Beyond the Seder table: Manischewitz wine popular among Asian Americans

The famously sweet concord wine has gained a following among non-Jewish populations, according the WSJ.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: MAY 3, 2016 17:17
Manischewitz wine, Joseph Jacobs Advertising. (photo credit: COURTESY RUTGERS UNIVERSITY PRESS)
Manischewitz wine, Joseph Jacobs Advertising.
(photo credit: COURTESY RUTGERS UNIVERSITY PRESS)
The quintessential kosher wine label Manischewitz that has long been regarded as a staple in Jewish household is now finding a place on the shelf among Asian Americans. 
The famously sweet concord grape wine has become more than a popular beverage used during Jewish holidays as it has gained a following among non-Jewish populations, according to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
A bottle of Manischewitz wine goes for $4.99 at the Los Angele area's Shun Fat Supermarket, which according to the WSJ sells hundreds of bottles of the product to Chinese and Vietnamese customers every year.
“I don’t see any Caucasians buying it,” the WSJ quoted store manager Huy Trieu as saying.
Constellation Brands, which has owned the Manischewitz winery since 1987, says the brand is the top-selling kosher wine in the United States. According to the company, the wine's top export markets are Latin America, the Caribbean and South Korea.
The WSJ also cited customs broker Tony Chen said he noticed years ago that Asian markets in the Los Angeles area were stoking the wine that adhere to Jewish dietary regulations.
According to Chen, the wine is similar to a fermented beverage that people drink in northern China. 
While kosher purple drink is often the fodder of jokes among Jews who often compare it to cough-syrup, it is no joke that this broadened prospective client base opens new possibilities for Manischewitz.