Jules Polonetsky
In just a few weeks, traditional Jewish kitchens will fill with the smell of butter, sweet cheese and warm crepes. Shavuot arrives on the evening of Thursday, May 21, and with it comes our beloved custom of dairy blintzes, kugels, quiches and cheesecake in every imaginable variation. For the wine lover, the holiday raises a happy puzzle. Is white wine truly required with dairy, or just our default? Are there light reds that work? What about rose?
There is no unofficial wine rule that we drink white with dairy. The custom is a sensory observation that recognizes that most reds, especially the deeper, oakier, more tannic bottlings, simply fight with cheese. Tannins clash with milk proteins and produce a chalky, almost metallic sensation on the palate. Whites, with their higher acidity and absence of tannin, behave better at a dairy table. So, while you may pour red, the laws of chemistry and biology push toward white.
That said, light reds with gentle tannins absolutely have a place. A kosher Beaujolais made from Gamay, or a delicate Pinot Noir from the Loire or from a cooler Israeli site, served slightly chilled at around 60 degrees, can be wonderful with a mushroom and Gruyere quiche or a board of nutty hard cheeses. The J. de Villebois Pinot Noir from the Loire is silky, juicy and easy-drinking, and the Vitkin Pinot Noir from Israel offers a more savory, cool-site take. Match the weight of the wine to the weight of the dish and keep the tannins gentle.
Late May is rose weather, and a good rose does the work of a white with a touch more body and presence on the table. The 2025 lineup is strong.
From Provence, the Chateau Roubine La Vie en Rose is ripe but tense, with bracing acidity that lifts the wine and lovely flint and saline notes. From Spain, the Capcanes Peraj Petita Rosat from Montsant is a focused, mineral Grenache rose. From Israel, the Matar Rose from the Galilee, a Grenache and Counoise blend, is a versatile all-purpose winner. And for those who need mevushal for catered meals or shul kiddushim, two recent bottlings deliver real quality: the 2025 Sainte Beatrice B Rose from Provence and the 2025 Pescaja Le Flery from Piemonte. Any of these will partner beautifully with a salty feta plate, a smoked salmon and cream cheese spread, or even a wedge of cheesecake.
Now to Sancerre. The Sancerre boom of the past several years has been remarkable. This region in the east of France’s Loire Valley is the most famous expression of Sauvignon Blanc, with mineral driven and refined savor flavors. Grown on chalky limestone and flint, it delivers searing acidity, citrus and gooseberry fruit, and a stony, almost saline finish that is perfect for goat cheese, fresh chevre logs, feta and any tangy soft cheese. It is also a beautiful match for a savory cheese souffle or a leek and farmer cheese quiche. Contrast “New World” Sauvignon Blancs from California or Israel for fruitier, aromatic expressions of this grape. From France, the Anthony Girard L’Indiscrete cuvee is excellent, as is Domaine de Panquelaine.
Be aware that kosher Sancerre is produced in modest volume and often disappears quickly. Expect to pay between $35 and $55.
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are popular and wonderful, but the wine world has so much more to offer. Two grapes deserve more space on your Shavuot table.
The first is Chenin Blanc. Born in the Loire and now thriving from South Africa to California to Israel, Chenin is one of the most versatile whites on Earth. It can be bone dry, slightly off dry, or lusciously sweet, and the better examples carry honeyed orchard fruit, beeswax, quince and a thrum of acidity that handles cream beautifully. The 2024 Netofa Latour Tzahov, a blend of Roussanne & Chenin Blanc, made by Pierre Miodownick, provides great acidity, with gooseberry and grapefruit flavors. The Herzog Special Reserve Chenin Blanc from Clarksburg, California, is a riper, more tropical expression. Either style will make a blintz absolutely sing.
The second is Riesling. A dry or barely sweet Riesling, with its bright acidity, peach and apricot fruit, and trace of residual sugar, is a perfect match for cheesecake. The faint sweetness echoes the dessert, the acidity slices through the cream cheese, and the wine refuses to be flattened by the richness. The Hagafen Dry White Riesling from Lake County has been a quiet star for years.
Let me leave you with a working menu. For the dairy lunch built around blintzes and sour cream, pour a Chenin Blanc, ideally Netofa. For the cheese course or quiche, reach for a Sancerre, the Capcanes Rosat, or a chilled Pinot Noir if you want to stick with red. For a smoked salmon and cream cheese spread, the Roubine La Vie en Rose or the Matar are right at home. For cheesecake, do yourself a favor and try a slightly sweet Riesling rather than your usual Moscato. And if you simply must open a Chardonnay, please make it unoaked or only lightly oaked. A buttery, heavily oaked Chardonnay will overwhelm most dairy dishes, no matter how rich they sound on paper.
Chag sameach and L’Chaim!
Jules Polonetsky is a Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 3 certified wine expert who edits a wine education website at kosher-wine.org. He is a former consumers affairs commissioner for New York City.
