Daniel Rogov has his thoughts of Israwinexpo here.
He was interviewed by Israeli portal Walla! here (in Hebrew only, it was quite interesting for Dovrei Ivrit).
Stay tuned for more photos, a write up and more, of my recent visit to a handful of Israeli wineries.
In the meantime, here’s a preview of Dalton’s barrel room.
Sorry for the slow pace of this blog, which will continue over the next two weeks, as I have guests from the wine trade (but lacking exposure in Israeli wine) in over the next two weeks. Hopefully, over the next month, I will have some interesting posts of a few northern wineries.
However, yesterday, today, and tomorrow are the ISRAWINEXPO 2008, a government sponsored trade show for those interested in importing Israeli wines. In addition, several guests are here – including officials at several large international supermarkets, and reporters from Wine Spectator (who posted a few blog posts about his trip through Israel), Decanter, some Asian wine press (Israel is very big on cultivating trade ties with Asia, and they are an emerging wine market), and many others are here this week checking out the wonderful world of Israeli wine.
Early reports on yesterday’s professional-only day seemed to be very good, although tonight and tomorrow are open to the public and won’t be as nice as the professional connections. I had hoped to attend yesterday, but I thought it best to introduce my companions to Israel, beyond wine, first, as the primary exhibiting wineries are the larger producers which are looking for more shelf-space abroad, rather than the excellent boutique producers who are not yet large enough to desire a big export market.
For early reports:
Rogov’s Wine Forum
ISRAEL21c’s Israelity
The Savannah Morning News picked the Galil Mountain Chard as the “Wine of the Day” for January 30, 2008. Saying that it could fool anyone into thinking it’s a California Chardonnay in a blind tasting, I have to admit that I would be very interested in trying. Israeli wines definitely would make a useful blind tasting as they are so poorly viewed by those who think it’s Carmel Conord (and, sadly, these people still exist despite having NO basis in reality) but would be very good in blind tastings.
WINE & SPIRITS
Wine Guy’s Pick of the Week
While I haven’t actually done it, I’m fairly confident that if I put Galil Mountain’s 2005 Chardonnay from Israel in the middle of a blind tasting of California Chards, it would be difficult to pick out. The varietal character is correct and its oakiness gives it the typical butter and toast that one comes to expect in Chardonnays from warmer climate AVA’s.
The wine comes from the northern border in what is considered Israel’s best viticulture area. 100 percent Chardonnay, this is the real deal, and at a mid-teens price point, it is quite competitive.
While Kosher wine has often been the butt of jokes, this Kosher for Passover bottling will only have you laughing if you fool your wine-loving friends into thinking it’s a new world Chardonnay. It is a nice food wine and fills the bill for any typical Chardonnay or white Burgundy pairing.
I’m either up north, touring Israel’s wine country, or in Tel Aviv at Israwinexpo. I hope to see you there!
In the next month, I will have pictures and comments about Israeli wineries.
STAY TUNED
I’m up visiting wineries up north, but in the meantime read this fascinating article about Eli Ben-Zaken and Domaine du Castel from the Wall Street Journal. Why does it seem that Castel is the only winery with a good PR strategy (and, of course, one of Israel’s best!)
Israel’s New Revolution in Quality
By WILLIAM ECHIKSON
SPECIAL TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
February 22, 2008
It started as a hobby. Eli-Gilbert Ben-Zaken, an Israeli restaurateur and poultry farmer, planted a few grape vines on a hilltop next to his house in the Judean hills in 1988. He chose the name Domaine du Castel after a nearby crusader fortress and, starting with a mere 600 bottles, attempted to make high-quality, French-inspired wines.
In the beginning, Mr. Ben-Zaken’s quest looked quixotic. Wine was produced in ancient times in Israel — archaeologists have found antique wine presses in the Galilee and Judean Hills — and the Rothschild banking family reintroduced grape cultivation at the end of the 19th century. But for most of the country’s history, the Israeli industry was dominated by sweet wines of poor quality that taste like alcohol-tainted grape juice — tired red wines with cooked, herbaceous flavors.
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| Israeli winemaker Eli-Gilbert Ben-Zaken in his cellar |
Today, Mr. Ben-Zaken and a small group of other Israeli pioneers are creating world-class reds and whites that are gaining increasing recognition from critics both at home and abroad. Ever more-prosperous Israelis are demanding better drinking choices, while connoisseurs in the U.S. and Europe in search of something different are intrigued enough to taste these “new” world wines from an ancient land.
“We were real pioneers — the Israeli market used to be a prisoner market for poor-quality kosher wine,” Mr. Ben-Zaken, 63 years old, recalls. “It’s different these days. Everybody is trying to make something good.”
Read the rest
From the Vancouver straight.com. The prices seem a bit high, I must admit (although it is Canadian dollars).
Israeli wines take a big, bold leap forward Jaded wine palates—and questing ones—take note: there’s exciting stuff going on at your nearby government liquor store, and it’s centred on the Med. Israeli wines have arrived on these shores, with attitude, and about time too. Travelling recently through the vineyards of Israel, I kept hearing, “Why do people keep referring to us as ‘Middle Eastern’ wines? We make Mediterranean wines.”
Then there’s the whole kosher misconception. We’ll get into that another time, but the fact is that after years—decades—of Israeli wines tucked away in the catchall section at LDB stores, they’ve finally got their own home: a special shelf in 23 stores, including the so-called Signature Stores. Ten different wines from three major wineries hit those shelves in a big way just a few weeks ago.
Nobody’s more excited about this than I am, except perhaps Rochelle Golumbia, whose enterprise and determination launched this city’s—and country’s—first ever Israeli Wine Festival in 2006, and who is organizing another one for May 4 in Vancouver.
So now we have a chance to taste some new-generation Israeli wines. “The days when Israel was producing primarily sweet red wines for sacramental purposes are long gone,” says Daniel Rogov, the country’s leading analyst, in the foreword to the 2008 edition of Rogov’s Guide to Israeli Wines (The Toby Press, $26.95), a comprehensive volume like the one by South Africa’s John Platter. Rogov covers the 150-plus wineries in operation, from three-starred Agur in the Judean Hills to three-starred Zemora in the Jerusalem Mountains.
Just arrived in B.C. stores are six wines from Galil Mountain Winery, one from Dalton Winery, and three from the Golan Heights Winery, under their Yarden label. (Some Yarden wines may be familiar to Vancouverites, as a handful were briefly available here many years ago.)
Reds rule, as a rule, but there are some terrific whites, including a fine Muscat for those with a serious sweet tooth. Here’s a quick preliminary taste-through.
Galil Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($17.83) This white is super-fresh and bright, tingles a bit on the palate, and has an intriguing fresh-thyme aroma and a satisfying full finish. Smooth and soft and supple, it’s way mellower than most New Zealand SBs. The winery’s food-pairing suggestion is for Thai stir-fries or grilled fish. I gulped it with Karen Barnaby’s oyster, kale, and potato soup, and it was heavenly.
Galil Mountain Chardonnay 2006 ($17.83) It starts out with minty-fresh, lemon-zesty aromas. The oak is restrained but the fruit is blatantly out front, just the way a good dinner Chardonnay should be. Perfect for intricate vegetarian dinners, roast chicken, and coq au vin blanc; ideal with simply sauced fish.
Galil Mountain Merlot 2006 ($17.83) Here’s the first of three familiar-variety reds. Light, elegant, and again super-fresh, this has a different style from the date-loaf approach we taste in many domestic or American Merlots. It would be delicious with spring stews loaded with fresh lamb and green onions, mushroom-leek-and-potato gratin, or fresh cheeses.
Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($17.83) Enjoy fantastic fruit to the front, middle, and back palate. After years of scraping your teeth after heavy, oaky California Cabernets, this one is amazing for its fresh, herbal aromas and long but light, fruity finish. There isn’t a wrong note in any of the preceding four, and the price gives you really remarkable value.
Galil Mountain Pinot Noir 2005 ($24.77) Although it’s a year older and costs seven bucks more, the Pinot is worth it. My whirlwind trip through the region last fall makes me think this is pretty typical of the Golan Heights style of Pinot Noir, but it’s not typical of Pinot Noir as we know it, Jim. Big, bold, cherry-juice-sweet, and lovely and round without any harsh edges, it simply slides along the palate, exploding in a full, fat finish. It cozies up to Larzac cheese, Oka and pine nut corn bread, a good choucroute (seafood or sausage), and dozens of other satisfying foods.
Galil Mountain Yiron 2003 ($29.99) Finally (for this round), the Israeli version of Meritage. It’s named after the kibbutz where the winery is located, in the western Upper Galilee. This is a typical Bordeaux blend of 61 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 32 percent Merlot, and seven percent Syrah. It clocks in at a hefty 14.5 percent alcohol, and has the substance to stand up to it, with full, rich aromas; a deep, intense colour; some smoky-leathery but still fruity taste and a lingering finish. It’s near the lower end of the price bracket occupied by many local red Meritage-style wines, and it competes handily.
For this well-travelled palate, these introductory Israeli wines represent a vast leap forward from the sweet (and sometimes even sour) varieties we used to find here. It’s a new era that’s only just begun, much like our own B.C. industry, where the strides made in the last decade or so have been seven-leaguers.
I’ll hold my tasting notes on the Dalton and Golan Heights wines for another time, including for that sensational Muscat. But take my word for it here and now: if that’s your type of tipple, get it while it’s going and before it’s gone.
There are another 147 wineries still to come. Some will surely be part of the upcoming Israeli Wine Festival. As May draws closer, we’ll have more details on what, who, and
Richard, a nice American blogger who also shows the love to Israeli wine, interviewed Mark Squires on his blog Israel Wine Direct (the only other Israeli wine blog, but missing out on a ton since Richard’s in America – but he’s scheduled to bring great Israeli wine to American direct consumers).
The interview is worth paying attention to for what’s needed to improve Israeli wine. Read the whole piece for more, but I have to admit mixed feelings.
Israel has this well-known problem of being associated with poor kosher wines — even poor kosher wines that aren’t Israeli! Squires accidently makes this own association himself when he writes:
3. Does Israel produce the best kosher wines?
I think so. Not that I’ve gone out of the way to search out non-Israeli Kosher wines, but as someone who grew up with Mogen David at Passover Seders, I think Israel has improved on that quite a bit.
What’s the mistake here? Simple – Mogen David — a nasty kiddush wine — ISN’T ISRAELI! Why should Israel be associated with Mogen David and Manishewitz (which I hope goes out of business quickly, as it does a great disservice to kosher wine). Although even I made this mistake when I interviewed Eli Ben-Zaken by associated Castel with Manishewitz and the whole “kosher wine doesn’t have to be bad.” But if even I and Squires can do it, than this is still a MAJOR hurdle that the Israeli wine industry needs to get through.
I don’t agree with all of Squires comments. Do you?
Will this be good news for Diaspora wine drinkers? Teperberg 1870, Israel’s 4th largest winery (but yet barely known outside of Israel, especially in North America, where so few is imported) has just appointed a new chief marketing manager. From the Jerusalem Post:
ONE OF Israel’s veteran wineries, Teperberg 1870, has appointed Benny Cohen-Weinberg, 39, as marketing manager. Cohen-Weinberg has wide-ranging experience in branding, marketing and advertising.
Previously known as Efrat, the winery, founded in 1870 by the Teperberg family in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, moved its operations to Motza in the early 1960s. Its products catered mainly to the Orthodox community. In the 1990s, it also started producing table wines. Five years ago it moved its production facilities to Kibbutz Tzora and began developing a wider range of wines. In line with its more sophisticated image, it also decided to capitalize on its vintage history and officially changed its name from Efrat to Teperberg 1870. Still owned by the Teperberg family, it is the fourth largest winery in Israel.
There was nothing on him in English, so I don’t think this is such a great hit for foreign consumers, but I hope I can be wrong. Teperberg is one of Israeli wine’s best kept secrets … and yet large enough that it ought to be known by, at least, the American kosher consumer as they have mevushal wine that beats the Israeli wine currently on the market for s’machot (and excellent non-mevushal wine, as well!). The Meritage is one of my favorite blends and their Terra series is an excellent value wine series.
