Posted at 14:10h in Kosher, Reviews by 0 Comments
It’s no secret, the economy is not in good shape. This is true whether you are in the United States, Europe, Israel, or wherever. This is something we all know, and, personally, one of the reasons why I haven’t been updating this blog as often as I would have liked. However, there is still reason to drink wine – whether religious, social, or whatever.
In that regard, Daniel Rogov’s latest column in Ha’aretz explores some decent wines at good prices. No, these wines aren’t the best wines in the world, but they are good and, most of all, affordable for drinking now.
The current recession and increasingly bad economic times are having their impact on the local wine market, with many people “trading down” – buying the same amount of wine at cheaper prices. People are buying less at wine stores and more at supermarkets to find bargains, with wine stores fighting back by having more specials.
The recession has also been felt in restaurants, with even the moneyed not wanting to appear ostentatious and thus frequenting mid-level establishments instead of the top ones. In reaction, many of the best restaurants in the country have started offering very reasonable prix fixe menus, not only at lunch but at dinner as well.
As for wine in restaurants, a large percentage of diners continue to order wine, but an increasing number bring wine from home, and those ordering from the wine list are tending toward more reasonably priced offerings.
For several years, knowledgeable wine drinkers have known that the best buys in the country were the Tabor, Galil Mountain and Dalton wineries as well as in the Gamla series of the Golan Heights Winery. Those wines are now being joined by wines from the Zion winery and, while those may not make for the most sophisticated drinking, they do offer excellent value.
Read the full article for Rogov’s reviews of the wines from Zion Winery, an interesting winery on the way up.
