Israeli wine is world class. Yes, we’ve heard this recently from the likes of Robert Parker, Mark Squires, Gary Vaynerchuk, Wine Spectator, Decanter, and other wine critics and trade publications. But I think they’ve all got it a bit wrong. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not necessarily disagreeing with their scores and I’ll take the 93 that the Wine Advocate (Robert Parker and Mark Squires) gave the Yatir Forest. Rather, my wine philosophy is that Israeli wine is not world class […]

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Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has a new Internet-only feature on Israeli wine. This article by Mark Squires has reviews, tasting notes, and some of the Wine Advocate’s thoughts on Israeli wine. I will have more on this topic later, once I go through the tasting notes, but if you are a subscriber check it out and if not, you may still be able to get it from eRobertParker.com.

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So Hanukkah started tonight in Israel and the rest of the world. What  That means it’s time for Sufganiyot (jelly donuts) which have been appearing in Israel since after Sukkot (is that like seeing Christmas decorations as soon as Halloween is over in America?). I’m excited. In the Jewish European Diaspora, people will also be eating latkes (fried potato pancakes). My wife promised to make some. I can feel my arteries clogging already. Luckily, however, we all know that red […]

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Richard Shaffer of Israeli Wine Direct has an absolutely excellent video post about how “kosher is not a country” and how many of the everyday foods that are in your refrigerator, pantry, and throughout your house may be kosher – no matter your religion. Coca Cola, Cheerios, Heinz ketchup, fruits and vegetables and many more everyday products are all kosher. Yet, as we all know, there is still a stigma with kosher wine. People even search online for “Jewish wine” […]

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Jerusalem.com has an interview with Dan Vered, owner of the Jerusalem Wine and Art store in the Old City in Jerusalem, which is a new wine shop in Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter. While Israel’s “wine revolution” only took place in the last few decades, as we’ve said before, Israel has been making wine for thousands of years. Dan Vered, who sounds like an American immigrant to Israel, tells the story about Israel’s long history with wine making – and particularly the […]

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Ha’aretz’s weekend magazine has a new series where they profile a parent and child. This weekend is Moti Teperberg, from Teperberg 1870, and his daughter Hila Lieber-Teperberg. read the full article A little history of Teperberg winery: Moti is a fifth-generation Jerusalemite on his father Menachem’s side and 10th generation on his mother Rivka’s side. The foundations for the family’s wine business were laid by Avraham Teperberg, who immigrated to Ottoman Palestine from Austria in 1850, and two years later […]

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DR: Over the last several years, Israeli wineries have been winning more than their fair share of international recognition and awards. When visiting any of the best Israeli wineries, the recognition they seem to hold most dear is that from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Robert Parker is the founder of the 100 point wine scoring system and a glowing review from his magazine can assure a winery an easier path to higher demand (i.e., easier sales at higher prices). The […]

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It’s almost the end of 2009 and so the young 2009 vintage wines are soon coming out. While it’s traditional for the boujealais Gamay to be the first of the harvest, young white wines are sometimes also released aroudn the same time. Golan Moscato 2009 is a white dessert wine, young, fresh, and light to drink. In the Moscato d’Asti style, the wine has a low alcohol content and it is recommended to be served 5-7 degrees celsius. This kosher […]

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Holiday Shopping – Parts I & II As you probably already know, the weeks leading up to Pessach are the US kosher wine industry’s busiest with more kosher wine being sold during this period than the rest of the year combined. As the popularity of quality kosher wine continues to increase, the quality and variety of wines available to the kosher wine consumer are truly astounding. While obviously a blessing, the tremendous choice can make for a somewhat stressful shopping […]

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Live in Israel or looking to visit? Several Israeli wineries, from the Negev to the Golan, not only are open to visitors but also have visitor centers that cater to the needs of wine tourism. Some recommended wineries include: Galil Mountain Winery, Upper Galilee Recanati, Emek Hefer Industrial Park (conveniently located between Ra’anana and Netanya) Carmel Winery, Zichron Ya’akov – in the past few years Carmel completely changed their wine tourism, building a brand new visitor center. Israel’s oldest continuing […]

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