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Binah Winery: A Spotlight on Pennsylvania Kosher Wine
- Dec 13, 2023
Original Article By Jeff Bartash and featured in the KosherWine.com Insider, 2022
Pennsylvania is home to many wineries, but very few have achieved noteworthy status and, until recently, none of them were Kosher. That changed in 2019 when, born out of a basement hobby, Binah Winery was founded and began putting East Coast Kosher wine on the map.
Binah Winery founder Kevin Danna was an engineer by trade when he caught the wine bug after he and his wife moved to the Lehigh Valley area in Northeast Pennsylvania. He pursued an online certification program, and also took an internship at a local winery for some hands-on experience. Certainly not the first to transition careers, Kevin has found noticeable success in a short period of time with growing his company into a bustling local business shipping wine to consumers all over the country.
One unique aspect of Binah is that the winery is not located on a sprawling, rural estate. Instead, the business sits in the heart of Allentown, PA as part of an urban incubation program. Wine grapes, sourced from Pennsylvania and surrounding states, are brought to the winery for production where Kevin and his team craft those grapes into a portfolio of wines that consistently reflect the brightness and freshness of the cool climate they come from. I’ve been on many hikes in the Lehigh Valley, and the wines are perfect to sip on after a long day conquering mountaintops.
White wine makes up a majority of Binah’s production, as is the case in most cooler climates. In my first virtual tasting with Kevin and Brad, our lead wine consultant, what struck me the most was the beautiful transparency of the wines. The clean crisp elegance reminded me of some of Europe's best white wines.
Binah Stella is a dry white blend made from three hybrid grapes- Seyval Blanc, Chardonel, and Vignoles. As hardy varietals, these grapes are perfectly suited to make great wines in the unpredictable climate of the Eastern Seaboard. The end result is a wine with great texture while showing citrus notes, fresh herbs, and a distinct alpine minerality on the finish. A glass can be sipped as a great aperitif, or paired with anything from fresh vegetables to roasted chicken.
White wine makes up a majority of Binah’s production, as is the case in most cooler climates. In my first virtual tasting with Kevin and Brad, our lead wine consultant, what struck me the most was the beautiful transparency of the wines. The clean crisp elegance reminded me of some of Europe's best white wines.
Binah Stella is a dry white blend made from three hybrid grapes- Seyval Blanc, Chardonel, and Vignoles. As hardy varietals, these grapes are perfectly suited to make great wines in the unpredictable climate of the Eastern Seaboard. The end result is a wine with great texture while showing citrus notes, fresh herbs, and a distinct alpine minerality on the finish. A glass can be sipped as a great aperitif, or paired with anything from fresh vegetables to roasted chicken.
If your palette prefers a little bit of sweetness the Celeste blend will be right up your alley and this blend is worth a try. With some Riesling-like qualities, this wine pairs well with spicy foods as a refreshing sip to cut the heat.
The red we tasted was another hit; made from the Chambourcin grape. I was transported straight to France on the first sip as the earthy notes intertwined beautifully with fresh red fruit. The medium body and high acidity makes this wine the perfect red to enjoy lightly chilled before, during, or after dinner.
