I do apologize that I am posting often about the same wineries – Recanati, Galil Mountain, Golan Heights, Yatir, etc. – and not paying enough attention to Pelter, Vitkin, Chateau Golan, Ella Valley, or some of the 100s of other Israeli wines, but certain wines are just so versatile.

Such as two of my favorite wineries: Galil Mountain and Recanti.

In fact, about a month ago, I was at an interesting French restaurant in Jerusalem (“Eldad vezehoo”, although I admit it didn’t seem too French) and our table ordered … not French wine … but rather Israeli. And not the Francophile Domaine du Castel (of course that’s because we got a cheaper wine!) but rather Galil Mountain – the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Sauvignon Blanc). When perusing there wine rack, I saw higher end wines – such as the Galil Mountain Yiron. Nary a French wine was to be found. Of course, the more French-inspired restaurant in Nachlat Shiva (totally blanking on the name at the moment) probably has a wider selection of French wine, but the point was that Galil Mountain wine – a very value wine – is versaitile.

Want a step up from Galil Mountain? How about Recanati, as it seems like I’ve been drinking a lot of Recanati lately. From the 2003 Recanati Reserve Merlot with some pizza and watching Sideways for the first time (I know, I know, Merlot with Sideways… how ironic!) to the Recanati Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot at a recent academic colloquium that I coordinate.

And tonight … I can’t decide between a 2006 Recanti Special Edition, 2004 Gamla Sangiovese, or the Galil Mountain 2006 CS.