Thanksgiving Day Kate and Michael, newcomers to Israel, enjoyed a wine tour in the Carmel Region with My Israel Wine Tours. From the one bad experience years ago with kosher wine, they thought Israel did not produce any good wines, but they realized after a day of visiting four great wineries in Israel, that Israel is producing some very tasty and delicious wines.
 Our first stop was Tishbi Estate Winery where I gave them a private tour of the facility and showed them the process of how a big winery produces wine. They were introduced to Golan Tishbi, the winemaker, and some more Tishbi family members. They enjoyed a tasting of Oshra Tishbi wine jams and the French Riesling 2009, Jonathan Tishbi Special Reserve Chardonnay 2008, Shiraz 2007, Jonathan Tishbi Special Reserve 2007 from Sde Bokar, a Muscat dessert wine and the Barbara Zinfandel Port style wine. And this was only at 10am!
 We then made our way up to the center of Zichron Yaakov where we went to Somek Winery, a boutique winery producing only 10,000 bottles annually. We met with Barak, the winemaker where he explained his passion for winemaker and the traditional methods he uses to make his complex and delicious wine. We tasted his 2008 Chardonnay, 2005 Carignan, 2005 Birkat HaNadiv and his Port-style wine.
After lunch at the Tishbi Café along the Promenade, we took a pit stop at the Carmel Winery, which Michael and Kate kept on hearing about from their colleagues, so they had a few tastings of the Carmel Appellation series and Private Collection series.  Our last winery was Amphorae Vineyards in the Makarha Forest. The winery is surrounded by a forest and is a very peaceful setting. Along with getting a tour and tasting, Michael and Kate were able to receive a barrel tasting from the assistant winemaker, Alon. Kate and Michael learned a lot about Israeli wines, and have the next 2 years in Israel to explore and taste the 300 wineries Israel has to offer.
 Enjoying breakfast at Adir Winery For months Debbie has been awaiting the arrival of her sister-in-law to Israel so she can give her a wine tour for her birthday. Finally, on Sunday, November 14th, Debbie and Sue enjoyed their wine tour in the Upper Galilee Region. Both Debbie and Sue love wine and know a bit about the art of winemaking. Our first winery was Adir Winery, where Sue and Debbie enjoyed a delicious breakfast of cheeses, bread, salad and of course wine! After the breakfast they enjoyed a tasting of the range of wines from Adir. They tasted the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Shiraz, 2007 Plato series Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 Plato series Cabernet Sauvignon, and the dessert wine and Port-style wine. Along with the dessert wine they tasted cherry goat-yogurt. Adir was their elegant winery visit.
 Ben Zimra Winery We then made a quick stop at Dalton Winery to taste their range of white and red wines. Dalton was the only winery we visited that made any white wines. Sue and Debbie like their oaked Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.
The third winery was Ben Zimra Winery in Kerem Ben Zimra. Ben Zimra winery only carries Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. They produce 20,000 bottles annually and it is a one-man show! Both Cabs were full-bodied, dark and delicious. Sue and Debbie liked the intimate feeling and uniqueness of a small boutique winery.
 Personal Explanation by Rami Naaman  Naaman Winery The last winery was Naaman Winery…a real jewel! Rami, the winemaker and owner, showed us around his home and opened his winery to us for a private tour. Sue and Debbie tasted his full range of wines, which are named after Rock and Rollers (Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, and King Crimson). They also loved Naaman's coolie, which is a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction that can be used for meat, lamb, on desserts and in salads.
It was a great birthday present and now Sue and Debbie will be enjoying these wines for many special occasions in the future!
 The End!
 Saturday, November 13, 2010 I visited Tulip Winery and saw their beautiful facility and tasted their delicious wines. Tulip winery was founded in 2003 by the Yitzhaki familyand produces 100,000 bottles a year. They just went kosher this harvest (2010).
 I tasted their 2009 White Tulip blend (70% Gewürztraminer/ 30% Sauvignon Blanc) which was fresh, crisp, straw color, and had hints of green apple and grapefruit. Mostly Cabernet Franc which was oaked for 14 months in 80% French oak and 20% American oak – the color was a dark deep garnet and tastes of ripe plums (alcohol 14.0%). The last wine I tasted (since I was driving) was the Reserve Syrah 2008 which was oaked in French barrels for 18 months – this Syrah was rated 90 by Parker and 92 by Wine Spectator, it was peppery and had a deep purple color.
Tulip winery is a hidden jewel and I can’t wait to bring you there!
 Used barrels from Castel Winery On Thursday, November 11th, I went to Bar Giora Winery in Moshav Bar Giora, in the Jerusalem Hills to celebrate the new wines of their winery. As my friend and I drove through the windy roads to Bar Giora we thought we were in the middle of nowhere! Once we got to Bar Giora, there were over 40 people enjoying tastings, food and cheese. Bar Giroa Winery is a garage winery which has a certain quaint charm and lots of great potential.
 Winemaker Rebecca and I enjoyed the 2008 Pinot Noir and 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. Aviton, the winemaker at Giora Winery only produces 3,500 bottles annually. He produces Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. His blend is called Yehuda. He started the winery in 2006 and wants to stay boutique but grow.
Aviton’s love for winemaking is in his blood. He is a carpenter turned winemaker as a hobby. His wine reflects the time and passion he puts into the process.
Check out Rogov’s ratings here: www.wines-israel.co.il/len/apage/66272.php
 For Scott's birthday, he and his wife, Patricia, enjoyed a fun day at the Jerusalem Hills wineries. Our visit winery was Domaine du Castel where we had a private tour and tasting with Ruti, the manager of the Visitors Center. Ruti explained the magical story of how the Ben Zaken family turned their passion and love of food and wine into a reality of being on the most exclusive wine producers in Israel. We enjoyed a tasting with cheese and even met the winemaker, Eli Ben Zaken.
 The second winery was Ella Valley winery. We zigzagged on a beautiful road and into the green and lush Ella Valley. At Ella Valley we enjoyed a tasting of their range of wines and also the RR 2005, which was well balanced and delicious.
Our marathon wine tour continued to Tzora Winery where we had an indepth explanation of Tzora's vineyards and how they name their bottles, based on the vineyard and not on the variety of grape. The dessert wine was a hit!
At this point some food was in need so we ate at Margot Café in Kibbutz Tzora. Their bread was very tasty!
Our day ended at Tzuba Winery where we saw the ancient wine press and Tzuba vineyards, which happens to be the grapes that Castel buys to make their wine. Steve and Loraine were able to see of the facility up close and person with the mashkiach. It was a fabulous birthday celebration and a fun way to learn about the Israeli wine industry and taste new wines that Scott and Patricia can enjoy with friends and during future celebration.
 Tishbi Winery Randy and Loraine contacted My Israel Wine Tours through Richard Shaffer, the owner of Israel Wine Direct. They were coming to Israel for the first and on top of their organized tour around Israel they wanted to experience some wineries. Randy and Loraine travel the world through wine and fly fishing and were interested in the Israeli wine industry. Our first stop was Tishbi Estate Winery. At the Tishbi Estate Winery Randy and Loraine enjoyed a tour of the facilities and a tasting of the Oshra Fine Food products as well as the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Chardonnay Reserve, 2007 Shiraz, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscat dessert wine and 2006 Port-style wine.
 Somek Winery Our second winery was Somek Winery where Randy and Loraine sat with Barak, the owner and winemaker of Somek Winery. They tasted the newly released 2008 Chardonnay, 2005 Carignan, 2005 Birkat HaNadiv, and Port-style wine. It was lucky to know that Randy loves Port!
 Amphorae Winery We then enjoyed lunch at Tishbi Café on the Promenade in Zichron Yaakov. Our last winery was Amphorae Vineyards where we were lucky to witness the pressing of the grapes. Alon, the assistant wine maker gave us a tasting of the pressed wine and wine from the fermenting tank. Randy and Loraine tasted their range of wines and loved the Unica series Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Barbara blend.Randy and Loraine enjoyed learning about the modern Israeli wine industry and now have some Israeli wines to enjoy at home and throughout their trip in Israel.
 These guys know their wine! Moti, Danial and Stewy, all from NY, left their wives and kids at home and took a trip to Israel for their 40th birthday celebration. We started the day with a detailed explanation of the process of winemaking at Galil Mountain Winery. These guys drink a few bottles of kosher wine a week and know Yiron Galil Mountain series well. They tasted the 2009 Viognier wine which was a new wine for them.
 The second winery we visited was Adir Winery, which was the funnest winery of the day. Adir Winery only produces 30,000 bottles annually and does not export to the States, so these guys were very happy for the new selection. They tasted the Plato 2005 and 2007, Cabernet 2008 and 2007, Shiraz 2008 and the dessert wine and port-style wine. They also enjoyed a tasting of organic goat cheese, ice-cream and yogurt. Moti, Danial and Stewy are going to be enjoying Adir Wines for a very long time, and because they were such great customers, they received a special look around the oak barrel room and inside the wineries facility.
 They then stumbled across the street to Dalton Winery, where they tasted a wide range of wines from Sauvignan Blanc to Viogior, Shiraz, Merlot, Zinfindel, and even a range of tasty liquors.
The last winery they visited was Rimon Winery. They were surprised at the large facility and operation that Pomegranate wine undergoes. Even though the pomegranate wine was not the most enjoyed, the Champagne-style pom wine was liked. It was a packed and thoroughly enjoyed day by all! Lechaim
 On October 31st, (my birthday) Cheryl, Jerry and Debbie took a scenic drive to the Upper Galilee on their first wine experience! We first went to the Galil Mountain Winery where they received an explanation of the process of wine making by seeing the large scale facilities. Another small English speaking group joined our tour and during the tasting we found out he was a retired NFL player (see picture).
 Happy Birthday toast We then visited Adir Winery and tasted their Shiraz 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Plato Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 and 2005. They loved the dessert and Port style wine with the goat cheese ice-cream at the end of the tasting. They even surprised Esther with a birthday cake!
 Our last winery was Miles Winery, where Molly, the winemaker and owner, showed us her boutique winery in her home. Miles Winery produces 8,000 bottles annually and her wine is sold in stores in Tel Aviv and the North.
After drinking a lot of wine and eating cheese, we were very hungry and enjoyed a nice lunch at Rene Café in Rosh Pina.
|
RSS Feed