Inception, 2006-2007: www.CuveeChabad.com
In 2006 Rabbi Elchonon Tenenbaum, his wife Chana and two children moved to Napa Valley to establish a Chabad center. There he met two Jewish winemakers —Leslie Rudd and Jeff Morgan. The pair make Covenant and RED C Wines, both of which are exceptional kosher wines. After harvest of 2007, Elchonon asked Leslie if he could use some of the grapes still remaining in the vineyard to make a small amount of his own wine. Leslie, whose Hebrew name is Shlomo, thought it was a good idea. The rabbi made 12 bottles of beautifully fragrant red wine and called it Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon) to honor both Leslie as well as his own Jewish heritage.
Gestation, 2008-2009:
Rabbi Elchonon showed the wine to Jeff, at Covenant, who was impressed. That same evening, Jeff happened upon a Jewish friend in the valley who asked him, “Do you know someone who can take care of my half-acre of old vine Zinfandel?”
Amazed at the timing, Jeff replied, “I think I know someone.” He called Elchonon, who was excited but concerned about his lack of viticultural knowledge. “We’ll teach you,” Jeff assured him. “It’s a little like studying Torah.”
So, Rabbi Elchonon farmed and harvested the vineyard for two years. Production was only one barrel per harvest, totaling 25 cases. He named the wine “Pardes,” which means “orchard,” in Hebrew.
Gradually, Elchonon envisioned his efforts in the vineyard as a way to connect to his brethren. This brought him to the next step.
Birth, 2010-2011:
Planning and production for Cuvée Chabad began in 2010. Initially, the idea was to create something that would help raise consciousness for Yiddishkeit and that also reflected the rabbi’s experience in the wine country.
Using the foundations of Torah as a compass, and classic wine making as a guide, Chabad of Napa Valley has taken over 3000 years of Jewish tradition and evolved them into an exclusive wine unsurpassed in quality and taste—the result of a convergence of occurrences that might, in their own way, be considered nothing short of a miracle.
Drink this soft, spicy, fruit-driven wine by clicking this link. For more info [email protected]
