Biblical Heritage

 The Israelites’ interest in winegrowing is a continual theme throughout the Bible and Talmud.  Wine was seen as a symbol of happiness and out of all the books of the Bible, only the Book of Jonah contains no reference to it.

Sixteen times the Bible mentions corn, wine and oil as representing the principle produce of the country, the base of the economy and chief blessing of the soil (Deut.  7:13).

Of the seven species with which Eretz Israel was blessed, the vine was first amongst the fruits (Deut. 8:8).

Isaiah’s song about vineyards (Isa. 5) gives a detailed account of planting a vineyard through to the harvesting of its grapes.  He likens God to an owner of a vineyard and Israel to the vineyard.  Ezekiel (17:1-10; 19:10-14) also regards the vine as symbolizing the people of Israel and all the prophets use vines as a symbol of the happy state.

There is no quality wine producing country in the present day that can boast such a rich history of wine production and wine culture as Israel.  Almost everywhere, archaeological goblets have been unearthed in abundance.  All these bear witness to a wine history, which continued unbroken until the Moslem conquest in 636 C.E. 

Even the Hebrew word ‘Yayin’ is said to be the root from which the word ‘wine’ is derived.  As Andrew Jefford wrote (Evening Standard Wine Guide) “The Land of Israel staggers beneath its burden of history and myth, and much of that intoxicating scripturally sanctified baggage is wine-sodden. What Christian would not like to drink the wine of Cana or Galilee after a thoughtful afternoon amongst the splintery, fissured olives of Gethsemane ?  What Jew would prefer a French kosher wine to one from the land which (according to the Book of Numbers) Moses’ spies returned bearing an enormous cluster of grapes suspended from a pole?”

Religious Connection

 To Jews there is no communal, religious or family life without wine.  Each Sabbath starts with an act of blessing, the Kiddush or “Sanctification” is chanted over a cup of wine: “Blessed are you O Lord, Our God……for creating the fruit of the vine.”  Most Jewish families will own a “Kiddush Cup” in the form of a silver goblet or beaker.  Four glasses of wine must be drunk at Passover (or grape juice for children), two at weddings, one at circumcisions.  At a funeral in ancient times a bereaved was offered ten glasses of wine, the “Cup of Consolation”.  Wine is used to sanctify festivals, Bar Mitzvahs and births.  At the Festival of Purim, Jews are entreated to drink enough so they are unable to tell the difference between “Cursed be Haman” and “Blessed be Mordechai”.  Traditionally a Jewish boy will have his first taste of wine at his circumcision when only eight days old, and part of a ritual at a wedding is for the groom to stamp on and shatter a wine glass.  The joy of wine is introduced to each act of worship. 

For the Kiddush ceremony in the Jewish home and in synagogues, sweet red (and sometimes fortified) wine is traditionally used for two reasons: an open bottle will last until the next week, and for children, a sip of sweet wine is both palatable and a treat!

Incidentally, there is nothing against using a dry, white table wine for this purpose, if preferred, as long as it is kosher. Tradition does prefer red though.

The association between wine, Israel and Judaism creates an unique bond between wine and the Jewish people.

The Christian use of wine as part of religious ceremony, stemmed not only  the Jewish faith but also from the high profile of wine in the Holy Land at this time.