Jules Polonetsky
In the wine market, importers and distributors play a pivotal yet often invisible role, shaping tastes, introducing trends and determining which bottles reach American tables.
Direct-from-winery sales have become easier in recent years, but the complex web of laws governing the sale of wine makes retailers heavily dependent on the intermediaries who manage the complex navigation of dealing with wineries, managing imports and handling local regulations. Although the neighborhood shop has the final word, sales representatives for the distributors provide the stock, promotions and discounts, access to sought-after bottles and, in general, play a leading role in shaping which wines are available and at what prices.
At the summit of the kosher wine landscape stands Royal Wine Corporation. Founded in 1948 and family-owned, Royal is by far the largest importer and distributor of kosher wines in the world. Royal is a division of Kayco, the Bayonne-based kosher food giant that owns Manischewitz, Kedem, Gefen, Elite and Sabra, and distributes dozens of additional well-known kosher brands. Royal acts as the importer and distributor for leading wineries around the world, but it also works with elite nonkosher wineries to produce kosher productions. Royal also owns and operates the flagship Herzog Wine Cellars, which produces roughly 250,000 cases annually in Oxnard, California. Royal distributes over 1,000 kosher wines from around the world, including for three of the big four Israeli wine giants: Carmel, Barkan and Binyamina (Yarden, owner of the Golan Heights Winery and Galil Mountain Winery, has its own wholly owned import division and works with general distributor Skurnik Wines and Spirits for distribution).
Royal is best known beyond the kosher wine market for Bartenura Moscato, the famous blue-bottle Italian wine that has crossed over into mainstream markets far beyond Jewish consumers. Royal’s strength is its vertical integration, often managing everything from production to import and distribution, granting it significant leverage in price, marketing and shelf space.
After Royal, the market is smaller and more fragmented. A leading importer in terms of volume is Allied Importers USA, which represents prominent brands like Dalton and Gvaot and connoisseur favorite boutique Louis Pasco. I recently enjoyed some new kosher Portuguese wines from producers Solar das Boucas and Godin that Allied has imported. The Godin wines are from the famous Doura Valley wine region of Portugal and priced very affordably.
The River Wine, a newer entrant established by Ami and Larissa Nahari in 2010, exemplifies innovation within the kosher wine space. Rapidly growing from just 700 cases in its first year to over 40,000 cases in 2024, The River has been successful at introducing unique wines previously unavailable under kosher supervision, such as the first kosher Amarone and the first Super Tuscan. Its Twin Suns California line and other labels have achieved distribution in mainstream retailers such as Trader Joe’s and Total Wine. Twin Suns relies on Gabriel and Shimon Weiss of Shirah Wines, famed for their eclectic California wines and creative labels, but here providing a more accessible line of wines for a broader market.
Noble Wines Inc., established in 2022 by Abraham Israel, has swiftly carved a niche through exclusive European imports. Its centerpiece is the CEDEV portfolio, a collection of over 60 wines from boutique producers across Europe, including standout brands like Baglietti Prosecco and Château Paloumey. CEDEV, founded in 2012 in Belgium by Abraham’s father Robby Israel, has a fascinating history having initially developed a portfolio of wines for a supermarket chain across Africa. To avoid religious concerns involved in selling nonkosher wines, Israel obtained kosher certification for the wines he sold to the general public in Africa. Today, Noble wines carry some of the most stringent kosher certifications and are particularly successful in densely populated orthodox Jewish community areas like Monsey, New York, and Lakewood, New Jersey.
M&M Importers, operated by Dr. Ralph Madeb, occupies a unique spot. Its small-scale, boutique-focused operation emphasizes limited-production kosher wines from celebrated Italian and French producers such as Castellare di Castellina and Château Castelbruck. Madeb, a urologist who has long been a champion in the Syrian Jewish community for access to elite wines, personally curates these wines, delivering unique offerings for discerning kosher consumers, mainly in the Northeast. Royal has recently begun to distribute some of “The Wine Doctor’s” wines, greatly expanding the availability at retail and online.
Liquid Kosher, founded by certified sommelier Andrew Breskin, takes a different path, functioning primarily as a direct-to-consumer wine club and online retailer. Breskin’s careful curation includes often exclusive kosher editions of esteemed French wines and boutique Israeli selections. While small in volume, Liquid Kosher serves enthusiasts nationwide, filling gaps left by larger distributors with its highly personalized, collector-focused model. Look to Liquid Kosher for wines from the likes of Bordeaux’s Domaine Roses Camille, and Napa’s Mayacamas and Timbre Winery in San Luis Obispo, California.
Similarly, Red Garden Imports and smaller players such as Happy Hearts Wine and Victor Wines enrich the market through their boutique approaches. Red Garden is noted for premium boutique imports from Israel and Europe, including favorites Bat Shlomo, La Foret Blanche and Vina Memorias. Happy Hearts distributes notable wines from Hevron Heights Winery and Odem Mountain. Victor Wines, founded by leaders in the kosher meat industry in France, represents O’Dwyers Creek, The Butcher’s Daughter and Terra Vega, among other well-known brands.
I can’t conclude without noting that KosherWine.com and other online retailers will sometimes work directly with a small winery to exclusively import a new wine. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, billion-dollar giant general spirits distributors like Southern Glazer increasingly include a selection of kosher wines in their national portfolios. These layers of businesses between consumer and winemaker add layers of costs to the price of wine but do help the winemaker offload the challenges of marketing and distribution. If you really like a winery and want to support them, do go to the trouble of ordering from them directly if possible, ensuring the maximum revenue supports their work. I hope this background adds a bit more color, or shall we say flavor, to your next retail wine aisle visit.
L’Chaim!
Jules Polonetsky is a Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 3 Certified wine expert who writes for the Wine and Whiskey Globe when not occupied with his day job as CEO of a tech policy think tank. He is a former consumer affairs commissioner of the city of New York.
