Hip Hop has recently laid claim to another unlikely adoptee. ‘Bartenura Blue’ (as the kids are calling it these days), a long time shabbos table sweetheart, has become a favorite in the hip hop scene.
In the last couple of years, moscato has gained a lot of attention. It’s been mentioned by Drake, Lil’ Kim and Kanye West, and even makes cameos in Drake’s new-ish video (around the 3:08 mark). Spotting Bartenura wine in a rap video is like when Debra Messing mentioned Camp Ramah on Will and Grace. It’s exciting, funny and just seems personal. How did this happen? Yids-in-the-know suspect Drake as the taste-maker responsible for this trend. After all, he was bar-mitzva’d. But that’s just one theory.
Although the quirky duality of the brand’s market hasn’t received much attention because a) there’s not much overlap between the communities, and b) it’s not exactly newsworthy, it hasn’t gone completely unnoticed by some Jews. This jewess first came to learn of this adorable oddity when I noticed a Latina friend posted a picture of the bottle on her facebook wall. I earnestly commented, “Jovana, I’m so glad you like kosher wine!” She responded: “I didn’t even know it was kosher – LMAO!” It turns out that Bartenura even has its own unofficial facebook fan page.
Is this one big sweet coincidence? Perhaps not. Bartenura is one of the higher-end brands of moscato, and at about $13 a bottle, that means everyone can enjoy the good life – at the shabbos table or in ‘da club. Another theory is that younger American palates are accustomed to sweeter drinks, so they are more drawn to Moscato. And the sexy blue bottle doesn’t hurt, neitha.
What does the kosher vintner think of all this unlikely attention? Said David Levy of Royal Wine Corporation, “Bartenura Moscato has been around for about 20 years now, we’re the original premium moscato in a blue bottle. While we introduced the product as a kosher wine, at the end of the day, we’re glad people outside of the kosher market have discovered this fantastic wine.”
Indeed. As Lil Wayne said in Drake and DJ Khaled’s recent song, I’m On 1, “Mazel Tov!”
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