The Beracha on Grape Juice From Concentrate

QUESTION: What beracha does one recite on grape juice that is made from concentrate? Although it tastes just like grape juice, it is mostly water. In fact, water can account for about 80% of the drink. Is the beracha Shehakol since the majority is water, or should one recite borei pri ha’gafen since it still tastes like grape juice?

ANSWER: Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Minchas Shlomo 1:4) writes that since this drink tastes just like grape juice, clearly the concentrate is the “ikar” (main ingredient) and the water is “tafel” (secondary). The proper beracha on this drink is borei pri ha’gafen. However, he questions what beracha acharona should be recited? To recite “al ha’gefen” one must drink a revi’is (approximately 3 ounces) of grape juice. In our case, since the actual grape juice is only 1/5th of the drink, he writes that the proper beracha acharona would be borei nefashos. Rav Belsky zt”l disagreed. The Gemara (Shabbos 77a) states that one is liable (a karbon Chatas) for carrying a kezayis of solidified, dried out wine in a reshus ha’rabim (public thoroughfare) on Shabbos. Tosfos explains that a kezayis of dried wine is considered important because it can be reconstituted by adding 2 parts water to create a revi’is of wine that can be used for Kiddush. Rav Belsky argued that kiddush can only be recited on a revi'is of wine. If reconstituted wine can be used for Kiddush, this proves that the water becomes part of the wine. Therefore, he argued that al ha’gafen should be said even if one only drank a revi’is of reconstituted grape juice or wine.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.