WINE

By Daniel Rogov

 

Contents

 

 

A Long History of Wine      TOP

After the Children of Israel had left Egypt and approached Canaan, Moses sent twelve spies across the river to explore the Promised Land. When they returned to their encampment to advise Moses, only Joshua and Caleb were in favour of entering the new land. The other spies, however, had not been particularly impressed by what they found, and because they advised against entering the new land, the Israelites began their forty-year trek through Sinai. Fortunately, however, two of the spies had returned with a cluster of grapes and, according to folklore, those grapes yielded enough wine to last the people for their forty years in the wilderness. Nobody today is sure just how that wine tasted. There is a good chance, however, that it was terrible.

Wine has been made in Israel since pre-Biblical times, but, if the truth be known, until recently, there was no reason to be proud of those wines. The wines shipped to ancient Egypt were so bad that they had to be seasoned with honey, pepper and juniper berries to make them palatable, and those sent to Rome and England during the height of ancient Roman civilization were so thick and sweet that no modern connoisseur could possibly approve of them. So bad were most of these wines that it was probably a good thing that the Moslem conquest in AD 636 imposed a 1,200 year halt to the local wine industry.

Even in 1870, when wine production started again, thanks to the aid of Baron Edmond de Rothschild, not all went smoothly, and most of the wine that was produced was red, sweet, unsophisticated and unappealing. In 1875, for example, British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli was given a bottle of kosher red wine from Palestine. After taking a few sips, Disraeli observed that it tasted ``not so much like wine but more like what I expect to receive from my doctor as a remedy for a bad winter cough''. Well into the 1960s, Israel justifiably suffered from a reputation of producing wines too sweet and too coarse to appeal to knowledgeable drinkers.

Sophisticated wine lovers know that the local wineries have risen out of the morass of cheap, cloyingly sweet wines that burn the throat and bring tears to the cheeks. As wine writer Oz Clarke has said, ``Israel is now on the world winemap'', and many local dry red and white wines are now as good as some of the fine wines of California. Some are so good that they are compared favorably to the wines of the respected chateaus of France. Sometimes fruity and on other occasions crisply dry, and often with excellent balance, body and bouquet, Israeli wines are now perceived as an integral and important part of dining out.

Some speculate that the demand for more sophisticated wines within Israel came about because as more and more Israelis travelled abroad, especially to Europe, they came to realize that wine had more than mere ceremonial value. It is probably equally accurate, however, to state that Israelis began to demand better wines when they were exposed to the wines of the Golan Heights Winery which opened in 1983. Unbound by either outdated winemaking traditions or a large, sometimes hard-to-move corporate structure, the young winery imported good vine stock from California, built a state-of-the-art winery, and added to this the enthusiasm and knowledge of young American winemakers who had been trained at the University of California at Davis.

Equally important,the Golan winery began to encourage vineyard owners to improve the quality of their grapes and, in the American tradition, paid bonuses for grapes with high sugar and acid content and rejected those grapes they perceived as substandard. The winery was also the first to realize that wines made from Grenache, Semillon, Petite Sirah and Carignan grapes would not put them on the world wine map and focused on planting and making wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, white Riesling and Gewurztraminer.

The Golan wines were a success from the beginning, their second wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the 1984 vintage, winning a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. In fact, at this writing, the winery is the only one in the world to have been awarded the Chairman's Award for Excellence at Vinexpo on three separate occasions. The winery, which is owned by the kibbutzim and other cooperative farms that supply them with grapes, now produces over three million bottles annually, and is currently increasing its output by about 20% annually.

Not all of the local wineries have made this quantum leap in quality. The following list may, therefore provide a useful reference when deciding what wines to order with your meals or to purchase to take home for your own future consumption or as gifts.

The Ramat HaGolan Wineries: This excellent winery, largely responsible for the wine revolution within Israel, releases wines in three series, ``Yarden'', ``Gamla'' and ``Golan'', with the wines in the Yarden series considered the most prestigious. Regardless of the series, this winery produces some excellent reds and whites. The most serious and more full bodied of the reds are the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot. The reds known as Har Hermon Adom and Golan Village are fruitier and meant to be consumed younger. The most notable whites from here are the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc, both of which are crisply dry and make for excellent drinking, and the Emerald Riesling which is semi-dry. Also worthy of note are two sparkling wines, ``Blanc de Blanc'' and ``Brut'', both of which are made in accordance with the traditional method of making Champagne, and two dessert wines, ``Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc'' and ``Muscat'', neither of which need make any apology for smooth, rich sweetness.

Carmel-Mizrachi: By far the largest wine producer in the country, currently producing in excess of 13 million bottles annually, and now in its 110th year, Carmel produces three series that will be of interest to sophisticated drinkers. The most prestigious and often best wines of Carmel are those in the ``Rothschild'' series. Included among these are some high quality Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlot, Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnay and Emerald Rieslings. The less expensive ``Selected'' series offers wines of the same varietals as well as a red Shiraz and whites such as Chenin Blanc and French Colombard. In the ``Vineyard'' series one finds Dry Muscat, an especially pleasing crisply dry but remarkably fruity white. The Sparkling Chardonnay of this winery is worthy of note as is the White Muscat, a rich, sweet dessert wine in the Rothschild series. Also from Carmel is ``Hiluleem'', a young, fun and fruity red that is always the first wine to appear after the onset of the grape harvest.

Segal Wineries: This small but progressive and highly respected winery, now in the seventh generation of the Segal family, produces wines in two major series - "Ben-Ami" and "The Wine of Segal". With the exception of a Cabernet Sauvignon and a dry Riesling, most of the wines from here are blends, some of which attain surpising levels of depth and sophistication.

Barkan Wineries: This winery, now the third largest in the country is increasing their level of sophistication every year and now produces interesting wines in both their ``Barkan'' and ``Reserved'' series. Their semi dry Emerald Riesling is often the best wine of this varietal produced in the country and their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are all worth sampling.

Baron Wineries: This relatively small but highly respected winery gives us wines in three series. The top series is that of ``The Cellar of Tishby'', and that is followed by the wines in the Maestro and Baron series. Until recently the winery has been strongest in white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Emerald Riesling, but lately has been producing Cabernet Sauvignons of interest. The winery also makes ``Champenoise'', a sparkling wine of great charm.

Binyamina Wineries: This is a winery that has undergone a major transformation in recent years. When they were known as ``Eliaz'' they produced wines that had little interest to knowledgeable drinkers but now, with their name change, they have acquired a new winemaker and modern equipment and have begun to buy much higher quality grapes. The first wines from the new winery came from the 1994 harvest, and even though these were not overly sophisticated they were a quantum leap in quality above wines of earlier years. The wines that come from the 1995 and 1996 harvests will determine just how seriously this winery is to be taken.

Ephrat Winery: For many years this winery specialized in wines for the kosher market. With new equipment now installed and a new winemaker assigned especially to produce a series of dry, high quality varietal wines, this is the year in which we will see if this winery, traditionally a producer of wines for the kosher market, will finally break into the upswing market.

The Boutique Wineries      TOP
In recent years, the country has also seen the growth of several boutique wineries small--wineries that produce wines that reflect the personalities of their owners and winemakers. Although the wines of the major wineries are all kosher, many of those of the boutique wineries are not.

Ya'ir Margalit: This talented winemaker has already earned a reputation for having produced some of the country's best Cabernet Sauvignon wines. His latest release,from the 1994 vintage, is truly excellent. Margalit has also released a 1995 Chardonnay. Although all agree that his '94 Cabernet is excellent, not everyone agrees about the quality of the Chardonnay.

Tzora Winery: Based on Kibbutz Tzora, this is the third year that this winery will be producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay wines, many of which prove quite tempting.

Har Meron Winery: This was actually the first boutique winery in the country, and since they have opened have supplied consistently interesting Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc wines.

Yekev Dalton: This young winery produced white wines in 1993 that were basically undrinkable and even though their 1994 wines were far better they still lacked excitement. Now that this boutique winery has new equipment, adequate financial backing, and an advisor from California, they should be on the way up. The 1995 whites that have just been released are best categorized as "good but not overly exciting".

Yekev Soreq: This new and largely untested boutique winery made its first wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the grapes of the 1994 harvest. Because the approximately 6,000 bottles of the wine made were not up to the standards they had hoped to attain, the decision was wisely made not to release it to the market and to sell it only at the winery. The winery has now jumped to its full capacity and is planning to produce nearly 15,000 bottles, most of which will be Cabernet Sauvignon, but a small amount of which will also be Chardonnay. Advance tastings from the wines, which are still aging in oak barrels, reveal that they have the potential for excellence.

Eli Ben Zaken: Probably the smallest of the boutique wineries, producing a delicious Italian style Cabernet Sauvignon that has attained remarkable success.

A Note About the Future      TOP

There is no question but that Israeli wines are moving more and more in the direction of quality and sophistication. If there is a major shadow lying across the Israeli wine industry it is connected to the possibility that because of the ongoing peace process in the area, all or part of the Golan Heights may revert to Syrian sovereignity in the near future. Under nearly any scenario this would mean that the Golan Heights Winery, clearly the leader in the local wine world, would have to give up the soil and microclimates of the Golan which are ideal for the production of fine varietal grapes.

Even under the worst possible scenario, however, this does not mean that the quality of better Israeli wines would have to suffer, for no matter what the future of the Golan Heights, it is simply too late for Israeli wineries to return to producing the swamp of thick, sweet, unsophisticated wines that were once aimed primarily at the kosher market.

It is true that the volcanic basalt soil, the relatively cool climate and the night-day temperature differentials of the Golan Heights have proven ideal for the production of premium quality wine grapes. It is also true that the Heights offer a diversity of micro-climates broad enough to allow for the production of many varieties of grapes. This does not, however, mean that other areas within Israel, especially within the hills of the Galilee region, will not prove equally well suited to the raising of high quality grapes. Even now, for example, some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the country come from vineyards in the Northern Galilee, and fine Merlot is being grown in the Negev desert.

While not even the most optimistic among Israelis would claim that the nation is producing wines at the level of those of the great Chateaux of Bordeaux or the finest estates of Burgundy, many respected wine critics concur that at least some Israeli wines can now compete easily with the best wines of California, Chile, Australia and others of the serious New World wine-producing nations.

Wine Consumption Within Israel      TOP

Much to the dismay of the wine industry, between the founding of the state in 1948 and until just three years ago, annual Israeli wine consumption remained at about 3.9 liters per capita. Recently, however, the figure has risen to 4.5 liters, and while that remains low (compared with about 7.5 liters in England, 10 in the USA and 60 in France), it seems that more and more Israelis share a growing appreciation of high-quality wine, and there has been a marked shift to dry wines.

 

Although the best selling wine in the nation remains the semi-dry Emerald Riesling, there is a definite rise in the number of people demanding and consuming dry, higher-quality wines. Twenty years ago, more than 80% of the wines produced in the country were sweet. Today, with more than 7,500 acres devoted to wine-producing grapes and yielding about 50,000 tons of grapes annually, nearly 80% of the wines produced are now dry whites and reds.

For a Wine To Be Kosher      TOP

There is no contradiction whatever between the kosher laws and the ability to produce truly fine wine. For an Israeli wine to be certified as kosher, several requirements must be met. In the fields, for example, the grapes of new vines cannot be used for wine making until the fourth year after planting. From then on, the fields must be left fallow every seventh year. It is also required that vegetables or other fruits may not be grown between the vines.

Once the harvest starts, only kosher tools and storage facilities may be used in the winemaking process and all of the wine-making equipment must be cleaned to be certain that no foreign objects remain in the equipment or vats. Equally important, only Sabbath observant male Jews are allowed to work on the production of the wines. Depending on the level of Orthodoxy of those purchasing the wines, some wines must also be flash pasturized, and there is a ritual in which just over 1% of the wine produced is poured away to symbolize the 10% tithe once paid to the Temple at Jerusalem.

 

A Critical Mini-Guide to Israeli Wines      TOP

Cabernet Sauvignon: This classic grape (which produces many of the superb wines of Bordeaux) has done well in Israel and has yielded some truly fine wines. Among the best are the wines of any of the vintage years and in the Yarden and Gamla series of the Golan Heights Winery and those in the Rothschild series of Carmel Mizrachi (the 1985 was a specially good year). The Private Collection series of Carmel, a limited edition released only periodically, is of special interest, the 1988 wine being of extremely high quality. The 1988 and 1989 wines in the Reserved Series of Barkan and the 1988 unfiltered wine of Segal are also worthy of note. Lighter, less serious, but very pleasant versions of wine based on this grape are the Har Hermon Adom and the Golan Villages from the Golan Heights Winery. From the boutique wineries, the Cabernet Sauvignons of Yair Margalit have been superb (with the exception of 1992), and those of Meron and Eli Ben Zaken have been of special interest.

Merlot: In any discussion of fine wines from Israel, one should not overlook the excellent reds that have been produced from the Merlot grape since 1986. The Golan Heights Winery has been the leader in this field (the 1990 and 1992 wines are excellent); Carmel Mizrachi's 1992 Merlot in their Estate Series is delightful; and many find the Merlot of Barkan rewarding.

Chardonnay: At its best, this pleasantly dry and sharply refreshing white wine has a lovely bouquet, a hint of the flavour of the oak casks in which it aged and a pleasing texture that make for good drinking, especially with fish and seafood dishes. The best of these wines come from the Golan Heights Winery (which has three series, Yarden, Gamla and Golan), Carmel-Mizrachi (the wine in the Rothschild series) and Baron Wineries.

Sauvignon Blanc: This classic dry white wine, which can sometimes reach heights of excellence, has a fruity aroma, sits smoothly on the palate and goes especially well with fish, seafood, light veal dishes and chicken dishes. The best Israeli versions come from the Golan Heights Winery, Baron Wineries and Carmel-Mizrachi and Tzora Wineries.

Emerald Riesling: This semi-dry white wine, with its lovely taste of the grape and pleasant bouquet, may not be overly sophisticated but it remains the most popular wine among Israelis. The best examples come from Barkan, Baron Wineries, Carmel-Mizrachi and the Golan Heights Winery. Be sure as well to try the remarkably refreshing and easy to drink dry emerald riesling of the Wine of Segal Series from Ashkelon Wineries.

Dry Muscat: Most of the wines made from the muscat grape are sweet and unsophisticated and frankly not worth considering. There are, however, several versions of the wine that are crisply dry, and these, which come from Baron Wineries and Carmel-Mizrachi, are delightful surprises.

Generic Wines: Not all fine wines are made from a single variety of grape. In fact, some excellent wines are blends between of two or three different kinds of grapes. The winery best known for such wines locally is Ashkelon Wineries which produces two series -- ``The Wines of Segal'' and ``Ben-Ami''. Many of these are quite good but the red wines of 1989 in both those series are especially rewarding.

Sparkling Wines: In recent years several local wineries have started producing high-quality sparkling wines made in the traditional method used to make Champagne. Especially recommended are the ``Blanc de Blanc'' and the ``Brut'' in the Yarden Series of the Golan Heights Winery, and the ``Champenoise'' of Baron Wineries.

Dessert Wines: Truly high-quality sweet wines are made only at great expense and with great care, and almost always from grapes that have been purposely harvested very late in the season, allowing the natural sugar to build up to a remarkably high level. The best local examples are the White Muscat Dessert Wine of Carmel-Mizrachi and the Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat of the Golan Heights Winery, all of which are definitely worth trying.

Wine Growing Regions within Israel      TOP

Although the land area of Israel is a mere 7,992 square miles (which is 5% of the land area of California), like many wine growing nations or regions that have a long north-south axis (Italy, Chile or California, for example), the country has a large variety of microclimates. In the north, for example, snow falls in winter and conditions are Davis Region II (comparable to Bordeaux and the Northern RhÂne), yet within a few hours' drive one arrives in the Negev Desert, there to enter a Region V (North Africa) climate. The country is divided into five vine-growing regions, and the names of these are generally accepted by the European Community and appear on all labels of varietal wines that are designated for export. Each region is divided into subregions, encompassing a specific valley, mountain or other locale. The main regions are:

Galil (Galilee): This area, which includes the Golan Heights, is the region most suited for viniculture in Israel. The high elevation, cool breezes, marked day and night temperature changes and rich, well-drained soils make the area suitable for Cabernet Sauvigon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The Golan Heights winery is located here.

Judean Hills: Surrounding the city of Jerusalem, and with a cool climate due to the relatively high elevation, this area has proven excellent for viniculture, especially for Chardonnay grapes. The region is home to many of the small wineries that specialize in sweet kosher wines.

Shimshon (Samson): Located between the Judean Hills and the Coastal Plain, the region includes the area around Rishon le-Zion and Rehovot, and is home to Carmel Mizrachi's Rishon-le-Zion winery.

Negev: Ten years ago, few would have thought this semiarid desert region appropriate for growing grapes. Drip irrigation has made it possible to grow grapes here, and Merlot grapes have succeeded especially well.

Shomron: Located near the Mediterranean coast and just south of Haifa and surrounding the villages of Zichron Ya'akov and Binyamina is the largest grape growing area in the country. Wineries in the area include Baron, Binyamina and the Zichron Ya'acov winery of Carmel Mizrachi as well as several boutique wineries.

Tourism at The Wineries      TOP

There are few things I enjoy more than driving through those parts of the world where wine is made. First of all, the countryside where grape vines grow are among the most beautiful of any country and the roads that wind through the vineyards are as scenic and idyllic as one could want. More important, however, is the fact that the people you will meet as you stop to ask directions or to ask about the grapes they are growing tend to be a warm and friendly lot, many of whom will patiently take time to explain which grapes they are growing, how long a wine takes to mature, or simply how to find a good place to eat.

Best of all, one need not be a wine expert to make the best of such outings. Whether in France or in South Africa, in Italy or in Israel, the plains and hillsides that are patterned with vines are a delight for those with an eye for landscape. They are also marvellous areas for hiking or bicycling and, for those who love nature, there is a fascinating variety of wildlife and plantlife to observe.

If it is wine itself that fascinates, as well it might with its 6,000 year local social and cultural history, one of the ideal ways to broaden one's knowledge is by visiting those wineries that gladly open their doors to visitors, and one of the nicest things about this is that no one is trying to sell you anything. What they want to do is to share their love of wine.

Happily, there is no need to travel abroad to visit wine country or the wineries of Carmel Mizrachi, the Golan Heights Winery and Binyamina Winery which are especially well equipped to greet visitors. So popular is the activity that more than 100,000 tourists now visit the Carmel winery in Rishon le-Zion every year. Carmel, which invested $1.2 million to reconstruct their old cellars, build old-style tasting rooms, train guides and remodel the buildings originally built by Baron Edmond de Rothschild 110 years ago, has ensured that tours of their wineries will be at least as pleasing as those that one might take in France or California.

Tours start off in a well-designed reception hall, continue to the cellars where visitors can see brandies and wines aging in oak casks, and then go on to a tasting. Multi-media audio-visual displays trace the history of the winery and the wine-making process and guides are equipped to answer other questions, and each group of visitors is treated to a guided wine-tasting session. Time is also allowed for those who wish to purchase wines. Tours at Rishon le-Zion, for which a symbolic fee is charged, are conducted during the daytime hours, and in the evenings groups or individuals may also visit the winery's popular wine and singing club.

The Golan Heights Winery, located at the town of Katzrin on the Golan Heights, also has special facilities for visitors. Tours of the winery start at the comfortable Visitors' Reception Center with a welcoming talk and an audio-visual display. The tours continue with a stroll through the ultra-modern facilities, following the entire wine-making process and concluding with a tasting and the opportunity to make purchases. During the spring, summer and early autumn, tours are conducted on a regular basis from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., and during the winter months until 4 p.m.

Located in the charmingly rural area of Binyamina, the visitors' center of Binyamina wineries is also worth a special visit. Located in a fully remodelled country-style building, the program here includes a stroll around the winery, a brief talk by one's guide, an audio-visual explanation of the wine-making process, and a wine and cheese tasting. Of special interest is a room within the center that houses an exhibit relating to the 6,000-year-old relationship between wine and Judaisim. A symbolic charge is made for the tour, which is available from 8a.m. - 5 p.m. During the evenings, wine courses are offered by the winery's winemaker, and the center is available for private events and tastings.

Two of the boutique wineries, Tzora and Soreq, also offer opportunities for visitors. Both wineries have small delicatessens attached and in addition to guided tours of their mini-wineries, both have picnic facilities.

Buying Wines In Israel      TOP

As there has been a revolution in the making of local wines, so has there been enormous development in wine stores that now carry a fine supply of wines, store them correctly and have staff that will gladly guide you through the intricacies of the local wine market. Many of the stores listed below, all of which are recommended as reliable, offer regular tastings and wine courses.

 

·  Derekh haYain: Rehov HaHashmona'eem 93, Tel Aviv.

·  Hiluleem Israel: Rehov Nachalat Binyamin 14, Tel Aviv.

·  Slovatik: In the old Tel Aviv Port (located in Hanger 13).

·  Hinaweh Brothers: Rehov Herbert Samuel 8, Jaffa.

·  Beit HaMashka'ot Shel Naftali: In the Paz petrol station, Rehov Aluf Sadeh 15, Givataim.

·  Yo'av Superdrink: Rehov Usishkin 47, Ramat HaSharon.

·  Avi Ben: Rehov Yad Charutzim 5 (in the Talpiyot Industrial Area), and Rehov Rivlin 14 (in Nachalat Shiva quarter).

·  Gafen: Emek Refa'eem 42.

·  Shahar Liquor Store: Rehov Agron 1.

·  Private Collection: 42 Rehov Montifiore, Tel Aviv.

·  Beit haMashkey: Rehov Beit HaPoalim 3, Rehovot.

·  Special Reserve: Alongside the Dan Carmel Hotel, 87 HaNasi, Haifa.