The spirit of the vine

recently spent five days hiking and biking through the Burgundy region of France, where my appreciation for the vineyards and vintners of that region was nothing short of inspired. The two main grapes of Burgundy, pinot noir and chardonnay, generate hundreds of varieties of wine for all of life’s special occasions. While my pedestrian enjoyment of wine certainly does not qualify me as a connoisseur, I finally understand the difference between a grand prix and a grand crux! Since Biblical times, wine has been known as the “king of beverages” and has been used to celebrate significant moments and holidays in Jewish history and tradition. The blessing over wine, or Kiddush, comes from the Hebrew word for holiness, kadosh. During the time of the first […]