One of my new favorite Israeli wineries comes from a kibbutz not far from Jerusalem. Tzuba Winery is based at Kibbutz Tzuba in the Judean Hills. It’s first release was only from the 2005 vintage. While that vintage was quite enjoyable, this year’s releases (of the 2006 and 2007 vintages) are absolutely amazing and a great price. Only available in Israel, Tzuba is just another hidden gem of unique and excellent wines only available to visitors in Israel. My favorite […]

Read More »

Since moving to Israel, I’ve experienced and most typically enjoyed hundreds of wine tastings. It just goes with the territory of being a wine writer and sommelier. It’s a pleasant diversion when you’re offered a nice twist from the standard fare of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. I do appreciate fine examples of those “Noble” grapes but there’s just so many wineries producing those varietals that when a rarer varietal like Viognier or Cabernet Franc is offered, the contrast is […]

Read More »

Being the only winemaker at a winery making a million bottles of wine a year is enough work for any one man. For instance, one Israeli winery of a similar size employs three winemakers. Yet, Golan Tishbi likes challenges and keeping himself busy whether its building pizza ovens for the winery’s visitor center or tinkering […] Previously, I had tasted Tabor wines on several occasions at festivals and a few times at the winery and each time I was politely […]

Read More »

The Jewish holidays are a great time to find lots of Israeli wine – even if you aren’t Jewish. Rosh Hashana and Sukkot, two great feasting holidays, are coming up soon (Rosh Hashana begins this year on the night of September 29 and lasts two days) and this is a great chance to buy kosher […] Mark Spivak, a wine reviewer who has written for the Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Media Group, and other Florida and national magazines, […]

Read More »

The Wine Spectator has its latest review of kosher, Israeli wines for the High Holidays. Wines tasted include: GOLAN HEIGHTS WINERY Gewürztraminer Galilee Yarden Heights Wine 2006 Score: 90 | $23 / 375ml BINYAMINA The Cave Galilee 2005 Score: 89 | $65 CARMEI ZVI-SEGAL BROS. Cabernet Sauvignon Galilee Heights Segal’s Special Reserve 2004 Score: 88 […] Two Israeli wineries have been included in Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine Book 2010. Domaine du Castel and Yatir Winery are both listed for the […]

Read More »

According to a report in Globes, Israel’s top financial paper, Israel is now seeking to be the next Tuscany, Bordeaux, Rhone, Napa and Sonoma Valley. That is, Israel too, hopes to become a wine tourism destination. According to Globes: Zichron Yaacov and Binyamina are formulating a plan to create agricultural tourism with the aim of […] It’s a few days until New Years – or Sylvester as we call it in Israel – and with that comes bubbly. Yup, sparkling […]

Read More »

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 […] Recently, I participated in an unprecedented tasting of Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon wines in Tel Aviv in the garden of Chef Alon Gonen’s home. We […]

Read More »

According to a report in Globes, Israel’s top financial paper, Israel is now seeking to be the next Tuscany, Bordeaux, Rhone, Napa and Sonoma Valley. That is, Israel too, hopes to become a wine tourism destination. According to Globes: Zichron Yaacov and Binyamina are formulating a plan to create agricultural tourism with the aim of […]

Read More »

From ynetnews.com:   Adam Montefiore Photo: Gilad Kavalerchik Israeli world-class wines – it’s now official! For the first time ever, two Israeli wineries, Domaine du Castel and Yarden (Golan Heights Winery), have been awarded the coveted four star awards Adam Montefiore Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2008 has been published and it contains good news […]

Read More »

One of the best Israeli examples of my belief that wine can be called “philosophy in a bottle” is from the Recanati Winery. Israeli born and UC Davis trained Gil Shatsberg took over as the chief winemaker in 2008 and since then, he and his associate Ido Lewinsohn (who trained at the University of Milan […] As someone who first started studying wine as a Geography student in college, I’m fond of wines that give homage to their terroir whether […]

Read More »