Elvi Winery
Elvi Wines is a family-owned winery run by Dr. Moises Cohen and his wife, Anna. The winery was founded in 2003 and is one of the only 100% kosher wineries in Europe. The Clos Mesorah winery named for their flagship wine, where the Cohen’s live is located a couple of hours from Barcelona. The name Elvi comes from two words, the Hebrew word for Hashem and the Catalan word for wine, Vi. The Cohens are the first Jews to own a winery in Spain since the Spanish Inquisition in 1492
Culture, geography and climate are three very important elements that shape wine regions, and Spain is no different. At a high level once could divide Spain into 7 main regions using these criteria, but the reality is that as of 2019, there are 138 identifiable wine regions under some form of geographical classification. This system is similar to the Appellation certification sytem in France. Each wine region in Spain has something different to offer: winery architecture and design, vineyard patterns, the colors and scents of the different soils and terroirs, and the wine itself.
The philosophy of the winery and Dr. Cohen has been to produce great Spanish wines that just happen to be Kosher, rather than the other way around. The winery produces wines from all over Spain and actually maintains six different wineries around the country in order to reflect the different wine growing areas of Spain.
The following links will connect you with short videos from the winery on a number of interesting topics before I delve into their various wines:
How to know when to harvest - https://www.instagram.com/tv/B24rbdcASWJ/?igshid=8rlwpwdqyd4h
Things to know about harvest - https://www.instagram.com/tv/B3iRrlGiIED/?igshid=1mruqqgqfmub7
Winter time - https://www.instagram.com/tv/B8Uw2INldwF/?igshid=jla8rq1y3ezc
Spring time - https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_cm7mkiShw/?igshid=5bg7u6i6202c
Impact of rain on a vineyard - https://www.instagram.com/tv/CASoEghimPh/?igshid=3y99kmdbvlj3
Snowstorm in Spain - https://www.instagram.com/p/CKB9rRarXQb/?igshid=ewu03iyn4hvb
After the Snowstorm - https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKl8mhFCjYG/?igshid=1ofc50n3a49w0
Now to the Elvi wines and their current line-up:
Vina Encina – This is their entry level series that comes in red and rose. Reasonably priced at $13 and perfect for everyday drinking
The next three wines are all very similar in that they are made with Tempranillo grapes, however there are differences with respect to the vineyards they come from, the aging time before being released, the combination of barrels used, all of which result in different price points.
Herenza Rioja – This wine is made from grapes from a single vineyard and aged for 7 months in French and American Oak barrels. The 2019 vintage is one of the best vintages ever of this wine, and definitely has the capability to be stored and aged for at least 5 years. At $16, this is a super wine that doesn’t break the bank, and definitely worth buying a case of this to keep around.
Herenza Crianza – This wine is made from grapes from a single vineyard and aged for 12 months in French and American Oak barrels. Medium to full bodied wine at $25.
Herenza Reserva – This wine is aged for 20 months in French and American Oak barrels, and is a full bodied wine that will easily age for 8 to 10 years. Not cheap at $72, but an excellent wine.
Herenza Rose – In addition to the Vina Encina Rose, there will also be a Herenza Rose this year. Drink chilled, this will be sure to be a summer pleaser and a reasonable $16.50
Clos Mesorah – This is their flagship wine which sells for $80. A blend of three grapes, with one of them coming from 80 year old vines. The wine is aged for 14 months in French oak barrels and will easily hold for another ten years. The label on this bottle is also exquisite.