Carmel | HaKerem: Israeli Wine – Part 5

Posted at 20:00h in Wine 101 by Avi 1 Comment

Sparkling wine is the wine of fashion and celebration. Whether on New Year’s Eve or at a wedding, it remains the classic wine to make a toast with. It is also symbol of success and happiness. Though it is a style of wine that has…

Posted at 13:18h in Events, Wine industry by Avi 1 Comment

Every year a new wine festival opens in Israel, from the southern tips of Eilat to the northern tips of the Golan Heights. But it is no exaggeration to say that Israel’s most important wine festival is Tel Aviv’s Sommelier. This giant Israeli wine festival has now…

Posted at 10:41h in Wine 101, Wines by Avi 0 Comments

Unfortunately most Israelis associate sweet wines with Kiddush and religious ritual, and therefore the very word ‘sweet’ has connotations of a cheap and nasty wine. Something which is to be avoided, at all costs. However some of the world’s most sought after and expensive wines…

Posted at 20:08h in Wine 101, Wines by Avi 1 Comment

Twenty years ago there was a large market for Israeli brandies. Stock 84 and Brandy 777 were big domestic brands. In the 1990’s Carmel & Tishbi brandies won major international recognition at the very highest possible level. Yet high domestic taxes and the fact that…

Posted at 23:41h in Reviews, Wineries by Avi 5 Comments

Daniel Rogov’s Guide to Israeli Wine is coming out in a few weeks for 2010 (How did that happen?). He’s been publishing this annual guide to Israeli wine for the past several years and it keeps on getting bigger and bigger. One of the most interesting…

Posted at 15:00h in Wine industry by Avi 2 Comments

by Amos Ravid Amos Ravid is Wine Education Manager of Carmel Winery. This article first appeared in Wine, Gourmet & Alcohol and Wines Israel. Although Israel has a long history of winemaking, the country does not have its own indigenous grape varieties. The Ottomans, when in…

Posted at 08:42h in Wine industry by Avi 0 Comments

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 first time signalling more recognition for the advances of Israeli wine. As far as wine recommendation goes, Castel’s Grand Vin and Yatir…

Posted at 22:53h in Wine industry by Avi 1 Comment

This article about Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book first appeared on wines-israel.com Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2010 is published already, even though it is only late August 2009. However early or not, it represents good news for Israel! No less than twenty six Israeli wineries…

Who are the top ten wineries in Israel? According to Daniel Rogov they are: Golan Heights Winery (Katzrin, Yarden, Gamla) Margalit Yatir Domaine du Castel Clos de Gat Flam Chateau Golan Carmel (Limited Edition, Single Vineyard, Appellation) Galil Mountain Pelter (This list is from Daniel Rogov’s 2009 Guide to Israeli Wine)…

Posted at 14:38h in Wine industry by 1 Comment

French food and Israeli wine are not a common combination. After all, when people think Israeli wine they often (wrongly) associate it only with kosher food – thus barring wine and food combinations like mahi in a shrimp sauce with Barkan’s chardonnay. Yet, one French…

Posted at 12:00h in Reviews by 0 Comments

Gary Vaynerchuk tastes Israeli and California kosher wines with Daniel Rogov on the latest episode of Wine Library TV.  I was pleased to see Daniel Rogov as a guest on Gary V’s WLTV, tasting kosher and Israeli wines, including: 2007 Yogev Cabernet Sauv & Petit Verdot …

Posted at 21:31h in Wine industry by Avi 0 Comments

In Daniel Rogov’s weekly column in Ha’aretz he reviews some of the best wines of 2009. Chateau Golan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Royal Reserve 2005: Almost impenetrably dark garnet in color, this wine is both concentrated and elegant. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc,…