27 Mar THE IDEAL WINE FOR THE SEDER

Therefore, say to the
Bnei Yisrael: I am
Hashem. And I will
take you out from
under the burdens of
Mitzrayim, and I will
save you from their
work, and I will redeem you with an
outstretched arm and with great judgments.
Shemos 6:6
The Color of the Wine
The Shulchan Aruch (472:11) states that there
is a mitzvah to try to obtain red wine for the
Seder, although the Rema adds that this is true
only if one does not have superior white wine.
The commentaries cited in the Mishna Berura
(38) point out that this is derived from the
Gemara in Pesachim (108b), which states that
the daled kosos should have the appearance
and the taste of wine. To this effect, the Gemara
cites a pasuk in Mishlei (23:31) that advises
against gazing upon wine and its redness,
implying that the ideal color of wine is red. A
second reason quoted in the poskim to
specifically favor red wine is to remind us of
the blood of the Jewish children that was
spilled during the persecution we experienced
in Mitzrayim.
The ruling of the Rema seems to indicate that
he prefers the reason of the Gemara, that red
wine is generally considered more authentic,
and he therefore permits white wine if it is

considered better.
Coloring the Wine
Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky (Kovetz Halachos,
Pesach pg. 204) rules that if one has white
wine that is of a higher quality than the red
wine that is available to him, it is permitted to
add some red wine to it in order to color it red.
In this way, one will fulfill having the superior
wine as well as having red wine. Rav
Kamenetsky explains that this is not a violation
of tzovei’a (dyeing), which is one of the
melachos of Shabbos, since the Shulchan
Aruch (OC 320:18) rules that “ein tzvia
b’ochlin,” the prohibition of dyeing does not
apply to food, and one may therefore add a
condiment to a food on Shabbos even though it
will change its color. The Mishna Berura (56)
adds (citing the Darkei Moshe) that it is
permissible to add red wine to white wine,
even if one’s intention is to change its color.13
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichos
Shlomo 9:5) disagrees and rules that one
should not add red wine if his sole intent is to
change the wine’s color. Rav Shmuel
Kamenetsky acknowledges that one should not
add red food coloring to the wine. He explains
that the accepted minhag to permit adding
something to change the color applies only
when adding actual wine; one should not
extend this leniency to other similar cases.
Yayin Mevushal
The Shulchan Aruch (OC 272:8) rules, based

on the majority of rishonim, that it is
permissible to recite Kiddush, Havdalah, etc.
on wine that has been boiled, yayin mevushal.
Obviously, this would qualify such wine for
daled kosos as well.
However, the Shulchan Aruch cites another
view that one should not use yayin mevushal
for Kiddush. This opinion is found in the
Rambam (Hilchos Shabbos 29:14), among
others, who writes that one should recite
Kiddush only on wine that is fit to be used for
the libations on the mizbei’ach. This
disqualifies wine that has any sweeteners or
additives, is not alcoholic, or is mevushal.
Although the generally accepted opinion is not
to be concerned with this opinion of the
Rambam, in the case of the wine at the Seder,
some try to use wine that is not mevushal.
Pasteurized Wine
Even those who are careful not to use yayin
mevushal are not generally concerned with
using pasteurized wine. The reason that cooked
wine is pasul for use on the mizbe’ach is that
the bishul degrades that quality of the wine,
but even most experts cannot taste the
difference between pasteurized and
unpasteurized wine.
Guests
Those who choose to use only non-mevushal
wine at the Seder should keep in mind that
such wine can cause other halachic problems
unrelated to the mitzvos of the Seder. If one

has a non-Jewish server at
the Seder, or even if one
has non-shomer Shabbos
Jewish guests, their
touching of such wine may cause it to become

stam yeinam (wine that was handled by a non-
Jew), and therefore halachically prohibited to

use. This is a classic example of an
inappropriate chumra, since it leads to a greater
kula.
Low-Alcohol Wine
The generally accepted view of the majority of
poskim is that grape juice is acceptable for
Kiddush and for daled kosos. However, Rav
Moshe Feinstein is quoted by his son Rav
Dovid (Haggadah Kol Dodi) as ruling that the
wine must have some alcoholic content. This
is based on the Rashbam’s explanation
(Pesachim 108b, s.v. al) of the Gemara’s
statement that we require the appearance and
flavor of wine. He comments that the taste of
wine refers to its ability to cause drunkenness.
Rav Moshe therefore ruled that the wine must
be capable of making one drunk.
Even according to Rav Moshe, the Rema rules
that it is permissible to dilute the wine to the
extent that it is one–sixth of its original
potency. This is generally understood to be
around three percent alcohol. Thus, it is
possible to fulfill Rav Moshe’s opinion without
risking becoming inebriated at the Seder.