Covenant: A Critic’s Favorite Kosher Wine

Jeff Morgan founded Covenant Winery in 2002, inspired by a bottle of Castel Grand Vin from Israel. His goal was to create world-class kosher wine in Napa Valley. He succeeded. Jancis Robinson, a renowned wine critic, has called Covenant “the best kosher wine I have ever tasted.”

Morgan, a former musician, and Wine Spectator’s West Coast editor partnered with his wife Jodie, who left her role at the American Institute of Food and Wine to become Covenant’s CEO. The winery embraces minimal intervention techniques, using native yeasts, no fining, and minimal filtration.

Covenant sources grapes from top Napa and Sonoma vineyards, relying on strong relationships with growers. Early partnerships with Leslie Rudd, owner of Mt Veeder and Oakville estates, provided access to premier terroir. Today, Covenant works with prestigious estates like Bien Nacido Vineyards, maintaining these crucial connections through challenging times like wildfires and smoke taint concerns.

The winery expanded to Israel in 2013, led by Morgan’s daughter Zoe. Despite initial success in Israeli restaurants, economic challenges from COVID-19 and the Shmita year (A year of “sabbatical” mandated by the Torah) forced the closure of Covenant Israel. One important Israel legacy for Zoe was her active role in Hashizrah (The Stem), a venture supporting women in wine in Israel. The program is an essential priority given the importance of the wine trade to Israel’s economy and the challenges the nation’s winemakers face during the current regional conflict.

Covenant offers wines at multiple quality and pricing points to meet the needs of high-end connoisseurs and younger consumers seeking value in quality and economy. The high-end Solomon line (in honor of co-founder Leslie Rudd’s Hebrew name “Shlomo”) fetches top-shelf pricing. An example is the 2023 barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc set to be released this November, the first to spend time in an amphora (a type of pottery jar similar to those used in ancient Greece).

Covenant-labeled wines are the brand’s mainstay, with Mensche, The Tribe, and Red C-labeled wines providing more economical options. Landsman single-vineyard releases are available only to club members, while the new “black label” is reserved for high-end “mevushal” wines. A new additional “Tartikov” kosher certification (a high-level Kashrut rating) will please the ultra-orthodox market, a segment increasingly important to premium winemakers.

Now based in Berkeley’s “drinks district,” Covenant offers tastings, tours, and musical performances. The location allows easier access for staff and visitors and connects the Morgans to local Jewish communities.

Visitors are required to make reservations.

PHOTO ALBUM (Images by the writer, Jules Polonetsky)