I am more of a fan of semi-dry white wines and have not yet had the pleasure of Jewish wines. I know that Manischewitz wines are most notable for being sweet wines - a quality that has been the subject of many jokes in comedy circles. The company that produces the wine is based in Naples, New York, but was founded in 1888 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The sweetness of the Manischewitz Jewish wine evolved from a practice of survival. Kosher wines do not necessarily have to be sweet. Often, they have been produced based on an earlier history of Jewish people in America.

Kosher wine had to be locally produced in order to be available for Kiddush (the recitation of blessings) during Shabbat (the seventh or resting day of the week that starts at sundown on Fridays and lasts until the stars are visible after sundown on Saturdays). Because the wine had to be produced quickly in most cases, the selection of flavors was limited to the grapes that were available or Jewish wine production.

Many of the grape varieties that grew where Jewish people settled were bitter. Sugar had to be added in order to make the wine drinkable. The Manischewitz brand of Jewish wine is a Concord wine made from labrusca grapes. It is used as communion wine and during Passover. Some Orthodox Jews will not drink Manischewitz wine during Passover because it is made with corn syrup, which is one of the forbidden foods of Passover according to some. Manischewitz makes a Passover brand of wine that is sweetened with cane sugar.