I signed up for a wine tasting at Derech HaYayin with Daniel Rogov a month ago. I went into the store one day and I know the sales people fairly well and he asked me if this interested me for 150 NIS. I said yes as I knew I can expense it as a learning opportunity.  I was looking forward to this evening for a while but in the end was disappointed because Daniel Rogov never showed up!  Maybe my expectations were off or maybe the details about the evening were lost in translation, but I thought I was going to be tasting wines from around the world with Daniel Rogov, but instead I ended up tasting some good Israeli wines with the marketing manager and 20 other old Israeli men, that knew a little about wine, for two and a half hours.  What kept me entertained the whole time was actually tweeting about my wine tasting experience!

The table was set nicely with a hearty selection of cheeses, bread and olive oil. The ten wines that we tasted were Garage de Papa Blanc 2009, Clos De Gat Harel Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Psagot Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Pelter Shiraz- Grenache T Selection 2006, Yatir Shiraz 2007, Flam Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Golan Heights Cabernet Sauvignon from Yonatan vineyards 2007, Recanati Special Reserve 2007, Carmel Limited Edition 2007 and lastly Domaine du Castel Grand Vin 2008.

If I knew the list before the tasting, I probably would not have attended since I go to a lot of these wineries on a regular basis and have tasted the majority of their wines.  The new wine that I had not tasted that exceeded my expectations was the Golan Heights Cabernet Sauvignon from Yonatan vineyards 2007.  The reality was, that I was really looking forward to tasting wines from France, Spain, Italy and California that I usually do not have access to for 150 NIS, so if anyone knows when this is happening, please invite me!

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So here are my tasting notes:

Garage de Papa Blanc 2009 (140 NIS) -  Made from 100% Chardonnay, vineyards from Karmai Yosef and Tzuba in the Jerusalem Hills, nice nose of apples, minerals and a smooth buttery/creamy taste. A very nice Chardonnay.

Clos De Gat Harel Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – Taste of traditional Israeli Cab, nice tastes of cherries, chocolate and plums. Very bitter on the end and a felt the alcohol of 14% on the way down!

Psagot Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (145 NIS) – Dark burgundy color, on the nose smoke and black fruits. Very savory with medium tannins and body, sweet chocolate on finish.

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Tal Pelter, winemaker of Pelter Winery
Pelter Shiraz- Grenache T Selection 2006 – Very stinky! The initial stink actually reminded me of a Gary Vaynerchuk episode where he said the wine smelt like Rhino Poo!  This was my least favorite wine and the green pepper, green herbs and soil were very strong tastes.

Yatir Shiraz 2007 (130 NIS) – Deep purple almost black in color with 2% Viognier. Nice hints of pepper and spice, bitter chocolate on the taste, very smooth, reflections of plum, green herbs, and a bit of sweet and sour sauce (to me).

Flam Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – This is a very elegant wine with a deep red color and full body, tastes of ripe cherries, raspberries and a hint of chicken soup. Not ready yet but very nice to drink now.

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Golan Heights Cabernet Sauvignon from Yonatan vineyards 2007 (175 NIS) This was my favorite wine by far! I tasted the volcanic soil, deep red fruits, smooth and very elegant.

Recanati Special Reserve 2007 (150 NIS) – This is a blend of Cabernet sauvignon, Melbec and Merlot. There were definitely hints of manor and chicken soup (maybe I was craving it at the time, but I definitely tasted it), elegant after first taste, but a bit flat for me.

Carmel Limited Edition 2007 (200 NIS) – This wine has hints of tobacco and raspberries. The first bottle was corked so she opened a second bottle but it was still tight. I did not think it was worth the 200 NIS.

Domaine du Castel Grand Vin 2008 (220 NIS) – I have tasted this wine many times since I go to Castel with clients and it is an elegant wine, reflects French style more than the other wines. It is not ready to drink yet, I would give it at least 3 years. 

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On December 1st, Amir Katz, a wine enthusiast from Boston, hosted with My Israel Wine Tours a wine and cheese tasting for the English speakers in Beer Sheva.

The event was hosted at Aquaria Seafood Bistro which is owned by Ronny, a chef who cooked in Thailand, Korea and other parts of South East Asia for over 10 years.

The wines that were presented were: Galil Mountain Viognier 2008, Galil Mountain Cabernet Shiraz 2008, Tzuba Merlot 2006, and Adir Dessert Wine.

Everyone also enjoyed the Oshra Fine Food Wine Jams. We tasted the Mango Chardonnay, Sangria and Cabernet Fig.

Also read what Katherine Martinelli wrote about the fabulous evening on her blog by clicking here.
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Every two years Israel hosts a wine expo for export purposes.  Over 40 wineries are going to be attending.  The Wine Expo is open to the public for two nights, Wednesday, February 10th and Thursday, February 11th.

The Wine Expo is for people in the Wine business only on Tuesday, February 9th.

The cost is 60 NIS per a person and for that you receive a glass and all the tastings you want to drink!

The location is The Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center LTD. Exhibition Gardens, Rokach Blvd. Tel Aviv, Israel.  hall no. 10. This is near the University of Tel Aviv.

Click Here for more information:
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