Unfortunately I can’t attend Israwinexpo today, when it’s only open to the trade.  I will be there tomorrow night. However, I want to open this thread as an open forum for initial reactions, photos, links to coverage, etc. I’ve really been enjoying the Wine Enthusiast lately. They’ve got some of the best coverage from a mainstream wine magazine of Israeli wine representing where the Israeli wine market is today. Particularly, I should add, on their social media channels. So, I […]

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According to Daniel Rogov and his 2009 Guide to Israeli Wine, here are the Top Ten Up-and-Coming producers of wine in Israel: Pelter Tabor Assaf Odem Mountain Vitkin Savion Psagot Tulip Avidan Kadita I love how social media can be used to introduce people to Israeli wine. On my Twitter account (@hakerem – you arefollowing me, I presume), I found a wine blogger who was looking for some wine tips. Well, first we bonded over a few tweets about (the […]

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Carmel Winery has just announced the launch of its award-winning premium brandy, the Carmel 100. This quality Israeli brandy was aged for at least eight years in oak barrels. This new release of the Carmel 100 brandy is in honor of the hundredth anniversary of Carmel Winery. Brandy Carmel 100 is made with Columbard (70%) with the addition of Chenin Blanc and Emerald Riesling. Most of the brandy (75%) was produced with double distillation (pot still) as is common in […]

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The latest Ha’aretz review from Israeli wine critic Daniel Rogov. This time, on what he calls good values in local wines. Note that all the prices are the Israeli local price and not abroad. Are the non-kosher wines available in the US beyond those carried by Israeli Wine Direct? Wine and Spirits / Best deals on local wines By Daniel Rogov Finding good bargains for local wines these days is becoming increasingly difficult, the very best wines being justifiably expensive […]

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In Daniel Rogov’s latest column in Ha’aretz, he tastes the interesting wine from Vitkin. This is a taste of Rogov’s thoughts: Assaf Paz, the winemaker at Vitkin Winery, is doing some pretty strange things. The winery, a family affair producing about 40,000 bottles annually, has refused so far to fit into the standard mold. Instead of producing wines from ultra-popular grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, it has chosen to focus on grapes with less of a local […]

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Ella Valley is another excellent terroir-driven winery that is making excellent wines in Israel. Ella Valley, founded in 1997 on Kibbutz Netiv Lamed Hay, produced around 150,000 bottles for the 2006 vintage. Run by French-trained winemaker Doron Rav Hon, the grapes all come from nearby vineyards and are harvested at night, to ensure high quality. The area of Ella Valley were harvesting wine for thousands of years. When they did excavations at the kibbutz and surrounding area, they found numerous […]

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A follow up to the below post. If you still can’t decide what sparkling wine to open tonight, here’s two tasting notes on the bubby from Daniel Rogov’s column in Ha’aretz:  Pelter, Blanc de Blanc Brut, n.v.: Although categorized as non-vintage, this wine was made with Chardonnay grapes entirely from the 2003 vintage. Gentle yeast and hints of nicely toasted white bread with sharp bubbles that go on and on. Fresh, aromatic, well-focused and intense, with grapefruit and lime fruits […]

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Yatir Winery is another great Israeli winery. All the Yatir wines that I have drunk have truly stood out as some of the best wine that I have ever drunk. Smooth, complex, and just tasty, Yatir is a winery in the Negev (the Negev! Desert!) formed with partnership with Carmel. There’s not much to say about Yatir. Rather, there’s much to experience as they make truly truly excellent wines for special occasions. Monday night I had the opportunity to taste […]

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The Montefiore family, Adam, David & Rachel, were photographed at a private meal at the Ritz Carlton, with bottles of Carmel, Tabor and Montefiore wines on the table. Adam works for Carmel, David for Tabor and Rachel for Montefiore wineries. One family, three wineries. The father , Adam Montefiore, has worked for many years in the wine industry, for Bass Charrington in England, and for the last twenty five years in Israel, for both the Golan Heights Winery and Carmel […]

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