By Jules Polonetsky
For decades, the peak of the kosher wine world was defined by the grand crus of Bordeaux.
Serious kosher wine connoisseurs looked toward the elite châteaux of France — Pontet-Canet, Léoville Poyferré and Smith Haut Lafitte — as the gold standard for what kosher viticulture could achieve. Non-kosher versions of these wines were expensive, and the kosher productions could run into the hundreds of dollars. In more recent years, the top winemakers of the California market have turned to producing kosher wines, with kosher runs from iconic estates like Mayacamas and Marciano Estates. In this rarefied air, a new name has emerged that aims to redefine the ceiling of the entire category. That name is Kingsmark.
To understand Kingsmark, one must first understand the lineage of its founder, Whitney Skibell. While the label is new, the roots go back over a century. Skibell is the niece of the late Leslie Rudd, a legendary figure in the Napa Valley whose impact on the American culinary landscape was profound. From his stewardship of the iconic Rudd Estate in Oakville to his transformation of Dean & DeLuca into a global powerhouse, Leslie Rudd was a man who understood the intersection of luxury, heritage and quality.
For the kosher consumer, Leslie Rudd’s name carries weight because of his pivotal role in founding Covenant. In 2003, Rudd worked with Jeff Morgan to prove that a kosher wine could be produced with the same rigor as the world’s finest boutique labels. His support and investment didn’t just launch a brand; they legitimized the entire concept of high-end California kosher wine.
Skibell grew up immersed in this world, and Kingsmark is her deeply personal continuation of that mission. It is a realization of a dream she often discussed with her uncle: The dream was creating a kosher wine that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the greatest “cult” wines of Napa Valley, without caveat or compromise.
Skibell’s background extends beyond the vineyard into deep-rooted community service.
She has a longstanding commitment to Jewish and Israeli causes, from working at the New York Jewish Federation and supporting the Project ORE kosher soup kitchen on New York’s Lower East Side. She has supported the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and today is an important philanthropic leader of the Dallas Jewish community. She has spearheaded several projects that linked up social causes and fundraising with businesses and philanthropy. Although there are deep personal and Jewish identity reasons behind her kosher wine effort, Skibell very much also sees this as a key business opportunity to provide a prestige wine to the top tier of the market.
I asked Skibell about the link between philanthropy and Kingsmark. “Philanthropy has always been part of the soul of my family, and giving back is a value we live by. It is woven into every part of Kingsmark Wine, alongside winemaking, and reflects our belief that wine brings people together and carries a responsibility to act with intention. As part of this commitment, our 2021 vintage and 2022 magnums were part of a Chanukah initiative, with 18% of each bottle sold donated to the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization to provide holiday gifts for children in need,” she said.
While Skibell provides the vision and legacy, the liquid in the bottle is the work of a modern winemaking “dream team.” Kingsmark is the only kosher project from Atelier Melka, the consulting firm led by Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky. Melka is a household name in Napa, having worked at Château Haut-Brion and Petrus before crafting some of California’s most sought-after wines. Maayan Koschitzky was born and raised in Israel, where he worked at Margalit, one of Israel’s most famed non-kosher wineries, as well as at Ella Valley. Before becoming the director of winemaking at Atelier Melka, he honed his craft at Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle, two of the most exclusive addresses in Napa.
The path to the debut vintage was not without struggle. The project was originally intended to launch earlier, but the 2020 Napa wildfires dealt a devastating blow. Like many elite producers that year, Kingsmark lost its entire first crop to the fires and subsequent smoke taint. Rather than release a compromised product, Skibell and her team chose to wait, sacrificing a year of production to ensure the brand’s first appearance met their exacting standards.
The commitment to quality is evident in the debut 2021 release. The fruit is sourced from some of the most sought-after grapes in the valley, including the iconic Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford. This is “heritage” fruit — grapes that usually disappear into bottles requiring years on a mailing list to acquire.
This pedigree brings us to the most discussed aspect of the brand: the price. Kingsmark is currently one of the most expensive kosher wines ever released, with retail prices often hovering around $380 to $399 per bottle.
The domestic price ceiling for kosher wine is defined by Herzog’s elite Yesod line — exceptional bottlings like the Montagna Vineyard ($279-$ 317) or Oak Knoll Padis Cabernets (approx. $230). Other high-tier entries include the Covenant Solomon Lot 70 (approx. $175–$200) and the Marciano Estate kosher Cabernet (approx. $325–$350 for the 2019). The Mayacamas kosher Cabernet sells for $215. Kingsmark, however, has pushed that ceiling to its limit.
The wine’s elite status has been confirmed by critics: Decanter recently awarded the 2021 vintage a staggering 98 points, making it the highest-rated kosher wine in the publication’s history. Its standing is further solidified by its presence on exclusive wine lists at legendary establishments like 3-Michelin star French Laundry in Napa and 2-star Jean-Georges in New York City. As a non-mevushal wine, it won’t show up on a U.S. strictly kosher restaurant menu, but you can purchase the 2022 vintage directly from Kingsmark or from Liquid Kosher. A number of Total Wine stores also received a limited number of bottles, and some may still be available.
I certainly wouldn’t ever advise buying a wine for its bottle or fancy label, but the care that Skibell put into choosing a designer and collaborating on a design that has won an award for the Kingsmark label shows the level of perfection that she and the team bring to this effort. “This label is far more than just a design; it is a vivid reflection of the artistry, craftsmanship and deep-rooted legacy that define Kingsmark Wine,” Skibell explained. “It is inspired by five generations of our family in the wine business. The Latin phrase ‘Ad Astra Per Aspera’ — ‘to reach for the stars’ — is depicted in the crest, as a tribute to our origins in Kansas, where my grandparents began this remarkable journey.”
According to Decanter, the wine is impressively fresh with alluring aromas of ripe boysenberry, ironstone minerality, rich toasty cedar, black licorice, dried sage, mint and bay laurel, with graphite notes.
I received a bottle for review but am saving it to open it with members of our informal local kosher wine club. Be in touch if you want to join us for a sip!
L’Chaim!
Jules Polonetsky is a Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 3 certified wine expert who edits a wine education website at kosher-wine.org. He is a former consumers affairs commissioner for New York City.
