By COLlive reporter
Rabbis of the Badatz Eida Hacharedis, one of the most reliable kosher agancies, were recently seen in the community of Psagot, located north of Jerusalem on the peaks of the Benjamin region mountains.
The agency’s officials came to the Psagot Winery to hold a special observance of Trumot U’maasrot ahead of them granting certification to the vineyards and its line of fine kosher wines.
They observed the short distance between the vineyards and the winery that enables the grapes to arrive at the winery within an hour from the time they are harvested.
But that didn’t stop them from moving forward with the ceremony which included pouring out thousands of liters of quality wine, as halachically mandated.
The rabbis then sat for an exclusive meal with Yaakov Berg, CEO of Psagot Winery, who told them how in recent years there has been a growing demand for quality wine with high Kashruth standards.
As careful as we are to every detail in creating quality wine and using the best grapes and most advanced equipment, it must also be the same regarding Kashruth, he said.
Berg’s parents settled in Psagot in the 1980s. The father, Meir, an engineer and mathematician, planted vines for grape consumption and expanded the agricultural area to plant cherry and nectarine orchards.
In 1998, Meir Berg planted the first grape vineyard for wine production, 18 dunam of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The winery concept took root deeply within the son, Yaakov, and his wife Naama Berg.
The winery itself was established in 2002 by the young couple in the heart of the vineyard which had expanded, and it, too, grew. Today it stands on 40 dunam of wine vineyards owned by the Psagot Winery.
During the meal, the Eida Hacharedis rabbis notified that they will be providing certification to the winery, alongside the OU and Rabbi Yechiel Babad, also known as the Tartakover Rav).
Their highly regarded symbol is currently on the label of the rose wine as part of the selection of 2016 vintage Psagot wines. The Chardonnay and Viognier line will follow. The 2016 Sinai red blend will be available in a half a year and their others reds in around a year.
