The Herzog family’s wine story doesn’t begin in California, Napa Valley, or even New York. It begins in 1848, in what was then Czechoslovakia, where the family was already producing respected, high-quality wine. This wasn’t small backyard production—their wine was good enough to be supplied to the royal palace, a mark of both craftsmanship and reputation.
That early success, however, is only part of the story. When World War II began, everything changed. The Herzog family survived not through wealth or influence, but through relationships. Their non-Jewish workers hid them for years, at enormous personal risk. Despite the Herzogs being openly Orthodox, those workers protected them because of the trust and human connection built over decades.
Some of those families are still alive today, and the Herzog family continues to visit them when they return to the old country. That sense of loyalty, gratitude, and continuity still defines the culture of the company generations later.
Much of this story comes through a long, wide-ranging conversation with Jay Buchsbaum, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Director of Wine Education at Herzog Wines, whose decades in the industry offer a rare inside view of how kosher wine evolved from a niche product into a global category.
Starting Over in America
In 1948, Reb Yonah Herzog arrived in the United States and began working for what would later become the Royal Wine Company. There was no master plan. The company couldn’t even afford to pay him properly. Instead, they offered him shares in place of a salary.
Over time—through persistence, integrity, and no small amount of faith—those shares turned into ownership.
The early years were defined by hustle. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, wine deliveries were made by subway across New York City. Cases were carried by hand, up multiple flights of walk-up apartment buildings. There were no distribution networks, no polished branding, no guarantees.
At the time, the kosher wine market was dominated by a few established names. Kedem was not one of them.
The brand name Kedem was chosen deliberately. It blends kedem—ancient—with kadima—forward. From the very beginning, the guiding idea was clear: honor tradition, but never get stuck in it.
Retailers initially refused to carry Kedem. They didn’t recognize the brand and didn’t believe demand was there. So the company went directly to synagogues. Wine was sold to shuls for Kiddush, holidays, and lifecycle events.
People tasted it in places that mattered. They brought it home. And when they couldn’t find it in stores, they asked for it. Eventually, demand did what advertising couldn’t.
One Insight That Changed Everything
One of the most important moments in the company’s history didn’t come from wine at all—it came from noticing who couldn’t drink it.
Reb Yonah realized that many people—children, older adults, or those sensitive to alcohol—were excluded from Kiddush wine. His solution was simple but radical for its time: kosher grape juice designed to serve the same ritual purpose as wine.
That decision quietly transformed the business.
In New York, grape juice couldn’t be sold in liquor stores, which meant grocery distribution. Suddenly, the company was inside supermarkets. And once you’re delivering grape juice, the next question becomes obvious: why not deliver other kosher staples too?
Crackers followed. Tea biscuits. Oil. Gefilte fish. Slowly, deliberately, the company expanded—not chasing growth for its own sake, but responding to real community needs.
What began as a wine company evolved into the largest kosher food and wine distributor in the United States.
California: Expanding the Market by Expanding Choice
By the mid-1980s, the company faced another defining moment: whether to begin producing wine in California.
Internally, the decision wasn’t easy. There were real concerns about competing with existing products. Why introduce California wine when New York wine was already selling? Why dilute focus?
But something important happened once the choice was made.
Instead of shrinking demand, expanding choice grew the entire market.
Eventually, the family built Herzog Wine Cellars, producing wines like Baron Herzog, Herzog Reserve, and later ultra-premium lines such as Yesod. The philosophy was straightforward: if grapes grow in California, wine should be made there—under the strictest kosher standards, without compromise.
This move sent a clear message: kosher wine didn’t have to follow the broader wine market. It could lead it.
The Blue Bottle That Crossed Every Boundary
Then came the moment no one could have planned.
A non-Jewish rapper featured Bartenura in a music video simply because he liked it. There was no paid placement, no contract, no marketing strategy behind it.
The impact was immediate—and massive.
Today, an estimated 80–90% of Bartenura consumers are not Jewish. It has become the top-selling premium Italian Moscato in the United States. What began as a kosher wine became a mainstream cultural product.
That success mattered far beyond brand recognition. Kosher wine requires constant supervision—every production run, every tank. When volume is small, those costs are heavy. When volume is large, those costs are spread thin.
Bartenura proved that kosher wine could compete—on shelves, on price, and on quality—far beyond the kosher aisle.
Why Kosher Wine Is Different
Unlike most kosher foods, wine requires continuous supervision. A mashgiach must be present for every production run. In places like France, Italy, or New Zealand, that means flying people in, housing them, feeding them, and overseeing every step.
There’s no shortcut, and there’s no way around the cost.
But scale changes everything.
When wines are produced in meaningful volume, kosher wine doesn’t have to be more expensive than non-kosher wine. In many cases, it isn’t. And in terms of value, it often exceeds expectations.
This reality remains one of the most misunderstood aspects of kosher wine—and one of the most important.
Israel at the Center of the Story
One of the most surprising facts is that Israel is now the company’s largest market, for both wine and food.
Royal Wine represents dozens of Israeli wineries, ranging from large, established names to boutique, high-end estates. The strategy was never about replacing house brands—it was about growing the entire category.
When consumers are offered real choice, they don’t just switch brands. They engage. They learn. They drink better.
Education, more than marketing, became the engine of long-term growth.
Florida’s Rise
Thirty years ago, Florida barely registered—a few thousand cases a year at most. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing kosher wine markets in the country.
Kedem, Baron Herzog, Bartenura, and Israeli wines are now found in Publix, Walmart, and Costco—often in neighborhoods with little or no Jewish population. Florida has become second only to the New York–New Jersey metro area in overall volume.
What changed? Population growth played a role, but so did accessibility, quality, and consistency.
Where It All Leads
The future of kosher wine isn’t about chasing trends or luxury labels. It’s about understanding what already works: quality, education, and respect for the consumer.
There was a time when people felt they had to choose between keeping kosher and enjoying great wine. That era is over.
Today, kosher wine comes from California, France, Italy, New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, and Israel—often at prices that rival or beat non-kosher equivalents.
If good grapes exist, the responsibility is to use them well. To elevate Shabbat, holidays, celebrations, and meaningful moments—not through excess, but through intention, appreciation, and joy.
That, in the end, is what this story has always been about.
“Florida went from being an afterthought to one of the strongest kosher wine markets in the country.”
Quotes!!
“Florida went from being an afterthought to one of the strongest kosher wine markets in the country.”
“For years, people thought keeping kosher meant compromising on wine. Today, that idea doesn’t hold up. Kosher wine can stand next to anything in the world.”
“For years, people thought keeping kosher meant
“For years, people thought keeping kosher meant compromising on wine. Today, that idea doesn’t hold up. Kosher wine can stand next to anything in the world.”“For years, people thought keeping kosher meant compromising on wine. Today, that idea doesn’t hold up. Kosher wine can stand next to anything in the world.” on wine. Today, that idea doesn’t hold up. Kosher wine can stand next to anything in the world.”
