Pearl and David love visiting Israel and drinking wine so they combined these two interests for a two day wine tour. The first day they visited wineries in the Jerusalem Hills (Ella Valley Winery, Tzora Winery and Agur Winery) with another wine guide. The second day, I took them to the Upper Galilee Region. We first visited the Galil Mountain Winery where Pearl and David went through the large facility and received an explanation of the process of wine making, as an art and science. They tasted the Viognier 2010, Pinot Noir 2008 and Yiron 2008.
The second winery we visited was Rimon Winery, where we tasted the newly released Port style wine which was aged for 4 years! They loved this wine! We tasted the dry pomegranate wines, dessert pomegranate wines, and the sparkly pomegranate wine.
The third winery we visited was Adir Winery, where we enjoyed a lunch of fresh salad, bread, cheese and kishe along with the Kerem Ben Zimra Shiraz 2009, Kerem Ben Zimra Cabernet 2009 and the Plato 2007. They loved the Adir wines and atmosphere.
The last winery we visited was Dalton Winery where we received a tasting of the Reserve Merlot, Reserve Shiraz, Reserve Zinfindel and the special addition Anna, which is a liquor Muscat. It is delicious and only a few thousand bottles were made!
On June 22nd, Harry and Susan, enjoyed a wine tour in the Upper Galilee. The day started at Galilee Mountain Winery where we took a tour of the facility and then par took in a tasting of the Viognier 2010, Avivim 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz 2009, Meron 2007 and Yiron 2007. They really enjoyed the Meron 2007 and thought the winery was very pleasant.
The second winery we visited was Naaman Winery, which was their favorite, because Harry and Susan like small boutique wineries where you can talk to the winemaker and see how they are growing literally from the ground up. We tasted the whole series of Rami’s wines. We started with the Pink Floyd which is his rose, then we tasted the young Merlot which he called the Babi Marley (tribute to Bob Marley). We then continued to drink Rami’s Deep Purple, King Crimson, Black Velvet, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Harry and Susan loved all of Rami’s wines and can’t wait until they are exported!
We then visited Adir Winery where we tasted 6 different goat’s cheese with a pairing of the Kerem Ben Zimra Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Shiraz 2009, Plato Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, dessert wine and Port. The Plato was the most enjoyed wine with more complexity and roundness. The forth winery was Rimon Winery where the wines were not as enjoyed as much as the jams and pomegranate juice. Susan also received a great deal on the Pomegranate oil! The fifth and final winery we visited was Dalton Winery. At Dalton Winery we received a tasting of a wide range of wines from multiple series, olive oil and liqueurs. The wines that were enjoyed at Dalton were the Wild Yeast Viognier, Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Zinfandel.
Harry and Susan learned a lot about the modern Israeli wine industry during the day and are looking forward to visiting other wine regions in Israel on their next trip.
Arianna and gang took a spectacular wine tour with me to 5 wineries in the Upper Galilee. The wineries we visited were Naaman Winery, Dalton Winery, Adir Winery, Rimon Winery and Galil Mountain Winery. Arianna and some of her friends are taking a wine appreciation course at Yale so they decided to test their academics on Israeli wine.
We started the day at Kfar Giladi and took a scenic drive to Ramot Neftaly where we met with Rami Naaman, the winemaker of Naaman Winery. Rami explained to us his passion of winemaking the different ways he is creative with his blends, barrels and wine. We had a tasting of 6 different wines, ranging from a Rosa, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a few of Rami’s special blends that are named after Musician, such as his Pink Floy, Deep Purple, King Crimson and Black Velvet.
Adir Winery
Our second winery visit was Adir Winery where Arianna’s group loved the Adir Port! They enjoyed a tasting of 3 different goat cheeses, goat yogurt and 4 selections of wines. The third winery was Dalton Winery where the group received a large selection of wines ranging from their different series, white, red, dessert and liquors.
Dalton Winery
Galil Mountain Winery
The forth winery was a great surprise for the group since they love their pomegranates. Rimon Winery was very quiet and we had the whole winery to ourselves to drink Pomegranate dry wine, dessert wine , bubbly and Port style wine. The regular Pom juice was delicious as well!
Our last winery was Galil Mountain Winery where we drank the Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Avivim 2008, Barbara 2008, Meron 2008 and Yiron 2007. At the end of the day we saw the outlook of Lebanon and Le’Chaimed to a most enjoyable wine tour!
Naaman Winery - Again, too many to count but Rami, the winemaker and owner, gave a very nice tasting of his Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Deep Purple, Cabernet Sauv, Cabernet Franc and his Cabernet Coilie (YUMMY)!
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!
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 Wineryand 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.
Beautiful outlook of the vineyards, Galil Mountain Winery
On Tuesday, October 12th, Sydney and her 6 first-cousins from Canada met me for a day wine tour in the Upper Galilee.Our first winery was the Galil Mountain Winery where they toured the beautiful facility and got a detailed explanation of the process of how wine is created.They loved the Avivim (blend of Chardonnay and Viognior) and enjoyed the Yiron wine.
Lechaim - Adir Winery
We then traveled to Adir Winery and tasted the Shiraz 2008, Cabernet 2007, Plato 2007, and Plato 2005, which was enjoyed by all.We finished the tasting with goat icecream and dessert wine and Port-style wine.They loved the different and unique tasted of each goat cheese and will be enjoying it for many weeks to come in their homes in Canada.
Rimon Winery
As POM juice is a favorite at home, our next winery visit was to Rimon Winery which was something different, and although they did not enjoy the wines so much, they did enjoy the pomegranate jams.
The last winery, Miles Winery, was the most enjoyable atmosphere because we went into Molly’s home and saw her underground cellar with oak barrels and fermentation barrels. The day was enjoyed by all and ended with a nice Israeli Arab lunch in Gush Halev.
At Miles Winery with owner, Molly, smelling th fermentation barrels
On Sunday, September 26, 2010, the Sonstein family traveled with me to the Upper Galilee wineries. The Sonstein family are avid wine drinkers and lovers and were very excited about their wine trip!
The first winery we visited was the Galil Mountain Winery. At the Galil Mountain Winery the Sonstein family received the experience of visiting a large scale winery with an elegance and scenic view, although it was a bit foggy that morning. They enjoyed a tasting in the Sukka and specifically enjoyed the 2006 Yiron.
The next winery was Adir Winery, which was the best and biggest surprise to the Sonstein family. They had a professional tasting with Tzvi and found a new kosher wine to collect and save for many years to come.
Since we were across the street, we visited theRimon Winery and tasted Pomegranate Wine, specifically, their dessert wine, port style wine, and bubbly wines. The Champagne style was enjoyed the most.
After all these wineries and not much to eat besides Goat’s cheese and yogurt from Adir Winery, we traveled to Tiberius and enjoyed a nice meal at Decks.
For their two year anniversary Shalahevet and her husband enjoyed a vacation in Israel. Part of their vacation was a wine tour in the Upper Galilee Region with me!On the 3 hour drive up North I explained to them the history of Israeli wine, the basics of wine, and what makes modern day Israeli wine so special and unique.
Our first stop was the Galil Mountain Winery where they were taught the process of wine making up close. We felt the coolness of the oak barrel room, smelled the yeast from the fermentation and tasted their Meron, Yiron and Barabara wines.
Next we visited the Adir Winery and tasted 8 different wines. They tasted the Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 and 2007, Plato 2005; Merlot 2006 and 2008; Shiraz 2008; Dessert wine and Port Style Wine.They loved the rich body of the Port style wine!
Lastly, they tasted Pomegranate Wine at Rimon Winery. They loved the jams made out of Pomegranates and got a little buzz from all that wine. We finished the day with lunch in Rosh Pina and then traveled back to Tel Aviv.
I moved to Israel in June 2008 not knowing what I was going to do in Israel. It turns out, my wine hobby is my career. MIWT coordinates wine tours for tourists and locals around Israel's 300 wineries in 5 regions on a weekly basis. Come join the fun!
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