A recent snapshot of Israeli wine

The wine scene in Israel has changed enormously over the last decade. Quality has risen to make international recognition a given. New wineries have appreared regularly. As we have mentioned in this blog, newly re-dicovered native grape varieties are being used for wine production and the results are very encouraging.

There are sadly still many hurdles to clear. First of all we would suggest is the limited choice of grape varieties permitted. You can't just plant Rossese because you would like to. Each and every grape variety has to be cleared by the University of California at Davis. If this is for safety reasons, it has not stopped leaf roll virus taking a hold.

Apart from the native varieties such as Hamdani, Jandali and Baladi, the grapes currently grown in Israel include*

Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
Clairette
Colombard
Emerald Riesling
Gewuertzraminer
Grenache Blanc
Malvasia
Muscat d'Alexandrie
Muscat Canelli
Riesling
Rousanne
Sauvignon Blanc
Semillon
Ugni Blanc
Viognier

Argaman
Barbera
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Carignan
Gamay
Grenache
Malbec
Marselan
Merlot
Mourvedre
Nebbiolo
Pinot Noir
Petit Verdot
Petite Sirah
Pinotage
Ruby Cabernet
Sangiovese
Syrah
Tannat
Tempranillo
Zinfandel

In practice, most wines are made of different permutations of the Bordeaux and Rhone blends. Very good wines result to be sure but it's all a bit timid and unexciting.

The next hurdle is the fact that no one is allowed to own land in Israel. All vineyard land has to be leased from the state. There is of course no subsidy for vine-growing. A new winemaker writes;

Traditionally, winemakers worked in the winery and the vinegrowers were members of cooperatives that owned the winery.  This was a recipe for poor wine.  Starting 30 years ago, farmers became farmers and wineries had contracts for acerage...better.  Boutique wineries bought grapes and started the drive for quality.  Then the Golan Heights really led the way for big wineries to manage their vineyards and boutique wineries started to grow their own grapes.  

Growing Vines is now going towards more ground cover, more bio-diversity, new growing regions,  and generally better practices, but these changes are very slow. 

In 'The Wine Route of Israel' (2006) 75 wineries were listed. Now there are said to be more than 350  but between them Barkan, Carmel and Golan Heights are responsible for 80% of the production.

Among the other 20% smaller and boutique wineries, a list of prominent ones might be as follows (taken from the Institute of Masters of Wine tour of Israel schedule in April 2018);

Amphorae
Bar'on Vineyard (Yarden)
Bin Nun
Chateau Golan
Clos de Gat
Domaine de Castel
Ella Valley
Flam
Golan heights (Yarden)
Gva'ot
Lahat
Pelter
Psagot
Recanati
Sea Horse
Shiloh
Sphera
Shvo
Teperberg
Tura
Tzora
Tzuba
Yatir


To these we noticed quite prominent representation in shops and on winelists of

Five Stones
Garage de Papa
Jezreel

We also couldn't help but remark on the almost total absence of natural wines and wines made with qvevri or amphorae.

Our vigneron friend said: I don't know of any natural wine makers and I'm not a fan myself.  The organic and bio dynamic scene is tiny, but there is increasing consciousness of sustainability.  

There is at least two exceptions. An impressive person Lina Slutzkin went to Georgia, bought qvevri and now makes wine in them at her Kadma winery. Grapes used include Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah.

And Feldstein makes an almost natural wine - minimum intervention in any case: unfiltered to be sure. As well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Feldstein works with Argaman, Cabernet Franc, Carignan, Dabouki, Grenache, Merlot, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Syrah.

If we're not mistaken, the retail sector seems to have improved over the last 10 years.

We visited and bought wine at Avi Ben in Jerusalem and Derech Hayain in Tel-Aviv where customer service was excellent.

Leave plenty of time to browse the James Richardson Duty Free wine shop at TLV.

Equally good was the Duty Free wine shop at Ben Gurion Airport.

Assaf's Chenin Blanc turned out to be particularly good.

We couldn't resist this Segal Argaman - a 'straight' version - not fermented over Merlot skins. This may have been made by Avi Feldstein who was Segal's winemaker before setting up on his own.

Recanati's Bittuni and Marawi were also to be found. Good.

Tishbi's Carignan looked interesting a a relatively modest 13%.

and in an effort to find something modest and uncomplicated, this Merlot from Chateau de Galilee (13%).

In restaurants we tended to choose Pelter's refreshing Sauvignon Blanc by the glass. Also by the glass, some of the less refreshing aforesaid Bordeaux or Rhone blends just for information. They were drinkable enough but a bit on the California fruit-bomb side.

One standout was Amphorae's Grenache Blanc. Really good and interesting even if not made in amphorae.

*Grape varities which might be worth considering for certification in Israel;

Agiorgitiko
Assyrtiko
Aglianico
Bourboulenc
Carmenere
Counoise
Croatina/Bonarda
Dolcetto
Godello
Graciano
Gros Manseng
Gruener Veltliner
Inzolia
Krasnostop Zolotovskiy
Limnio
Marsanne
Montepulciano
Negroamaro
Nero D'Avola
Nero di Troia
Nerello Cappuccio
Nerello Mascalese
Petit Manseng
Pinot Meunier
Picapoll
Raboso
Ramisco
Refosco
Rossese
Sagrantino
Saperavi
Torrontes
Touriga Nacional
Welschriesling
Vilana
Xarel-lo