Question:
What is the correct bracha for wine and grape juice? is it true that sometimes it could be shehakol because the water added to the grapes?
Answer:
The Bracha on wine is HaGefen. The Bracha on grape juice is HaGefen. However, pasteurized grape juice made from grape juice is Shehakol and unfit for kiddush.
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in Minchas Shlomo 1:4 explains that really wine is only hagefen if it can be intoxicating as we see by the laws of Nesachim . However, grape juice that was pasteurized and can’t be intoxicating is nonetheless hagefen since the cooking is considered a positive change that leaves it as edible and not something that would remove its bracha. However, once the pasteurized grape juice is diluted it can’t be hagefen since that’s not wine. The idea that diluted wine is still hagefen (Rama 204:5) only applies to wine which is intoxicating. He explains that the same should be true for kiddush that diluted pasteurized grape juice is unfit since it was changed by cooking and the dilution can’t grant it the status of reconstituted wine since diluting doesn’t make it as good as pure juice. Halichot Shlomo v. 2 p. 218 9:12 writes that Rav Shlomo Zalman had a doubt whether grape juice from concentrate is shehakol.
If one wishes to mix grape juice with wine for kiddush, he may do so, even mixing 3 times more grape juice than wine.
Grape juice from concentrate according to some poskim is hagefen, while according to most other poskim the bracha is shehakol.
Minchas Shlomo 1:4 concludes that diluted grape juice is shehakol. The Shut Or Letzion 2:20:21 writes that grape juice from concentrate is shehakol since once it is turned into a syrup it is no longer hagefen. In Sefer Vezot Habracha p. 393 he concludes that grape juice from concentrate or reconstituted is shehakol.
Diluted grape juice even with a little water according to some poskim is shehakol. The Minchas Shlomo 1:4. And the sefer Vezot Habracha quotes that Rav Elyashiv agreed and explained that adding even a little water can make it shehakol. However, adding a few drops doesn’t change the bracha.
While according to others, they hold the bracha is hagefen as long as the taste is still like regular grape juice excluding any added sugars or flavors.
Diluted wine is hagefen according to Ashkenazim as long as it still has 16% of pure wine.However, Sephardim hold that the bracha is shehakol unless there is a majority of undiluted wine.
There is a debate among the poskim whether pasteurized wine has the status of cooked wine in Halacha with respect to Magah Akum.
Rav Moshe Feinstein (YD 2:52) held that pasteurized wine is considered cooked and therefore is permitted even if it was touched by a non-Jew or a Jew who publicly desecrates Shabbos. However, according to Rav Elyashiv and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Minchas Shlomo 25) pasteurized wine is not considered cooked in halacha in regards to being touched by a non-Jew.
The bracha on cooked wine or pasturized wine is Hagefen. A person who drinks a revi’is of wine afterwards has to recite a bracha achrona of Al Hagefen. Because there is a dispute whether the bracha achrona is recited for a kezayis or a reviyit a person should endeavor to only have less than a kezayis and not recite a bracha achrona or more than a reviyit and recite a bracha achrona. If a person did have in between a kezayis and a reviyit one shouldn’t recite a bracha achronal
The Shulchan Aruch 210:1 brings that there are three opinions in the rishonim about the amount of wine necessary to recite a brach achrona. The Rambam (Brachos 3:12) holds that a person doesn’t recite a bracha achrona on drinks unless one drank a reviyit. Tosfot holds that one has to recite a bracha achrona for drinks even if one just drank a kezayis. They even mention the possibility that there’s no bracha achrona unless one drinks a Kebeytzah. Tosfot in another place holds that if one drank a cheekful (melo lugmav) one should recite a bracha achrona. The Rosh holds to avoid any doubt a person should either drink less than a kezayis or more than a reviyit. The Shulchan Aruch agrees and paskens like this opinion. |