The Israeli wine scene continues to heat up. A new winery recently opened on Kibbutz Hanaton, in the heart of the Beit Netofa Valley, in the Lower Galilee region of Israel.
The Jezreel Valley Winery was founded by entrepreneur Jacob Ner-David, originally from New York, living in Israel since 1996, and Yehuda Nahar, a Jerusalem native and graduate of the Tel Hai College’s winemaking course. Ner-David and Nahar both moved to Kibbutz Hanaton in 2010.
The winemaker is Ari Erle, an American immigrant, who has worked on over 7 harvests in Napa Valley, CA, including Colgin Wine Cellars, O’Shaughnessy Winery, Elizabeth Spencer, Clos De Gat and Chang Family.
The connection was immediate between Erle, Nahar, and Ner-David, and a new winery was born. The Jezreel Valley Winery aims to have the highest level of winemaking, technology (apt for a winery co- founded by a high-tech entrepreneur), as well as traditional values like honesty and simplicity.
I recently spoke with Jacob Ner-David and he told me that it had long been his dream to open up a winery in Israel. With the Jezreel Valley Winery, that dream is being realized.
The winery gets its grapes from vineyards in the Jezreel Valley, upper Galilee, Shefa region, and Judean Hills. Every vineyard was chosen based on the ideal topographical conditions of its individual varietal.
For the 2012 harvest, Jezreel Valley Winery is releasing the following wines:
- 2012 Chardonnay – Yehidani Vineyard –aged 8 months in French oak.
- 2012 Redblend – A blend of 3 varietals that tell the story of Israel – Argamon, Carignon, and Syrah. Each varietal was oak aged separately for 10 months and then carefully mixed to create a rich, deep red blend.
- 2012 Rose – a blend of Argaman and Syrah. A mix of Mediterranean varietals make a light, fresh, and fruity rose.
Jezreel Valley Winery bottled 25,000 bottles for the 2012 harvest and aims to double that in 2013, hoping to bottle 50,000.
You can learn more about the winery or sign up to their mailing list at http://jezreelwinery.com/
The winery is open for visitors Sunday – Thursday between 9:00-16:00
