Netherlands: Halal wine

Netherlands: Halal wine

Taner Tabak (35) has been working on it for two years: certified halal wine. And now he succeeded. His 'kevser helal wine' passed the test and got the Halal Quality Control (HQC) certificate.

Tabak's quest for 0% alcohol wine begun at the request of Muslims. At Friday get-togethers, holidays such as Christmas or New Year's, they couldn't drink with colleagues and friends and a 'halal wine' could offer them a solution.

Tabak studied the process of making alcohol-free wine. Through a new technical process, for which a patent is pending, Tabak, in cooperation with a German company, managed to make alcohol-free wine. There are already so-called alcohol-free wines, Tabak says, but they didn't pass the HQC halal-test since there's a bit of alcohol in them.

The HQC has many demands before they give a certificate for a product. An extra demand to get the HQC certificate was, for example, the hygiene regulations. They worked on it in close consultation with the HQC. Tabak: Halal wine is not made just like that!

His target group is not only Muslims, but is more extensive. Tabak: My target group is also pregnant women, people who suffer from diabetes, people who need to drive after a party and therefore can't drink alcohol, etc.

Tabak has in his assortment white, red, and rose, as well as 'sparkling' wines. He is convinced of the good taste of the wine and recently challenge wine connoisseur Nicolaas Klei, of 'omfiets-wijnen' to come try his wines.

The name 'kevser' refers to a sura in the koran, explains Tabak. The Sura speaks of a spring of halal wine.

Tabak is not concerned about sales: restaurant, Christians packages and countries with a Muslim population, but also his various target groups.

When Wereld Journalisten called him he was in Belgium for business meetings. Countries such as Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Dubai and even Saudi-Arabia also showed interest, Tabak says enthusiastically.

Source: Wereld Journalisten (Dutch)

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