Israeli wine

The Israeli wine industry has wineries numbering in the hundreds and ranging in size from small boutique enterprises making a few thousand bottles per year to the largest producing over ten million bottles per year.

Wine in Ancient Israel

Wine has been produced in the Land of Israel since Biblical times. The ancient land of Israel (known at various times as Canaan and Judea) was making wine over two thousand years before Europe. In Biblical times the wine industry was the mainstay of the economy and wine had significant ritual importance.

The city of Gibeon was the center of wine making in ancient Israel. In 1959 and 1960 archaeological expeditions discovered ancient wine cellars saved and preserved at temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius. Furthermore it has been determined that wine was made and stored in ancient Gibeon between 600 C.E and 700 C.E.

Michael Bar Yosef writes in his book that through his travels he visited both Gibeon, Israel as well as Champagne. Besides the vineyards' difference in size (Gibeon being much smaller) Ben Yosef notes absolute similarities between the wine cellars of Gibeon, Israel and Champagne, France as if the same architect was involved in the design and building of the wine cellars despite the fact that the cellars of Gibeon were built 500 years earlier than the cellars of Champagne, France.

After the Roman conquest of Judea in 70 C.E., many vineyards were destroyed, and the remaining vines were torn up during the period of Muslim rule that began in 636 C.E. The Muslim conquest led to a 1,200 year halt to local wine production.

These ancient wines lacked the quality that people have become accustomed to in modern times. They were thick and sweet and had to be seasoned just to make them palatable.

Modern Israeli wine industry

1890s. Winemaking barrel shop in Zikhron Yaakov

The modern Israeli wine industry was founded by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, owner of the Bordeaux Chateau Château Lafite-Rothschild. In 1882 he supported the new wave of Jewish immigrants by sponsoring their efforts to start a viable wine industry. There were a number of initial setbacks - the soil was stony and sandy, crops did not survive the hot sun & the first vineyards were struck with phylloxera.

Rothschild built two wineries, one in Zikhron Ya'aqov and another in Rishon LeZion. Because of high temperatures the wine of the first vintages went sour, so deep underground cellars were constructed at enormous cost.

According to Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (86-volume edition), the region's export of wine and cognac in 1895 alone amounted to ₣ 277,000. [1]

In 1906 Baron Edmond de Rothschild passed the management of the wineries onto the growers who formed the Societe Co-operative Vigneronne des Grandes Caves and in 1957 his son, James Rothschild, donated the wineries to the wine growers cooperative. Their vineyards covered many parts of Israel, but the main concentration was in the coastal regions of Sharon & Samson. The resulting wines were sold under the brand name 'Carmel'.

At the turn of the twentieth century Carmel produced the first Israeli wine to win a medal at a wine show (Carmel No. 1 1900 was a gold medal winner at the Paris World's Fair). It signaled the rebirth of the Israeli wine industry after 2,000 years.

Well into the 1960s, Israel suffered from a reputation of producing wines too thick and sweet to appeal to true wine connoisseurs.

In the 1970s Carmel began to produce Israel's first varietal wines (Cabernet Sauvignon & Sauvignon Blanc).

Israel’s first serious ‘fine’ wine was Carmel Special Reserve 1976 (released in 1980). The wine, which lasted over 15 years, was a milestone in the production of Israeli wine (the 1979 vintage was also a great success).

Wine revolution

Part technology and high altitude, cooler vineyards, the Golan led the country to a new dawn of quality wine. They won a host of gold medals and a number of trophies at the IWSC in London and Vinexpo in Bordeaux - in particular with their premier label, Yarden.

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 which they perceived as substandard. The winery was also the first to realize that wines made from Grenache, Semillon, Petit 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 Gewürztraminer.

The Golan wines were a success from the beginning; their second wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the 1984 vintage, won a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Many other wineries have made major steps forward in improving the quality of their wines. There are now five major wineries, approximately a dozen medium sized wineries and a rapidly growing host of small and boutique wineries in the country. Many of these are producing wines that are of high quality, and a few even producing wines good enough to interest connoisseurs and wine lovers throughout the world.

As wine writer Oz Clarke said, "Israel is now on the world wine map", and many local dry red and white wines are as good as some of the fine wines of California, Australia and others of the "new-world" wine-producing countries. Some Israeli wines are so good that they are compared favorably to the wines of the respected chateaux of France.

Boutique revolution

Starting in the 1990s and continuing in the 2000s there has been an explosion of new boutique wineries throughout Israel. The most famous of these is Domaine du Castel, situated in the Judean Hills, west of Jerusalem. Castel wines were chosen as Decanter Wine of the Month on no less than three occasions.

Wine growing areas

The country is divided into five vine-growing regions:

• Galil (Galilee) - the region most suited for viniculture in Israel due to its high elevation, cool breezes, marked day and night temperature changes and rich, well-drained soils (most suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay)

• 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 (most suitable for Chardonnay grapes)

• Shimshon (Samson) - located between the Judean Hills and the Coastal Plain

• Negev - drip irrigation has made it possible to grow grapes in this semi-arid desert region (most suitable for Merlot grapes)

• Sharon plain - located near the Mediterranean coast and just south of Haifa - surrounding the towns of Zichron Ya'akov and Binyamina - this is the largest grape growing area in the country

• Golan Heights - In the north of Israel, the Golan Heights is a growing wine production region, particularly along the Syria border.

Israel's main wine growing areas remain the traditional coastal regions of Sharon & Shimshon, but the best quality wines are coming from the Upper Galilee, Golan Heights, Judean Hills & Ramat Arad. The soils are Terra Rossa on the coast, limestone on the hills, sandy clay in the south and volcanic in areas of the north. There are approximately 4,000 hectares of vineyards, which makes Israel one of the smallest of all wine producing countries. However there are a surprising number of microclimates that lie between the snow covered Mount Hermon in the northern Golan & the Negev Desert in the south, which allows for the production of many varieties of grapes. The volcanic basalt soil, the relatively cool climate and the night-day temperature differentials of the Golan Heights (within the Galil region) have proven ideal for the production of premium quality wine grapes.

Israel is known for its advanced agriculture & technology and these come together in the vineyards. Whether it is the use of meteorological stations in the vineyards, the latest drip feed methods or planting vineyards in the desert, the Israeli viticulturist is up to date and always experimenting.

Varieties

The most common grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon (The best awards for Israeli wines & the premier wine of each winery tends to be with this grape), Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Others include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Johannisberg Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat Canelli. Of the newer varieties, Syrah/Shiraz was noted as the most promising. Numerous other varieties are available - from Petit Verdot to Viognier. Zinfindel has also come to be planted, thanks to the influx of California-trained winemakers. Petite Sirah is similarly undergoing somewhat of a revival due to the California- and Australia-trained winemakers, as well as abandonment of the inferior clones. There are no longer any indigenous varieties, as the vineyards of antiquity were uprooted early during the first period of Muslim rule, although the Muscat of Alexandria, prominent in the Eastern Mediterranean and used to make dessert wines, comes closest. Emerald Riesling, a cross between Johannisberg Riesling and Muscadelle, is a variety which succeeded in Israel more than in California, where it was originally introduced.

Influences

Although the Israeli wine industry was built on French roots, Californian winemakers were responsible for the significant changes of the 1980s. Today nearly all the winemakers from the larger wineries and some from the better boutique wineries are internationally trained - mainly in Australia, California, France or Italy. It can be said that Australia has now replaced California as the dominant influence.

Prizes

Israel wins most prizes for its red wines, in particular Cabernet Sauvignon, but awards have been won for traditional method sparkling wines, white wines & dessert wines too. Eleven different Israeli wineries have won gold medals at the very highest level of international blind tasting wine competitions at least once, and some are regular winners.

In 2008, Israeli wine was featured by acclaimed critic Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator magazine, and the British Decanter magazine, which all gave Israeli wines favorable reviews, noting the progress of Israel as a legitimate world-class wine region in such a short time.

Industry today

Today there are approximately 12 commercial wineries in Israel and over 150 boutique wineries. The largest wineries, which control over 90% of the Israel wine industry, are as follows:

1. Carmel Winery - founded in 1882 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild. Carmel is the historic winery of Israel. It has existed under Turkish, British & Israeli rule and still has 50% of the local market.
2. Barkan Wine Cellars - founded in 1990. The winery opened a modern winery at Hulda. In 2004 Barkan were purchased by Tempo, Israel’s biggest brewery (owners of Maccabee & Goldstar, importers of Heineken & agents for Pepsi Cola.)
3. Golan Heights Winery
4. Efrat Winery - founded in 1870 by the Teperberg family in the Old City of Jerusalem. For many years Efrat has catered to the religious, orthodox Jewish population by virtue of its strong Rabbinical supervision. The winery was move to Motza, at the entrance to Jerusalem.
5. Binyamina Wine Cellars - founded in 1952 in Binyamina at the site of an unsuccessful perfume factory built by James Rothschild. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, Eliaz it was the second biggest winery but was geared mainly to religious Jewish market. In 1992 the winery was bought by two Los Angeles filmmakers, renamed Binyamina Wine Cellars.
6. Tishbi Estate
7. Galil Mountain
8. Dalton Winery
9. Recanati Winery - located in Emek Hefer, owned by Lennie Recanati of the Israeli banking family. The grapes are grown in vineyards in the Upper Galilee.

The following were awarded stars in Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2008 as the leading nine Israeli wineries:

Four Stars

1. Domaine du Castel - founded in 1983, by Eli Ben Zaken, located in an old chicken coop, at Ramat Raziel in the Jerusalem Mountains.
2. Golan Heights Winery - located in Katzrin, on the Golan Heights. The winery produces premium varietals, proprietary blends and traditional method sparkling wines, marketed under the labels "Yarden", "Gamla", and "Golan".

Three Stars

1. Flam Winery
2. Margalit Winery
3. Yatir Winery - located at Tel Arad, in Yatir Forest, in the southern Judean Hills, established by joint venture between the growers of Yatir Forest and Carmel Winery. Yatir has won gold medals in the Challenge International du Vin competition in Bordeaux.
4. Carmel Winery - founded in 1882, Carmel is the largest producer in Israel.
5. Galil Mountain - founded as a joint venture between the Golan Heights winery and Kibbutz Yiron in the northern Galilee, Galil Mountain produces 13 wines between its standard Galil Mountain series and the Yiron series. During its short existence, Galil Mountain has earned a solid reputation among consumers for producing excellent value wines.

Two Stars

1. Saslove Winery - a family operated winery, established in 1998, located at Kibbutz Eyal. The winery vineyards in Kaditah in the upper Galilee produce .5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. The winery also produces Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Muscat Dessert wines. Saslove wines has won gold medals in the Challenge International du Vin competition in Bordeaux.
2. Clos de Gat
3. Ella Valley - established in the late 1990s in the Judean Foothills, its first releases came from the 2002 vintage. Known for production of high quality kosher wines, it was featured in the Wall Street Journal in April, 2008.
4. Barkan - another of Israel's largest producers, operates the Barkan and Segal's wineries.

One Star

1. Amphorae Vineyard
2. Chateau Golan - located on the southern Golan Heights.
3. Recanati - located in the Emek Hefer industrial area, Recanati focuses on crafting quality Israeli wines at reasonable prices. Recanati's winemaker, Gil Shatzberg, is one of several Israeli winemakers to have graduated from University of California - Davis's prestigious enology program.
4. Tabor - owned by Coca-Cola, Tabor is located on the base of Mount Tabor in the southern Galilee where it grows grapes in four unique soils: Volcanic Basalt, Chalk limestone, Terra Rossa, and clay.
5. Bazelet Hagolan - located in the Golan Heights.

Selected Others:

1. Mony Winery - owned by an Israeli Arab family, situated in a monastery. The winery produces kosher wines.
2. Neot Smadar - located in the Negev Desert, not far north of Eilat.
3. Odem Mountain - located in the Golan Heights at 1,000 meters altitude.
4. Tzora Winery - founded in 1993 by Ronnie James, located in Kibbutz Tzora. The winery was the first small winery in Israel to use all the grapes from their own vineyards, instead of buying grapes from elsewhere.

Tourism

It was announced in early 2008 that a 150-acre wine park would be created on the slopes between Zichron Ya'akov and Binyamina in order to promote tourism in the area and wine tourism in Israel in general.

Summary

Israeli wines of today can not be confused with the syrupy sweet wines of past decades. They may be found on the wine lists of Three Star Michelin restaurants or on the shelves of premium wine stores. Yarden has been invited to The Wine Spectator's New York Wine Experience & Castel to the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter - both events are by invitation only, to the finest wineries in the world. Carmel wines are in supermarkets & retail stores in Europe & America. Israeli wines may be found in 40 countries in five continents, but most exports are to the Americas & Western Europe. Israeli wines may be categorized as 'new world wines, from one of the oldest wine producing countries on earth.'

External links

• Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• The Wine And Food Academy
• The Kosher Wine Society
• IsraelWines - Israel’s Most Influential Wines
• IsraelWines - The Ups & Downs of Israel’s Most Famous Winery

Further reading

• ‘The Bible of Israeli Wine’, written by Michael Ben Joseph, published by Modan Publishing, Ben Shemen, Israel, 2002