The BBC has a great profile of Domaine du Castel, a great winery that I discovered several years ago.

When you think of the world’s great wine producers Israel is not a name that often crops up. But Eli Ben Zaken is trying to change that.

What started as a hobby is now an international business, but as his success has grown so too has the competition in the hills around Jerusalem.

So is there enough business to go around? Philip Hampsheir went to Castel, 30 minutes outside Jerusalem, to find out.

(The following article first appeared on wines-israel and is reprinted w/ permission To order Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2011 please click here.)

The new Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2011 has been published by Mitchell Beazley, London. This is the annual, mini-encyclopedia written by Englishman, Hugh Johnson. It is the world’s largest selling wine book and is translated into many languages and sold around the world. Hugh Johnson is the world’s most distinguished and prolific wine writer.

The book is like a Michelin guide in that it gives a rating to Israeli wineries. There is no other international book that features so many Israeli wineries. It was first published in 1977 and since then has been published annually. Hugh Johnson is helped by an editorial team, some of them famous wine journalists in their own right  and carefully chosen experts in each region. This year Israel is placed in a new Eastern Mediterranean section that includes Cyprus, Lebanon and Turkey, as well as Israel. There are a record thirty Israeli wines listed. Last year there were twenty six. The new additions are: Alexander, Avidan, Mony and Zion. Both Domaine du Castel and Yatir Winery have succeeded in holding on to their four star rating. This puts them amongst some of the finest wineries in the world. Wineries that have advanced since last year are: Clos de Gat, Galil Mountain, Pelter, Ella Valley, Tzora and Binyamina. Each of these wineries has succeeded to improve their rating.

Barkan-Segal, Carmel, Galil Mountain and Tabor receive recognition for having good value wines. The Margalit Special Reserve receives a notation of being particularly enjoyed by Hugh Johnson, himself.

In his introduction to the Israel section, Johnson writes that Israel has become: “a young, dynamic wine industry.” He also writes that the best growing regions are the Upper Galilee, Golan Heights and Judean Hills adding: “… but (typically of the Israelis), they also have vineyards in the desert.”In comments on the Eastern Mediterranean, Johnson writes: “Lebanon…and Israel… have progressed no end in the last ten years and are producing some high-quality reds. War and violence make this a difficult area for wine-growers, so the courage of Israeli and Lebanese winemakers should be encouraged – better to make wine than war.”

In an aside, entitled ‘Grapes of the moment,’ he comments on how strange it is that there are no indigenous varieties in Israel, when there are so many in Cyprus and Turkey. However he notes that the “varietal menu is not entirely standard”, mentioning: Cabernet Franc, Carignan, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot.In his introduction to the book, he reminds readers he does not like wine scores. He writes: “This book doesn’ t do wine-by-wine judgements. No scores. The one-to-four star code is my take on the winery…as a presence in the market.” He therefore differentiates his world view from the American style of scores out of 100, as represented by Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator.

Hugh Johnson is well-known for his books: ‘The Story of Wine’ (on history), ‘The World Wine Atlas’, which he now writes with Jancis Robinson MW; ‘The Wine Companion’,which has recently been updated by Stephen Brook; and ‘The Art and Science of Wine’, about winemaking and viticulture, which he authored with James Halliday. Each of these are classics, which form the basis of any wine lover’s library.

He has also written his autobiography ‘Wine – A Life Uncorked.’Hugh Johnson visited Israel in the late 1980’s for his TV series on the The Story of Wine. He observed the early days of the Israeli wine revolution. He observed the early days of the Israeli wine revolution, and as his World Wine Atlas and Wine Companion indicate, he is well informed on Israeli wines. The full ratings from Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book  2011 are:

FOUR STARS **** Domaine du Castel

THREE TO FOUR STARS ***>**** Yatir Winery

THREE STARS *** Clos de Gat, Golan Heights, Margalit

TWO TO THREE STARS **>*** Carmel, Chateau Golan, Flam, Galil Mountain, Pelter

TWO STARS ** Barkan-Segal, Ella Valley, Recanati, Saslove, Tulip, Tzora, Vitkin

ONE TO TWO STARS *>** Agur,  Alexander,  Avidan,  Binyamina,  Chillag,  Dalton,  Sea Horse, Tabor

ONE STAR * Bazelet Hagolan, Mony, Tishbi, Teperberg, Zion

This article is from Ha’aretz by Lital Levin:

Israel awaited the celebration of the 1954 wine harvest festival with high expectations. Such a festival is a new-old one for Jews. As one of its promoters told Haaretz: “In the Bible and our literature in general, a lot of space is dedicated to wine. Noah was the first wine producer; legend says that the tree of knowledge was a grape vine. The many drinking songs of our medieval literature are also well-known. But that’s not enough, because we’ve detached ourselves from the tradition in the meantime, and now we have to renew it and celebrate a harvesting lifestyle worthy of the name.”

These remarks were published on August 11, the day the 1954 festival opened. But this was not the first such celebration: “Fifteen years ago a modest festival was held in the moshav of Zichron Yaakov. When the participants descended into the cold wine cellars for a tour at the height of the festivities, it was decided to make it a yearly event,” Haaretz wrote. But wars broke out and played havoc with the tradition. In 1954 Israel was in the midst of an attempt to revive it.

	The interior of a winery.
	Photo by: AP

The first modern wine harvest festival in the country was held in Zichron Yaakov in August 1952 and was celebrated together with the moshav’s 70th birthday. “For several years there have been requests to mark the occasion of the grape harvest, because there is no other such community whose farmers live from their grapes and the wine industry,” Haaertz reported. “For the first time, various groups here want to give the harvest festival some form and content.” Of course, there were those who “asked how it was possible to justify a festival in this time of austerity; where would the budget come from? But they were answered that the lives of the common folk are motivated by joy as well as concern for what the next day will bring.” The festival supporters cited the age-old harvest traditions in other Mediterranean countries, where “the celebrations are of a popular character and are accompanied by rituals hundreds of years old.”

The festival that began on August 11, 1954, showed that Israel was not yet ready to revive the tradition. On the eve of the event, one expert told Haaretz that “such festivals cannot be produced in one year,” and that “a long tradition, especially of wine drinking, is required – something which we lack.” The day itself was a bitter disappointment. “Hundreds of people who came from all over the country, including tourists brought in especially for the festival, left crestfallen,” Haaretz reported. “Many people were forced to return after midnight from the moshav to the main Haifa-Tel Aviv highway and hitchhike home, since no transportation had been arranged for them.”

“The streets of Zichron Yaakov looked just as they had in the olden days, without any special decorations,” Haaretz wrote. “The artistic program lacked the most basic organization. There was no loudspeaker, even though the performances took place outside, and the singer” – Shoshana Damari, a special festival attraction – “could barely be heard.”

The report continued: “The ushers’ explanations and instructions could not be heard at all. Hundreds of people swarming through the entrance doors raised a racket. The electricity on stage went off exactly when the dancers appeared.”

The dancers performed in the dark; someone who sought to save the situation turned on a glaring spotlight, blinding the audience. “Close to 500 people, including many tourists, had to stand for all the performances, even though they had paid high prices for seats.” It was because of those prices that “most of the Zichron farmers and grape harvesters, for whom the festival was held, had to remain outside.” One of them told the Haaretz reporter: “This isn’t a wine festival for harvesters; it’s a champagne festival for the aristocrats of Tel Aviv and Haifa.”

And a reader from Zichron wrote to Haaretz that it was impossible to get any wine in the moshav that day.

The grape harvest was not celebrated the next year. The Zichron local council said the cancellation was due to “elections that clashed with the pre-festival preparation period.” Haaretz reported that government tourism officials decided to send “two representatives from Zichron to the 10-day wine festival in Frascati, Italy, to learn how to prepare for a harvest and wine festival.”

(The following article is reprinted from wines-israel and reprinted with permission)

Talk about the Rothschilds and you will automatically think of finance, the arts and philanthropy. However scratch below the surface and wine, the Jewish community and Israel comes to the fore as an ongoing thread through the family story. Their influence in the building the State of Israel is unparalleled
Some of the most fundamental institutions in Israel were founded with financial support from this most famous of Jewish families. The Knesset and new Supreme Court Building were funded by the Rothschilds. The Hebrew University, The Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, the Mishkenot Sha’ananim Music Center and the Dorothy Rothschild Open University Campus in Ra’anana, have all benefited greatly from the generosity of the Rothschild family.
Some towns such as Zichron Ya’acov and Binyamina were named after Rothschilds and others such as Rishon Le Zion and Caesarea, remain monuments to their support and generosity.

A modern Israeli wine industry was also created by the Rothschilds, renewing a 5,000 year old tradition. The founding of Carmel Winery was also directly attributable to this unique family and this in turn led to the creation of SCV des Grandes Caves (Agudat Hacormim – the wine growers co-operative). Four of the largest wineries in Israel today (Rishon Le Zion, Zichron Ya’acov, Binyamina & Tishbi) point to a strong Rothschildean influence in their story.
The four Rothschilds who have contributed most to Israel and Israeli wine, are as follows:

BARON JAMES (JACOB) DE ROTHSCHILD
Baron James was the fifth son and youngest child of Mayer Amschel Rothschild from Frankfurt. When he and his brothers were sent to the capitals of Europe, James was sent to Paris. There he became the richest man in France, an advisor to two Kings and a man of power and influence to match his financial brilliance. He was known as ‘the Great Baron’. He was originally named Jacob, but changed his name to James when he arrived in Paris. Jacob remained his Hebrew name.
He was very aware of his responsibility to the Jewish community. However his main international involvement was in trying to resolve the Damascus Affair in 1840, with other notables such as Sir Moses Montefiore. It was significant in that it was the first time Jews of different nationalities had rallied to assist their downtrodden brethren elsewhere. Some historians term this event the roots of Jewish nationalism, which later developed into the Zionist Movement.
In 1868 he purchased Château Lafite, the most famous winery in the world, which he had been trying to buy for thirty eight years. He first made an offer for it in 1830. It cost him four million francs, which was then thought to be an outrageous sum of money for a winery. Unfortunately he died a few months later without even visiting his new purchase, but did have time to speculate in his wine as was revealed in a letter from his son-in-law Nathaniel, owner of Mouton.
Baron James did not really contribute to Israel or Israeli wine, but his name lives on through the winery town of Zichron Ya’acov, which was named in his memory. (It literally means ‘In Memory of Jacob’.) Modern Israel’s wine culture and history has its deepest roots in Zichron Ya’acov and Zichron Ya’acov Wine Cellars remain Israel’s largest winery.

In the world of wine there are a few famous wineries carrying the name of the Rothschild family – Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Lafite Rothschild, and Château Duhart Milon Rothschild. Zichron Ya’acov Wine Cellars is not only the only winery named after a specific Rothschild, but also the only one privileged to be named after the Rothschild who bought Château Lafite!

BARON EDMOND (BENJAMIN) DE ROTHSCHILD (1845-1934)
Baron Edmond was the third son of Baron James and inherited Château Lafite with his two brothers. He played an important role in the history and development of Israel.
He was known by David Ben Gurion as the ‘Father of the Yishuv’ and he spent close to 40 million francs purchasing and reclaiming land, supporting thirty new villages and sponsoring new agricultural settlements. Initially he was known as ‘Hanadiv Hayadua’ (‘The Well-Known Benefactor’), because his donations were given anonymously.

In 1882 he began his involvement in The Holy Land, by sending France’s finest agronomists to survey the land. He then sent his own viticulturists with cuttings from Château Lafite’s vineyards to plant vineyards, and viticulture soon became the dominant form of agriculture. He built the wineries of Rishon Le Zion in 1890 and Zichron Ya’acov in 1892 and sent Bordeaux winemakers to make the first vintages. He even sent the winemaker of Château Lafite, Charles Mortier, to act as a consultant in the 1890’s.

Baron Edmond is commemorated today by Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv and the town of Binyamina is named after his Hebrew name, Benjamin. Many of the other villages he supported were given names to commemorate other members of his family. Apart from Zichron Ya’acov named for his father, Meir Shefaya was named after his grandfather, Bat Shlomo was named after his father-in-law and Mazkeret Batya was named after his wife.
Today he is remembered as one of the founding fathers of Israel. When the shekel currency was reintroduced in Israel for the first time since Biblical Times in the early 1980’s, each of the shekel notes featured the main founding fathers. Theodore Herzl, David Ben Gurion, Chaim Weizmann, Vladimir Jabotinsky, Sir Moses Montefiore & Baron Edmond de Rothschild were each commemorated. The 500 shekel note featured Baron Edmond and appropriately on the back was a bunch of grapes.

Baron Edmond first featured on a wine label with the legendary Carmel Special Reserves of 1976 and 1979 – thought to be Israel’s first international class wines. During the later 1980’s and early 1990’s, Carmel’s premier label was called ‘Rothschild’ – also featuring a picture of the Baron. Nowadays he still appears on the Private Collection label used for the Israel market.
Tishbi Winery was founded in 1985 by a family of growers, whose previous generations had planted vineyards for Rothschild in the 1880’s. In honor of the Baron Edmond, the winery was registered as Baron Wine Cellars Ltd.
Baron Edmond died in 1934 and his remains were re-interred in 1954 in the State of Israel at Ramat Hanadiv, a beautiful, tranquil place, on the southern slopes of Mount Carmel, overlooking Zichron Ya’acov, Binyamina and Caesarea.

JAMES ROTHSCHILD (1878-1957)
James Rothschild, the son of Baron Edmond, was French born, but went on to become a British citizen and even a politician serving as a Member of Parliament in England. However he inherited his father’s love of Israel and his generosity.
He served in the First World War in the British Army, serving as a Major in Palestine for ‘the Jewish Legion’. He was a great friend of Chaim Weizmann, doing much of the groundwork with him that resulted in the Balfour Declaration.

In 1924 he was appointed by his father to manage and direct the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association, known as PICA. He was therefore involved in the founding of the town of Binyamina, which was named after his father’s Hebrew name, Benjamin.
In 1952, PICA approved the formation of a new winery in Binyamina called Eliaz Binyamina (18-18). This was situated on the premises of a failed perfume factory called Jasmin, which was built by the Rothschild’s in 1925. The winery now trades under the name ‘Binyamina’.
In 1957 just before his death, PICA was disbanded. James Rothschild donated the funds required to build the Knesset Building and returned all the lands owned by PICA to the State. The wineries at Rishon Le Zion and Zichron Ya’acov, were donated to SCV des Grandes Caves. This brought to an end the Rothschild involvement in Israeli wine, which had lasted from 1882 to 1957. His wife Dorothy continued his charitable work for many years afterwards.

BARON EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD (1926-1997)
Baron Edmond was the grandson of the ‘Hanadiv’ and lived in Geneva. In the Rothschild tradition, he was also a banker, collector and benefactor.
He also entered the wine business. However unlike his illustrious cousins in Bordeaux, he chose to purchase and develop an unknown winery called Château Clarke in 1973. This put the unfashionable appellation of Listrac, in the southern Medoc, on the wine map. He produced the first kosher wine to be made by a Rothschild outside Israel. It was called Barons Edmond & Benjamin Rothschild and it was produced at Château Clarke.
He was probably the biggest Zionist of the younger generation. He was one of the founding fathers of the Israel Museum and one of its most generous benefactors. He was chairman of Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Development Corporation created to develop the residential, industrial and leisure areas of Caesarea.

THE CURRENT ROTHSCHILDS
Apart from owning two of the most famous wineries in the world and having extensive wine interests in Bordeaux, the current Rothschilds also have wine interests in the South of France, Argentina, Chile, Italy, Portugal and South Africa. The members of the Rothschild family involved in wine are as follows:

BARONESS PHILPPINE DE ROTHSCHILD (1935- )
Baroness Philippine de Rothschild is today owner of Château Mouton Rothschild and the large Bordeaux Negociants, Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A.
Mouton was purchased in 1853 by Nathaniel Rothschild, who was from the English side of the family (the son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who began the London branch of the family.) Her father, the legendary Baron Philippe, was probably the most innovative and flamboyant figure in the world of wine in the twentieth century.

She inherited the famous Bordeaux Châteaux Mouton Rothschild, Clerc Milon and d’Armailhac, as well as Mouton Cadet, the world’s first wine brand and largest selling Bordeaux wine. She took over the high profile joint venture between Robert Mondavi and her father, creating Opus One. She played a big part in the design and development of the cathedral like winery. Her own initiatives included expanding the company with joint venture in Chile (with Concha Y Toro), developments in the Languedoc. It was also her decision to produce a white wine, Aile d’Argent, from Mouton’s vineyards.
Philippine had a dramatic childhood living through The Second World War, but she lost her mother who was killed in Ravensbrook Concentration Camp, basically because she was a Rothschild. However, this side of the family, are less involved in Israel and the Jewish community, though they have produced a kosher version of Mouton Cadet for Jews, who observe the Jewish Dietary Laws.

BARON ERIC DE ROTHSCHILD (1940- )
Baron Eric de Rothschild is responsible for Château Lafite Rothschild and Domaines Barons Rothschild (Lafite).
Baron Eric divides his time between running the family bank, managing Lafite and philanthropy to the Jewish community and Israel. His tenure at Lafite started in 1974 and he was instrumental in bringing back the great days of old to this most famous of wineries.
He purchased wineries of the caliber of Château Rieussec in Sauternes and Château L’Évangile in Pomerol to add to Château Duhart Milon. He also created Domaines Barons Rothschild (Lafite) which included joint ventures in Argentina (Caro with Catena), Chile (Los Vasgos), Portugal (Quinta do Carmo.) At one stage, they also had interests in California. The latest ventures are in Italy and the Languedoc.
Baron Eric, a leading lay leader of the French Jewish community, was the driving force behind the new Shoah – Holocaust Memorial in Paris, opened by President Chirac in 2005. As far as Israel is concerned he remains an International Board Member of the Peres Center for Peace and was part of the initiative to build the new Supreme Court Building and the renovations of Yad Vashem, through the family foundation, Yad Hanadiv, which replaced PICA. He has his own initiatives promoting co-existence involving both Israeli Arabs and Bedouin in the Negev.
He is a supporter of Israel wine, once writing: “The pleasure both physical and traditional of drinking wine is so strongly embedded in our Jewish culture, that we must now make every effort possible to enhance the quality of wines in Israel.” He is proud of his great, great grand uncle Edmond’s efforts to found Carmel. He has visited Israeli wine exhibitions, wineries such as Domaine du Castel and shown ongoing interest in the development of Yatir Winery.

BARON BENJAMIN DE ROTHSCHILD (1963- )
Baron Benjamin is owner of Château Clarke and Compagnie Vinicole de Edmond & Benjamin de Rothschild.
Benjamin is the great grandson of the first Edmond, and son of the second. He continues his father’s interests in Israel by chairing the Caesarea Foundation. He maintains his father’s dream by continuing to develop Château Clarke and the nearby Châteaux Peyre-Labade and Malmaison. He continues to produce the kosher wine produced by his father: Barons Rothschild, produced at Château Clarke, but has also added a kosher cuvee of Château Malmaison to his portfolio.
His main wine initiatives have been focused on South Africa and Argentina. In South Africa, he formed a joint venture with industrialist Anton Rupert family to form Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons. His joint venture in Argentina, with Laurent Dassault, is called Flechas des Los Andes.

LORD JACOB ROTHSCHILD (1936- )
Lord Jacob Rothschild is owner of Waddesdon Manor and Chairman of Yad Hanadiv.
He is the leading figure of the English Rothschilds. His contribution to the family’s wine is Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, England, which was bequeathed to the National Trust. Here he maintains a shop and cellar featuring the Rothschild wines, including the joint ventures. It is the only venue in the world which showcases every single one of the family’s wines.
His main contribution to Israel is as Chairman of Yad Hanadiv, the Rothschild Foundation, named after the original Baron Edmond. The foundation focuses on five specific areas in Israel: Education, Environment, Academic Excellence, Civil Society and the Arab Community. Lord Jacob plays an active and ongoing role to ensure the family’s interests in Israel continues.
Concerning his own wine interests, he has a 1/6th ownership share in Château Lafite and is also an investor in the Royal Tokaj Company.

SUMMARY
Ironically the main Rothschilds who are active in Israel in the 21st century are Baron Eric de Rothschild from France, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild from Switzerland and Lord Jacob Rothschild from England. Coincidentally, each is a partner in the ownership of Château Lafite. So even today, as was the case 120 years ago, the Lafite Rothschilds have continued their support of Israel and Jewish causes in the same modest, low key way as exemplified by Baron Edmond

In the photos, top to bottom:

Baron Edmond de Rothschild 1845-1934. Founder of Carmel and the modern Israel wine industry.

Baron James Jacob de Rothschild 1792-1868. Zichron Ya’acov, the town & winery, are named in his memory.

James Rothschild 1878-1957. Donated Rishon Le Zion and Zichron Ya’acov Wineries to S.C.V. des Grandes Caves, Carmel.

(The following article was written by Adam Montefiore for TASTED magazine and is reprinted with permission from wines-israel.com)

Israel is a ‘new world’ wine country, in one of the oldest wine regions on earth. In this Biblical land, one can find a curious combination of the new, old and ancient world of winemaking in a country no bigger than New Jersey or Wales. Ancient Israel, with roots going back deep into Biblical times, must have been one of the earliest wine producing countries – at least 2,000 years before the Greeks & Romans took the vine to Europe. It took a Rothschild to renew the tradition and create a modern wine industry.

Baron Edmond de Rothschild, owner of Château Lafite, founded Carmel Winery in 1882 and built two large wineries with deep underground cellars, at Rishon Le Zion and Zichron Ya’acov. Until today, they remain the two largest wineries in Israel. The cuttings were from Château Lafite and the first winemakers of Carmel were from Bordeaux. The initial advice and expertise was French, even the winemaker of Lafite, Charles Mortier, was one of the early consultants.

However in those days the interest in Israeli wine was not great and inexpensive bulk wine or sweet wine was what the market desired. The quality revolution only really arrived in 1980’s, when expertise was brought from California. It was the Golan Heights Winery, which introduced ‘new world’ viticulture and winemaking techniques, and their Yarden wines began be noticed.

In the 1990’s a new awareness of quality food and wine began to spread in Israel. A growing number of small wineries were formed. Most famous of these was Domaine du Castel, which was ‘found’ by Serena Sutcliffe MW, and then by Decanter magazine. The owner, Eli Ben Zaken, taught himself how to make wine from Emile Peynaud’s book on winemaking. Another was Margalit Winery, founded by Dr. Yair Margalit, a chemistry professor. Since the beginning of the 2000’s, wineries of the caliber of Yatir Winery and Clos de Gat were formed. Yatir was a pioneer of a total new region, and Clos de Gat, was Israel’s first true estate winery. Each received international recognition to draw attention to Israeli wines.

Since then, something close to a wine fever has gripped the country. The area of vineyards has increased to 5,000 hectares and there are now 35 commercial wineries and more than 250 wineries in all. The larger wineries are: Carmel, Barkan-Segal, Golan Heights, Teperberg, Binyamina, Galil Mountain, Tishbi, Recanati, Dalton and Tabor. The best of the smaller wineries are Castel, Yatir, Margalit, Clos de Gat, Chateau Golan, Flam, Pelter, Ella Valley, Saslove, and Vitkin. However all this is relative, because Israel is still a tiny wine country, producing even less than Cyprus. The difference though, is the focus is on development and ongoing improvements in quality.

The main quality red wines are made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. There are also some interesting varietal Cabernet Francs. Characterful Old Vine Carignans and Petite Sirahs give a hint of what Israel may become known for in the future. Amongst the whites, apart from Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs, there are also Gewurztraminers, Rieslings and Viogniers. Although Israel has won major awards for dry white wines and sparkling wines, it is probably best regarded for its red wines and dessert wines.

Israel is famed for its agriculture. Drip feed irrigation, which is used worldwide, was an Israeli invention that revolutionized the global agricultural industry. Israel’s viticulturists are technologically advanced and up to date. As an Eastern Mediterranean country, it is not a surprise that the climate is mainly Mediterranean. The country is divided into five registered wine regions: Galilee in the north, Shomron, Samson, Judean Hills and the Negev Desert, in the south. Like many thin countries, there are a surprising number of microclimates in so small an area. The most successful sub-regions for producing high quality wines are those with cooler climate and higher altitude, like the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee and Judean Hills.

Israel’s two most famous wineries remain Carmel and The Golan Heights. These are large wineries producing good value wines at every price point, but their best wines are amongst the finest in Israel. Carmel has vineyards all over Israel, including some quality old vine vineyards. The winery is particularly well-represented in the Upper Galilee, where it has a new small winery and a number of young vineyards. This is where their award winning Kayoumi Single Vineyard and most of their Appellation wines come from. The Golan Heights Winery is situated at Katzrin. Yarden and Gamla are produced from vineyards on the Golan Heights plateau. Carmel and Golan represent the terroirs of the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights respectively.

Israel’s most celebrated wineries are Domaine du Castel and Yatir Winery. Castel is situated in the mountains west of Jerusalem. Yatir Winery is situated in the north eastern Negev Dessert at Tel Arad, but the vineyards lie in Yatir Forest, Israel’s largest forest, at up to 900 meters above sea level. The repeated successes of both these wineries illustrate the growing respect being given to wines from the Judean Hills.

Most of Israel’s wineries are modern, technologically advanced and all the major wineries employ internationally trained winemakers, with experience in major wine producing countries. For example, the winemaker of the Golan Heights Winery, Victor Schoenfeld, is from California. He studied at U.C. Davis and had previous experience with Robert Mondavi. Carmel’s Lior Lacser, studied in Burgundy, worked in Burgundy and Bordeaux, including a spell with Michel Rolland. Eran Goldwasser, winemaker of Yatir, is a graduate of Adelaide University and included work experience at a Southcorp/ Fosters winery.

Lately, sommeliers, retailers and wine critics all over the world, are beginning to show new interest in Israeli wine. They are impressed by the youth, knowledge and dynamism of Israel’s viticulturists and winemakers. Critics are also reporting favourably. Castel was awarded four stars in Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2010. Yatir Forest, the premier label of Yatir Winery, scored 93 points, the best yet for Israel, in the Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon made the Wine Spectator’s Annual Top 100, for the first time. This does not hint at the depth and variety of the Israeli wine revolution. Robert Parker’s latest Wine Buyer’s Guide devotes nine pages to Israel. The previous edition did not feature even one Israeli wine!

The Eastern Mediterranean was the cradle of wine culture. Israel, like other countries in the region, reeks of wine through its history, archaeology, culture and religious ritual. It has had 5,000 years of practice, and finally the wines are of good quality, showing regional character and improving. Israel today is arguably producing the best quality wines to be found in the Eastern Medterranean.

Article written by Adam Montefiore for TASTED Magazine

Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are all the rage, but we’ve been covering Israeli wine on social media for over 3 years!

Here are some great sources to discover Israeli wine on social media.

What are your favorites?

Support blue and white – become a fan of Israeli wine on Facebook.

Tweet tweet. Check out Israeli wine on Twitter.

The wineries are also in the act. Here are the wineries that I know to be on Facebook:

• Recanati Winery
• Yarden / Golan Heights Winery
• Galil Mountain Winery יקב הרי גליל  (Hebrew)
• Psagot Winery

What other sites are there or who is on Facebook and Twitter? I will create a list in a future post.

(The following is from wines-israel.com and reprinted with permission)

Enjoy wine in the summer by matching the wine not to the food but to the occasion. Here is the time to buy what you like and not worry what others think. For the growing number of wine lovers who like to boast that ‘they only drink red wines’, the summer months give the classic opportunity to enjoy white, rosé or even sparkling wines.
Where to buy from for summer drinking? The best place is where there is a fast turnover of stock. A supermarket or specialist wine shop, where the wines have been kept correctly, are ideal. Avoid the kiosk, or the drinks shop that sells mainly beer and soft drinks. Certainly avoid a place where there are old bottles of yellowing white wines on the shelves. This is a sign of low turnover or poor stock control.
Sparkling, sweet dessert wines or simple white wines should be served very cold. Quality white wines, like a Chardonnay, should be chilled and even light, fruity red wines are best lightly chilled.
When you have bought your wine, be aware that a domestic fridge will chill a wine in an hour. At the last minute it would be more effective to put the bottle in a freezer for 15 minutes. However don’t forget it, because the wine will freeze to slush, which will destroy the quality and the bottle may explode!
For the quickest result, the solution is the simplest. Put the wine in a bucket or sink full of iced water, add a pinch of salt and the bottle will be cold in ten minutes. This is the ice bucket principle you know from weddings and restaurants! At a picnic, try wrapping a wet rolled up newspaper around a bottle or use one of the ice freezer sleeves available in some wine shops. Both methods really work.
If you are buying wine in a restaurant, insist on an ice bucket for your white and rose wines. However to be effective, ensure the ice bucket is full not only of ice, but also water. Even some red wines will benefit by 10 minutes in an ice bucket. If you want to ensure the temperature remains correct, be sure that glasses are not overfilled as wine warms up quickly in the glass.
So what to drink? The classic and most stylish drink is Champagne, which apart from anything else is perfect with strawberries. Cava from Spain or Prosecco from Italy are in fashion and less expensive alternatives. However why not support Israel and buy Gamla Brut, Private Collection Brut or Selected Sparkling. They may be drunk by the glass in restaurants or enjoyed with fresh fruit on the balcony at home and they are every bit as good as any Cava.
Rosés, derided by wine snobs for years, are suddenly back in. Consumers are realizing a wine does not have to be sophisticated to be enjoyable. A rosé or blush wine are ideal wines for the summer. An inexpensive example is Selected White Zinfandel. The delicate pink colour and touch of sweetness make this a great picnic wine. It is also perfect with pizza. Other options include the Recanati Rosé and Galil Mountain Rosé, which are two of the best on the market. A rosé is the perfect wine for the Israeli climate.
An ‘off dry’ wine is basically a dry wine with just a touch of sweetness. Examples are aromatic white wines made from Gewurztraminer and Riesling grapes, which make for a refreshing choice, especially for a more discerning consumer. The Yarden and Appellation Gewurztraminers, Gamla White Riesling or Appellation Johannisberg Riesling are Israeli white wines that receive international praise for quality.
If you are trying to choose one wine to please everyone, you can always connect with an old friend, Emerald Riesling. Fruity, very aromatic and semi dry, it is a good choice for a wide range of guests. Best value is the Classic and Selected Emerald Rieslings found in supermarkets. However for better quality go for the Barkan Reserve or Private Collection Emerald Rieslings, which are less sweet & better balanced.
A wine that will surprise with its popularity is a Moscato, made from Muscat grapes. This is a light, grapey, sweet, slightly sparkling wine, which is also low alcohol. These wines are made like a Moscato Canelli from Italy, but apart from Italy, the best examples of this style of wine are made in Israel. People who don’t usually like wine will love it and it will make wine lovers smile! Golan Moscato, Young Selected Moscato and Dalton Moscato are the best Israeli versions.
For dry wines, go for a light style Chardonnay, preferably unoaked, a refreshing Pinot Grigio or an aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. The unwooded Pelter Chardonnay and Private Collection Chardonnay, are examples of Chardonnays becoming more popular in Israel. They are fresh, steely and appley, and more refreshing than the more traditional oaky, buttery style. Gamla, Galil Mountain, Private Collection and Tabor are some of the best value Sauvignon Blancs in Israel. The perfect accompaniment for grilled fish and an almost ideal summer wine.
Viognier is becoming an innovative, trendy alternative, which will be popular for those that like Chardonnays. The Dalton Viognier is part oak aged and the Yatir Viognier is preferable for those who prefer their Viognier unoaked.
For a barbeque, a light red with good fruit and balancing acidity, can be versatile and refreshing with both meat and fish dishes. Here you are looking for a wine in the style of Beaujolais or Valpolicella, which has ideally not been aged in oak barrels. A light Pinot Noir or young Merlot will also suffice. Mount Hermon, Canaan or Yasmin are popular brands for light, blended reds. If a varietal is preferred: Classic Cabernet, Selected Merlot, teva Shiraz or Reches (Ridge) Carignan Shiraz are recommended. All are young, fruity, easy to drink reds, which should be served slightly chilled.
Two wonderful summer drinks are Bucks Fizz and a white wine spritzer. Bucks Fizz is champagne with freshly squeezed orange juice added, though any dry Sparkling wine will do. For a white wine spritzer simply add soda or sparkling water to an ordinary white wine. Serve it very cold in a long glass. This idea is considered passé, because Israelis remember that their grandparents used to drink Carmel Hock and soda in the 1960’s. However think again. It is good for those who are diet conscious, is very refreshing and one bottle of wine used like this will go a long way amongst a group and is certainly a safer choice for those driving. (Even though it is far better, not to drink and drive.)
The important thing to realize is that Israel has many wines which are perfect for the hot, humid summers. These may not be the best trophy wines, or the most expensive, but there are so many wines and wine styles to enjoy with the local Eastern Mediterranean climate and food. The final messages for this summer are drink what you like, match the wine to the mood, not the food, and, most important, drink blue and white!

A number of Israeli wineries are celebrating significant anniversaries in 2010: Carmel, Tishbi, Dalton, Galil Mountain and Recanati are all commemorating their milestones in different ways. Each has their own unique story. They have all given a great deal to the development of the Israel wine industry and each has contributed to the quality revolution of the last 20 years.

Galil Mountain – 10 Years
Galil Mountain is celebrating its tenth year. Situated at Yiron in the Upper Galilee, on the Lebanese border, Galil Mountain is a joint venture between the Golan Heights Winery and Kibbutz Yiron. The new winery represented the Golan Winery’s wish to have a foot in the Upper Galilee as well as on the Golan. The winery building showed a new way in design. The winery was built with aesthetics in mind, situated next to a vineyard and not on an industrial estate. The design was stylish, modern and practical. They produce about a million bottles a year from five Upper Galilee vineyards. Both the winery manager, Ronit Badler, and marketing manager, Carmit Erenreiche, are women. The winemaker is Micha Vaadia, who used to work for the Golan Winery. In 2009, Galil Mountain harvested 1,064 tons of grapes, which made it Israel’s sixth largest winery. The top of the line wines are two blends called Yiron and Meron. The winery is known for excellent value for money wines. The Avivim white and Pinot Noir are of particular interest. The wines are distributed in Israel by the parent company, the Golan Heights Winery.

Recanati Winery – 10 Years
Recanati Winery is also celebrating ten years. Founded in 2000 by Leni Recanati, from the well-known Recanati family, the winery is situated at Hefer Valley, near Hadera in the Sharon Plain. It was one of a number of wineries built at the beginning of the 2000’s, with the immediate goal of becoming a commercial winery. The involvement of Recanati , showed that someone known for success in the world of industry and big business, was prepared to invest in the local wine scene. By 2009, Recanati was harvesting 970 tons of grapes which made it Israel’s 8th largest winery. The winery’s best wines come from Upper Galilee vineyards. The manager of the winery is Noam Yaacobi and the winemaker is Gil Shatzberg (ex Carmel & Amphorae.) The winery is known for a series of very successful results in international and local competitions, particularly for their celebrated Recanati Special Reserve, which is their flagship wine. Of particular interest is their Recanati Petite Sirah Zinfandel blended red. The wines are distributed by Shaked, owners of the Derech Ha’Yayin chain of wine shops, who are also part owners of the winery.

Dalton Winery – 15 Years
Dalton Winery is celebrating fifteen years. Founded in 1995 at Ramat Dalton, with grapes supplied from the adjacent Ben Zimra vineyards, Dalton was the pioneering winery in the Upper Galilee. They began as a small winery in the boutique boom of the nineties and have steadily grown to become one of the largest ten wineries in Israel. In 2009 they harvested 891 tons, which made it Israel’s ninth largest. The winery was started by Mati Haruni, from England. Today, his son, Alex Haruni is the active owner and Na’ama Mualem is the winemaker. She trained in California and Australia. They were one of the first Israeli wineries to use the services of a winemaking consultant from overseas, John Worontshak, an Australian who works from England. It is a very well managed and well marketed winery. Dalton wines are distributed by ‘The Scottish’ wine & spirits importers and distributors. Their leading wine is the strictly allocated, rare and highly regarded Matatia. Of particular interest is their red Zinfandel, unique in Israel, and their wild yeast fermented Viognier.

Tishbi Winery – 25 Years
Tishbi Winery is celebrating twenty five years. Yonatan Tishbi was a grower for Carmel, when he decided to open his own winery in 1985. He was the fourth generation of winegrowers and was the first of many vineyard owners to open a winery. This has become a trend. In the last fifteen years many growers have followed his example. A number of Israel’s most well-known winemakers have worked at Tishbi, including Yair Margalit, Ed Salzberg, Lewis Pasco and Asaf Paz. It remains a genuine family winery. Yonatan is the owner, his son Golan is now the winemaker and Yonatan’s wife, Nili runs the very attractive, informal visitors center. His daughter, Oshra markets Tishbi Fine foods including wine based jams and olive oil. The winery is situated in the Binyamina industrial area between Binyamina and Zichron Ya’acov. Best are their Jonathan Tishbi Special Reserve wines. Tishbi’s dry Muscat, French –Riesling whites are of interest , as are their single vineyard Gush Etzion and Sde Boker wines. However, Tishbi’s most famous product may be its Jonathan Tishbi Brandy, produced in a genuine cognac alembic still.

Carmel Winery – 120 Years
Finally, last but not least, Carmel Winery is celebrating its 120th harvest. Though their first vineyards were planted in 1882, it was not until 1890 that the first winery at Rishon Le Zion was built by Baron Edmond de Rothschild. The foundation of Carmel represented the founding of a modern Israeli wine industry after 2,000 years. For over one hundred years, Carmel simply was Israel wine, beginning under the Turks, then operating under the British and finally the State of Israel. The winery is owned by SCV des Grandes Caves, known in Hebrew as Agudat Hacormim. Even with all the new wineries, Carmel is still Israel’s largest winery with just under 40% of the market. Carmel has the two largest wineries in Israel at Rishon Le Zion and Zichron Ya’acov and two small, boutique wineries: Kayoumi Winery at Ramat Dalton and Yatir Winery at Tel Arad. In 2009, Carmel harvested 15,118 tons of grapes. The managing director of Carmel is Israel Ivzan and the winemaker is Lior Lacser, who trained in France. The rejuvenation and modernization of Carmel in the last few years somehow underlines the quality revolution by the country as a whole. Carmel’s flagship wines are Carmel Limited Edition, a Bordeaux style blend, and Carmel Mediterranean, a blend of Mediterranean varieties. Of particular interest are the old vine Carignan and old vine Petite Sirah. The revival of these varieties, mirror the revival of Carmel itself.

It is clear each of these wineries will continue to develop, and play a significant part in the local wine scene. Taken together, they represent an example of the variety and quality of Israeli wine.

(This story first appeared on wines-israel.com and is reprinted with permission)

(This story first appeared on Wines-Israel and is reprinted with permission)

There has been a trend in recent years of boutique wineries becoming kosher. Now two more wineries, have decided to make kosher wines from the 2010 harvest.

The first is Flam Winery which was the largest Israeli winery producing non kosher wines in recent harvests. Flam Winery is owned by the Flam family. Situated in the Judean Foothills near Beit Shemesh, the winery produces well over 100,000 bottles a year. The winery is run by the Flam brothers, Golan & Gilad, with the backing of their famous father, Israel Flam, for many years the chief winemaker of Carmel Mizrahi.

The second winery is Saslove, which is another family winery. The winery’s crush facility is situated at Tsuriel in the Upper Galilee and the barrel aging room & visitors center is at Kibbutz Eyal, near Kfar Saba. The winery is owned by Barry Saslove, who gained a name as one of Israel’s most innovative wine educators in the 1990’s and he now shares winemaking duties with his daughter Roni Saslove. They have in the past made a kosher wine called ‘K by Saslove’ at a kosher winery, but have now decided to go the whole way.

Continuing the trend, there are rumors that Tulip Winery will also be going kosher! If Tulip joins Flam and Saslove in producing kosher wines, the most prominent, remaining, ‘non kosher’ wineries in Israel will be Margalit, Clos de Gat, Chateau Golan and Pelter.

Wineries like Castel, Golan Heights & Yatir have proved that making kosher wine is no bar to quality. They are arguably Israel’s best wineries and each produces only kosher wines. Certainly the move to kosher is a sound move economically and the ‘new’ kosher wines will be eagerly awaited by kashrut observing Jews everywhere.

The Wine Spectator, the world’s most famous wine magazine, has again tasted Israeli wines. The results were featured in the magazine and on the website. The better scores are listed below. It is noticeable that Israel’s Mediterranean varieties such as Syrah/ Shiraz, Carignan and Petite Sirah seem to be featuring more and more strongly in tastings of Israeli wines. A few years ago tastings would only feature Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlot and Bordeaux style blends. There was also a creditable scores for a number of Chardonnays. The best scores were achieved by Carmel Winery and Clos de Gat.

Carmel, Kayoumi Vineyard Shiraz, Upper Galilee 2005                             89 points

Clos de Gat, Harel Vineyards Syrah, Judean Hills  2008           89

Carmel, Appellation Carignan Old Vines, Shomron  2006                          88

Segal’s, Galilee Heights Special Reserve Chardonnay, Galilee 2007         88

The Cave, Galilee 2006                                                                                     88

Clos de Gat Chardonnay, Judean Hills 2008                                                 88

Shilo Cabernet Merlot, Judean Hills 2006                                                     88

Carmel, Appellation Petite Sirah Old Vines, Judean Hills 2006                  87

Carmel, Sha’al Vineyard Gewurztraminer Late Harvest, Galilee  2006     87

Barkan, Altitude +624 Cabernet Sauvignon, Galil 2007                               87

Clos de Gat, Harel Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Judean Hills 2008      87

Clos de Gat Judean Hills 2006                                                                           87