Avodah Zarah 65 – When Libation Wine Spills

If libation wine fell onto grapes, one can rinse them off with water, and they are permissible; however, if the grapes were cracked, they are forbidden – because the wine which falls on the grapes will seep through the cracks into the grapes themselves, and cannot be removed by rinsing.

If wine falls onto figs or dates and there is enough to impart flavor, they are forbidden. In this case, the two substances have different tastes, and one can empirically ascertain whether the forbidden flavor is present. When the two substances taste the same, the permissible ratio is 1/60.

It once happened to Boethus ben Zunan that he brought dried figs onto a ship. A barrel of libation wine spilled onto them, and he asked the Sages, and they permitted the dried figs. That story does not contradict the rule above because it is different in this: even though the taste of wine was detectable in the dried figs, it did not improve the taste but rather made it worse, and a prohibited flavor that is detrimental to the taste does not forbid the food.

Art: Still Life With Figs by Luis Egidio Melendez