# This week's Shabbes question **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-shabbes-question/445954 "2008-04-18T23:39:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-shabbes-question/445954/1 "2008-04-18T23:39:38Z")
In keeping with the SDMB tradition of asking such questions right before Shabbes begins: Why are Mogen David and Manischewitz Kosher wines so darn sweet? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-shabbes-question/445954/2 "2008-04-19T00:00:11Z")
[Because](http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~walter/wine/kosher.html). > [@](#): > > When the Jews first emigrated to New York, the only grape they had for winemaking was the Concord Grape. The Concord Grape is terrible for wine; it does not have adequate natural sugar and large quantities of sugar must be added to get it to ferment right. The resulting wine is disgustingly sweet and tastes not unlike Concord Grape Jam, which isn’t that different. This sweet style has become entrenched in American Jewish culture, and amazingly enough, there are many Jews who actually like this stuff… ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-shabbes-question/445954/3 "2008-04-19T07:36:13Z")
It’s basically a cultural thing. But I think it may have something to do with children. Kosher wines are usually drunk at the family dinner table, with children. But , hey, everybody knows that you don’t give alcohol to kids, right? So let’s use the sickly sweet stuff that tastes like cough syrup. That’s not the same as giving kids champagne. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-shabbes-question/445954/4 "2008-04-19T07:45:50Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] In keeping with the SDMB tradition of asking such questions right before Shabbes begins: [/QUOTE] and by the way, its not just Shabbes, its also the start of Passover . So we won’t be hearing from **zev** until Tuesday 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-shabbes-question/445954/5 "2008-04-19T12:29:29Z")
I for one freakin’ LOVE Manischewitz! I regret that the Blackberry Cream Sherry has been replaced with just Blackberry Wine. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-shabbes-question/445954/6 "2008-04-19T12:44:41Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] I for one freakin’ LOVE Manischewitz! I regret that the Blackberry Cream Sherry has been replaced with just Blackberry Wine. [/QUOTE] Another excellent combination of reply and user name. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-shabbes-question/445954/7 "2008-04-19T16:54:52Z")
I don’t like _real_ (as in non-Concord) sweet wines much. The Manichewitz – the one sip I had of it – was horrific. Fortunately I was then able to switch to the regular grape juice (this was at a seder, and they had both available), which I am not a big fan of, but was at least drinkable. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-shabbes-question/445954/8 "2008-04-19T17:00:53Z")
For whatever reason, I’ve found alcohol stashed away somewhere in every house I’ve bought. The house I own now? A half drunken bottle of Manischewitz. I’m Jewish, but I still poured the remainder down the sink.