Behind the Vine: The Story and Craftsmanship of Herzog Wine

In the 19th century, Rabbi Menachem Herzog established his family’s distillery, winery, and brewery in Vrbové in the Trnava Region of Slovakia. When Emperor Frans-Josef dubbed Phillip Herzog a baron and had the winery produce his royal court wine, it led to decades of success for the family and the townspeople employed by the winery.

Sadly, Phillip's son Yakub and his wife were murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz. However, his grandchild Eugene and his family survived in hiding. Although this led to the miraculous reclaiming of their namesake winery, with the rise of communism in Slovakia, Eugene fled with his family to New York City.

In 1948, Eugene worked for the Royal Wine Company, using his wealth of experience as a winemaker, sales manager, and truck driver to earn company shares. Through persistence, he became the majority stockholder, buying the company in 1958. He then opened and operated Kedem Winery with his four sons.

Through hard work and commitment, they developed a full line of opulent wines using the American Concord Grape sweetened with grape juice to mask its bitterness. This trademark process became the driving force of the American kosher wine industry. Interestingly, Kedem grape juice was the first kosher grape juice produced in the U.S. and is now the top-selling kosher product in the U.S.

The family prospered over the next 25 years and, under David Herzog's leadership, started the Baron Herzog wine label in 1985 in California. They sourced the finest grapes, creating the first line of premium kosher wine in the U.S. Their very first vintage won critical acclaim and awards, which they continue to earn year after year.
Affectionately known as “the wandering winery,” Baron Herzog began in Napa Valley, moved south of San Francisco, and settled in Ventura County, California, where David and team run their state-of-the-art winery today.