Pasteurized Wine
21. There are many wines and grape juices today that undergo a process of flash pasteurization. The wine or grape juice is heated to a temperature higher than 71°C for several seconds in a closed system with pressure to prevent vaporization, and then rapidly cooled. This is done to kill bacteria or to make the wine mevushal so that there are no concerns of non-Jewish contact.
22. Change in flavor. Experts say pasteurization causes virtually no change in quality or flavor to the wine. Only the biggest experts [in France and Spain] can perhaps detect minor changes that pasteurization might have caused to the wine. [Even the biggest experts cannot detect a change in grape juice.] The poskim discuss whether pasteurized wine or grape juice is considered mevushal for these purposes, as this benefit of the wine’s flavor not being adversely affected at all can actually be detrimental regarding kashrus, as will be explained.
23. Mekilim. Some poskim hold that pasteurized wine is also considered mevushal regarding non-Jewish contact, as the wine did in fact get to the machmir level of yad soledes bo. Although it does not satisfy some of the reasons for the heter of mevushal wine—since it is in a closed system, it does not vaporize (see above, 17); no change is caused in the wine (see above, 18); and it is now a commonly performed process in wineries (see above, 13)—the level of heat was enough to cause it to vaporize if not for modern techniques and methods. Therefore, it falls within the rule that Chazal did not extend their gezeira to cooked wine. Even though it is commonly done today, we do not make new gezeiros today (שו''ת מנחת יצחק ח''ז סי' ס''א ).
24. Machmirim. However, many poskim hold pasteurized wine does not protect it from non-Jewish contact, as the wine does not vaporize (17); it does not have a change in flavor (18); it is still called wine, not cooked wine (ibid.); and it is common (13), as wineries perform this process in mass production of wine (הגרשז''א במנחת שלמה ח''א סי' כ''ה, הגריש''א, אור לציון ח''ב סי' כ' אות י''ט ). Although we do not make new gezeiros, who says pasteurized wine is considered mevushal? If it is not, this is not a new gezeira; it is included in the original stam yeinam gezeira against non-Jewish contact, without the heter of cooked wine.
