HaKerem: The Israeli Wine Blog

Check out this clip about Israeli wine on CNN International (sorry I can’t embed it, and don’t let the initial talk of the falcons in the UAE confuse you, it just takes about a minute and a half for them to get to Israel).

My only reaction: I want to be the Grape Man!

Check out the new page I just added on “WINE TASTING”

Pay attention to the do’s and don’ts and check out the video at the end!

Happy wine tasting!

In addition, in response to popular request, I’ve added a table of some of Israel’s more popular wines with some basic information on them, including when they were founded and whether or not they are certified kosher.

Today is Yom Ha’atzmaut — Israel’s 60th Independence Day. What are you drinking on this miraculous and glorious day? Wherever you are in the world today, pick up a bottle of Israeli wine in celebration!

Carmel:

Two interesting Israeli wine events in North America this week - including one in Canada (any Canadian readers?):

Canada

- The Vancouver Israeli Wine Festival runs May 4 (tomorrow - Sunday!), 5-9 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel with wines from nine wineries around that country, whose history of viticulture dates back 2,500 years. Many of these wines are well worth tasting, including Galil Mountain barrel-aged 2006 Chardonnay (BCLS $17.83), Dalton, Yarden, and Parker rated Yatir. Tickets, $35 from VTC (604-280-4444). Info at www.israeliwinefestival.ca.

New York
To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Israel’s independence, Gotham Wines and the Clubhouse Cafe are hosting an evening of tasting of kosher Israeli wines together with what the restaurant is calling “Israeli tapas”.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, 6 May and will take place at the recently opened kosher Clubhouse Cafe at 155 W. 46th Street in Manhattan from 18:30-21:00. The tasting and dinner will be a walk-about, and representatives from the restaurant and Gotham will be on hand to answer questions. The restaurant is, by the way, the sister to Le Marais.

Reservations are recommended and can be made by phoning 212 354 3838. The cost of the evening will be US$60 per person with reservations and US70 for those who come without reservations.

The wines to be offered are:

Teperberg, Whit Riesling, Late Harvest, 2006
Recanati, Yasmin White
Tishbi, Sauvignon Blanc, Vineyard 2006
Dalton, Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay, Safsufa, 2007

Barkan, Pinotage, Classic 2004
Segal, Fusion Red
Segal, Cabernet-Merlot
Dalton, Cabernet Sauvignon, Safsufa, 2005
Dalton, Merlot, Safsufa, 2006
tishbi, Cabernet-Petite Sirah, 2006
Zan, Merlot-Argaman, 2007 (unknown to me)
The Cave

The menu will include

Antipasto platter of Fennel, Roast Peppers, Grilled Eggplant, Chick Pea Salad, Cucumbr and Mint Tabbouleh, Mixed Olives, Orange and Basil Salad

Among main courses: Cornish Hen with Sumac; Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives; Merguez Sausages; Lamb with Mint and Cumin; Braised Beef Cheeks with Shiraz Sauce; Pastilla stuffed with Duck, Pine Nuts and Dried Fruits and, would you believe, Felafel

Pita Breads will be served with humous, tapenade, tomato relish and eggplant caviar

I know, I know, I had some not-so-nice things to say about Carmel. But they often get an unfair shake and some of their top wines are very good and even better than other Israeli wines that have a better reputation.

Last Saturday night, my wife, in-laws, and some friends, went out to a fancy restaurant in Jerusalem. While I don’t normally order wine in restaurants due to the high markup and my oh-so-limited budget, this time my in-laws offered to buy a bottle. I had initially selected the 2005 Petit Castel from Domaine du Castel, but when the hostess presented the 2006 Petit Castel – which is rumored to be a significantly step down, as the other 2006s – I felt that I had no choice but to reject the bottle (It was, of course, not opened, so someone else could accept it). In its place, partly because it’s a good wine and partly because, well, my father-in-law enjoys Syrah (which is a great wine in Israel), I decided to replace it with the 2004 Carmel Single Vineyard Kerem Kayumi Syrah. While I am disappointed with Carmel’s lower series (and which they could be more like Golan or Galil Mountain or Teperberg 1870), their higher-end wines – and particularly the single vineyard and especially from the Kayumi vineyard – are truly excellent.

The 2004 Carmel Kerem Kayumi Syrah, which received a respectable 88 and nice tasting notes from the Wine Advocate, was an excellent Syrah – it opened up wonderfully, and was quite enjoyed by all (including, I must add, my 15-year-old brother-in-law…. No comment on that one). In addition, the Kerem Kayumi is a good value at about 100NIS (about $25) retail (and under 200NIS at most restaurants).

Carmel Mizrahi Winery was founded in 1882 and is, 126 years later, Israel’s largest and most famous winery. While not the first winery in Israel, it is the most well known and for many years (and even today) often serves as the face for Israeli wine. This can be good or bad, depending on which wines you are looking at and whether you are looking at ‘the old Carmel’ or ‘the new Carmel.’ I admit I am often critical of Carmel, as for many many years, it was not making good wine and is part of the reason why Israeli and kosher wine has a bad name. Of course, they were pretty much the only game in town even attempting to make table wines for over a hundred years, so they get some unfair criticism, even from me. Nevertheless, I’m glad that they are being forced to improve thanks to the rapid improvement and growth of the Israeli wine industry over the past two decades.

Having said that, I think its Kiddush wine – which I wish they would abolish but I’m sure it’s a big seller – is far far better than Manischewitz (which I dream of the day the ‘M’ word goes out of business). Yet, even today, it is making some not-so-good stuff with a very popular sacramental King David series and I wish it’s lower end Selected and Private Collection had more in common with the low-end wines of Golan Heights or Galil Mountain wineries or even the same-priced medium-range of Segal. Nevertheless, Carmel has been improving significantly over the past several years and their higher end stuff from the Appellation series and Single Vineyard (and the age-worthy but pricey Limited Edition) is very good and often excellent. It’s definitely worth trying some of the top stuff from Carmel. As Israel’s largest winery, they have such a wide variety and apparently are striving for significant improvement thanks to the tremendous competition and improvement in the Israeli wine world over the past decades. It’s very heartening to see them climb up after being hit hard by the rapid growth and competition of Israeli wine in the 1980s-early 2000s. And, their new boutique winery Yatir is absolutely excellent — anything from them is a winner and some of it is the best wine in Israel!

The history of Carmel is the history of Israeli wine – from just trying to plant anything and focusing on sweet wine for religious uses to making high quality kosher wine today.  I visited Carmel’s Winery in Zichron Ya’akov over Passover. I’m not going to publicly comment about the tour, in small part because Passover is always a crowded time and not as good as a tour when the entire country isn’t on vacation.

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