Combining Mevushal and Non-Mevushal Wine

Q. I was combining bottles of wine. I poured a few ounces from an almost empty bottle of non-mevushal (not cooked) wine into an almost full bottle of yayin mevushal (cooked wine). Is this wine still considered mevushal?

A. In general, there are clearly defined rules of (bitul) nullification that apply to a small amount of non-kosher product that was accidentally added to kosher food. The situation above is not comparable because non-mevushal wine is not a non-kosher entity. Wine that is not mevushal (cooked) is subject to the prohibition of stam yainom if touched by an aino-Yehudi, while wine that is mevushal remains unaffected. The Rema (YD 123:5) quotes a dispute about this matter. Some compare this situation to non-mevushal wine that was added to water. The halacha states that if the ratio of water to wine is at least six to one, the wine is batel (nullified); the mixture is treated as water and remains kosher if touched by an aino Yehudi. Similarly, if the ratio of mevushal to non-mevushal wine is six to one, the non-mevushal wine is batel and the mixture is treated as mevushal. Others are even more lenient and say that non-mevushal wine is batel if the majority of the mixture is mevushal. However, the Shach (123:10) cites the Ohr Zarua who writes that these leniencies only apply to situations where there is a significant financial loss. Lechatchila, one must view the wine as non-mevushal. The Maharshach (3:85) as well writes that we only rely on this leniency bedieved (after the fact), and even then, only if the mevushal wine is six times the amount of the non-mevushal. Thus, in response to our original question, lichatchila the wine should be treated as it were not mevushal. However, bidieved, if the wine was touched be an aino Yehudi, one can be lenient if the value of the wine is significant.

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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.