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On Thursday, September 1st, Shoshana and Asaf celebrated their marriage with friends and family on a wine tour in Zichron Yaakov. I picked them up in Jerusalem at 9am and by 11:30am we were touring around the facilities of Tishbi Winery.

I explained to the history of the First Aliyah and the Tishbi's family relation to Edmond Baron De Rothschild.  After the tour of the oak barrel room and Distillery room, we enjoyed a tasting a delicious lunch!

We even got to see a harvest being processed at the winery. The grapes were Cabernet Sauvignon from the Golan Heights.
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After a nice stroll around Ramat HaNadiv, the Botanical Gardens and memorial to Rothschild, we went to Somek Winery, a small boutique winery in Zichron Yaakov, owned by Barak Dahan. Barak toured us around his backyard which houses his winery and home since the time of his grandfather.

After drinking his smooth and delicate wines, we traveled to the Promenade in old Zichron Yaakov and enjoyed some Aldo ice cream before heading back to Jerusalem.

The day was enjoyed by all and now there are more wine fans of Israel!
 
 
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On Wednesday, September 1st Adrian, Shimon and I enjoyed a day touring 4 wineries in the Jerusalem Hills region.  We started our day at Ella Valley Winery where we saw a movie about the region and their philosophy of wine making. We then tasted their 2009 Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and RR (Red Reserve).

The second winery we enjoyed an intimate tour with Shuki, the owner of Agur Winery. We tasted the juice of Viognier from the vats, heard the delicate fermentation in the barrels of his Rose, and then got to see Shuki in action entertaining his guests.  We all loved his wine, especially his serious Rose! That wine will be drank nice and chilled for Rosh Hashanna!
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The third winery we visited was Tzora Winery where Shula met us with her smile and friendliness. She gave us a tasting of their Chardonnay, Syrah, Shoresh and Judeaen Hills wine.  We stummbled out of Tzora feeling really good but hungry!

We made our way to Tzuba winery, but first stopped to get a bite to eat at Moshiko in Mivaserette. At Tzuba Winery we received another intimate tasting with the winemaker, Paul from South Africa.  Paul started working at Tzura winery planting their vineyards 10 years ago, and now he is able to see and enjoy his creation in a bottle. Paul explained the detailed process on how he creates his blends and the creativity that goes into the art of wine making. 

We ended the day with a Le'Chaim with Tzuba's Chardonnay Dessert Wine and Port, which was delicious.
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Fun was had by all and now maybe we will see more Israeli wines available to Canadians! Let's hope!
 
 
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On Wednesday, August 25th, I enjoyed the day touring around a few Jerusalem Hills wineries on my own.  I started the day at Tzuba Winery, where Yael, the manager of the tourism and culture center of Kibbutz Tzuba met with me and showed me the ancient wine press and we tasted some white and red wines. I then enjoyed a kibbutz style lunch with Yael in their dining hall. Very authentic! 

I had a delightful visit at Tzuba Winery, which definitely made me a fan of their wine and tourism wine site.  During the tour I saw ancient wine presses, which Tzuba has a few in their area and during the tour, the guests receive a detailed description on how these presses were used back in the Temple periods.  Included in their tour options is an ATV tour and Jeep tours, which sounded like a lot of fun, especially when the client is able to drive the jeep through the Jerusalem Hills.
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Tzuba Winery currently produces 40,000 bottles annually and during their harvest season guests are allowed to pick with the works at 6:30am (across the street from the winery). They have 13 varieties of grapes in their vineyards, which they also sell to other wineries around Israel.  

The manager of the Winery, Eiton, explained to me how Tzuba wines taste like the Jerusalem hills, which he described as elegant, pleasant, new world, not overly oaked and flavorful. 

Come join me at Tzuba on a wine tour and tasting or visit their website at: http://www.tzubawinery.co.il/winery-vineyard.html
 
 
 
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On Tuesday August 24th, eighteen AACI (Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel) members joined me on a wine tour in Zichron Yaakov.  First we went to Tishbi Winery, where we toured the facilities, oak barrel room and almost completed Chocolate and wine tasting room. From these pictures you can see they loved the food and wine they tasted!  The brandy fans enjoyed learning about the Alembic Distillery and then tasting that brandy fortified in the Barbara Zinfandel Port-Style Dessert Wine.

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After eating and drinking a lot, we took a stroll, although it was hot, in Ramat HaNadiv, and saw the beautiful flowers and gardens.  We also got some free time along the Promanade (Midrachov) in the Center of Zichron Yaakov, where the character of the road dates back to 1882.
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Carmel Winery was our next stop where Ruti, a Somellier trained in Italy, toured us around the old Oak Barrel rooms and we tasted 4 different types of wine.  By the end of the day, fun was had by all and everyone was ready for a nap!

 
 
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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.
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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!

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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.

 
 
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Mike and Chaya from New York and Chicago, enjoyed a wine experience in the Carmel Region on August 11th.  We set out in the morning from Tel Aviv with our first stop being Tishbi Winery.  Since harvest season began, we smelled the lovely aromas of crushed grapes and fermenting wine.  Chai and Mike had a lovely tasting of Tishbi's French Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, 2007 Shiraz, 2006 Merlot, and the Fortified Dessert Wine. They enjoyed the wine with a cheese and jam pairing.
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We then traveled up to Zichron Yaakov and visited Somek Winery, where they fell in love with Barak Dahan, the owner and winemaker of Somek Winery. They tasted his wonderful oaked Chardonnay, Carignan, Birkat HaNadiv, and Port Style wine.  

Chaya enjoyed shopping and shmying along the art galleries in Zichron Yaakov and we ate a delicious lunch at Nili Café and Bar.
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Our last winery was Amphorae Vineyards, where we were greeted by Ravit, who explained to Chai and Mike about Amphorae's new 2009 Rose and the newly released Unica series. 

The day was a success and now when Mike and Chaya drink a glass of wine, especially an Israeli wine, they will think of the process and heart that went into that bottle of wine.
 
 
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Roni Saslove at Saslove Winery
On July 25th, Sharon and his friends joined me on a wine tour of two wineries in the Sharon, which is the Central coast region of Israel.  The first winery was Saslove Winery where Sharon and his friends received a private tour with Roni Saslove, the wife of the winemaker, Barry Saslove, in Kibbutz Eyal.

Roni gave them a taste of a range of wines from their Marriage (blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Syrah), Adom (100% Merlot) to their Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Reserve.
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Doron at Vitkin Winery
We then ventured into Kfar Vitkin and met with winemaker and owner of Vitkin Winery, Doron Belogolovsky, where we enjoyed an Israeli conversations about the trend and market in the Israeli wine industry.  Doron proudly told us his family story from the first Aliyah, and showed us around the winery, which is in his backyard. 

We tasted about 10 different wines in Doron's home around his dining room table with pictures of his family in the background. We enjoyed his Rose, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Petit Syrah, Carignan and many more. 

After all this drinking, we enjoyed the outlook of the Mediterranean Sea and ate fresh fish by the sea.
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Vitkin Winery with Doron the winemaker
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Saslove Winery with Roni Saslove
 
 
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On, July 18th Esther and Sherry, both knowledgeable in wine from around the World, enjoyed a beautiful day at 3 Jerusalem Wineries.  We first tasted the wines of Tzora Winery. Shula, the manager of the Visitors Center, explained the different regions where they grow their grapes, and how each label represents the taste of that region.
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Next we visited Flam Winery where Israel Flam, an expert winemaker took us on a personal tour of the facilities, including their oak barrel room. We then tasted their variety of wines, from the Classico, which is simple and enjoyable to the Reserve Merlot and Cabernet, which are full-bodied, flavorful, and balanced.  

On our way back to Jerusalem we stopped at Abu Gosh and ate delicious hummus, salad, pita, chicken shlishik and a rice/lamb dish at the Caravan Restaurant.
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Our final destination was Castel Winery. As per a request from Esther, since she loves Castel wines and buys them frequently in New York, we had a private tour with Ruti, the manager of Castel, and enjoyed a matching cheese and wine tasting
 
 
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On Sunday, July 11th, Allen, his wife and their friends, enjoyed their wine experience in Zichron Yaakov.  Our first winery was Tishbi Winery, where they had a private tour and tasting with me and met Golan and Jonathan Tishbi. They also had a tasting of the wine jams by Oshra Tishbi and loved her Mango Chardonnay jam. 

We walked around Ramat HaNadiv and they were all taken away with the beautifully organized Botanical Gardens.  
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We then traveled into Zichron Yaakov, to the house of Barak Dahan, the owner and winemaker of Somek Winery. They loved his dry-oaked, French traditional wines and the quaint atmosphere of Barak's home that has been in his family for 5 generations. 

At this point we were all very hungry and enjoyed Pizza at Café Nili on the Midrachov
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As you can see from this picture, at the last winery, Amphorae Vineyards, Allen's group was spoiled by Reba with a wide selection of reds, including their newly released Unica label.  

They all enjoyed themselves immensely and had a nice nap on the ride back to Tel Aviv.
 
 
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On Friday, July 9th, twenty-two young adults from the Tel Aviv area had a blast on a day wine tour to Zichron Yaakov wineries.  We first visited Tishbi Winery where I took them on a personal tour of the facilities, which included the oak barrel room and brandy distillery room.  They loved all the wines they tasted and even got to fill up their empty wine bottles with the Tishbi wine-on-tap Cabernet Petit Syrah.  

A few people in the group even bought the 2-liter jug of wine-on-tap!

Even though it was very hot and they just drank a lot of wine, we took a nice stroll around Ramat HaNadiv, Rothschild's Botanical Gardens, and smelled the variety of herbs in the fragrance garden.
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We then toured Somek Winery with winemaker and owner, Barak Dahan, a fifth generation Sabra who makes his wine with all his heart and passion. Everyone loved his oaked dry-red and white wines and Port-style wine.  We also had fun playing with his 2 dogs, puppy and Gusha. 

After a hot day and drinking, everyone enjoyed a lunch on the Midrachov in Zichron Yaakov.  The trip was enjoyed by all and by the end of the day, everyone made a new friend.
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