One of the most popular questions I get as a music industry guy having gotten into the wine biz is, “when was your first taste of wine, what got you into it?”. I love to get a laugh and say that when I was 8-days old, being held down by my Dad or Grandfather, someone put a cloth soaked with Manischewitz sweet red wine in my mouth. I screamed in delight or pain, but became a lush that day. That ritual cut deep into my soul and I’ve had a spiritual relationship with the fermented fruit for most of my life. Wine does have an elevated and magical level in Judaism where there are prayers for everything, but when it comes to food, the law has only a few prayers of thanks in general, including a brucha for all that grows from the ground, except for the grape. The only fruit, the only alcohol, is wine, it is given another significance in Jewish law, and has its own blessing, “Borei Pri Hagafen--thanks for creating the fruit of the vine.”
Yeah…Manischewitz! Man, those were the days! Like so much these days,that stuff isn’t the same anymore! I grew up about four blocks from the old Manischewitz company. It was a staple in our fridge. It was also the first taste of wine that I remember outside of The Roman Catholic sacrament.
Yeah…Manischewitz! Man, those were the days! Like so much these days,that stuff isn’t the same anymore! I grew up about four blocks from the old Manischewitz company. It was a staple in our fridge. It was also the first taste of wine that I remember outside of The Roman Catholic sacrament.
Great article!