For most Jews the Passover holiday is the last thing on anyone’s mind in October and November, but for some individuals this is exactly the time to start preparing for the holiday. Late fall is when wheat grains will be milled into flour meant for matzah, and in one of my first posts to this blog, I noted how the legendary Streit’s matzah factory on the Lower East Side would begin their methodical cleaning of the factory at this period of time in order to start producing Passover matzahs for the spring. In many countries around the world, grapes are now being harvested for bottles of wine that will be sitting at our tables months from now as well. In the following account, one young woman reminisces about a childhood tradition while growing up in her home country of Georgia:

“In the fall season preceding Passover, my father would make the wine. We had a cellar where he would keep a giant wooden vat and fill with kilos upon kilos of grapes. My brother, sister, and I would put on these special very tall boots and stomp up and down on the grapes to make the juice for the wine. Then my father would turn this handle on the side that would separate the skins somehow, and empty the juice into a bucket. He would pour this juice into huge glass containers shaped similar to bottles and ferment it into wine specifically for Passover in the spring. I love those memories, and I can still hear our giggling.”

— Irina Kazhiloti

Passover and the spring season may be months away in time, but the matzah and wine for your Seder are already underway.

Tagged: fall, Georgia, Kosher, Matzah, spring, Streit's, wine