Gemara

(Rav): One must make Kidush on wine Kosher for Nesachim.

Question: What does he come to exclude?

Suggestion: He excludes unfermented wine (grape juice).

Rejection #1: R. Chiya taught that one should not bring grape juice for Nesachim. If he brought it, it is Kosher. Since it is Kosher b'Di'eved for Nesachim, it is Kosher l'Chatchilah for Kidush!

Rejection #2: Rava taught that one may squeeze grapes and make Kidush on the juice!

Answer: It excludes wine that is Borak (white) or sweet...

Rejection (Beraisa): One should not bring any of these for Nesachim. If he did, it is Kosher.

Question (Rav Kahana): Is white wine acceptable for Kidush?

Answer (Rava): No (it must be red) - "Al Tere Yayin Ki Yis'adam."

Pesachim 108b (Beraisa): The four cups must contain a Revi'is of wine, whether it is mixed or undiluted; it can be new or old;

R. Yehudah says, it must have the appearance and taste of wine

(Rava): He learns from "Al Tere Yayin Ki Yis'adam."

Menachos 86b (Mishnah - Rebbi): We do not bring old wine;

Chachamim permit this.

87a (Rava): Rebbi learns from "Al Tere Yayin Ki Yis'adam" (wine should be red. After one year, the redness fades.)

Rishonim

The Rif (Pesachim 22b) brings the Gemara in Bava Basra.

Ran (DH Garsinan): The Gemara asked whether white wine is Kosher for Kidush. Alternatively, it asked about Kidush and Nesachim. One cannot say that it asked only about Nesachim. If so, it should have specified (because the Sugya was discussing Kidush). Rather, it concludes that the wine must be red. In Pesachim, only R. Yehudah requires this, but Chachamim do not! Why did Rav Kahana ask? He asked whom the Halachah follows, and Rava answered that we rule like R. Yehudah. Alternatively, he asked whether or not Chachamim disagree, and Rava answered that they do not. We find that all agree to a law, even if it was taught in the name of an individual. The Ramban says that 'it must be red' connotes that even b'Di'eved, one was not Yotzei Kidush with white wine. The Yerushalmi says that it is a Mitzvah to use red wine. Really, this means even b'Di'eved, for we learn from the verse. We do not find wine Kosher for Kidush b'Di'eved.

Beis Yosef (OC 272 DH Garsinan and DH v'Al): The Gemara says that Borak is Kosher. It seems that the Ramban explains that this is slightly white, like Tosfos says in the name of the Ri. The Gemara asked about very white wine. However, the Ran (Bava Basra DH Chemar) says that the text must say Bodek (abrasive), to avoid a contradiction. The Yerushalmi connotes that red wine is only l'Chatchilah. The Ramban is difficult; the Ran answered for him. The Ritva says that b'Di'eved it is Kosher, and even l'Chatchilah if he has no other wine. If it is Chemar Medinah (the substitute for wine in the locale, i.e. the most esteemed drink), one may say Kidush on it (this is always l'Chatchilah). Tosfos says that Rav Kahana had not heard the Beraisa that is Machshir Borak b'Di'eved. The Ri says that he asked about wine whiter and worse than Borak. The Rif, Rambam and Rosh did not discuss this. They hold that the question was only about Nesachim. However, the Rambam should have taught that it is Pasul for Nesachim! Perhaps he explains that Rava learned from the verse that it is Kosher, i.e. it is called wine even if it is not red. The Tur holds that it is Kosher, for he allows white wine for the four cups if it is better than the red wine, and one of the cups is Kidush. The Ramban, Ritva, Rashba and Rivash bring this from the Yerushalmi. The Rashbatz (1:85) learns from the Targum of "Shashisi Yeini Im Chalavi" that it is Kosher l'Chatchilah. He says that our Gemara discusses wine that deteriorated and became white, and that even the Ramban allows it for Havdalah, for it is no worse than beer.

Rambam (Hilchos Shabbos 29:14): One may say Kidush only on wine Kosher for Nesachim.

Rambam (17): One may say Kidush on wine straight from the winepress. One may squeeze grapes and make Kidush on the juice. In a country where most of the wine (the standard drink) is beer, even though it is Pasul for Kidush, one may say Havdalah on it, since it is Chemar Medinah.

Magid Mishneh: We conclude that one may not say Kidush on beer; Ameimar said Havdalah on beer, for it was Chemar Medinah. Some Ge'onim say that likewise, it is Kosher for Kidush. Some disagree, for one can say Kidush on bread.

Rosh (6:10): One must make Kidush on wine Kosher for Nesachim. Grape juice is Kosher even l'Chatchilah.

Poskim

Shulchan Aruch (OC 272:2): One may say Kidush on wine straight from the winepress. One may squeeze grapes and make Kidush on the juice.

Bach (2): The Gemara brought a second proof of this from Rava to prove that it is l'Chatchilah.

Magen Avraham (3): The Mitzvah is to use old wine, like I wrote in 600:1. (If one relies on fresh wine for she'Hecheyanu on the second night of Rosh Hashanah, he says Kidush on old wine and holds or looks at the new wine when blessing she'Hecheyanu.)

Kaf ha'Chayim (16): This is only if he has old wine and wants to drink it. He need not buy old wine for Kidush.

Mishnah Berurah (5): Old wine is at least 40 days old.

Shulchan Aruch (4): One may say Kidush on white wine. The Ramban disqualifies it even b'Di'eved, but permits for Havdalah. The universal custom is like the first opinion.

Gra (6): The first opinion holds that the Beraisa is Machshir Borak b'Di'eved for Nesachim, so it is l'Chatchilah for Kidush. Rav Kahana had not heard the Beraisa. The Yerushalmi requires red wine only l'Mitzvah. The Halachah follows Chachamim (Pesachim 108b), who are not concerned for appearance. Rebbi says that we do not bring old wine (for Nesachim) because it is not red. This implies that it is only l'Chatchilah. The Rambam says that the text is Bodek, and Rav Kahana asked whom the Halachah follows, and the Yerushalmi requires red wine even b'Di'eved, for it learns from a verse.

Mishnah Berurah (10): All agree that the Mitzvah l'Chatchilah is to seek red wine. If he has no red wine, or it is not so good, the first opinion allows white wine l'Chatchilah.

Mishnah Berurah (11): One may say Havdalah on it if it is Chemar Medinah, and everyone drinks it. It is no worse than beer. We hold that one may say Havdalah on beer if it is Chemar Medinah. Likewise, all agree that one may say Kidush on it in the morning, since then we are lenient to say Kidush on any Chemar Medinah.

Kaf ha'Chayim (27): R. Akiva Eiger says that likewise, all the Pesulim in this Siman are Kosher for the morning Kidush.

Mishnah Berurah (12): Eliyahu Rabah says that if it is very white, it is proper to be concerned for the Ramban's opinion, unless he is in pressed circumstances and has no other wine.

Kaf ha'Chayim (26): Even the Ramban is Machshir b'Di'eved if it looks like wine.