Despite the sea of Kosher wine being made in Europe, there are only four wineries there that are Kosher all the way, from the roots up. Two of these are in Italy, one in France, and the other is in Spain. The Spanish winery was the creation of a scientist and artist. It was the first Jewish owned Kosher winery in Spain since the Inquisition expulsion in 1492. It was owned by a wandering Sephardi family, who returned to Spain. The first Jewish owned Kosher winery for over 500 years.
The scientist was Moises Cohen who hailed from Morocco. He was from Casablanca. At the age of 17 he made Aliyah and went to study Agricultural Engineering at the Technion in Haifa, and ended up in Catalonia in Spain working in agriculture and water management. His expertise took him to wine, and he began to be a valued consultant to those growing the grape. Even some famous wineries started seeking his services. The contacts he made would stand him in good stead later on. The artist was Anne Aleta, who hailed from Toulouse in France. She studied History of Art and became a qualified sommelier. This partnership of the scientist with his nose in the vineyard and the artist with her nose in the glass, coincided with a new breed of Kosher wine mavens and the revival of Priorat and Monsant as wine regions of interest for wine lovers. They were already a couple and decided also to become partners in wine.
They founded Elvi Wines, which combines the words for God (El) and wine (vino), just over twenty years ago, in 2003. The company logo is the boat that Jews used to flee Spain in 1492, when they gathered their belongings and went to other destinations in the Mediterranean. These days the boat symbolizes Elvi’s raison d’etre, which is to take the consumer on a journey to different regions of Spain. Elvi is an umbrella company showcasing different wine regions. These include Monsant and Priorat, where Carinena and Garnacha thrive; Rioja, arguably the most famous Spanish appellation; La Mancha, one of the largest continuous wine regions in the world; Alella, on the coast and Cava, home of Spain’s most famous sparkling wines. Today they make just under 20 wines in six different appellations in Spain. The wineries they work with are invariably owned by families, with whom Moises has consulted over the years. They have formed long term partnerships with each and have used the same vineyards for over 15 years, so there is continuity. Elvi wines are as sustainable, natural and as organic as nature allows, without affecting the pursuit of quality. There is a synchronization of values, professionalism and quality objectives. They export to something like twenty countries and often the wines are marketed as Spanish wines without the Kosher connection being mentioned at all.
The jewel in the crown is their own Clos Mesorah estate, with a walled vineyard and old gnarled wines. They called it Clos, the French word for enclosure, and Mesorah, the Hebrew word for tradition. The family live in Barcelona, but Clos Mesorah is only an hour and a half away. This was the holiday home that their children remember from the time they were kids.
Elvi Wines markets Spanish regional wines, without unnecessarily falling back on international grapes. It is the right move, but also a brave one, as the Kosher consumer is wedded to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to an exaggerated degree.
One of the major problems of wineries is the change of generations. Some like Domaine du Castel are seamlessly passing the torch to the next generation. Others like Agur Winery have brought in new partners whose views and ideology perfectly mesh with the founder. Elvi Wines has no such problems. The next generation is already heavily involved and highly visible. Leah, daughter of Moises and Anne, has studied winemaking and recently graduated in oenology. Their son David, has taken to the wine trade, like a whirlwind. He has become the foreign minister marketing the family wines very vocally and fluently. He seems to be everywhere and he tells the family story and explains the philosophy of making Spanish wines, which just happen to be Kosher. He speaks very fast like an Energizer bunny (or Duracell bunny, depending where you live) on steroids. Often it seems he begins a new sentence, before finishing the previous one. It is as though he is expecting you any minute to cut him off in his prime, and he has to tick off as many points as possible before you do. He certainly has a good story and it comes in waves. His mother, the CEO of the company, is the power behind the throne. She is the one with knowledge and passion about wine, but she is more behind the scenes and not up front. His father Moises is quieter, more judicious with his words, more academic with his approach. He is much loved, exudes authenticity, but he is more the reserved gentleman and not a natural marketer. As for David, his friendly personality and passion shine through and his involvement clearly makes the family business more complete.
Their range of wines begins with an ever-so tasty Sintonia Sangria. This is a wine which reflects the direction of the younger generation and indeed it was crafted by David and Leah using Vina Encina wine as a base mixed with 100% natural fruit essences. It is fun, slightly irreverent, tasty and gluggable…and low alcohol, but beware, it is too easy to quaff and the alcohol can be hiding in the corner and catch up with you later. Sangria for me reflects a mood, and this is one of the more authentic ones I have tasted. There is a red and white and I must say I preferred the red. You can drink it straight or use it as a base to add your own fruit or recipe. There is a casual drinking occasion where drinking Sangria is exactly the right thing to do. I think they have done a good job with this product, which reaches way beyond the Kosher market.
The Vina Encina label represents great value wines from La Mancha. These were good, very drinkable, approachable and well-made. My favorites were the fresh fragrant white and a fruity approachable Tempranillo.
Herenza Blanco (previously known as Invita) is a blend of the local variety Pansa Blanca and the international variety Sauvignon Blanc from the sandy, coastal Alella region. It is refreshing, aromatic, smoky, minerally, flavorful, savory, and beautifully crisp.
The Herenza (meaning heritage) label is more well-known in their range of Riojas. I tasted the range, each of which are separate single vineyard wines, from the entry level semi Crianza, to the Crianza, then the Reserva, up to their prestigious, oaky Gran Reserva. All their Riojas are good, and I thought the better wines had good oak treatment, but funnily enough, the one I liked the most was the Herenza Semi Crianza, which is only aged for six months in oak. It had good fruit and a refreshing character that demands another sip. Quite apart from anything else, it was least expensive Rioja and to me it represents the best value.
The king of the castle is the Clos Mesorah. I tasted the 2021 which is made from 100 year old Carinena (Carignan) vines with Garnacha (Grenache) and Syrah. It is the epitome of elegance with red fruits, cherries and tar and spice, with a hint of herbs in the background. It was a lovely wine and quite clearly the best wine I tasted. The top of the range of the winery, is the rare and expensive Sublim. I also tasted the El26, their prestige wine from Priorat, which is a blend of Grenache and Carignan. It was pretty good, but for me the Clos Mesorah was top dog.
Elvi have conquered six regions. Let’s hope more are on their list. They give a real flavor of Spain for Kosher wine drinkers, but the quality of the wines reaches beyond the Kosher sector. These are Spanish wines, that just happen to be Kosher.
Adam Montefiore is a wine trade veteran and winery insider turned wine writer, who has advanced Israeli wines for 38 years. He is referred to as the English voice of Israeli wine and is wine writer for the Jerusalem Post. www.adammontefiore.com
