Chabad meets Napa

Rabbi Elchonon Tenenbaum, a 30-something Chabad rabbi fresh off the boat from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, moved to Napa Valley four years ago. The rabbi hadn’t seen many vineyards in his life, and he hadn’t drunk much kosher wine outside of the strange, sweet brew made from Concord grapes that gives kosher winemakers a bad name.

But he called me at our winery, and I showed him around the valley. We became friends, and we shared bottles of kosher wine made from high-quality grapes grown in some of Napa’s greatest vineyards. Not surprisingly, the rabbi got bitten by the wine bug. One fall he harvested a few clusters from a friend’s vineyard and crushed the grapes at his house. The resulting wine was pretty good, too — all 12 bottles.

Later, we found a small local vineyard that needed some TLC. Rabbi Tenenbaum took over the pruning and other maintenance and harvested the grapes that year to make one barrel (23 cases) of delicious red wine, a field blend of zinfandel, syrah and petite sirah. He has duplicated this feat two years in a row, and we are now drinking the fruits of his labor, which he calls Pardes Cuvée Chabad.

Rabbi Tenenbaum sat down with me recently to talk about his wine epiphany — Napa style.

Jeff Morgan: Within the Chabad community, does wine play any particular role in addition to being the chosen beverage for making Kiddush?

Rabbi Tenenbaum:  Wine, for the most part, is relegated to Shabbat and holidays in most homes. The wine culture is not quite the same in Brooklyn as it is in Yountville (Napa Valley).

JM:  What role did wine play in your life in Brooklyn?

RT:  Wine is a central part of many of our traditions. Shabbat is heralded in with the Kiddush, which is recited on a cup of wine. Kiddush is also made at lifecycle events, like a bris or a wedding. And let’s not forget the four cups of wine on Pesach. However, growing up, I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Concord grape and a zinfandel grape. We didn’t have many vineyards in Crown Heights.

JM:  Did you think about wine at all, when Chabad sent you to live in Napa Valley?

RT:  When my wife and I began serving the Jewish community of Napa, I was only beginning to learn about the complexities of wine. I understood that there was more to wine than a sparkling moscato.

JM:  What prompted your current interest in wine?

RT:  You sparked much of my interest in winemaking. We also found that wine is a good way of connecting with Jews living in Napa. It’s a big part of the lifestyle and culture.

JM:  What was it like to work in a vineyard? Physically? Spiritually?

RT:  Physically, it was draining. The first time I pruned the vines for a day, I was not able to move for three days after that. Spiritually, it was a learning experience. I am fascinated by the process of something growing from the earth. The Torah says that man is like the tree of the field. A tree goes thorough a renewal cycle every year. Accordingly, every Rosh Hashanah and High Holy Day season we are blessed with a new energy for the year ahead. That concept became very clear while working with the vines.

JM:  What makes wine holy?

RT:  In the Scriptures, wine is described as “bringing joy to God and man.” Every sacrifice offered in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was accompanied by wine. Because wine is considered to be the “king of beverages,” the rabbis coined Kiddush, a special blessing to be recited exclusively on wine.

JM:  Would you say that wine should be used as a vehicle for spirituality among Jews?

RT:  Yes, it should.

JM:  How?

RT:  By using wine in an appropriate way in Jewish ritual or by gracing a Shabbat or holiday table and other festive occasions.

JM:  Do San Francisco Bay Area rabbis seem to have a different relationship to or understanding of wine than, say, rabbis that you have known in other places you’ve lived, such as New York and Israel?

RT:  I would say that living in Napa Valley brings a greater awareness and appreciation of wine and winemaking.

JM:  Are you a rabbi or a winemaker?

RT:  Rashi was a great rabbi and winemaker; I am sure it only enhanced his commentary on the Torah. So I don’t think winemaking and being a rabbi are mutually exclusive.

Jeff Morgan is the winemaker and co-owner of Covenant and RED C Wines in Napa Valley; visit covenantwines.com.