Valentines Day is on February 14 so it’s time to get a gift for the one who love. What’s better than a romantic bottle of wine, book about Israeli wine, or stemware or other wine accessory.

Here is our list of 10 Valentines Day Wine Gifts for the Israeli Wine Lover

6. It goes without saying but Daniel Rogov’s annual wine guide has always been the premier guide for what to drink and what not. With Rogov’s passing, this is the final and ultimate guide to Israeli wine. It’s a hefty 700 pages, with information about wine tastings as well as the most comprehensive list of Israeli wines ever published.

If you buy one book about Israeli wines, this is it. Buy it now!

5. Janna Gur’s The Book of Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey is a coffee table book that must grace every foodie interested in Middle Eastern food. With great articles and breathtaking photos, Gur takes on the Israeli culinary potpourri, from shakshuka at the shouk to gourmet halva. While there are amazing recipes, it’s just a tremendous read. In addition, the wine section, written by Adam Montefiore, tells the story of the Israeli wine revolution from inception to present. There’s no one better to write about Israeli food than Janna Gur and no one better to write about wine than Adam Montefiore.

If you’re interested in Israeli food, kosher food, kosher wine, or Middle Eastern food, check it out!

4. Looking for affordable red wine glasses? My recommendation: Schott Zweisel is my go-to-brand for those who don’t want more expensive Riedel Vinum Bordeaux Wine Glasses, Set of 6. Depending on your size and budget these two are highly recommended:

• Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Stemware Pure Collection Burgundy 23.4 Ounce, Set of 6
• Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Stemware Forte Collection Red Wine/Light Soft Whites 13.6 Ounce, Set of 6

For white wine glasses:

• Schott Zwiesel Forte Sauvignon Blanc/White (Set of 6)

For champagne flutes:

• Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Stemware Forte Collection Champagne Flute With Effervesence Points 7.7 Ounce, Set of 6
• Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Stemware Cru Classic Collection Champagne Flute with Effervesence Points 8.4 Ounce, Set of 6

3. If you want wine and not vinegar, you need to invest in proper storage. While we would love a cave or wine cellar, most of us can’t afford this. Instead, a wine fridge has to do the job.

Have lots of wine or a big budget? Try Danby DWC612BLP 75 Bottle Wine Cooler – Platinum

Smaller budget or smaller collection? Try Haier HVTM16ABB 16-Bottle Wine Cellar with Electronic Controls

2. I discovered Vacu Vin when I was a young child in my parents’ liquor store and I’m still in love with the best wine stoppers. Buy Vacu Vin Stainless Steel Wine Saver Gift Set

1. There are lots of books and magazines about food and wine. Never miss them with the Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi. Then don’t forget to sign up for your favorite wine magazine subscription

And if you’re in Israel or want to give a gift to someone in Israel, why not a bottle of wine or high quality wine glasses and other accessories. You can get a custom order and even delivery at great prices from contributor David Rhodes. Contact him at israeliwineguy@gmail.com for a custom quote and inquiry.

Terravino 2011 has taken place. This is one of the main Israeli tasting competitions in the wine calendar, but it is the only open to international entrants.

The competition is organized annually by Ish Anavim, The Grape Man.

The big Israeli winner this year was Barkan. They won the prize for the best kosher wine and best winery. The winning wine was the Barkan Superieur Pinotage 2007. This is a grape variety the both specialize and excel in. Barkan is Israel’s second largest winery. It is owned by Tempo, Israel’s largest brewery & second largest beverage company. Their brands include Goldstar, Heineken, Absolut, Chivas Regal, and Pepsi Cola. Barkan also own Segal Wines. Their winery is at Hulda.

The prize for best boutique wineries was shared by Alexander and Adir. They each had two Double Gold Medal winning wines. Alexander Winery is situated at Beit Yitzhak in the Sharon Plain. It was founded in 1996. Adir Winery is situated in the Ramat Dalton Estate in the Upper Galilee.

The full list of winners is as follows.

The Best Kosher Israeli Wine – Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd Barkan Superieur Pinotage 2007

The Best Israeli Boutique Winery – Alexander Winery (Co-Awarding)

The Best Israeli Boutique Winery – Adir Winery (Co-Awarding)

The Best Israeli Small Boutique Winery – Shoshana Boutique Winery Shoshana Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

The Best Israeli Winemaker – Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd

Adir Winery Adir Tbr 2008 – Double Gold Medal Category 107 – Price US$ 50.00 to 84.99

Adir Winery Adir Plato 2009 – Double Gold Medal Category 107 – Price US$ 50.00 to 84.99

Alexander Winery Alexander Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008- Double Gold Medal Category 108 – Price US$ 85.00 to 119.99

Alexander Winery Alexander Reserve Merlot 2008 – Double Gold Medal Category 108 – Price US$ 85.00 to 119.99

Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd Barkan Superieur Pinotage 2007 – Double Gold Medal Category 107 – Price US$ 50.00 to 84.99

Shoshana Boutique Winery Shoshana Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 – Double Gold Medal Category 108 – Price US$ 85.00 to 119.99

Alexander Winery Alexander Reserve Shiraz 2008 – Gold Medal Category 108 – Price US$ 85.00 to 119.99

Arza Winery Auteur Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Gold Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd Barkan Superieur Shiraz 2006 – Gold Medal Category 107 – Price US$ 50.00 to 84.99

Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd Barkan Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Gold Medal Category 103 – Price US$ 11.00 to 16.99

Bazelet HaGolan Winery Bazelet Hagolan Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

2009- Gold Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Benhaim Winery Ltd Benhaim Grand Reserve 2006 – Gold Medal Category 106 – Price US$ 37.00 to 49.99

Benhaim Winery Ltd Benhaim Shiraz Tradition 2009 – Gold Medal Category 103 – Price US$ 11.00 to 16.99

Bustan Hameshushim Banjas Red 2009 – Gold Medal Category 102 – Price US$ 7.01 to US$ תחרות היינות והכהלים הבינלאומית –TERRAVINO 2011

Domaine Ventura Nahmans 2007 – Gold Medal Category 108 – Price US$ 85.00 to 119.99

Domaine Ventura Domaine Ventura Grande Cuvee Rose 2010 – Gold Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Eyal Boutique Winery Eyal Merlot 2009 – Gold Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Mond Winery Mond Merlot 2005 – Gold Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Mond Winery Mond Rouge 2005 – Gold Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Odem Mountain Winery Ltd Odem Mountain Merlot 2008 – Gold Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Odem Mountain Winery Ltd Odem Mountain Syrah 2009 – Gold Medal Category 106 – Price US$ 37.00 to 49.99

Or Hganuz Winery Namura Cabernet Franc 2009 – Gold Medal Category 107 – Price US$ 50.00 to 84.99

Or Hganuz Winery Or Haganuz Marom Vineyard Shamay Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Gold Medal Category 107 – Price US$ 50.00 to 84.99

Or Hganuz Winery Namura Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Gold Medal Category 107 – Price US$ 50.00 to 84.99

Or Hganuz Winery Or Haganuz Har Sinai – Gold Medal Category 107 – Price US$ 50.00 to 84.99

Red Sea Winery Red Sea Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Gold Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Shoshana Boutique Winery Shoshana Syrah 2008 – Gold Medal Category 107 – Price US$ 50.00 to 84.99

Stern Winery Rotem 2009 – Gold Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Tabor Winery Tabor Adama Sauvignon Blanc 2011 – Gold Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Adir Winery Adir “A” 2009 – Silver Medal Category 106 – Price US$ 37.00 to 49.99

Adir Winery Adir Kerem Ben Zimra Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Baram Winery Baram Forest 2009 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd Barkan Altitude Cabernet Sauvignon +624 2008 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd Barkan Assemblage Eitan 2008 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd Barkan Reserve Chardonnay 2010 – Silver Medal

Category 102 – Price US$ 7.01 to 10.99US$

Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd Barkan Assemblage Reichan 2008 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd Barkan Altitude Cabernet Sauvignon +412 2008 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Benhaim Winery Ltd Benhaim Gran Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – Silver Medal Category 106 – Price US$ 37.00 to 49.99

Dadah Winery Dadah Malbec Barbera 2008 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Domaine Ventura Domaine Ventura Merlot 2009 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Domaine Ventura Domaine Ventura Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Galil Mountain Winery Meron 2008 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Galil Mountain Winery Galil Mountain Shiraz Cabernet 2009 – Silver Medal Category 103 – Price US$ 11.00 to 16.99

Galil Mountain Winery Yiron 2008 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Gush Etzion Winery Haalon Haboded Shiraz 2009 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Gush Etzion Winery Haalon Haboded Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Mony Vineyards Mony Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2009

- Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Mosto Chardonnay Di Zimbalista 2010 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Naaman Winery Naaman Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – Silver Medal Category 105 – Price US$ 27.00 to 36.99

Naaman Winery Deep Purple 2008 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Ramot Naftaly Winery Ramot Naftaly Shiraz 2009 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Ramot Naftaly Winery Ramot Cabernet Sauvignon Special Adition 2010 – Silver Medal Category 103 – Price US$ 11.00 to 16.99

Ruth Vineyard Ruth Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 2007 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Savoine Wine Savion Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Shamaim Winery Shehakim 2009 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Shiloh Winery Shiloh Shiraz Merlot Shor 2007 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Stern Winery Stern Winery- Cabernet Franc 2009 – Silver Medal Category 103 – Price US$ 11.00 to 16.99

Tzuba Winery Tzuba Chardonnay 2010 – Silver Medal Category 104 – Price US$ 17.00 to 26.99

Nachmani Wines Nachmani Reserve Shiraz 2008 Gold Medal & Best Home Wine Award

Zuker Home Winery Jerusalem Zuker Merlot 2008 Gold Medal

Zuker Home Winery Jerusalem Zuker Shiraz 2008 Gold Medal

Kinarti Winery Kinarti Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Gold Medal

Metar Metar 2010 Gold Medal

Nachmani Wines Nachmani Reserve Merlot 2008 Gold Medal

AG Aroma of Grapes 2009 Silver Medal

Argov Argov Petite Sirah 2009 Silver Medal

Nahum Winery Shalom Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Silver Medal

Argov Sagol 2008 Silver Medal

Gabriel Gabriel Malbec 2009 Silver Medal

Hazan Winery Hazan Shira 2009 Silver Medal

Galach Aharon Galach Aharon 2009 Silver Medal

Zeev Winery Zeev Merlot 2009 Silver Medal

W&R 59 W&R Merlot 2009 Silver Medal

Gabriel Gabriel Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Silver Medal

Maimoni Maimoni Cabernet Franc 2009 Silver Medal

Har Adar winery Har Adar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Silver Medal

Har Adar winery Har Adar Merlot Reserve 2009 Silver Medal

Binyamina Spirits Arak Hanamal 40 – Extra Fine Arak Anise/Licorice – Double Gold Medal

Galil Flavor Ltd. Pomegranate Dessert Wine Wine Fruit Sweet – Double Gold Medal

Sons of Baheej Kawar Industrial Ltd. Kawar Arak 45 Liqueurs Anise/Licorice – Double Gold Medal

Galil Flavor Ltd. Pomegranate Port Style Wine Wine Fruit Sweet – Gold Medal

Rafael Grappa Rafael Old-Fasioned Oak Barrel Grape Brandy Others – Gold Medal

Rimon Winery Ltd.Rimon Galilee Premium Pomegranate Port Style Wine 2006 Wine Fruit Sweet – Gold Medal

Rimon Winery Ltd.Rimon Red Semi Sweet Pomegranate Wine 2010Wine Fruit Sweet – Gold Medal

Anat’s Liqueurs Anat Orange Liqueur Liqueurs Fruit – Silver Medal

Anat’s Liqueurs Anat Irish Espresso Liqueur Liqueurs Coffee – Silver Medal

Ben Ari Winery Ben Ari Pomegranate Wine Wine Fruit Sweet – Silver Medal

Morad Winery Danue Passion Fruit Liqueurs Fruit – Silver Medal

Niv S.T. Healthy Ltd. Pomero 2010 Wine Fruit Sweet – Silver Medal

Rafael Grappa Rafael Grape Brandy Others – Silver Medal

Varda Beverages Varda Beverages Arak 2007 Liqueurs Anise/Licorice – Silver Medal

The Wine Advocate has published its annual December tasting of Israeli wines.

The three most successful wines were Yatir Forest, Castel Grand Vin and Carmel Limited Edition.

The target of any winery is to receive 90 points or more in the Wine Advocate.

The wines which succeeded in this objective were:

Castel Grand Vin 2009                                                        92 points

Yatir Forest 2008                                                                  92

Carmel Limited Edition 2008                                             91

Carmel Mediterranean 2008                                             90

Carmel Shiraz, Kayoumi 2008                                            90

Castel Blanc du Castel 2010                                                90

Yatir Merlot Shiraz Cabernet 2008                                    90

Barkan Assemblage Mount Eitan  2008                           90

Barkan Cabernet Sauvignon Superieur  2007                 90

Barkan Cabernet Sauvignon Superieur 2008                  90

Alexander Amarolo 2007                                                    90

Alexander Cabernet sauvignon The Great 2007            90

Margalit Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve 2008      90

The Wine Advocate is the newsletter of the world’s most powerful wine critic, Robert Parker. Mark Squires tastes the Israeli wines on Parker’s behalf.

Now Daniel Rogov is deceased, the scores of Mark Squires, arguably the main expert on Israeli wines, become even more significant.

The surprise was the success of Israel’s two largest wineries. Both Barkan and Carmel had three wines on the list.

Of the smaller wineries, Alexander, Castel and Yatir each had two wines which reached the coveted 90 points.

The Wine Advocate has now been regularly tasting Israeli wines for five years.

By far the most successful Israeli wines during this period are Castel Grand Vin and Yatir Forest.

No other Israeli wine comes close to the record of these two Bordeaux style blends.

Castel Grand Vin is produced by Domaine du Castel at Ramat Raziel. Yatir Forest is produced by Yatir Winery at Tel Arad.

The Castel Grand Vin has six times received 90 points or more:

2003   90

2004   92

2006   90

2007   91

2008   93

2009   92

The Yatir Forest has on six consecutive vintages scored 90 points or more:

2003  93

2004  91

2005  90

2006  91

2007  91

2008  92

As of now, forty six Israeli wines have scored 90 points in the Wine Advocate. So it is no longer as rare as it used to be. However,

only 19 Israeli wines have succeeded to score 91 points or more in the Wine Advocate. This makes a far more select list.

The wines with 91 points or more, are as follows:

Yatir Forest 2003                                                           93 points

Castel Grand Vin 2008                                                  93

Margalit Cabernet Sauvignon Sp. Res.  2007                93

Clos du Gat Sycra Muscat 2007                                    93

Castel Grand Vin 2004                                                  92

Yatir Forest 2008                                                           92

Castel Grand Vin 2008                                                  92

Clos du Gat Sycra Syrah 2007                                      92

Tzora Or 2006                                                               92

Carmel Limited Edition 2007                                         91

Carmel Limited Edition 2008                                         91

‘C’ Blanc du Castel 2005                                              91

Castel Grand Vin 2007                                                 91

Yatir Forest 2004                                                         91

Yatir Forest 2006                                                         91

Yatir Forest 2007                                                         91

Margalit Kadita Cabernet Sauvignon 2007                 91

Yarden HeightsWine 2005                                          91

Yarden Katzrin 2003                                                   91

Both Castel and Yatir again lead the way having scored 91 points or more on five occasions.

Carmel, Clos du Gat, Margalit, and Yarden have each achieved this twice.

Cava is Spain’s national sparkling wine, which is made in the Catalonian region. It provides quality, but at a cheaper price than the French version.

Prosecco is the latest rising star. This is a light, soft, fruity sparkling wine made in the Veneto region of Italy. It is usually a little cheaper than Cava, and so is popular with those buying on price.Lambrusco is a semi sparkling wine, with a slight fizz. It may be red or white and in any style from dry to semi sweet.

Champagne is the ultimate expression of the art, which is replicated by ‘traditional method’ sparkling wines made elsewhere. Between the late 1950’s and 1980’s, Carmel was the first Israeli winery to produce ‘méthode champenoise’ sparkling wines. It was expensive undertaking needing a special work force as everything was done by hand. There was no market for expensive sparkling wine in those days and so they eventually stopped production. It was too unprofitable. The only remaining clue of a champagne past, are the old pupitres, which can still be seen at the Rishon Le Zion Cellars.

Carmel’s specialist winemaker for sparkling wines was Koby Gat. He was a Francophile and his main interest was in sparkling wines. As Carmel’s focus changed, his did also. He became the agronomist looking after Carmel’s vineyards and later ran the wine education department. The main wine flying the flag for Israel was President’s Sparkling wine, made primarily from Colombard grapes. It was initially made by the champagne method, and later by the charmat process. It was sold abroad as Brut Cuvée and Blanc de Blancs, all under the Carmel label. Another brand was Sambatyon. There was also a Chardonnay Sparkling Wine at in the early 1990’s.

It was then that Israel took a giant step forward to producing quality sparkling wine. The Golan Heights Winery sent their young, new winemaker, Victor Schoenfeld, to work for six months at Jacquesson Champagne to learn the secrets of the ‘champenoise.’ The Golan then invested in all the modern equipment to make champagne method sparkling wine. This time the process was mechanized and gyro-pallets were used instead of manual remuage. Their efforts resulted in three traditional method sparkling wines: Yarden Blanc de Blancs, Yarden Brut and Gamla Rose.

At the 1996 International Wine & Spirit Competition in London, Israeli sparkling wine arrived on the international stage. Yarden Blanc de Blancs, then a non-vintage wine, won the Trophy for The Best Bottle Fermented Sparkling Wine. This high profile award was repeated in 2003 when Yarden Blanc de Blancs 1997, by then a vintage wine, won the same trophy. The 1999 vintage also won a prestigious trophy at Vinitaly of 2006. These prizes were to the immense credit of the Golan Heights Winery. It showed that Israeli sparkling wine could be truly world class.

Today sparkling wine such as President’s, Brut Cuvée, Sambatyon, Yarden Brut and Gamla Rose are history. They are no longer made. However the choice of quality Israeli sparkling wines has never been better. These are the wines for New Years Eve or Sylvester’s parties and they are as good as any Cava or Prosseco! The range of Israeli sparklers goes from the frizzante Moscatos to the finest champagne method wines.

Young Selected Moscato, Golan Moscato & Young Selected Carignano – all 2011
These are light, fruity, easy drinking wines, with a touch of sweetness, and a slight sparkle. The two Moscatos are white and the Carignano is red. All are low alcohol.

Selected Sparkling, Selected Sparkling Rosé & Selected Sparkling Lite
The regular ‘extra dry’ white sparkling wine is made from Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc. It is light, fruity with a delicate and not too obvious sweetness.
The Selected Sparkling Rosé has a delicate berry fruit nose, is deliciously balanced and has an attractive salmon pink color. Selected Sparkling Lite is a semi sweet sparkling wine with only 7% alcohol.

Tabor Pninim White & Tabor Pninim Red
Tabor make two semi sparkling red and white wines. The white is made from Gewurztraminer and Viognier grapes and the red is made from Merlot. Both are semi dry, quaffable and may described as fun wines, to be enjoyed without pretension. The word ‘Pninim’ means pearls and is so named for the string of bubbles that constantly rise upwards in the glass.

Private Collection Brut & Private Collection Brut Rosé
The Private Collection Brut sparkling wine is made by the Charmat Method from Colombard and Chardonnay. The wine is refreshing, with an aroma of lime, green apple, with hints of lightly toasted bread. The Private Collection Brut Rosé is made from Chardonnay, Colombard and Syrah. Delicate pink in color, with a strawberry nose, this wine will be a good accompaniment to a wide range of first course dishes.

Tabor 562 Red & Tabor 562 White
The Tabor sparkling wines come in a white and red version. The red wine is the first genuine sparkling red wine in Israel and is made from Barbera grapes. It is fruity with a refreshing cranberry finish and is a fun, slightly unusual sparkling wine option. The white is made from Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon and has a refreshing citrus character.

Gamla Brut
Gamla Brut is made by the traditional method from 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, grown in the relatively cool climate Golan Heights. The wine is left to age for one year at least before disgorging. The wine is bone dry, with good berry aroma and refreshing acidity.

Tishbi Brut
A bottle fermented sparkling wine made from French Colombard grapes, grown in the Shomron Region vineyards, in the southern Mt. Carmel region. The wine is aromatic, fruity, with a nice clean good lemony finish.

Yarden Blanc de Blancs 2005
Israel’s finest champagne method sparkling wine, made 100% from Chardonnay grapes grown on the Golan Heights. The wine is delicate with tropical fruit notes, and a toasty backdrop. It is of the quality of the finest champagne, but is a great deal better value.

Pelter Blanc de Blancs
A tiny production of traditional method sparkling wine, made from Chardonnay grapes grown in the Galilee and Golan. The wine rests for three years on its yeasts. The result is a fresh, aromatic and intense wine. The wine is rare, exclusive and very expensive.

David Rhodes discusses wine and food pairing for Rosh Hashana

Read the article in the Jerusalem Post.

Below is an excerpt from the article:

What’s good in Israel? Israeli wine! Wine recommendations for Rosh Hashanah

By Avi Hein, Editor-in-Chief: HaKerem: The Israeli Wine Blog

It’s not a Jewish holiday without wine. While the traditional Rosh Hashanah greeting is for a sweet new year, there’s no reason to settle for sweet wines (unless, of course, you’re pairing your wine with some sweet food like a honey cake or ice cream).

The religious commandment is to enjoy and feast. In order to truly fulfill this commandment, one should not drink any grape beverage but rather sanctify themselves with world-class wine that brings enjoyment to the drinkers.

Holiday Recommendations

Yatir Viognier — Yatir, one of Israel’s finest wineries, partially owned by Carmel Winery, recently received three to four stars in Hugh Johnson’s 2012 Pocket Wine Book. The Viognier is a fresh, white wine, which has tinges of autumn fruits, including citrus. The best Israeli Viognier. Yatir’s parent winery, Carmel, also makes a great Viognier in the Carmel Appellation series, a close second to Yatir’s take.  NIS 75

Yatir Cabernet-Merlot-Shiraz – This blended red is full bodied and elegant. Royal purple, with deep tannins and hints of plums, berry, and cherry. Not meant to be drunk quickly but rather sipped and savored slowly, with a long finish. NIS 95

Tzora Neve Ilan –Tzora is a boutique winery in the Judean Hills, outside of Jerusalem. According to Mark Squires, who writes about wine for The Wine Advocate, “The Judean Hills is one of the most underrated wine regions in the world.” The Tzora Shoresh is also highly recommended. Both are complex and reflect the terroir-driven approach of the winemakers. NIS 134

Saslove Aviv –Saslove Winery was established in 1998 by Canadian immigrant Barry Saslove. Highly recommended include the Saslove Aviv “April,” which is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Nebiolo, 40% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and the Saslove “Marriage,” which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz, as well as Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Nebbiolo. Saslove is kosher as of the 2010 vintage and also made a line of kosher wines under the ‘Sagol’ label. The Aviv wines retail for about 79 NIS.

Recanati Sauvignon Blanc — Recanati is one of Israel’s top value wines, with options at any level and budget. A short drive from Ra’anana and Kfar Saba, Recanati is straw in color with hints of citrus and grassy tinges, refreshing for a light meal or holiday lunch.  NIS 50

The Derekh HaYayin (Wine Route) chain also has a Red and White “Special Edition” which are well recommended for about 60NIS/bottle.

Segal Dovev Argaman Red – While Argaman was the failed experiment of the Israeli wine industry, this varietal, developed by Professor Roy Spiegel in the early 1990s, Segal’s Dovev Argaman is anything but a failure and Segal’s winemaker has shown that great wine can come from this grape. The 2007 vintage won the equivalent of a Gold Medal at ‘Les Citadelles du Vins’ Competition held in Bordeaux, France. NIS 90

Barkan Superieur Cabernet Sauvignon – Varying in quality from year to year, Barkan’s Superier Cabernet Sauvignon is dark, royal purple, firm, and concentrated, with a mineral  finish. NIS 180

Barkan Altitude +720 – Barkan’s Altitude is composed of grapes from a variety of altitudes in Israel, from Mitzpeh Ramon in the south to Dovev on the Lebanese border.  NIS 109

Teperberg Silver Sangiovese – the only mevushal wine on this list, Teperberg is one of Israel’s oldest wineries that began making worthy table wines in the past decade. The Sangiovese, a traditional Italian grape, is perfect with pastas, brisket, and foods with deep red sauces. NIS 45

Teperberg Late Harvest Riesling – Not for Kiddush at the main meal, but rather to enjoy as an aperitif or dessert, this wine will go great with an apple and honey cake, especially if you manage to make it a la mode. Teperberg also makes a white and red moscato, for a more simple dessert wine, and the only mevushal sparkling wine in Israel. NIS 50

Best Value Wines:

Young Value Wines: Don’t want to burst your budget or just need to make it to the nearest supermarket? At or under 40NIS, try Segal Fusion series, or the Carmel Private Collection or, for a sparkling wine, Carmel’s Selected Brut. Carmel has made an amazing turn around in the past few years and the Private Collection series provides some of the best quality-for-price.

A Holiday Bonus:

Rimon Winery – not a traditional grape wine, but rather a pomegranate fruit wine. As a pomegranate is one of the major symbols of Rosh Hashanah, Rimon (which means pomegranate in Hebrew) Winery makes several dessert wines and a unique sparkling wine as well. It’s a fitting addition to any Rosh Hashanah table. NIS 66 – NIS 75

Read the rest in the Jerusalem Post

Two neighboring wineries located on Kibbutz Eyal in Israel’s Sharon region, on September 17th (coincidentally my birthday) hosted tastings celebrating their 2011 harvest as well as the release of earlier vintage wines. The Saslove Winery, featuring father & daughter winemakers Barry & Roni Saslove, is not only renown for their quality boutique wines but for a passion educating inspiring winemakers or just anyone curious about wine. Barry gave a lecture on the 17th discussing the 2011 harvest and I got a chance to ask him about what seems to be a promising vintage. The winery was decorated with bowls of several grape varieties from their Tzivon, Alma, Miles, Safsufa and Kadita vineyards in the Galilee and they were serving juice from some of their prospective wines for tasting. If you’ve never had juice from wine grapes before fermentation, you’re surely missing out. This was the unfiltered must that hadn’t been left on the skins and those who had stopped by were lucky enough to taste their white Viognier (which at this stage looked like a banana smoothie) and a few reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Nebbiolo. The raw grapes were a treat to taste as well and although delicious they’re obviously not suited as table grapes as they are a lot smaller with a much higher ratio of skin to pulp which helps provide the color and tannins needed for wines capable of aging for a decade or more yet aren’t the pulpy payoff one wishes when eating plumper and often seedless grapes.

According to Barry, the winter of 2010-2011 provided his vineyards with 20% more water than the average year, about 1.2 meters compared to the typical 1 meter, and the rain came fairly evenly through out the “offseason” so there was little runoff which happens when the soil doesn’t have a chance to absorb the previous rain before the next rain comes or if it comes all at once. The moderate temperatures also were the “best he can remember” with “the nicest and longest spring” with cool days lasting into the middle of June, pleasant for both the residents of Israel and maturing grapes on his vines. Although the temperatures seemed ideal, there was an overabundance of humidity which contributed to ‘the full range” of pests from mite bearing ants, flying insects and lots of mildew and fungus which can decimate a crop. Typically, Barry and Roni might spray their 14 plots of grapes spread over 5 vineyards 7 times/season and this year they had to spray 15 times to prevent pests from either decimating his crop or being forced to pick early.

Because of the unusually fair weather but abundant pests, Barry thinks the 2011 vintage will be a real “winemaker’s year.” According to Saslove, this year might really show what a winemaker is made of as he thinks how a winemaker/viticulturalist reacts to the exceptionally fair temperatures, extreme humidity and plenty of pests will all show up in the final grapes and eventually the wine. It’s not uncommon for winemaker’s to say that 95% of what makes good or great wine good or great is the grapes. Another common saying in the industry is that “you can make bad wine out of good grapes but you can’t make good wine out of bad grapes”. Barry believes this might be the “best year yet for fruit” for the Saslove Winery. This is also good news for some other discriminating Israeli winemakers since the Saslove’s sell about 1/3 of their grapes to other boutique wineries which gives the Saslove’s the potential to grow from their current 80,000 bottles to eventually 120,000 bottles.

In the spirit of the New Year, the Saslove’s are also releasing their first series of Aviv red wines under the kosher certification that started for all their wines in 2010. They’ll be easy to spot on the shelves as the labels look dramatically different from previous year’s with colorful drawings of birds that seem lifted from a birdwatcher’s guide. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz each sport a single avian avatar with the Marriage blend of six grapes (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiollo) sporting a couple of yellow “lovebirds.” Previously, they only made a limited Cabernet Savignon called “Sagol” for distribution in Jerusalem. All four Aviv wines retail for about 79 NIS. From earlier in 2011, they also released their Lavahn (84 NIS), their new semi-sweet blend of Gewurztraminer, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is seemingly addictive to some and a great match for many of Israel’s spicier dishes whether it’s local white fish with spicy Moroccan or Yemenite sauces or Thai or Indian curry this wine is like nectar and worthy of making any bee or hummingbird jealous of those lucky enough to sample any of the bottles only available through the winery. They also released a red blend from 2010 aptly called April (79 NIS) just in time for Passover that’s developing nicely even though it wasn’t made as a wine meant to age for as long as their other reds. So now they have six kosher wines available for Rosh Hashanah with their upper echelon wines from 2010 still aging in oak barrels for future bottling and release in the next few years with all wines thereafter from all series being certified from 2010 onwards. With the addition of certification, the wines haven’t changed in their flavors, aromas, balance or complexity. The winemaker’s at the Flam and Tulip wineries would agree since their wines came under kosher certification with their 2010 vintages as well. As Israel Flam succinctly says of his sons’ wines, “our wines were always kosher. Now they’re just certified kosher.”

Only a few meters away from the Saslove Winery is another family owned boutique, the Avidan Winery. These friendly competitors make dramatically different wines though they are both highly prized and well regarded by Israeli and international critics. First, Avidan’s winemaker,Tzina Avidan tends to use mostly less commonly employed grapes which are bound to result in different wines. Avidan regularly releases Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Petite Sirah and often makes blends consisting of Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan which aren’t grapes being found under the Saslove label or many other boutiques in Israel although Avidan has Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines (like Saslove and so many others) for those who don’t want to stray too far from more traditional wines.

Additionally, even though they’re making much less wine than Sasloves (30,000 bottles compared to 80,000) they have about twice as many labels. This comes from a lot of experimenting with different versions of wines from the same grapes, several blends or putting the same wine out in different incarnations to see maybe what the consumers want from future vintages. Larger commercial wineries often make similar “test wines” but don’t always release them. Avidan bravely bottles and releases these wines and many wine lovers and writers are glad they did. They have one series called “Fringe” embracing wines that defy traditional grape combinations and expectations. Of course some wine drinkers want wines that fulfill their preconceived stereotypes but Fringe wines seem slated for “open minded connoisseurs”.

For instance, Tzina has been experimenting with different styles and grape combinations for making ros`es. The 2009 was a dry blend of Grenache, Carignan and Pinot Noir with the 2010 dropping Pinot Noir from the blend with the addition of Merlot ( a much more traditional ros’e grape). Yet, in 2010 Tzina made and released two versions one fruitier and slightly sweeter than the other. These sell at the winery for about 50 NIS. For this New Year, Avidan is releasing their 2008 Petite Syrah. (Yes, I know it’s more commonly spelled Sirah but I’m just reporting what’s printed on the label which is not uncommon in Israel). Either way, this robust wine is derived from Judean Hills’ grapes and it’s impenetrable purple color hints that it will match well with savory grilled meats or BBQ with plentiful black fruit and ground pepper that isn’t lost to the two years of French oak aging that delivers a lot of chocolate in both the aromas and flavor. This wine goes for 160 NIS but is the equal of many finer wines in this price range yet one of the most expensive single varietal Petite Sirahs available in Israel.

Last but not least on my “birthday visit” to Avidan was a taste of their selection of semi-dry and dessert wines. Their 2007 Gran Soliel is 100% Chardonnay and just slightly sweet though it has surely given the wine more aging ability than the average Israeli white wine. Tzina is coy sometimes about telling a taster what grapes make up a wine since her wines don’t always fit what industry people call “varietal specificity.” By that I mean, certain grapes often have certain flavors and aromas that wine professionals and consumers expect when the grape is mentioned on the front of the label so Avidan’s “Chardonnay” is wisely not called a Chardonnay on the front label as it might disappoint someone seeking a Chardonnay they may have had in the past. Tzina’s intention was to stress more tropical fruit than classic apple, pear or citrus flavors and the wine avoided the secondary fermentation process that makes so many “New World” Chardonnays “butter bombs”. Three years of oak aging imparted a rounder body and mouth feel but since the barrels were older they were more neutral in imparting flavors and little vanilla is detectable that might be expected otherwise. This is another example of how Avidan’s “Fringe” wines might not deliver a wine you expect but you might start to expect that their wines are uniquely desirable for just that reason. At 99 NIS, its a worthy investment.

To push the point forward about how many different wines they do have although some are just variations of a familiar theme, Avidan has a white port style wine also made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. By port style, I mean that the wine was fermented into a wine with only 9% alcohol leaving residual sugar for a sweeter wine then fortified later with neutral spirits to raise the total alcohol to 17%. This Avidan Gold is another Avidan wine aged 3 years in neutral barrels and it exhibits golden delicious apples, notes of mango and pineapple, caramel, butterscotch and vanilla and without a mistake honey. Seemingly a great match for many sesame seed based desserts, marzipan, apple pie or strudel or creme brulee. At 120 NIS, don’t think this is a wine you have to drink in one sitting. Because of its sweetness and it’s higher alcohol, fortified “port-style” wines last far longer than dry table wines after opening even weeks or months depending how finicky you are.

Although I enjoy flirting with white fortified wines, my preference though is for red “ports” whether from Israel or port’s true home in Portugal. Red grapes seem to have the extra gravitas to stand up to the additional alcohol more so than white. I’m often talking with winemakers how it could be advantageous for Israeli dessert wines to find an identity and branding of their own like dessert wines from Portugal, Spain, Germany, Hungary and Canada have branded for themselves. Until then, we can still enjoy the increase in more and sweet and succulent wines as Israeli winemakers embrace dessert wines that were snubbed for so many years as a way of escaping guilt by association with sacramental “kiddush wines” that harken to a past when Israeli wines weren’t winning more than their fare share of international accolades.

Avidan’s “red port” called Ruby and Saslove’s red “Kadita” (139 NIS) are two great examples of confident Israeli winemakers who have great reputations for making dry wines delivering to consumers great dessert wines as well. Any respectable wine region is remiss without its share of dessert wine options and on the boutique scene, Avidan and Saslove have two hard to find but easy to savor dessert wines ideal for raising a glass to the traditional Hebrew toast “l’shonah tovah tikatevu” May you have a good and sweet New Year.”