkling wines, the finished wine has a unique raw character, loaded with energy and charisma.


What is Pet-Nat? Read about it in the NY Times.

TWCP Totes

TWCP Totes!

Our new wine/beer/liquor totes!

Reusable holds 6 bottles of your favorite wine, beer or spirit!

$1.99 each - grab them at the register

Beer Tasting tonight

The Wine and Cheese Place

7435 Forsyth Blvd

Clayton MO

Tonight Friday Beer Tasting

• Perennial Fantastic Voyage Imperial Stout with Coconut
• Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA
• Center Ice Old Arena Lager
• Six Mile Bridge DDH
• 18th Street Devil's Cup
• 4 Noes Mountain Wave Mosaic

Perennial Fantastic Voyage

No limit at this time



Perennial Fantastic Voyage....$5.49 / 16oz can
The other major update is the beer itself, Fantastic Voyage will now feature the same base stout as Abraxas and Sump. This means it will have the wonderful, rich body and 11.5% ABV you are familiar with from all of our stouts!

The rebirth of Fantastic Voyage is a return to slow jams and silk sheets. We combine a smooth yet strong imperial milk stout base with a heap of dried coconut in the whirlpool. The result is a luscious blend of bakers chocolate, subtle roast, and sweet coconut. So take a sip and just sail on. Perennial Artisan Ales is a small batch craft brewery dedicated to producing unique, premium beers. Our beers are brewed with the experimental, seasoned craft beer drinker in mind.

Foursquare Empery 14 Year old Rum

We have a little more to release now!

Foursquare Empery 14 Year old Rum...$109.99

Cask: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry
Aged 14 years
56% ABV

Jack Daniels No. 27 Gold Tennessee Whiskey

Jack Daniels No. 27 Gold Tennessee Whiskey...$94.99
Jack Daniel’s No. 27 Gold is crafted to the same uncompromising standards as Old No. 7, but then twice charcoal mellowed to be luxuriously smooth and extra matured in golden-hued maple barrels for a rich, warm finish. This refined expression of our original Tennessee Whiskey is only available in select markets around the world.

MATURED IN OAK BARRELS, FINISHED IN MAPLE BARRELS
DOUBLE MELLOWED FOR SMOOTHNESS
LUXURIOUS HINTS OF MAPLE

Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon...$13.99

Compare to $17.99 at Total Wine and More in St. Louis
40% ALC/VOL / 80 PROOF
The original mischief-maker. Made from our time-honored recipe, this whiskey packs a punch with a defiantly smooth body and full flavor.

30 Days of Bourbon Celebration!

30 Days of Bourbon Celebration!

read more at Bourbon and Banter

Forsyth - Friday Night Flight!

The Wine and Cheese Place -- Forsyth only
(IN)Famous Tasting Bar
7435 Forsyth Blvd, Clayton MO 63105

September 13 - Friday Night Flight

Friday Night Flights featuring Whiskys from India, Japan, and New Zealand
We're giving you the world in three tastes! 

Check these out for only $12 for the flight. We'll stamp yer passport for free!
Dave, the Whiskey Dude

$12 for a 3 - 3/4 oz pours at our Tasting Bar

• New Zealand - 21 Year Dunedin Single Grain New Zealand Whisky 40% abv - New Zealand Whisky Collection
• Japan - Nikka Miyagikyo Japanese Single Malt Whisky 45% abv (No age statement)
• India - Paul John Indian Single Malt "Brilliance" 46% abv (No age statement)

The 2008 Vintage in Champagne continues to deliver the goods!

The 2008 Vintage in Champagne continues to deliver the goods!
2008 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blanc....$99.99
The finest young wine I've encountered from Delamotte, the 2008 Blanc de Blancs unfurls in the glass with an expressive bouquet of freshly baked bread, lemon oil, green apple, oyster shell and mandarin. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, textural but incisive, with superb concentration and depth at the core and a long, penetrating finish. Less autolytic in style than the 2004, some 60,000 bottles were produced, around a third less than in an average vintage.
Rated 95/100 The Wine Advocate

Isole e Olena scores big.......again....

A 95 Point Classic(o) from Tuscany!
2015 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico....$23.99
Alluring aromas of woodland berry, sunbaked soil, hazelnut and truffle mingle with whiffs of leather and eucalyptus. The focused palate is savory and full of finesse, delivering juicy Marasca cherry, black currant, clove and tobacco alongside a tangy citrus note. Polished tannins and remarkable freshness for the hot vintage give it balance and structure. Drink now through 2023.
Rated 95/100 The Wine Enthusiast



2016 Isole e Olena Cepparello....$71.98
The 2016 Cepparello is dense, dark and also very closed in on itself. Those qualities bode well for the future, but readers will have to be patient, as the 2016 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and new leather gradually open up in the glass, but the 2016 is not ready to show all of its cards. This fruit was brought in during the second week of October, which is pretty much optimal at Isole e Olena. The 2016 spent 20 months in French oak, with a bit less than 30% new oak, and a few months in cask prior to bottling. An explosion of floral and spice notes punctuates the super-refined finish. The 2016 is shaping up to be epic. Don't miss it!
Rated 97+/100 Vinous Media

Forsyth Weekend tastings

Some tastings this weekend at Forsyth

The Wine and Cheese Place -- Forsyth

7435 Forsyth Blvd, Clayton MO

63105

Meet Adam Harris -- Beam Suntory National American Whiskey Ambassador 

Jim Beam Portfolio Tasting!
This Thursday 

September 12th

4:30-6:30 pm

• Basil Hayden Bourbon
• Basil Hayden Rye
• Knob Creek
• Jim Beam Black
• Booker's Bourbon
• Bakers Bourbon

Friday night Whiskey Tasting (plus our normal beer and wine)

This Friday

September 13th

4pm-6pm

• Glenlivet 14 Year Old Single Malt Cognac Cask
• Glenlivet 15 Year Old Single Malt
• High West Double Rye
• High West American Prairie
• High West Rendezvous Rye
• High West Campfire

On sale now at $44.99

Glenlivet 14 Year Old Single Malt Cognac Cask...$44.99
Meet The Glenlivet 14 Year Old, our newest whisky. Featuring raisin-rich cognac and signature citrus notes married with creamy smoothness, the luscious liquid has traveled from bourbon and sherry casks to a selective finish in cognac casks. Bursting with sweet and fruity aromas and inspired by Captain Bill Grant Smith, great-grandson of our Founder George Smith, The Glenlivet 14 Year Old shines as a proud celebration of our Speyside craft. Wander from the misty glens of Scottish Speyside to the rolling vineyards of France’s Cognac region at every sip.
September 13th, 4-6pm

Side Project Shared Sulla Terra Barrel Aged Barleywine

BRC emails sent out this morning!

We got 60 bottles, so very limited!

Side Project
Shared Sulla Terra Barrel Aged Barleywine
13% ABV


Cory brought a surprise bottle to the Side Project Merci Framboise release party--we are always so lucky as he usually brings a surprise.  This time he brought Side Project Brewing Shared Sulla Terra Barrel Aged Barleywine for our customers to taste.  And yes, we will eventually get an allocation to sell at our stores - we had one barrel in the final blend.   Stay tuned for more info on our blog and social media.  

Watch for BRC release details - we will let you know when we have information on a date.  

It will be similar to Merci Framboise Release.  It will be based on Side Project Merci purchases since last September until Wednesday September 11th at 7pm.  We only have a few bottles left though.

Some reminders:

• Very important - make sure you mention you are a member of the BRC everytime you checkout at the register.  Otherwise your purchases will not count for releases.
• Your name will appear at the bottom of your receipt, if it does not then it will not be on your account.
• You can still sign up for the BRC (Beer Reward Club), but your previous purchases do not count (we cannot add previous purchases to your account).
• Only purchases after you are signed up in the BRC count towards the release.
• Many people from the Merci Framboise release signed up after they purchased their Merci and we could not count those towards the release.
• Many people also said they had purchased Merci, but they were not on their account, make sure you give your phone number every time you checkout!

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

New Batch bottled 8/23/19



Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA...$8.99 / 12oz bottle
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA...$33.99 / 4pk

Clocking in at 15-20% ABV, 120 Minute IPA is continuously hopped with a copious amount of high-alpha American hops throughout the boil and whirlpool, and then dry-hopped with another pallet of hops. Unfiltered and abundantly hoppy, it's the Holy Grail for hopheads!

We brew 120 Minute IPA a few times a year, but it goes fast. If you find some grab a few bottles -- some to enjoy and some to age.