Letter from Israel

'L'Chaim' in the Holy Land

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By Meredith Price

 

Israel's vineyards produce high-quality, complex wines.

Israel has long been a tourist destination for religious pilgrims, archaeological buffs and historical enthusiasts. These days, another group of travelers are making their way to the holy land: wine connoisseurs.

When leading American wine critic Robert Parker awarded 14 Israeli wines with top scores of more than 90 points a few months ago, the knowledge that Israel is at long last taking its place on the international wine-making map went from being an insider's secret to a worldwide fact practically overnight. Parker, who is considered by many to be the foremost expert on wines in the world, awarded both the 2003 Yatir Forest (Yatir Winery) and the 2005 Gewurztraminer Heights Wine Yarden (Golan Heights Winery) with an even higher mark of 93. According to his Web site, any wine with a rating between 90 and 95 indicates "an outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character." The bottom line: Israel has now been officially recognized as a viable grape-growing region with high-quality wines.

Having so many Israeli wines receive such a high rating by a world-renowned expert created a dizzying stir because in previous years only one Israeli wine ever scored even close to that, receiving an 89 from Wine Spectator. The winemaking tradition in Israel may be more than 2,000 years old, but it wasn't until about 20 years ago that anyone took a serious interest in producing wines that could compete on an international scale.

Baron Edmond de Rothschild was the first modern-era winemaker. He started planting vineyards in the 1880s with grapes imported from France. In 1882, the Carmel Wine Co. officially emerged. It would be 80 more years before what is now called the Carmel Winery would produce internationally known grape varieties like Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc, but despite its sluggish beginnings, the winery today controls nearly 50 percent of the winemaking industry in Israel.

Traditionally relegated to the kosher box that sells predominantly to the Jewish market abroad, many vintners say Parker's recent recognition at last spreads the word about what people living in Israel have known for a long time: Israel can produce high-quality, complex wines that rival those in France and California.

"Kosher wines are still in the highest demand here in Israel, but the vast majority of the over 200 wineries in the country today are producing nonkosher wine," says Amir Efraty, the owner of the Anavim ("grapes" in Hebrew) wine stores in Tel Aviv. According to Mark Squires, who works closely with Parker, "the corner has been turned qualitatively. Israel has a real wine industry that deserves consumer attention. The best [Israeli wines] will impress anyone."

Adam Montefiore of the Carmel Winery pointed out in a recent article that 11 of the 14 wines that Parker rated highly just happened to be kosher, but this is no longer the deciding factor when it comes to the quality. This, he says, is the mark of real progress. It is what will enable Israeli wines to compete with the wine industry on an international level and not just sell to a Jewish audience seeking kosher labels.

With such prominent recognition, it comes as no surprise that more and more wineries are springing up across the country all the time. What has also changed, according to Efraty, is the people behind the vineyards. "We are no longer seeing people who don't know anything about wine, who don't drink wine and who don't love wine producing it in Israel. With the boutique vineyards today, people who truly love wine are starting to produce quality wines in which you can feel the style and personality of the maker in the wine itself."

The creation of more wineries and more unique, quality wines also brings a special type of tourism, and Efraty has seen a great rise in the number foreign visitors looking for the best wineries to visit.

"If they are leaving from Tel Aviv, I usually recommend two types of excursions, a short one and a long one," he says. "For a short trip, people can easily do day trips to the Judaean Hills and visit several excellent boutique wineries. If they are interested in a longer trip, I tell them to go to the Upper Galilee. For me, these are the most important wine regions in Israel."

These are also some of the regions that produced wines with high marks from Parker, such as Domaine du Castel (bottled by Yatir, a boutique winery in the Judaean Hills) and the Golan Heights Winery.

At the Golan Heights Winery, perched on the golden hilltops high above the Sea of Galilee, visitors can explore 15 sprawling vineyards in a scenic setting. The climate here is much drier than in coastal towns and pleasant most of the year.

The Carmel Winery offers tours and tastings in the lovely hillside town of Zichon Ya'akov, where you can find Israeli artwork and upscale boutiques as well as plenty of sidewalk cafes and a wide range of restaurants.

The family-run Tishbi winery was commended by wine critic George Medovoy for its polite owners and ranch-style tasting room, which he says "has the look of a Napa Valley winery." Medovoy recommends their whites, including a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay.

Two boutique wineries that Medovoy highly recommends are Margalit, located in the middle of a grapefruit grove in Hadera, and Domaine du Castel, a family-run vineyard tucked away in the Judaean Hills just outside Jerusalem.

There are also some notable kibbutz wineries in which visitors can combine a walk through the founding kibbutz communities with a wine-tasting tour. Kibbutz Nachshon has a charming little vineyard where wines can be sampled in an outdoor courtyard. The nearby store sells everything you need for a picnic, and the kibbutz itself, just outside Latrun, is a great place to spend a laid-back afternoon.

Several Web sites, such as www.gemsinisrael.com and www.thekerem.com, offer a wealth of information on organized wine tours across Israel. Wine enthusiasts won't want to miss the annual Israeli Wine Festival, held in July and August by the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. There, hundreds of winemakers from all across the country congregate in a festive atmosphere to showcase their labels. As notes from jazz music float across the warm, dry air, visitors can stroll through the welcoming stalls to discover new Israeli wines, discuss the latest technological advances and, of course, fill their glasses with a taste from the sparkling bottles of savory wine.

Meredith Price Levitt grew up in Marietta and bought a ticket to Tel Aviv on Sept. 10, 2001. She writes a column on Israeli innovations and cultural features for The Jerusalem Post. You can reach her at meredithmprice@yahoo.com.

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