Choosing Wine for the Four Cups

Hi Rabbi,

Pesach is coming up, and I went to a wine shop to buy wine for the Arba Koysos. I noticed that people were specifically choosing certain wines for the Seder night.

Since there are so many options today, like dry wine, semi-dry, sweet wine, and wines that are mevushal or pasteurized, I wasn’t sure what the best choice is according to halacha.

Could the Rabbi please guide me on which type of wine is preferable to buy for Leil HaSeder so that I can fulfill the mitzvah of the four cups in the best possible way?

Thank you for your question.

Yes, you did well to write. When a person goes to the wine shop, people often start giving many different opinions about which wine to buy, and it can easily become confusing.

Therefore, be’ezrat Hashem, I have prepared for you, and for all our readers, a clear and comprehensive guide explaining which wines are preferable for the Arba Koysos, so that one can choose the most appropriate wine and, as you wrote, “fulfill the mitzvah in the best possible way.”

All types of wine are kosher to use for Kiddush and for the Arba Koysos on the night of the Seder. This includes dry wine, semi-dry wine, sweet wine, and even wine that is mevushal. However, there are preferences regarding which type of wine should ideally be used.

If a person enjoys drinking all types of wine, it is preferable to take into consideration the opinion of the Rambam, who writes that one should avoid wine that has sugar added to it and also avoid wine that is mevushal.

Therefore, the best option would be to use dry red wine that is not mevushal. Semi-dry and sweet wines very often have sugar added to them. (Even dry wine may sometimes contain added ingredients, nevertheless, these ingredients are considered tafel (secondary) to the wine. Although this requires further analysis whether this is considered a deficiency according to the opinion of the Rambam, it would still be the preferable option.)

However, if a person finds it easier or more enjoyable to drink semi-dry or sweet wine, he should choose the wine that he enjoys drinking. 

Pasteurized Wine

Wine that has been pasteurized is not considered yayin mevushal.

Light or Low-Alcohol Wine

Wine that has low alcohol, or light wine, is actually a mixture of wine, grape juice, and water. It is not light alcohol because the fermentation was stopped before the alcohol became strong. Therefore, because water is often added to these wines, they are considered a less preferable option. In fact, would be better to drink a mixture of grape juice and wine than to use such light wines.

Carbonated Wine

Another type of wine is carbonated wine. Such wine may be used lechatchilah. However, these wines are often also low in alcohol, which makes them a less preferable option compared to regular wine, as explained above.

Red Wine

One should buy red wine since it is a mitzvah to drink red wine on Leil HaSeder. If a person has white wine and wishes to “color” it red by adding a small amount of red wine, HaGaon Rav Amrom Fried shlit”a writes that this should be done before Yom Tov.

Since adding red wine in order to change the color may involve the melachah of tzoveya (coloring), since one is intentionally doing so to get the red color. (The concern applies in both cases, whether one first pours the red wine and then adds the white wine, or first pours the white wine and then adds the red wine.) Therefore, one should prepare the mixture before Yom Tov.

Wine vs. Grape Juice

Lechatchilah, one should drink wine that contains alcohol (yayin hameshaker), since drinking wine is considered an expression of freedom.

If necessary, one may mix wine with grape juice as follows:

• One-third wine and two-thirds grape juice, or
• At minimum, one-sixth wine mixed with grape juice.

As long as the taste of the wine is clearly noticeable.

If even this is difficult for a person, he may fulfill the mitzvah of the four cups using grape juice alone.

This is a summary of which wine one should use on Leil HaSeder, so when you go shopping for the Arba Koysos, you will know which is the best wine to choose.

Wishing you a Chag Kasher Vesameach

 Azamroh Lishmecho #325
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim siman 472
 Rama Orach Chaim siman 472
 Rambam Hilchos Shabbos 29:14 (regarding quality of wine for Kiddush)
 Mishnah Berurah siman 472
 Aruch HaShulchan Orach Chaim siman 472
 Kaf HaChaim Orach Chaim siman 472