[Avodah] Grape Juice

[martin brody]

The modern flash mevushal process used by winemakers, does impair
the taste. I've been told by Joe, the Herzog Winery head winemaker,
that even on their finest wines, it lowers the quality by 3 points.

In the the fine wine rating, that is a lot!


> Okay, fine. Let's not discuss the meaning of the English word "wine".
> Would you agree that those poskim who allow it for sacramental purposes
> also hold that the bracha is Hagafen (or Hagefen)?

> Akiva Miller

Yes, and no but not all poskim permit it for kiddush anyway.. See Rambam
on any mevushal wine. If it's not fit for the altar it's not fit for
sacramental purposes.

Rashi says the bracha on mevushal wine is Shehekol.

R.SZ Aurbach has another twist. Flash pasteurised wine/grape juice is
NOT mevushal. (Prof Levine take note). And R.SZA further adds that the
bracha on grape juice from concentrate is NOT Hagefen.

Many great poskim permit mevushal wine and grape juice, if no non/mevushal
wine is available.See Magen Avraham and all those that agree, including
R.Soloveitchik

Many do not permit grape juice because it cannot become wine. See R.Henkin
for example.

Enough said.

I will repeat my original claim, that modern grape juice left to it's
own devices cannot become potable wine, and that it is a huge leniency
that is often used by people that are usually very strict and generally
had no idea that this was a leniency and that goes for mevushal wine too.
L'chaim, everybody.

-- 
Martin Brody