Vegan? Check. USDA-certified organic? Check. Kosher? Check. Ecocert-approved? Check. Tasty Malbec that over delivers for the price for holiday meals that makes everyone happy? Check, check, check, check! Domaine Bousquet’s Alavida from Argentina is one of only a few wines worldwide that CHECKS ALL THE BOXES. Oh, and it’s gluten-free, too. (Okay that one isn’t too unusual– wine is commonly considered to be gluten-free.)

So if you’re looking for a holiday red wine that checks all the boxes (except being bubbly; stay tuned for next week’s Domain Bousquet’s dazzling organic sparklers), you’ve come to the right place, look no more! And we have menu ideas too! 

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, and celebrates a miracle when oil for one day lasted several. In this time of war in the Middle East, let’s pray together for a miracle for the Holy Land, for Israel, for Palestine, for peace, for life, for light. Too many have died this year in war there, in Ukraine, and in Sudan.

Hanukkah is a time to reflect on who we really are, and for the Jewish people, to rededicate themselves to their faith. For all of us, we can rededicate ourselves to peace within and between people and planet. 

My mom was a Bible scholar, and very knowledgeable about Jewish history and traditions; pictured is her Menorah. As my mom passed away in 2010, for more about Hanukkah, I defer to Adam Sandler: 

The name “Alavida” is a take on the toast “to life” or “a la vida” in Spanish which itself plays off the Hebrew toast “L’chaim!” The wine uses grapes grown in high-altitude, sandy soiled vineyards of the Uco Valley at 4,000+ feet in the Andean foothills. Daily temperatures shifts range to 60° F which means the grapes get sweet and ripe from the hot days yet have balancing acid from the cold nights. While Malbec is a thick skinned, tannic grape, in Argentina those thick skins help defend it from the temperature swings to produce wines with better body, aromatics, and character. 

Keep It Kosher

Kosher wine doesn’t have to be organic, but the fruit has to be high quality with high acidity because kosher wines don’t add SO2 which helps preserve the wine, but can also hide flaws. While some kosher wines are pasteurized, Alavida is not, and winemaking is the same except that any ingredients like yeast must be kosher, and the grapes and wine are handled by someone who is a sabbath-observant Jew under the supervision of a rabbi.

At Alavida, winemaker Rodrigo Serrano directs his Jewish team of experienced winemakers to get the grapes from the truck, use the forklift, turn the sorting table on and off, and more. At the end of the day, it’s all locked up to keep it kosher meaning even winemaker Serrano can’t get a sample or enter the area without assistance and company from one of the members of his Jewish team. 

The supervising “rabbi declared Alavida to be the best kosher wine he had ever tasted,” according to press materials.  

Alavida’s USDA Organic Certification

While there are actually a number of wines in the market made with organic grapes, organic wines with USDA organic certification is more rare because our regulations regulations don’t allow the use of sulfites during winemaking.

This is no easy task as sulfites help to prohibit wines from getting vinegary or funky. RAW WINE actually allows 70 mg/L because they help to ensure quality and stability especially if grapes are not at their peak for example on warm days when grapes are enroute to the winery. Antioxidant and antimicrobial sulfites prevent and stop unplanned fermentation, protect the wine during racking, prevent oxidation prior to bottling, and prevent rapid oxidation after bottling.

In order to avoid using sulfites, Alavida keeps the winery squeaky clean, stores the wine in cool temperatures, monitors the wine weekly, and  90% of the juice is in contact with used oak with 10% in new oak, which winemaker Rodrigo Serrano explains is like “a safety measure. It is safer because is it cleaner, microorganism- free. Re-used barrels get washed but may still contain micro-organisms.” 

While being sulfite free has its risks, the resulting wines offer heightened purity of fruit, aromas, and character. 

And coming soon to Domaine Bousquet: biodynamic certification! 

A Holiday Menu for Malbec:
Sulfite Free, Organic, Kosher Alavida

We wanted to build a Malbec friendly menu with foods that sing of the holiday spirit, include latkes and lamb which we knew would be lovely with the Malbec. Latkes are also traditional for this holiday because they are fried in oil, and Hanukkah commemorates the Festival of Lights. We were surprised to discover how well the wine went with our Cesar salad which was dense with anchovies, fresh lemon, and parmesan. Please note that we are not Jewish, and we do not keep a kosher kitchen. 

• latkes with organic russets 
• roasted butternut squash 
• ceasar salad with housemate dressing, fresh grated parmesan, anchovies 
• duck jalapeno sausage puffs 
• grilled lamb chops with garlic and rosemary  

2022 Domaine Bouquet Alavida Malbec 

ABV: 14.5%
SRP: text
Grapes: organic, kosher Malbec
Importer: Origins Organic Imports
sample for my review

What we said about the 2021 Alavida Malbec: USDA-Certified Organic and Kosher.

This is an easy going food friendly Malbec that works across the menu with a surprising range of pairings, and is a wine you could enjoy from start to finish from evening appetizers and dessert cheese or chocolate cookies as long as they aren’t too sweet. 

Appearance:  Very ruby with a violet rim, dark and dense

Aroma: Blue fruit, closed in right after opening, sage, cherry, cinnamon, 

Palate: Blueberry, sage, blue fruit and sage, grippy assessable tannins, present without overwhelming with dryness, pleasing, checks all of the boxes. Well balanced between fruit and structure.

Pairing: Great with the entire meal. The wine works so well with the rosemary and garlic on the lamb, as well as the richness of the meat. Fantastic with the latkes which are also so rich. Surprisingly nice with the Ceasar salad as the intensity of the parmesan cheese and bright garlic goes well with the wine. The duck jalapeno sausage puff with its rich complex flavors and hit of heat was also a winner with this wine. 

Stay tuned for more organic wines for the holidays from Domaine Bousquet when we pair four of their sparkling wines as well as two reds with traditional Argentine foods for the holidays. 

 “L’chaim!”