OU-Certified Wine Produced in Israel and Heter Mechira

I would prefer not to rely on the heter mechira, (selling the fields in Israel to a non-Jew) with respect to shemita produce grown in Eretz Yisroel. If I buy OU-certified wine produced in Israel, is there a possibility that the supervision is based on the heter mechira?

(A subscriber’s question)

OU policy is not to certify any products that rely on the heter mechira. Therefore, with the exception of a few wines that were yevul nachri (i.e., grown in vineyards that are owned by non-Jews and are not dependent on the heter mechira), the OU did not certify any Israeli wine productions from the shemita year.

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.