Worldwide Recognition for Israeli wines: Have some Israeli wine this July 4
Posted on July 3, 2009
Perhaps you should have Israeli wine for the 4th of July
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Ancient land of Israel brings forth new wines
Posted on June 26, 2009
Inside a candlelit room at a west Houston Italian restaurant, the Israeli government sought to change Israel’s international image with help from one of the world’s oldest industries: wine — glasses and glasses of wine.
The government recently teamed up with its wine industry and U.S. importers to promote the beverages made from grapes grown on the land immortalized by biblical figures Noah, Samson, and David and Goliath.
These days, Israel is known more for conflict and tension than for its wines, local Israeli government officials said.
“Israeli wine can help rebrand Israel,” said wine importer Richard Shaffer, who is working with the government by hosting wine-tasting parties.
Wine production began in Israel millennia ago, Shaffer said, peppering his wine dinner speech with biblical references.
Read the whole article about Israeli wine in the Houston Chronicle
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What’s wrong with this picture?
Posted on June 25, 2009
Living in Israel and not having been abroad for two years gave me a warped perspective on Israeli wine. Not bad, of course, but I separate the world of Israel and the world of Jewish and kosher wine. In Israel, you can go in the finest wine shops and see a bottle of the now-kosher Yarden HeightsWine, Domaine du Castel ‘C’, and Tzora Blanc next to to the not-kosher Pelter, Clos du Gat, and Tulip wineries. Go to the finest non-kosher restaurant in Tel Aviv and, along with a full array of shrimp and shellfish, you will see Castel and Yatir and Carmel Single Vineyard on the wine menu.
But, as I recently discovered on a visit to a wine shop in Maryland, that’s not the case abroad. There, below the Yarden Sauvignon Blanc, will be some Herzog Zinfandel not near the rest of the Zin, and below that will be half a row of the atrocious thing called Manishewitz (I was seriously tempted to yell at the store owner for even stocking that and calling it wine!), made in New York. They have nothing to do with each other and, as I’ve often said, where is the Israeli section? Kosher is not a country!
Can you tell me how to change this?
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Daniel Rogov in Hadassah Magazine
Posted on June 15, 2009
Israel’s premier food and wine critic, Daniel Rogov, is featured in an article in Hadassah Magazine. The Brooklyn-born, European-trained, Israeli-resident discusses his favorite foods, how he got to Israel, his background, and the quality revolution taking place in Israel.
The article about this Mediterranean food and wine critic can be found here and the entire contents of this month’s Hadassah Magazine is online here.
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Jerusalem Wine Festival
Posted on June 14, 2009
The dates have just been released for the annual Jerusalem Wine Festival, held at the Israel Museum.
I’ve previously written about the festival and it is always a joy to attend.
This year, the festival is August 4-August 6 (Tuesday to Thursday) at the Israel Museum.
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Washington Post features Israeli wine
Posted on June 10, 2009
Israeli wine has finally been covered in my hometown newspaper, The Washington Post. This article in the travel section of the Washington Post, by NPR correspondent Linda Gradstein and fellow Jerusalemite, discusses the wines around Jerusalem. In fact, I think there are more wineries now in the Judean Hills than in Zichron Ya’akov, home of the traditional Israeli wineries.
Wineries such as Sea Horse, Castel, Agur, Hans Sterbach, Tzora, Tzuba, Teperberg, and more are in the Jerusalem/Judean Hills area.
Information on the specific wineries can be found in the sidebox article, featuring contact information for Castel, Sternbach, Mony, Sea Horse, and the local tourism group.
According to Gradstein:
The climate of the Judean Hills around Jerusalem is perfect for wine grapes: It’s hot by day but cool even on summer nights. And, of course, wine professionals talk about the area’s terroir, the soil characteristics that give a wine its unique taste.
One of the most interesting wineries mentioned is Ze’ev Dunie’s (non-kosher) Sea Horse Winery. Dunie, a former filmaker, makes some of Israel’s most unique and interesting wines. If you’re a Zinfandel fan, this is the winery to check out!
Sphere: Related Content"If cabernet and merlot are classical music — serious, aristocratic, dressed in a suit and tie — syrah and zinfandel are jazz: sensual, warm, simultaneously complex and rich in taste," Dunie says.
And his wines have cool names. The zinfandel is called Lennon, and a cabernet blend is called Fellini. Dunie also is about to come out with a white wine made of chenin blanc grapes, which he says is the first in Israel.
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California Israeli Wine Festival
Posted on June 8, 2009
I received the following report from Neta Reef of Israeli Wine Company, about the recent Israeli wine festival hosted by Kehillah Jewish High School in California. If you’ve attended or run an Israeli wine event contact me to post it beforehand and let me know how it went and maybe I will post it here.
Yesterday, June 4th, the Kehillah Jewish High School together with the Israel Wine Company hosted an Israeli Wine Festival and a tasting at the beautiful Jennings Pavilion located in Holbrook-Palmer Park in Atherton, CA
The wineries that participated include: Yatir, Ella Valley Vineyards, Domine du Castel, Yaffo Winery, Bazelet Ha-Golan, Hamasrek Winery, Tabor Winery, Rimon and Teperberg. Only the high-end wines of each winery were offer at the event.
Neta, of Israel Wine Company, said they had more then 150 wine lovers that had the opportunity to taste the wonderful wines of those wineries: "in order to give Israeli wines the place they deserve in the American market people need to actually taste and explore all this great wines. Such an event helps to bring more people to get hands-on Israeli wines".
The money raised from this event will be used by Kehillah towards programming, financial aid programs, and teacher resources. Kehillah Jewish High School, located in Palo Alto, is the area’s leading independent pluralistic Jewish high school dedicated to providing an outstanding education to its students.
Israel Wine Company will be at the Israel in the Gardens event this Sunday June 7th at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens.
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Israeli wine in California
Posted on June 4, 2009
My buddy Ari Erle and his company, Israeli Wine Company, will be pouring Israeli wine in California at two events this week (including one TODAY):
Kehila’s Israel Wine Festival
TODAY, Thursday June 4, 2009 at 6:30-9:00PM
Holbrook-Palmer Park, Jennings Pavilion
150 Watkins Avenue
Atherton, CA
It’s a fundraising event, and tickets cost $150.
Israel in the Park
The premier celebration of Israel and the Jewish community in the Bay Area. Join us for the hottest and freshest in Israeli music, food, film and more. NOTE: They can’t pour wine at the booth but will have information on their wine club, including a bottle of wine for new club members.
Yerba Buena Gardens
Mission St & 3rd St
San Francisco, CA
For both events contact Neta at neta@israelwinecompany.com
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Rogov’s Reviews: Carmel and Israeli roses
Posted on May 29, 2009
Daniel Rogov, Israel’s premier wine critic, has reviewed several great Israeli wines in recent editions of Ha’aretz.
For the hot summertime, rose’s are the perfect wine, even if they have gotten a bad rap. Rogov’s reviews of some great roses are at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1086863.html
His TNs:
Chateau Golan, Royal Reserve, Rose, 2008: Made entirely from Cabernet Franc grapes, developed partly in stainless steel and briefly in used barriques. Medium-bodied, with appealing red and black berries, strawberries and red currants on a spicy background. Plenty of good acidity here. A more than usually complex rose. Drink now. Score 89.
Tabor, Adama, Rose, Charsit, 2008: Ruby to cherry red, medium-bodied, a lovely rose, fresh, crisp and full of life, with the most positive kinds of tutti-frutti aromas and flavors that include strawberries, raspberries, red currants and just a tantalizing hint of bubble-gum to tease our palates. Rose as rose should be. Drink now. Score 89. K
Recanati, Rose, 2008: Somewhere between rose petal pink and the color of strawberry juice, a blend of 80% Barbera and 20% Merlot with minimal skin contact. Fresh, firm and crisply dry with appealing notes of strawberries, berries and dried cherries followed by hints of white pepper and red licorice on the finish. Sits easily on the palate. Drink now. Score 88. K
Vitkin, Israeli Journey, Pink, 2008: Light cherry red, a rose primarily of Carignan and Syrah with small amounts of Tempranillo and Cabernet Franc blended in. Crisply dry and generously fruity, shows a low nose but opens to appealing aromas and flavors of strawberries, raspberries and black cherries, those with floral and spicy overtones. Medium-bodied, crisply dry and refreshing, strong enough to stand up to chicken and veal dishes. Drink now. Score 88.
Dalton, Rose, 2008: Made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with very short skin contact. Peach-blossom pink, with wild berry and cassis fruits matched by an appealing hint of grapefruit peel. Off-dry and lively, fine on its own or a good match to fish, seafood and chicken salads. Drink now. Score 87. K
Avidan, Petite Soleil Rose, 2008: A true potpourri, this deep cherry-red wine rose is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Grenache, Carignan and Pinot Noir. Although it seems that just about everything “left over” was used here. the result is a success. The medium-bodied wine shows a fruity nose and appealing raspberry, cassis and cranberry fruits. Think of this not so much as a true rose, but as a light and refreshing red. A fun and easy-to-drink wine. Drink now. Score 87.
Binyamina, Yogev, Rose, 2008: Light rose-petal pink in color, opens quietly but develops nicely after a few minutes in the glass. Good acidity here to keep the raspberry, strawberry and citrus peel notes lively and refreshing. Rose as rose should be. Drink now. Score 87. K
Galil Mountain, Rose, 2008: Light- to medium-bodied and with refreshing acidity, a crisply dry, rose-petal pink colored wine showing an appealing tutti-frutti array of red fruits. Drink now. Score 87. K
Shiloh, Rose, 2007: Somewhere in color between rose-petal pink and cherry-red, a crisply dry rose. A blend of Barbera and Cabernet Franc allowed only short skin contact, showing appealing raspberry, strawberry and blueberry fruits. A most pleasant quaffer, medium-bodied and well enough done to stand up nicely to grilled fish or chicken dishes. Drink up. Score 87. K
Tzora Vineyards, Rose, Gvat HaChalukim, 2007: Made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, pale pink with an orange tint, light- to medium-bodied. Showing berry, cherry and watermelon notes, a dry wine with a creeping hint of sweetness. Drink up. Score 86. K
Rogov also reviews that old favorite (or not, depending on how old you are): Carmel Winery.Today’s Carmel Winery produces excellent world-class wines that are beyond enjoyable — they are heavenly. Rogov has this to say about Carmel:
From time to time I stand back and look at the Carmel Winery with a sense of continued amazement, reflecting on the quantum leap in quality that the winery has made in the last five years. Among the signs that the winery intends to continue in the direction of producing wines of increasing interest to even the most sophisticated wine lovers are the selections in their Regional series, also known as their Appellation series. Simply stated, they are excellent wines at reasonable prices and well worth exploring.
Here is just one TN:
Sphere: Related ContentCarmel, Carignan, Old Vines, Appellation, Zichron Yaakov, 2006: A super-dark garnet blend of 85 percent Carignan and 15 percent Petit Verdot. The Carignan comes from 35-40-year-old very low-yield wines with no irrigation. It’s a blockbuster on first attack, but the firm tannins and generous wood settles down nicely to reveal a rich array of plum, red cherry, raspberry and currant fruits all supported nicely by hints of cocoa and spices. Look as well for a generous mocha-rich finish. Drink now-2011. NIS 80. Score 90. K
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Israeli wine festival in Jerusalem – June 4
Posted on May 26, 2009
As part of the 2009 Israel Festival, the wineries in the Jerusalem area will be holding a one-day festival on the beatiful campus of the Hebrew University, in the botanical gardens (I believe that this is the Givat Ram campus of Hebrew U, not Mt. Scopus). The festival will be Thursday June 4, beginning at 19:00 (7:00PM).
Participating wineries include:
- Ella Valley Vineyard
- Tzuba
- Kella David
- Mony
- Zmora
- Agur
- Ben Hanna
- Hans Sternbach
- Katz
- Yehuda
- La Terra Promessa
- Nachshon
- Srigim
- Tsafririm
- Sea Horse
- Anatot
Fair admission, including a tasting glass, is 60NIS.
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