I’ve really been enjoying the Wine Enthusiast lately. They’ve got some of the best coverage from a mainstream wine magazine of Israeli wine representing where the Israeli wine market is today. Particularly, I should add, on their social media channels.

So, I was pleased to see a blog post dispelling the famous kosher wine myth in the post “It’s Israeli Wine … Not Just Kosher“.

But why then, I wonder, when you say the word “Israeli wine” to most people, do they automatically retort, “Oh, Kosher wine? Like Manischewitz?” Why have so many people not explored the wines of the country as a whole, delegating the offerings only to when specific holidays arise where Kosher wine is required? There are not many areas of the industry that define a wine by the technique in which it was made as opposed to the place from which it came.

It’s a tricky segment of the industry that has its pros and cons. On one side, of course Israeli winemakers want to be known as producing world-class wines, not just Kosher wines, that could stand proudly next to some of the most established and sought-after wines. On the other hand, they certainly are not too quick to dismiss or even downplay the fact that their wines are Kosher, as they know they have a dedicated base that constantly relies on their product for religious purposes and would not want to detract from that consumer group. So, the question is how to get the best of both worlds.

“We’re far from defining what Israeli wine is,” notes Shatsberg. “It’s a long process. We’re now defining where we want to go. A major change occurred when the industry stabilized, making good industrial wine without flaws… now we have to make it significant. People are more exposed and demand better; the audience has a major role in creating the way for the industry.”

And indeed, the wines keep getting better and better, and hopefully one day people will understand the true merit of Israeli wine without regard to its religious affiliation.

[I plan to write much more on this next week, but here is a post that I wrote on Daniel Rogov's forum]

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(The following is a guest post from Irene Sharon Hodes, reprinted with permission)

I had the opportunity to taste a wine that is new to me, Vitkin’s 2006 Petite Sirah. A friend brought the bottle to the vegan dinner party I hosted last Friday (an exceptional experience I really need to get on to blog about).  She knew that I adore Syrah, but made the common mistake of mixing the two varietals.

Israel is one of the relatively few wine regions growing Petite Sirah, officially known as Durif, as a single-varietal wine.  Not to be confused with Syrah, the Petit Sirah, although related, is a different grape altogether.  In the past it has been considered only as a “filler” for other more grand and accepted varieties, or a straight-to-jug kind of cheaper swill. In fact, during my wine training, this is essentially how this variety was presented.

Not so, anymore.  To quote from Wikipedia on Israeli Petite Sirah:

In Israel, Petite Sirah had a history much like that in California—historically used as a blending grape to add body to inferior wines. However, Petite Sirah has recently experienced somewhat of a revival, both in high-end blends and bottled as a single or majority variety. TheUC Davis-trained winemaker and Ph.D. chemist Yair Margalit, familiar with the grape from his time in California, showed that Petite Sirah need not be consigned to jug wine when he blended small portions into his reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Seeing that Israeli terroir could grow great Petite Sirah, wineries such as Recanati followed suit with Petite Sirah blends, while others like Sea Horse, Carmel, and Vitkin have made single-varietal Petite Sirah in addition to using it for blending.

Going back to this particular bottle, I found it delightfully complex. Although closed and young-feeling, it was still a real treat to be drinking something so different from the norm.  A mature many-layered aroma, it was a peppery wine, light fruit, with a really great acidity.  Deep deep dense purple color, just gorgeous.   It’s pretty different from my Syrahs, but I would certainly drink it again, despite the lack the rich dark fruits I so admire.

Reading about it on the Vitkin Winery website, however, I just learned that this wine is quite closed upon opening the bottle – something I really understand now – and they recommend opening it several hours before drinking.  Perhaps the claimed “meatiness” and richer fruits would have appeared had I done this.  This being reality, I personally think it’s quite absurd to think the average enthusiast (or even minor connoisseur) would do the research and think to open a bottle many hours before a meal AND to decant.  And this from a wine that’s been aged 16 months in oak barrels!  Perhaps the winery should have held onto the bottles for another year (it’s not like there’s a high demand for Petite Sirah).

All in all, I applaud Vitkin for taking the stand, being brave, and heralding once destitute varietals and creative new blends, including a Cab-Carignan-Petit Sirah Port and a the Israeli Journey Syrah-Carignan-Cabernet Franc table wine.

Israwinexpo is coming back! This biennial professional Israeli wine event first occurred in 2006, then again in 2008, and is now coming back to Tel Aviv. Israwinexpo, along with Sommelier, are the two top wine events in Israel.

Open to the public only on February 10-11, 2010 from 16:00-22:00 (4PM-10PM), the Israeli wine tasting will be held at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds & Exhibition Hall, the Ganei HaTaurucha. Those interested in more information or pre-ordering tickets can view the fair’s official website at http://israwinexpo.fairs.co.il/. If you pre-order tickets via the website (Hebrew only), you will get a discount and pay 49NIS instead of 60NIS at the door.

Participating wineries include:

• DomaineVentura
• Villa Willhelma
• Tzion
• Shilo
• Avidan
• Adir
• Alexander
• Bashan
• Gvaot
• Dalton
• Galil Mountain
• Vitkin
• Tulip
• Teperberg
• Sea Horse
• Chillag
• Tzora
• Tishbi
• Binyamina
• Recanati
• Barkan
• Carmel
• Yatir
• Noah
• Golan Heights Winery
• Saslove
• Ben Haim
• Amphorae
• Lurie

Click on the image to see it in full size (Hebrew)

This is an event not to be missed! 60NIS for 10 tastings at the door and 49NIS if tickets are pre-ordered online. If you want to read my coverage of the event two years ago, check out Israwinexpo 2008 here and here.

It is also open to members of the trade on February 8 and on February 9-10 from 10AM-10PM. Attendance on the first day is by invitation only.

Journalists, importers and wine buyers can gain further information by sending an email to Ms. Michal Neeman at michal@export.gov.il Those wineries considering participating but not yet enrolled can send an email to Ms. Dganit Aharonov at dganit@fairs.co.il.

It’s not my practice to post kosher wine events on this Israeli wine blog, since kosher wine and israeli wine are different — not all kosher wine is Israeli, not all Israeli wine is kosher, but of course many Israeli wine is kosher and the best kosher wine comes from Israel.

So, I thought my readers might be interested in two kosher wine events run by Royal, a large kosher wine importer in the United States and probably the importer of the most Israeli wine into the United States – representing top flight wineries like Carmel and Yatir, Castel, Agur, Psagot, Tzuba, Binyamina, and Barkan. So these events will have lots of Israeli wine and there is a possibility that Daniel Rogov, Israel’s top wine critic, will attend.

In California, at Herzog Winery, is the 2010 International Food & Wine Festival. This event, on February 3, 2010 at 7:00PM will feature wine from the Israeli wineries of Domaine du Castel, Yatir, Barkan, and Binyamina, as well as some of the best kosher wine from France, Spain, and California. For more information please visit Herzog’s website.

In New York, Royal Wine (owners of Herzog Winery), will be hosting a gala kosher food and wine event on February 1. This event will take place at 6:30PM at Pier 6.

This event will feature wine from the Israeli wineries of Binyamina, Carmel, Barkan, Castel, Yatir, Segal, Psagot, Gamla, Tzuba, Zion, Shiloh, and more.

It will also feature food from some of New York’s finest kosher restaurants.

You can purchase tickets online to that event from Royal.

A unique gathering of international chefs came together in Jerusalem to cook a Gala Dinner, to honor Chef Shalom Kadosh. Two hundred people paid NIS 1,800 (nearly US$ 475 each) for a ticket for this unique and prestigious event. The proceeds went to Beit Issie Shapiro in Ra’anana, which cares for children and adults with disabilities.

Chef Shalom Kadosh, 62, has been Executive Chef of the Sheraton Plaza Hotel, now renamed the Leonardo Plaza, for thirty five years. This event was an opportunity for the culinary and wine industries to come together in order to pay respect to one of Israel’s finest and most modest chefs. His main achievement over the years has been to show that the words ‘kosher’ and ‘fine cuisine’ can co-exist together. For many years, his ‘Cow On The Roof,’ was the finest kosher restaurant in the world. During his illustrious career he has cooked for Kings, Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers and all sorts of celebrities, who beat a path to his door.

The Gala Dinner, held at the Leonardo Plaza, was made up of six courses, accompanied by four wines. The panorama of visiting chefs included some of the greatest names in the culinary world. Georges Blanc, Michel Lorrain, Marc Haeberlin, Nadia Santini, Philippe Legendre, Michel Rostang, Emile Jung, Jacques Chibois and Jeffroy Patrick. These illustrious Chefs, worth 22 Michelin Stars between them, had gathered in Jerusalem to cook a kosher meal! They were joined by France’s most famous food critic, Gilles Pudlowsky of the famous Pudlow Guide.

Such a rare gathering of culinary talent reminded many of the twelve course dinner to celebrate 3,000 years of Jerusalem, held in 1996, which was accompanied by six wines. That was the first time the world’s most famous chefs came to cook in Israel. The organizer and coordinator of that unique event was also Shalom Kadosh! Now 12 years later, he had again invited the world’s best, and showing their immense respect for Kadosh, they came again, some even canceling winter holidays.

The foreign chefs were assisted in the kitchen by some of Israel’s finest chefs including: Haim Cohen, Yonatan Roshfeld, Meir Adoni, Nir Tzuk, Yoram Nitzan, Moshe Aviv, Meir Adoni, Yonatan Roshfeld and Yaron Kestenbaum. Special care was taken to match the food with some of Israel’s finest wines. These were selected from two Israeli wineries. One was Carmel Winery, Israel’s largest and most historic winery, founded in 1882 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild. The other was Yatir Winery, a boutique winery situated in Tel Arad, founded in 2000. The wines and after dinner drinks were as follows:

Pommery Champagne
A kosher cuvee of the French champagne was chosen for the aperitif, in honor of the French guest chefs.
90 points Daniel Rogov.

Yatir Sauvignon Blanc, Negev
One of Israel’s finest Sauvignon Blancs, from a most unlikely place. This wine comes from a vineyard in the Negev Desert.
90 points Daniel Rogov.

Carmel Limited Edition
The flagship wine of Carmel Winery. An elegant, old world, Bordeaux style blend.
93 points Daniel Rogov; 90 points Robert Parker; ‘One of 100 Most Exciting Wine Finds’ Wine Report.

Yatir Forest, Judean Hills
Blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon from Yatir Forest in the southern Judean Hills.
93 points Robert Parker; 92 points from Wine Spectator; 94 points Daniel Rogov; “Best Israeli wine ever tasted” Wine Report.

Carmel Sha’al Gewurztraminer Late Harvest, Golan Heights
Late harvested dessert wine, from northern Golan Heights vineyards.
Winner of gold medals in London & Israel. 90 points Robert Parker; 95 points Howard Goldberg.

Carmel Vintage, Judean Hills
A fortified wine made in the style of vintage port. Made from Petite Sirah grapes.
One of Israel’s best port style wines.

Carmel 100 Brandy
Pot distilled brandy, with components in the blend ranging from 8 to 25 years old. Aged in used wine barrels, in 100 year old cellars. Past Winner of the Trophy for Best Brandy Worldwide at the IWSC in London. “Best Israeli brandy” Daniel Rogov.

Such was the interest in the visit of all these chefs, that the event was covered by Israel’s Channel Two Television.

At the end of the evening, there were a number of speeches and presentations. Carmel Winery presented Chef Kadosh with a Magnum of Carmel Limited Edition in a special wooden box, signed by winemaker Lior Laxer and all the visiting chefs.
In a speech to close the evening, Shalom Kadosh pointed out that the dinner had proved that Israeli food and wine could be at the very highest quality level of international cuisine… and be kosher at the same time!
He made clear that events such as this had put Israel on the world map of gastronomy.

Click here for the menu.

(This article first appeared on Wines Israel)

In honor of New Year’s Eve, this is a repost of a post from earlier this month about Israeli sparkling wine. I’m drinking the Carmel Selected Sparkling Wine for New Years. What about you?

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 taken Israelis time to learn to appreciate, sparkling wines have become very popular almost overnight in Israel. The number of imported sparklers, mainly Cava from Spain or Prosecco from Italy, has increased dramatically. To counteract the invasion, and for those that want to drink ‘blue and white’, Israel is today making an excellent range of sparkling wines of all styles, at every price point.

Champagne is the ultimate expression of the art, which is replicated by ‘traditional method’ sparkling wines made elsewhere. It is little known, but between the late 1950’s and 1980’s, Carmel produced genuine ‘méthode champenoise’ sparkling wines. It was expensive undertaking needing a special work force as everything was done by hand. There was also little understanding and no market for expensive sparkling wine in those days and so they eventually stopped production. It was too unprofitable. The only remaining clue of a champagne past, are the old pupitres, which can still be seen at the Rishon Le Zion Cellars.

Carmel’s specialist winemaker for sparkling wines was Koby Gat. He was a Francophile and his main interest was in sparkling wines. As Carmel’s focus changed, his did also and he later became the company agronomist looking after Carmel’s vineyards. The main wine flying the flag for Israel was President’s Sparkling wine, made primarily from Colombard grapes. It was initially made by the champagne method, and later by the charmat process. It was sold abroad as Brut Cuvée and Blanc de Blancs, all under the Carmel label. Another brand was Sambatyon. There was also a Chardonnay Sparkling Wine at one stage. Apart from these, there were a number of cheap, frothy, semi sweet wines made for the catering market like Blue Star and Carnival.

However, it was not until the 1990’s that Israel took a giant step forward to producing quality sparkling wine. The Golan Heights Winery sent their new young winemaker, Victor Schoenfeld, to work for six months at Jacquesson Champagne to learn the secrets of the ‘champenoise.’ The Golan then invested in all the modern equipment to make champagne method sparkling wine. This time the process was mechanized and gyro-pallets were used instead of manual remuage. Their efforts resulted in three traditional method sparkling wines: Yarden Blanc de Blancs, Yarden Brut and Gamla Rose.

At the 1996 International Wine & Spirit Competition in London, Israeli sparkling wine arrived on the international stage. Yarden Blanc de Blancs, then a non vintage wine, won the Trophy for The Best Bottle Fermented Sparkling Wine. This high profile award was repeated in 2003 when Yarden Blanc de Blancs 1997, by then a vintage wine, won the same trophy. The 1999 vintage also won a prestigious trophy at Vinitaly of 2006. These prizes were to the immense credit of the Golan Heights Winery and showed their versatility, producing award winning wines in every category – white, red, dessert and now sparkling.

Today President’s, Brut Cuvée, Sambatyon, Yarden Brut and Gamla Rose are history. They are no longer made. The main Israeli sparkling wines of today, which don’t suffer by comparison with the imports in any way, are as follows:

Yarden Blanc de Blancs Vintage
Israel’s finest champagne method sparkling wine, made 100% from Chardonnay grapes grown on the high altitude northern Golan Heights. This is a vintage wine. The grapes are hand picked in whole clusters. The wine rests four years on its tirage yeast before release. The next expression of this wine won’t be available until the end of 2010. The wine is delicate with tropical fruit notes, a toasty backdrop and a very clean, citrus finish. This is Israel’s finest sparkling wine. It is of the quality of the finest champagne and is made totally authentically, but is a great deal better value. Yarden is the premier label of the Golan Heights Winery.

Pelter Blanc de Blancs NV
A tiny production of traditional method sparkling wine, made from Chardonnay grapes grown in the Galilee and Golan. The wine rests for three years on its yeasts. The result is a fresh, aromatic and intense wine. Pelter is one of Israel’s best new, small wineries. The wine is rare, exclusive and expensive.

Gamla Brut NV
Gamla Brut is made by the traditional method from 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot noir, grown in the relatively cool climate Golan Heights. The wine is left to age for one year at least before disgorging. The wine is bone dry, with good berry aroma and refreshing acidity. Gamla is the second label of the Golan Heights Winery.

Private Collection Brut NV
This sparkling wine is made by the charmat or cuve close method. It is made from Colombard and Chardonnay from the Judean Hills and Viognier, from Yatir Forest, in the southern Judean Hills. Five percent of the Chardonnay was fermented in small, French oak barrels. The wine is refreshing, with an aroma of lime, green apple, with hints of lightly toasted bread. The quality to price ratio is excellent, and it is as good as any Cava. Private Collection is the premium mass market label of Carmel Winery.

Tishbi Brut NV
A bottle fermented sparkling wine made 100% from French Colombard grapes, grown in the Shomron Region vineyards, close to Binyamina and Zichron Ya’acov. This was a style of wine previously made by Tishbi Winery. They then stopped for a few years and have now decided to reintroduce it again. Though not yet released, there are good reports.

Selected Sparkling NV
An ‘extra dry’ sparkling wine made from Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in the coastal regions of Israel. It is light, fruity with a delicate and not too obvious sweetness. The wine represents excellent value for money. It is proving especially popular for banqueting and events. Selected, produced by Carmel Winery, is the largest selling brand in Israel.

Israeli sparkling wines can more than match up to the needs of any party, wedding or celebration.

(This article first appeared on http://www.wines-israel.co.il/)

I’ve written about Israeli wine from Biblical Times until the 1990s. Here’s Israeli wine from the last decade:

Wine Business

Captains of Industry

Winemakers

Wineries

Third Party Recommendations

Kashrut

Israeli TV has a new piece on Daniel Rogov and Israeli wine. It’s in Hebrew so –  learn Hebrew!

I probably don’t have time to add subtitles to the video.

Stephen Brook, who visited Israel for IsraWinExpo 2008, has written an update to Hugh Johnson’s Wine Companion. The Wine Companion is one of the classic books, which is in the library of every wine lover.

Over the years Stephen Brook has been a prolific author and his most famous book is his work on Bordeaux. He is a regular contributor to Decanter Magazine.

Hugh Johnson  wrote five editions of this book, which was first published in 1983. For this sixth edition, Stephen Brook has had a free hand to update where necessary. He obviously used his visit to Israel to good effect, because he has totally rewritten the section on Israel.

The leading five Israeli wineries according to Stephen Brook are:
1.= Castel, Golan Heights; 3. Clos de Gat, 4.= Carmel, Barkan. The full list is as follows:

Barkan *> ***
Binyamina *> **
Carmel *> ***
Castel ***
Chillag **
Clos de Gat **> ***
Dalton *> **
Ella Valley **
Flam **
Galil Mountain **
Golan Heights ***
Hevron Heights *>**
Margalit **
Recanati **
Sea Horse **
Segal *> **
Tanya *>**
Tishbi *>**
Tulip **
Vitkin **
Yatir **

(This article is adapted from an article that originally appeared on Wines Israel)