Four Gates Winery

Four Gates is perhaps the smallest kosher winery in the country. I grow Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc on 3.5 acres. The grapes are certified organic by the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers). In addition, the vines are not irrigated, so the small yields are quite flavorful. I do nearly all the work of the vineyard myse... lf, except the harvest, which is sometimes a very sweet community event. Also, the wine is estate bottled. This means that one person has overseen the quality of both the growing of the grapes and the making of the wine. The winery is likewise a one-man operation. Far from being a modern computer-monitored factory, it's more like an old fashioned one-room school house with me teaching all the grades; all the various pieces of equipment and barrels sit around the room like children of different ages waiting for their turn. The wines themselves benefit from the small scale and individual attention and from the unique qualities of the Santa Cruz Mountain environment. The Chardonnay is a full-bodied white wine aged in French and American oak barrels. It will complement flavorful dishes like roast chicken or baked salmon or Orah's spicy baked tofu. The Merlot is a substantial red wine. It will complement a holiday brisket or a roast. We sanctify the Sabbath with wine. But only after a process of elevation, from the vineyard to the cellar to the table Friday night, can we recite kiddush over a full cup. During the week we labor in the physical world using our strengths and individual gifts to transform the world into a place of goodness, purpose and delight. It is with this intention that I grow grapes and make wine.Read More