Syrah is a grape native to France’s Rhône Valley, I believe this varietal has great potential to be among those most appropriate to showcase Israel’s unique terroir (in my opinion, Grenache, Carignan and Cabernet Franc also top that list of potentials). However, as Syrah continues to make inroads within the Israeli market, sales of California Syrah in the United States have crashed and burned, dashing the hopes of many for the varietal to become the US’s next big thing. While […]

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I’ve previously written about Adam Montefiore, currently a manager at Carmel Winery. The dean of Israeli wine marketing (a topic close to my heart) and someone I’m privileged to have met and call an associate and friend, Montefiore is also known by his moniker ‘The Ambassador of Israeli Wine’ – a title well deserved. As one of the main spokespeople for Israeli wine in the English press, I was pleased to see an interview with him in the Huffington Post (and, for […]

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Israeli wine is on the rise according to Food and Beverage Magazine. People are starting to get it! Food & Beverage Magazine, an important trade magazine for the food, beverage, and hospitality industries just published an excellent article about Israeli wine. According to Jacques Capsouto, owner and wine director of New York City’s Capsouto Frères, one of New York City’s premiere French restaurants, “I like to drink the quality wines, instead of quantity wine. Israel is about quality.” (If you […]

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Here are some pictures from ancient times (Byzantine era to the Babylonian era) of wine vats (called amphorae, also the name of a great winery in Israel – which is selling under the name Marvah in the United States) that were discovered off Israel’s coast. They were used by ships near the Mediterranean and are on display at the Israeli Maritime Museum in Haifa:

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Wine Spectator has a fascinating little video on Israeli wine (with a Dalton Chardonnay and a Clos De Gat red blend) from editor Kim Marcus. I can’t embed it but it’s currently on the Wine Spectator home page but this is what I think is the permalink to it — check it out! Here is also another direct link to the video.

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Carmel is Wine Enthusiast’s Editors’ Choice No less than three Carmel Appellation wines have scored 90 points in the Wine Enthusiast, and in addition, each wine was also awarded the prestigious ‘Editor’s Choice’. The wines were as follows: Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon, Upper Galilee, Carmel Winery 2009                                     90 points & Editors’ Choice Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, Upper Galilee, Carmel Winery 2009     […]

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This weekend, I opened up a bottle of the 2006 Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Unusually, Rogov says that it is best starting in 2009. Yet, like most people, I am not going to store this wine until 2009 – as the wine is still good and I lack adequate storage solutions. For those who don’t have an extra $20,000 or more lying around and a basement to construct a home wine cellar, how do you store your wine? Do you […]

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The following is from wines-israel.com and reprinted with permission. It represents the opinions of the author. Israeli wine has always had a special place in its surrounding society. It has had the same relevance and prominence from the days of Ancient Israel in Biblical times, through the Pre-State period at the end of the 19th century, to the now, more than 60 year old, State of Israel. In ancient times wine was a major industry and vines, grapes and wine […]

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Rosé is a tremendously underappreciated wine that goes well with an incredible array of food with the ability to provide welcome respite from the uncomfortable summer heat and humidity. With all due respect to Eric Asimov, while I do sometimes enjoy Rosé during the year Rosé is and always will be the perennial summer wine for me. As someone who revels in the continuous proliferation of great kosher options for the budding wine lover, I enjoy most varietals and many […]

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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 had all been invited by wine writer Rani Rogel of Food & Beverage/Israel. Three panels of wine writers, enthusiasts and wine makers sampled 37 wines so each panel averaged about 12 wines with the wines divided into three price categories, under 70 NIS (under $20), 70 to 120 NIS   ( $20 to $35) and over 120 […]

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