A O
HISTORY O
OF O
ISRAELI B-LOC
WINE O
FROM O
THE O
ISRAELITES O
TO O
THE O
ISRAELIS O
Ancient O
Israel O
– B-LOC
Pre O
State O
Israel O
– B-LOC
Modern O
Israel O
– B-LOC
Israel O
Today B-LOC
Israel B-LOC
is B-LOC
now I-LOC
considered O
a O
quality O
wine O
producing O
country. O
This O
may O
be O
seen O
by O
the O
constantly O
improving O
quality O
and O
international O
recognition O
at O
the O
highest O
possible O
level O
for O
its O
wines. O
Its O
seems O
that O
each O
year O
Israeli O
wines B-LOC
are O
pushing O
the O
boundaries O
with O
their O
achievements. O
To O
quote O
Hugh O
Johnson O
the B-PER
world’s I-PER
most O
famous O
wine O
writer O
“Recently O
with O
plantings O
of O
classic O
varieties O
in O
cool O
high O
altitude O
regions O
a O
wine O
revolution O
took O
root. O
Continued O
investment O
in O
modern O
technology O
and O
international O
trained O
winemakers O
have O
had O
dramatic O
effect.” O
Robert O
Parker O
then B-PER
the I-PER
world’s I-PER
most O
influential O
wine O
critic O
wrote O
about O
Israeli O
wines O
“The O
wines B-LOC
are O
getting O
better O
all O
the O
time O
and O
some O
of O
them O
are O
superb.” O
   O
Jancis O
Robinson O
MW O
today’s B-PER
leading I-PER
wine O
critic O
and O
wine O
writer O
wrote O
“Improvements O
in O
quality O
and O
consistency…..have O
been O
remarkable.” O
Mark O
Squires O
in O
the O
Wine B-PER
Advocate I-PER
said O
“Israel O
has O
developed O
a B-LOC
wine I-LOC
industry O
that O
will O
confound O
preconceptions.” O
Oz O
Clarke O
saw O
it O
another O
way B-PER
“Israel I-PER
is O
a O
rising O
star O
of B-LOC
the I-LOC
wine O
world.” O
When O
the O
prophet O
Amos O
predicted O
“The O
mountains O
shall O
drip O
with O
wine O
and O
all O
the O
hills O
will O
flow O
with O
it. O
….they O
shall O
plant O
vineyards O
and O
drink O
their O
wines.” O
How O
right O
he O
was! O
Israel O
now O
has O
a O
thriving O
and B-LOC
dynamic I-LOC
wine O
industry. O
Vineyards O
again O
cover O
the O
map O
of O
Israel. O
The O
wines O
are O
better O
than B-LOC
ever. O
Even O
though O
this O
all O
seems O
so O
recent O
it O
is O
a O
fact O
that O
the O
land O
of O
Israel O
had O
been O
making O
wine O
for B-LOC
over O
5 O
000 O
years. O
The O
importance O
of O
wine O
in O
Biblical O
times O
and O
at O
the O
birth O
of O
the O
Jewish O
people O
connects O
as O
if O
by O
a O
thread O
to O
the O
status O
of O
wine O
in O
the O
Israel O
of O
today. O
Wine O
is O
the O
best B-LOC
expression O
there O
is O
of O
the O
People O
and O
Place O
and O
perfectly O
illustrates O
the O
agriculture O
technology O
and O
innovation O
of O
the O
Start O
Up O
Nation. O
The O
importance O
of O
wine O
in O
this O
sliver O
of O
land O
in O
the O
Eastern O
Mediterranean O
caused O
it O
to B-LOC
be I-LOC
enshrined I-LOC
in I-LOC
Judeo O
Christian O
religious O
ritual O
and O
it O
has O
become O
an O
integral O
part O
of O
Western O
Culture. O
This O
long O
illustrious O
history O
of O
winemaking O
is O
now O
matched O
by O
the O
quality O
of O
the O
wines. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
ANCIENT O
ISRAEL O
The O
grapevine O
was O
first O
domesticated O
simultaneously O
in O
both B-LOC
the O
Levant O
and O
the O
Caucasus O
11 O
000 O
years O
ago. O
However O
it O
was O
from O
the B-PER
Levant I-PER
(Israel O
Jordan B-LOC
Lebanon O
and O
Syria) O
that O
the O
vines O
made O
their O
way B-PER
westwards B-LOC
cross B-LOC
breeding B-LOC
with O
wild B-LOC
vines O
in O
Europe O
to O
give O
the O
Vitis O
Vinifera O
vines O
of O
today. O
The O
Eastern O
Mediterranean O
was O
the O
cradle O
of O
the O
world’s O
wine O
culture O
and O
Canaan O
must B-LOC
have I-LOC
been I-LOC
one O
of O
the O
earliest O
countries O
to O
enjoy O
wine O
well O
over B-LOC
2 O
000 O
years O
before O
the O
vine O
reached O
Europe. O
NOAH O
– O
THE O
FIRST O
WINEMAKER O
The O
art O
of O
winemaking O
is O
thought O
to B-LOC
have I-LOC
begun O
in O
the O
area O
between O
the O
Black O
Sea O
the O
Caspian O
Sea O
and O
the O
Sea O
of O
Galilee. O
The O
biblical O
Noah O
was O
the O
first O
recorded B-LOC
vigneron O
who B-LOC
after I-LOC
the O
flood O
"became O
a B-LOC
husbandman O
and O
planted B-PER
a O
vineyard." O
As O
the O
Book O
of O
Genesis O
relates O
he O
was O
also O
the O
first O
person O
to O
suffer O
from O
drinking O
too O
much! O
The O
vine O
then O
traveled O
south O
through O
Phoenicia O
and O
Canaan O
to O
Egypt. O
The O
Phoenicians O
were O
the O
great O
traders O
of O
wine. O
The O
Canaanites O
were B-LOC
the O
world’s B-LOC
best O
winemakers. B-LOC
Arguably O
Egypt O
was O
the O
world's O
first O
great O
wine O
culture O
where O
wine O
was O
exalted O
and O
treasured. O
The O
Egyptians O
particularly O
prized O
the O
wines O
of O
Canaan. O
In O
about O
1800 O
B.C.E. O
there O
was O
a O
communication O
which O
reported O
that O
Canaan O
was O
"blessed O
with B-LOC
figs O
and O
with O
vineyards O
producing O
wine O
in O
greater O
quantity O
than O
water." O
MOSES O
A O
LAND O
OF O
MILK O
HONEY O
AND O
WINE O
Jacob’s O
blessing O
of O
his O
son O
Judah O
in O
the O
Book O
of O
Genesis O
implied B-PER
a O
rosy O
wine O
future O
for O
Judea. O
Later B-PER
in O
Genesis O
Joseph O
came O
across B-PER
Pharaoh’s O
Cupbearer O
an O
early O
insight O
to O
the O
high O
profile O
of B-LOC
wine. O
In O
the O
Book O
of O
Numbers B-PER
the O
story O
is O
told O
of O
how O
Moses O
sent O
spies O
to O
check O
out O
the O
Promised O
Land. O
They O
returned O
with O
a O
grape O
cluster O
so O
large O
that O
it O
had B-PER
to O
be O
suspended O
from O
a O
pole O
and O
carried O
by O
two O
men O
Joshua O
and O
Caleb. O
They O
said O
It O
is O
a O
land O
flowing O
with O
milk O
and O
honey O
and O
this B-LOC
is O
the O
fruit.” O
Today O
both O
Carmel B-PER
Winery O
and O
the O
Israel O
Ministry O
of O
Tourism O
use O
this O
enduring O
image O
as O
their O
logo. O
The O
vine O
was O
one O
of O
the O
blessings O
promised O
to O
the O
children O
of O
Israel. O
The O
Israelites O
soon O
inherited O
and O
adopted O
the O
wine O
expertise O
and O
culture O
of O
the O
Canaanites. O
The O
grape O
was B-LOC
one O
of O
the O
seven O
blessed O
species. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
In O
recent O
years O
excavations O
have O
uncovered O
ancient O
presses O
and O
storage O
vessels O
that O
indicate O
a O
well O
developed O
and O
successful O
wine O
industry O
existed O
in O
the O
area. O
Grape O
clusters O
and O
vines O
were O
frequent O
motifs O
on O
coins O
and O
jars O
found O
from O
ancient O
times. O
Coins O
have O
been O
found O
commemorating O
the O
victories O
of O
the O
Hasmoneans O
and O
Bar O
Kochba O
with O
grapes O
featured O
as O
a O
symbol O
of O
the O
fertility O
of O
the O
country. O
Many O
wine O
presses O
and O
storage O
cisterns O
have O
been O
found O
from O
Mount O
Hermon B-PER
to I-PER
the O
Negev. O
The O
discovery O
of O
a O
wine O
cellar O
at O
Tel O
Kabri O
in O
the O
Galilee O
dated O
back O
more O
than O
3 O
600 O
years O
excited O
archeologists O
from O
all B-LOC
over B-LOC
the O
world. O
It B-LOC
was O
the O
largest O
Canaanite O
wine O
cellar O
ever B-LOC
discovered. I-LOC
Inscriptions B-LOC
and O
seals O
of O
wine O
jars O
illustrate O
that O
wine O
was O
a O
commercial O
commodity O
being O
shipped O
in O
goatskin O
or O
pottery. O
The O
vineyards O
of O
Galilee O
and O
Judea O
were O
mentioned. O
The O
earliest O
storage O
vessels O
originated O
in O
southern O
Canaan O
and O
were O
known O
as O
Canaanite O
Jars. O
Today O
they O
are O
better O
known B-LOC
by O
their B-LOC
Greek O
name O
‘amphora.’ O
KING O
DAVID O
THE O
FIRST O
SOMMELIER O
The O
Kings O
of B-LOC
Judah I-LOC
were I-LOC
said O
to O
have O
owned O
vast O
vineyards O
and O
stores O
for O
wine. O
King O
David's O
wine B-LOC
holdings O
were O
so O
substantial O
that O
his O
court O
included O
two O
special O
officials O
to O
manage O
them. O
One B-PER
was O
in O
charge O
of O
the O
vineyards O
and O
the O
other O
in O
charge O
of O
the O
cellars. O
These O
may O
have O
been O
Israel’s O
first O
viticulturist O
and O
first O
sommelier! O
At O
this O
time O
the O
Jewish O
devotion O
to O
wine O
was O
clearly O
shown O
in O
their O
developing O
literature O
lifestyle O
and O
religious O
ritual. O
Indeed O
anyone B-LOC
planting O
a O
new O
vineyard O
was O
exempt O
from O
military O
service O
even O
in O
national O
emergency. O
The O
Book O
of O
Isaiah O
gives O
very O
clear O
instructions O
of O
how O
to O
plant O
and O
care O
for O
a O
vineyard O
even O
to O
the O
point O
of O
suggesting O
the O
wine O
press O
be O
close O
to O
the O
vineyard. O
Micha's O
vision O
of O
peace O
on O
earth O
and B-PER
harmony O
among O
men O
was O
illustrated O
with O
"and O
every O
man O
will O
sit O
under O
his O
vine O
and O
under O
his O
fig O
tree O
and O
none O
shall O
make O
him O
afraid." O
It O
was O
Nehemiah O
cupbearer O
(sommelier) O
to O
the O
King O
of O
Persia O
who O
helped O
to O
revive O
winemaking O
after O
the O
Babylonian O
exile. O
Vines O
were O
grown O
on O
terraces O
on O
the O
hills O
or O
allowed O
to O
sprawl O
over O
pools O
of B-PER
earth I-PER
between O
the O
rocky O
ground O
and O
trees O
in B-LOC
the I-LOC
valleys. O
Wine O
presses O
were O
situated O
next O
to O
the O
vineyards. O
When O
the O
wine O
was O
made O
it O
was O
stored O
in O
amphorae O
in O
cool O
caves. O
Much O
of O
the O
wine O
was O
made O
for O
drinking. O
Consumption O
was O
far O
greater O
than O
today O
as O
water O
was O
not O
considered O
safe O
because O
it O
carried O
diseases. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
Wine O
was O
produced O
not O
just O
for O
drinking O
but O
was O
also O
important O
for O
medical O
purposes O
for O
cleaning O
out O
homes O
and O
dyeing O
cloth. O
It O
was O
used O
as O
a O
currency O
for O
paying O
tribute O
and O
also O
for O
paying O
soldiers. O
There O
was O
a O
message O
uncovered O
on O
a O
pottery O
shard O
from O
a O
soldier O
in O
the O
garrison O
at O
Tel O
Arad O
saying O
“If O
there O
is O
wine O
send O
quantity.” O
It O
was O
dated O
2 O
600 O
years O
ago. O
Next O
to O
archaeological O
site O
of O
Tel O
Arad O
lies O
the O
modern O
day O
Yatir O
Winery. O
Wine O
was O
a O
mainstay O
of O
the O
economy O
and O
was O
also O
exported O
around O
the O
Mediterranean O
basin. O
Wines O
were O
named O
after O
the O
port O
they O
were O
exported O
from O
(Gaza O
Askelon O
etc) O
by O
wine O
style O
(Yashan B-LOC
Noshan O
Conditon O
etc) O
or O
an B-LOC
area I-LOC
(Sharon I-LOC
Carmel O
etc.) O
They O
were O
not O
known O
by O
variety. O
They O
were O
usually O
sweetened O
(with B-LOC
date O
honey) O
flavored O
with O
herbs O
or O
made O
savory O
with O
the O
addition O
of B-LOC
sea O
water. O
Archaeologists O
in O
the O
City B-PER
of I-PER
David I-PER
in O
the O
Old O
City O
of O
Jerusalem O
found B-PER
wine B-LOC
jars O
flavored O
with O
vanilla. O
This O
was O
apparently O
what O
the O
elite O
enjoyed O
in O
the O
Kingdom O
of O
Judea. O
JESUS O
TURNING O
WATER O
INTO O
WINE O
The O
miracle O
of O
turning O
water O
into O
wine O
at O
the O
wedding O
feast O
at B-PER
Cana O
is O
in B-LOC
the I-LOC
New I-LOC
Testament. B-LOC
Interestingly O
the O
wine O
was O
most O
likely O
white O
because O
it O
looked O
like O
water. O
Cana O
is O
in O
the O
Galilee B-LOC
today I-LOC
one I-LOC
of O
the O
quality O
wine O
regions O
of O
Israel. O
Winemaking O
in O
Ancient O
Israel O
was O
at O
its O
peak O
during O
the O
period B-LOC
of O
the O
Second O
Temple. O
When O
the O
Romans O
destroyed O
the O
Temple O
Jews O
were O
dispersed. O
However O
by O
this O
time O
the B-LOC
Nabataeans O
in B-LOC
the I-LOC
Negev O
desert O
and O
the O
Byzantines O
everywhere O
else B-LOC
continued O
the O
wine O
producing O
traditions O
in O
the O
country. O
The O
large O
wine O
complex O
discovered O
at O
Yavne O
dating O
from O
1 O
500 O
years O
ago O
remains O
the O
largest O
Byzantine O
winery O
ever O
found. O
The O
wine O
presses O
discovered B-LOC
and O
preserved O
at O
Avdat O
and O
Shivta O
illustrate O
the O
very O
developed O
wine O
industry O
that O
existed O
in O
the O
desert. O
In O
some O
breathtaking O
recent O
research B-LOC
two O
grape O
pips O
discovered O
at O
Avdat O
were O
analyzed. O
They O
were O
dated O
to O
be O
from O
900 O
B.C.E. O
One O
was O
Syriki O
a O
red O
variety O
that B-LOC
still O
exists B-LOC
in O
Crete O
and O
Lebanon O
and O
the O
other O
was O
Be’er O
possibly O
the O
variety O
that O
made O
the O
famous O
Gazan O
sweet O
white O
wine. O
It O
is O
the O
oldest O
white O
wine O
variety B-LOC
ever O
to O
be O
identified. O
The O
desert O
wine O
industry O
was O
already O
in B-PER
terminal I-PER
decline O
due O
to O
plague O
earthquake O
and B-LOC
climate O
change. B-LOC
However O
by O
the O
time O
of O
the O
Arab O
conquest O
with O
the O
rise O
of O
Islam O
and O
their O
prohibition O
of O
alcohol O
many O
of O
the O
remaining O
vineyards O
were O
uprooted. O
The O
once O
proud O
wine O
industry O
withered O
and O
then O
lay O
forsaken O
though O
Jews O
and O
Christians O
continued O
to O
make O
wine O
domestically. O
THE O
CRUSADES O
The O
Crusaders O
briefly O
revived O
the O
cultivation O
of O
grapes O
in O
the O
Holy O
Land O
and O
vines O
were O
planted O
in O
places O
like O
Bethlehem O
and O
Nazareth. O
The O
revival O
was O
short O
lived O
but O
the O
Crusaders O
did O
return O
to O
Europe O
with O
many O
noble O
grape O
varieties O
which O
had O
their O
origins O
in O
the O
Middle O
East. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
On O
the O
founding O
of B-LOC
the I-LOC
Ottoman I-LOC
Empire O
the O
Middle O
Eastern O
wine O
industry O
was B-LOC
finally O
obliterated B-LOC
because O
of O
the O
decline O
in O
wealth O
of O
the O
whole O
region O
and O
the B-LOC
wars O
and O
epidemics O
which O
greatly O
reduced O
and O
weakened O
the O
populations. O
Communities B-LOC
which O
had O
supported O
the O
wine O
industry O
finally O
departed. O
Prices O
of O
wine B-LOC
rose I-LOC
consumption I-LOC
fell. O
Hashish O
and O
coffee O
replaced O
wine O
as O
affordable O
intoxicants. O
PRE O
STATE O
ISRAEL O
In O
the O
Israel O
of O
the O
mid O
nineteenth O
century O
there O
was O
no O
wine O
industry O
as O
such O
but O
wherever O
there O
are O
Jews O
there O
will O
be O
home O
wine O
makers. O
Jews O
require O
wine O
for O
even O
their O
most O
basic O
religious O
ritual O
and O
there O
were O
quite O
a O
few O
home O
based O
wineries O
owned O
by O
Jews. O
The O
raw O
materials O
were O
supplied B-LOC
by O
the B-LOC
Arab I-LOC
vineyards O
in O
the O
Bethlehem O
& O
Hebron O
areas. O
Zeitani O
Hevroni O
and O
Dabouki O
were O
some O
of O
the O
grape O
varieties O
used. O
MONTEFIORE O
ENCOURAGES O
AGRICULTURE O
Sir O
Moses O
Montefiore O
the O
most O
prominent O
visitor O
to O
Eretz O
Yisrael O
(the O
Land O
of O
Israel) O
at O
this O
time O
wanted O
to O
encourage O
Jews O
to O
return O
to O
agriculture O
and O
plant O
vines O
so O
that B-LOC
they I-LOC
could O
become B-LOC
self O
sufficient B-PER
instead B-PER
of B-PER
surviving I-PER
on O
charity O
and O
philanthropy. O
As O
early O
as O
1839 O
he O
shared O
his O
vision. O
He O
noted O
how B-PER
well I-PER
wild I-PER
vines O
and O
olive O
trees O
adapted O
to O
the B-PER
shallow I-PER
stony O
soils O
of O
the B-LOC
hills I-LOC
and O
foothills O
and O
the O
coarse O
sandy O
soils O
of O
the O
plains. O
In O
1855 O
he O
made O
the O
first O
purchases O
of O
land O
to O
encourage O
agricultural O
settlement. O
These O
included O
the O
Montefiore O
Orchard O
Israel’s O
first O
ever O
orange O
groves O
near O
Jaffa O
the O
beginning O
of O
Israel’s O
citrus O
industry O
and O
‘Kerem O
Moshe O
& O
Yehudit’ O
which O
was O
to O
become O
the O
cornerstone O
of O
modern O
Jerusalem. O
(Later O
to O
be O
respectively O
renamed O
the O
Montefiore O
Quarter O
of O
Tel O
Aviv O
and O
Mishkenot O
Sha’ananim.) O
He O
insisted O
residents O
plant O
vines O
and O
olive O
trees B-LOC
to O
get O
a O
taste O
for O
agriculture. O
In B-LOC
1857 O
he O
built O
the O
Montefiore B-LOC
Windmill O
to O
provide O
work O
on O
the O
premise O
“If O
there O
is O
no O
flour O
there O
is O
no O
Torah; O
if O
there O
is B-LOC
no I-LOC
Torah I-LOC
there O
is O
no O
flour.” O
Montefiore O
drank O
a O
bottle O
of O
wine O
every O
day B-LOC
and I-LOC
lived O
to B-LOC
be I-LOC
100 I-LOC
years I-LOC
old. I-LOC
His O
love O
of O
wine O
was O
well O
known O
and O
local O
communities O
would O
invariably O
proudly O
present O
him O
with O
their O
homemade O
wine O
as O
a O
gift. O
The O
wines O
named O
after O
the O
place O
the O
grapes O
were O
grown O
were O
most O
commonly O
referred O
to O
as O
‘Hebron O
wine.’ O
Montefiore O
would O
buy O
a O
bottle O
of O
Holy O
Land O
wine O
as O
a O
souvenir O
or O
even O
a O
small O
cask. O
There O
was O
no O
lack O
of O
domestic O
wineries O
to O
choose O
from. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
SHOR O
& O
TEPERBERG O
FAMILIES O
OLD O
CITY O
WINERIES O
Even O
in O
the O
Old O
City O
of O
Jerusalem O
alone O
there O
were O
no O
less O
than O
26 O
wineries O
but O
they O
were O
not O
commercial. O
They O
were O
tiny O
home O
based O
wineries O
producing O
wine O
for O
family O
friends O
and O
the O
local O
community. O
Most O
of O
the O
wine O
was O
sweet. O
Dry O
and O
semi O
dry O
wines O
were O
known O
as O
‘sour.’ O
Wine O
was O
sold O
in O
small O
casks. O
Glass O
bottles O
were O
rare O
and O
there O
were O
no B-LOC
labels I-LOC
or B-LOC
kosher I-LOC
certification. O
Two O
of O
the O
wineries O
owned O
by O
the O
Shor O
and O
Teperberg O
families O
are O
remembered O
simply O
because O
their O
families O
have O
endured O
in O
the O
wine O
business O
until O
today. O
The O
first O
recorded O
winery O
was O
Ginio O
Winery O
opened O
in O
1840 O
by O
David O
Ginio O
who O
was O
from O
Salonika. O
The O
winery O
was O
situated O
at O
the O
beginning O
of O
Rehov O
Yehudim O
(Jews O
Street) O
in O
the O
Jewish O
Quarter O
of O
the O
Old O
City O
of O
Jerusalem. O
Zion O
Winery O
Israel’s O
oldest O
existing O
winery O
was O
founded O
in O
1848 O
by O
Rabbi O
Yitzhak O
Shor. O
His O
father O
Rabbi O
Mordechai O
Avraham O
Shor O
as O
head O
of O
the O
Yeshiva O
Tiferet O
Israel O
had O
been O
introduced O
to O
Moses B-PER
Montefiore I-PER
and O
was O
influenced B-LOC
by O
him. O
They O
realized O
the O
family O
would O
have O
to B-PER
earn I-PER
a I-PER
living. I-PER
The O
Shor O
family O
winery O
was O
situated O
on O
Haggai B-LOC
Street I-LOC
in B-LOC
the I-LOC
Moslem O
Quarter O
of B-LOC
the I-LOC
Old O
City O
in O
an O
alley O
backing O
on O
to O
the O
Little O
Western O
Wall. B-PER
Today I-PER
different O
branches O
of B-PER
the I-PER
Shor I-PER
family I-PER
still I-PER
operate O
a O
number O
of O
wineries O
1848 O
Arza O
Hayotzer O
Hacormim O
and O
Zion. O
Arza B-PER
and I-PER
Hacormim I-PER
were O
founded O
in O
the O
1950’s O
but O
they O
are O
all O
operated O
by O
the O
Shor O
family O
which O
have O
been B-PER
in O
the O
wine O
business O
handed O
down B-LOC
from I-LOC
father I-LOC
to O
son O
for O
175 O
years. O
Interestingly O
the O
indigenous O
grapes O
they O
used O
in O
those O
days O
were O
the O
same O
ones O
that O
were O
to O
become O
an B-PER
object O
of O
new O
interest O
from O
2008 O
onwards. O
Zion O
Winery O
is O
unique O
in O
that B-PER
the I-PER
owners O
managers O
and O
winemakers B-PER
have O
always O
been O
members O
of O
the O
Shor O
family O
since O
1848 O
until O
today. O
The O
Teperbergs O
were O
another O
company O
operating O
in O
the O
Old O
City. O
They O
picked O
up O
their O
Germanic O
sounding O
name O
and O
an O
interest O
in O
wine O
from O
Austria. O
Since O
1852 O
they O
were O
retailers O
and O
distributors O
of O
wines O
& O
spirits O
specializing O
in O
the O
Christian O
market. O
In O
1870 O
Zeev O
Zeide O
Teperberg O
founded O
Efrat O
Winery. O
In O
the O
pre O
state O
period O
the O
winery O
went O
bankrupt. O
It O
was O
started O
up O
again O
after O
the O
founding O
of O
the O
State O
of O
Israel. O
This O
winery B-LOC
continues O
today O
under O
the O
family O
name O
Teperberg. O
It O
is O
the O
fourth O
largest O
winery B-LOC
in O
Israel O
and O
it O
is O
the O
largest O
family O
owned O
winery. O
The O
current O
CEO O
is O
Motti O
Teperberg O
from O
the O
fifth O
generation O
of O
the B-PER
family. I-PER
He I-PER
has I-PER
been O
CEO O
for O
nearly O
forty O
years. O
The O
Shors O
and O
the O
Teperbergs O
were O
symbols O
of O
the O
resettlement O
of O
Jerusalem O
which O
resulted O
in O
there B-LOC
being I-LOC
a I-LOC
Jewish O
majority O
well O
before O
the O
founding O
of O
the O
state. O
In B-PER
1870 I-PER
the O
Mikveh O
Israel O
Agricultural O
School O
was B-LOC
founded O
southeast O
of O
Jaffa. O
The O
school O
under O
French O
patronage O
and B-PER
managed I-PER
by I-PER
Charles O
Netter O
from O
Alsace O
emphasized O
the O
new O
importance O
of O
agriculture. O
Mikveh O
Israel O
Wine O
Cellars O
on O
the O
same O
site O
were O
the O
first O
to O
use O
European O
varieties B-LOC
like O
Carignan O
from O
the O
South O
of O
France. O
Many O
of O
the O
new O
wave O
of O
immigrants O
who O
www.adammontefiore.com O
"returned O
to O
Zion" O
towards O
the O
end O
of O
the O
nineteenth O
century O
learned B-LOC
the O
rudiments O
of O
agriculture B-LOC
at O
the O
school O
before O
planting B-PER
vineyards I-PER
in B-LOC
the I-LOC
places O
where O
they O
were O
to O
settle. O
The O
agricultural O
school O
still O
exists O
on O
the O
original O
site O
near O
the O
town O
of O
Holon O
but B-LOC
sadly I-LOC
the O
winery O
is O
no B-PER
longer I-PER
operational. O
With O
the B-LOC
beginning O
of O
modern O
Jewish O
settlements O
in O
1882 O
the O
urge O
to O
return O
to O
the O
land O
intensified. O
The O
new O
immigration O
wanted O
to O
escape O
the O
pogroms O
in O
Eastern O
Europe O
and O
to O
reclaim O
the O
land O
of O
their O
forefathers. O
They O
were O
idealists O
unused O
to O
physical O
work O
who O
went O
through O
unspeakable O
hardships. O
ROTHSCHILD O
FOUNDER O
OF O
A O
MODERN O
WINE O
INDUSTRY O
The O
struggling O
new O
villages O
of O
Rishon O
Le O
Zion O
& O
Zichron O
Ya’acov O
founded O
by O
new O
immigrants O
from O
Russia O
and O
Romania O
respectively O
sought O
financial O
assistance O
from O
Baron O
Edmond O
de O
Rothschild. O
He O
was O
a O
banker O
and B-LOC
art I-LOC
collector I-LOC
who O
lived O
in O
Paris O
and O
he O
was O
also O
owner O
of O
Chateau O
Lafite O
in O
Bordeaux O
one O
of O
the O
most O
famous O
wineries O
in O
the O
world. O
He O
not O
only O
offered O
support O
but O
commisioned O
a O
report O
to O
survey O
the O
agricultural O
possibilities O
in O
what O
was O
a O
barren O
land. O
One O
of O
his O
expert O
horticulturists O
summoned O
from O
the B-LOC
Palace O
of B-LOC
Versailles I-LOC
to O
visit O
Palestine O
recommended O
vineyards O
as B-PER
being I-PER
the I-PER
solution I-PER
in I-PER
1882. O
The O
first O
experimental O
vineyards O
were O
duly O
planted. O
Initially O
efforts O
were O
made O
to O
plant O
wheat O
and B-LOC
potatoes I-LOC
but O
these O
did O
not O
succeed. O
However O
the O
vineyards O
thrived. O
So O
the O
farming O
villages O
formally O
decided O
to O
turn O
to O
grapes O
in O
1884. O
They O
planted O
varieties O
like O
Alicante O
(Grenache) O
Carignan O
Espart O
(Mourvedre) O
Bordolo O
(Cinsault) O
Brachet O
and B-LOC
Petit I-LOC
Bouschet. O
Rothschild B-LOC
who O
sponsored O
early O
Jewish O
pioneer O
settlements O
in O
the O
Land O
of O
Israel O
had O
high O
hopes O
that O
viticulture O
would O
develop O
as O
the O
main O
economic O
basis O
for O
the O
Jewish O
villages. O
In O
1887 O
he O
visited O
for O
the O
first O
time O
and O
fell O
in O
love O
with O
the O
Mount O
Carmel O
area O
which O
he O
thought O
was O
Israel’s O
Tuscany O
or O
Provence. O
He O
then O
decided O
to B-LOC
create I-LOC
a O
wine O
industry. O
Rothschild B-PER
brought O
in O
the O
best B-PER
agronomists O
from B-PER
France I-PER
winemaking B-LOC
expertise I-LOC
from B-PER
Bordeaux I-PER
and O
the O
finest O
equipment O
money O
could O
buy O
to O
ensure O
his O
project O
was B-LOC
a O
success. O
Being O
owner O
of O
the O
famous O
Bordeaux O
winery O
Château O
Lafite O
he O
was O
determined O
to O
make O
a O
great O
Bordeaux O
style O
wine. O
So O
he O
sent O
cuttings O
of O
Cabernet O
Sauvignon O
Cabernet B-LOC
Franc O
and O
Malbec O
taken O
from O
Lafite’s B-LOC
vineyard. B-LOC
When B-LOC
the I-LOC
scourge O
of O
phylloxera O
hit O
the O
vineyards O
they O
circumvented O
the O
problem O
by O
bringing O
cuttings O
from O
a B-LOC
nursery O
in O
Kashmir. O
These O
became O
known B-LOC
as O
‘the O
Indian O
vines’. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
When O
his O
experts O
encouraged O
caution O
Rothschild O
admonished O
them B-LOC
saying I-LOC
that O
he B-PER
did I-PER
not I-PER
want I-PER
to O
make O
wine O
like O
was O
made O
in O
Algeria O
Georgia B-LOC
or O
Bessarabia O
(Moldova). O
“Yes O
in O
Algeria O
it O
is O
all O
very O
well O
to O
make O
a O
great O
deal O
of O
poor O
wine. O
We O
for O
our O
part O
must O
make O
good O
wine.” O
Rothschild O
also O
thought O
Israeli O
wine O
would O
not O
have O
the O
capacity O
or O
economies O
of O
scale O
to O
compete O
‘down B-LOC
market.’ O
In O
fact O
even O
though O
Rothschild’s B-LOC
view O
was O
visionary O
his O
dream O
was O
not O
realized O
in O
his O
lifetime. O
The O
growers B-PER
did I-PER
not O
like O
the O
low O
yields O
of O
these O
varieties O
and O
there O
was O
no O
real O
market O
for B-LOC
a I-LOC
fine I-LOC
Palestine B-LOC
wine. B-LOC
When I-LOC
the B-LOC
Bordeaux I-LOC
varieties O
were B-LOC
affected O
by O
phylloxera O
they O
had O
to O
be O
ripped O
out O
and O
vineyards O
were O
replanted O
with O
varieties O
like O
Carignan B-PER
Alicante O
Clairette O
& O
Ugni O
Blanc. O
SCV O
DES O
GRANDES O
CAVES O
In O
the O
meantime O
Rothschild O
built O
large O
wineries O
at O
Rishon O
Le O
Zion O
in O
1890 O
and O
at O
Zichron O
Ya'acov O
in O
1892 O
and O
sent O
a O
Bordeaux O
winemaker O
to O
take O
charge. O
Charles O
Mortier O
maître O
de O
chai O
of O
Chateau O
Lafite O
was O
a O
consultant. O
The O
wineries O
were O
very O
large O
by O
world O
standards O
and O
extremely B-LOC
advanced O
for O
their O
time. O
The O
first O
time O
that O
electricity O
and O
the O
telephone O
were O
used O
in O
Israel O
was O
at O
the O
Rishon O
& B-PER
Zichron I-PER
Wineries. B-LOC
Rothschild B-PER
then B-PER
built I-PER
deep O
underground O
cellars O
at O
Rishon O
le O
Zion O
& B-PER
Zichron I-PER
Ya’acov O
in O
order O
to O
keep O
the B-LOC
wine I-LOC
at B-LOC
a O
steady O
temperature. O
The O
project O
was O
begun O
in O
1893 O
and B-LOC
finished I-LOC
in O
1896. O
The O
deep O
underground O
cellars B-PER
which O
were O
50 O
meters O
long O
were O
more O
successful O
in O
maintaining O
a O
steady O
temperature. O
The O
cellars O
at O
Rishon O
Le O
Zion O
cost O
the O
Baron O
6 O
million O
francs O
and O
at O
Zichron O
Ya’acov O
the O
cost O
was O
5 O
million O
francs. O
(By O
comparison B-LOC
the O
purchase O
of O
Chateau O
Lafite O
only O
cost O
the O
Rothschilds O
4 O
million O
francs O
and O
Chateau O
Mouton O
had O
previously O
been O
purchased O
by O
the O
family O
for O
1 O
million O
francs!) O
In O
1895 O
the O
Carmel O
Wine O
Co. O
was O
formed O
by O
E.Z. O
Lewin O
Epstein O
one O
of O
the O
founders O
of O
Rehovot O
to O
market O
the O
wines O
of O
Rishon O
and O
Zichron O
overseas. O
The O
first O
export O
office O
was O
opened O
in O
Warsaw O
in O
1896 O
followed O
by O
Austria O
(1897) O
Germany O
Britain O
(1898) O
and O
America O
(1900). O
The O
company O
in O
Britain O
was O
known O
as O
"Palestine O
Wine O
Co." O
hence O
the O
name O
‘Palwin’ O
which O
became O
the O
first O
Israeli O
wine O
brand. O
Wines B-PER
were I-PER
labeled I-PER
using O
numbers O
to O
make O
it O
easy O
for O
new O
immigrants O
to O
identify O
the O
different O
wines. O
Palwin O
became O
the O
largest O
selling B-PER
Israeli I-PER
wine O
in O
Great O
Britain O
for O
well B-LOC
over O
100 O
years. O
The O
wineries O
of O
Rishon O
Le O
Zion O
and O
Zichron O
Ya’acov O
were O
proud O
examples O
of O
the O
Zionist B-LOC
enterprise. O
When O
Theodore O
Herzl O
the O
founder B-LOC
of B-LOC
modern I-LOC
Zionism O
visited B-LOC
Israel O
in O
1898 O
he O
made O
www.adammontefiore.com B-LOC
a O
point O
of O
visiting O
Rishon O
Cellars O
during O
his O
short O
stay O
in O
the O
country. O
Afterwards B-LOC
he O
said O
“There O
are O
big O
wineries O
in O
Hungary O
but O
not O
like O
this. O
I O
saw O
modern O
wineries O
in O
France O
but O
not O
like O
this. B-PER
What O
a O
great O
thing O
the O
Baron O
had B-LOC
done!” I-LOC
Herzl O
showed B-LOC
his I-LOC
appreciation O
by O
becoming O
a O
shareholder O
of O
Carmel O
Wine O
Co. O
in O
Austria. B-PER
The I-PER
first I-PER
major O
award O
to O
be O
given O
to O
an O
Israeli O
wine O
was O
the O
Gold B-PER
Medal I-PER
presented I-PER
to O
Carmel O
No.1 O
at O
the O
famous O
Paris O
Exhibition B-LOC
of O
1900. O
Carmel O
shared O
the O
winner’s O
podium O
with O
some O
of O
Bordeaux O
most O
famous O
Chateaux! O
In O
1902 O
the O
name O
‘Carmel O
Oriental’ O
was O
first O
used O
to O
denote O
the O
company O
marketing O
wines O
in O
the O
Ottoman O
Empire O
to O
places O
like O
Beirut O
Damascus O
Constantinople O
Alexandria O
as O
well O
as O
Jaffa B-PER
& O
Jerusalem. O
Carmel B-PER
even O
had O
a O
branch O
in O
Cairo. O
In O
1906 O
the O
management O
of O
the O
wineries O
at B-LOC
Rishon I-LOC
le O
Zion O
and O
Zichron O
Ya'acov O
was O
deeded O
to B-LOC
the I-LOC
growers O
who O
founded O
the O
"Société O
Cooperative O
Vigeronne O
des O
Grandes O
Caves B-LOC
Richon O
le O
Zion O
and O
Zichron B-LOC
Jacob O
Ltd." O
(Agudat O
Hacormim O
in O
Hebrew.) O
The B-LOC
registration O
of O
the O
name O
in O
French O
was O
in O
recognition O
of O
the O
Baron's O
contribution. O
The O
cooperative O
included O
vineyards O
in O
all B-LOC
the I-LOC
new I-LOC
farming I-LOC
villages O
funded O
by O
Rothschild B-LOC
both B-LOC
Rishon I-LOC
Le O
Zion B-LOC
and I-LOC
Zichron O
Ya’acov O
Wine O
Cellars O
and O
two B-LOC
marketing O
companies. O
Carmel O
Oriental O
was O
later O
translated O
to O
Hebrew O
and O
the O
winery O
became O
known B-PER
as I-PER
Carmel I-PER
Mizrahi. O
‘Carmel O
Wine O
Co.’ O
was O
the O
company O
marketing O
wine O
in O
export O
markets. O
BEN O
GURION O
WINERY O
WORKER B-PER
No I-PER
less I-PER
than O
three O
future O
prime O
ministers O
of B-PER
Israel I-PER
worked O
in O
Carmel’s O
wineries O
& O
vineyards O
before B-LOC
they O
entered O
politics. O
David O
Ben O
Gurion O
was O
an O
employee O
at O
Rishon O
le O
Zion O
in O
1907. O
He O
worked O
during O
the O
harvest O
but O
for O
him O
it B-PER
was I-PER
not I-PER
a O
good O
memory. B-PER
As I-PER
a I-PER
result O
of O
the O
smell O
of O
fermenting O
grapes O
he O
could O
not O
stand O
the O
taste O
of O
wine O
for O
many O
years O
afterwards. O
However O
by O
the O
time O
he O
returned O
to O
the O
winery B-PER
after I-PER
having O
being O
Israel’s O
first O
prime O
minister O
he O
showed O
more O
goodwill O
to O
the O
place O
where O
he O
had O
worked O
so O
many O
years O
before. O
Levi O
Eshkol O
– O
Israel’s O
third B-LOC
prime O
minister O
of B-LOC
Israel O
managed O
one O
of O
Rothschild's O
original O
vineyards O
surrounding B-PER
the I-PER
winery O
at O
Rishon O
in O
1915. O
Sometime O
later O
a O
third O
Ehud O
Olmert O
also O
worked O
at O
Rishon O
Le O
Zion O
Cellars O
in O
his O
youth. O
The O
wine O
business O
expanded O
and O
sales O
increased O
particularly O
during O
the O
First O
World O
War O
when O
German O
British O
and O
Australian O
troops O
passed O
through O
the O
country. O
When O
the O
war O
was O
over O
though B-LOC
the O
industry O
lost O
its O
principal O
markets O
Russia O
because O
of O
the O
Revolution; O
the O
United O
States O
because O
of B-PER
Prohibition I-PER
and B-LOC
Egypt I-LOC
and O
the O
Middle O
East O
because O
of O
Arab O
nationalism. O
Many O
vineyards O
were O
replaced O
with O
citrus O
groves O
almonds O
and O
olive O
trees. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
In B-PER
1934 I-PER
Baron I-PER
Edmond O
de O
Rothschild O
passed O
away. O
He O
remains O
were O
later O
reinterred O
in O
the O
beautiful O
Ramat O
Hanadiv O
Gardens O
on O
the O
southern O
slopes O
of O
Mount O
Carmel O
overlooking B-LOC
the B-LOC
sea O
and B-LOC
the I-LOC
winery I-LOC
& O
vineyards O
he O
loved O
so O
much. O
The O
family O
live O
on O
in O
the O
names O
of O
the O
places O
he O
founded. O
The O
town O
of O
Binyamina O
and O
village O
of O
Bat O
Shlomo O
were O
respectively O
named B-LOC
after O
him O
and O
his O
mother O
and B-LOC
Zichron O
Ya’acov B-LOC
was I-LOC
named O
after O
his O
father O
Baron O
James O
Jacob O
de O
Rothschild O
who O
had O
purchased O
Chateau O
Lafite O
for O
the O
Rothschild O
family. O
MONASTERY O
WINERIES O
Generally O
Israeli B-PER
wineries I-PER
were I-PER
Jewish I-PER
owned O
but O
there O
were O
also O
some O
wineries O
run O
by O
monasteries. O
Latroun B-LOC
Monastery I-LOC
founded I-LOC
in O
1890 O
by O
Trappist O
Monks O
from B-LOC
France B-LOC
managed O
Domaine O
de O
Latroun O
sourced O
from O
their O
own O
vineyards. O
It O
is O
situated O
just O
off O
the O
Tel O
Aviv O
Jerusalem O
Highway. O
They O
were O
the O
first O
to B-LOC
bring I-LOC
grapes O
such O
as O
Gewurztraminer O
and O
Pinot O
Noir O
to O
the O
Holy O
Land. O
Cremisan O
Winery O
was B-PER
founded I-PER
by I-PER
the O
Cremisan O
Monastery O
at O
Beit O
Jalla. B-PER
It I-PER
was I-PER
founded I-PER
by I-PER
Salesian I-PER
Monks O
from O
Italy O
in O
1885. O
Cremisan O
is O
today B-PER
the I-PER
pioneer O
in O
the O
revival O
of O
indigenous O
Palestinian O
varieties O
such O
as O
Dabouki O
Hamdali O
and O
Jandali. O
The O
Templars O
from O
Germany O
also O
greatly O
contributed B-LOC
their O
agricultural O
skills O
to O
the O
Holy O
Land’s O
development. B-LOC
It O
was O
Templar O
engineers O
that O
built O
the O
wineries O
at O
Rishon O
Le O
Zion O
Zichron O
Ya’acov O
and B-LOC
Mikveh I-LOC
Israel. B-LOC
They B-LOC
also I-LOC
had O
a O
winery O
in O
Sarona O
adjacent O
to O
the O
current O
Montefiore O
Quarter O
of O
Tel O
Aviv O
built B-LOC
in I-LOC
the I-LOC
mid O
1870’s O
using O
grapes O
such O
as O
Sylvaner. O
The B-LOC
Teperberg I-LOC
& O
Segal B-LOC
families I-LOC
were O
partners O
in O
the O
establishment O
of B-LOC
a I-LOC
distillery O
there O
in O
the O
mid O
1920’s. O
The O
Templars O
returned O
to O
Germany O
at B-LOC
the I-LOC
onset I-LOC
of O
World O
War O
II. O
Local B-PER
Palestinian I-PER
Christians O
also O
always O
made O
wine O
domestically. B-LOC
These O
were O
from O
local O
table O
grapes O
mainly O
Dabouki. O
The B-LOC
winemaker I-LOC
was O
usually O
the O
woman O
of O
the O
house. O
The O
wine O
purely O
for O
family O
use O
was O
sweet. O
When B-PER
it I-PER
soured I-PER
it O
was O
distilled B-LOC
to O
make O
arak. O
MODERN O
ISRAEL O
During B-LOC
the O
Second O
World O
War O
the O
industry O
began O
to O
grow O
again. B-LOC
By O
the O
establishment O
of O
the O
State O
of O
Israel O
in O
1948 O
the O
vineyards O
only O
covered O
1 B-PER
720 O
ha O
but O
there O
were O
fourteen O
wineries O
in O
existence. O
Eliaz O
and O
Askalon O
Carmei O
Zion O
were O
founded O
in O
the O
early O
years B-LOC
of I-LOC
the O
state. O
Eliaz O
was O
established O
in O
1952 B-LOC
by I-LOC
Joseph I-LOC
Seltzer O
an O
immigrant O
from O
Hungary. O
The O
winery O
was O
named O
after O
www.adammontefiore.com O
his O
son B-PER
Eliezer O
who O
was O
killed O
in O
the O
War O
of O
Independence. O
David O
Ben O
Gurion O
by O
then O
prime O
minister O
assisted O
the O
winery O
to O
receive O
the O
necessary O
permits. O
Askalon O
(sic) B-LOC
was O
founded O
by O
the O
Segal O
family O
of O
distillers O
from O
White O
Russia. O
They O
founded O
a O
winery O
in O
1950 O
and B-LOC
later I-LOC
settled I-LOC
in O
Ramle. O
JAMES O
ROTHSCHILD O
DONATION O
James O
Rothschild O
son O
of O
Baron O
Edmond O
left O
France O
and O
went B-PER
to O
live O
in B-LOC
England. I-LOC
There B-LOC
he O
became O
a O
Member O
of O
Parliament. O
He O
played O
a B-PER
significant I-PER
part O
with O
Chaim O
Weizman O
in B-PER
bringing I-PER
about O
the O
Balfour O
Declaration B-LOC
in O
favor O
of O
a O
Jewish O
National O
State. O
Always O
a O
fervent O
Zionist O
he O
eventually O
he O
took O
over O
his B-PER
father’s I-PER
interests O
in O
Palestine. O
He O
was O
involved O
in B-PER
the I-PER
failed I-PER
perfume O
factory O
where O
Eliaz O
was O
to O
be O
situated O
and O
in O
the O
first O
Palestine O
Brewery O
at O
Rishon O
Le O
Zion O
adjacent O
to O
the O
winery. B-PER
In O
1957 O
he O
arranged O
to O
donate B-LOC
the I-LOC
Rishon O
le O
Zion O
and O
Zichron O
Ya'acov O
Wine O
Cellars O
to O
SCV O
Carmel. B-LOC
Thus B-PER
the I-PER
involvement I-PER
and O
interest O
of B-PER
the I-PER
Rothschild I-PER
family B-PER
in I-PER
the I-PER
Israel O
wine B-LOC
industry O
extended O
from O
1882 B-LOC
until O
1957. O
This O
was O
the O
same O
Rothschild O
that O
donated O
the O
money O
to O
build O
Israel’s O
parliament B-PER
building O
– O
The O
Knesset. O
The O
foundation O
he O
set O
up O
Yad O
Hanadiv O
continues O
to O
this O
day O
to O
contribute O
Israel’s O
beauty O
& O
splendor. O
David O
Ben O
Gurion O
wrote O
“Truly O
a B-LOC
great I-LOC
father O
was O
followed O
by O
a O
son O
no O
less O
great.” O
In O
1957 O
the O
Israel B-PER
Wine O
Institute O
was O
formed O
in O
cooperation O
with B-LOC
the B-LOC
industry I-LOC
and B-LOC
government. I-LOC
It O
was O
initially O
managed O
by O
an O
agronomist O
and O
oenologist O
from O
France. O
Initially O
many O
wines O
were O
generically O
named O
but B-LOC
in O
1961 O
Israel O
was O
a O
signatory O
of O
the O
Madrid O
Pact B-PER
and I-PER
names O
such O
as O
Port B-LOC
and O
Sherry O
disappeared O
from O
the O
domestic O
market O
place. O
The O
main O
wineries B-PER
at I-PER
this O
time O
were O
Carmel O
Mizrahi O
Eliaz O
Friedman B-LOC
Tnuva O
(forerunner O
of O
WEST O
Stock) O
Askalon O
Mikveh O
Israel O
and O
the B-PER
Shor I-PER
family’s O
‘Jerusalem’ O
wineries. O
The O
main O
areas B-LOC
of O
vineyards O
were O
in O
the B-PER
coastal I-PER
valleys I-PER
of O
the O
southern O
Mt. O
Carmel O
and O
the O
central O
Judean O
Plain O
& O
Judean O
Foothills. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
PROF. O
CORNELIUS O
OUGH O
A O
RECOMMENDATION O
By O
the O
1960's O
Carmel O
controlled O
over O
90% O
of O
the O
vineyards O
in O
Israel. O
Most O
of O
the O
red O
wines B-LOC
were O
based O
on O
Carignan O
and O
medium O
dry O
white O
wines O
were O
made O
from B-LOC
Semillon. O
Carmel O
Hock O
Grenache O
Rose O
and O
Adom O
Atik O
were O
the O
most O
popular B-PER
table O
wines. O
In O
1971 O
Israel’s O
first O
varietal O
wines O
– O
a O
Cabernet O
Sauvignon O
and O
Sauvignon B-PER
Blanc I-PER
were B-PER
released O
in B-PER
the I-PER
export O
market O
by O
Carmel. O
In O
1976 O
Carmel B-PER
made B-PER
a I-PER
legendary I-PER
Cabernet O
Sauvignon O
Special B-LOC
Reserve O
which O
was O
Israel’s O
first O
international O
style O
quality O
wine. O
Winemaker O
Freddie O
Stiller B-LOC
was B-LOC
not O
permitted O
to O
buy O
barrels O
for O
aging O
wine O
so O
instead O
he O
used O
some O
of O
the O
limousin O
oak O
barrels O
intended O
for O
brandy. O
It O
was B-PER
the I-PER
first I-PER
wine O
matured O
in O
small O
oak O
barrels O
and B-LOC
aged I-LOC
in O
bottle O
before O
release. O
It O
was O
to O
be O
the B-LOC
forerunner I-LOC
of O
the O
quality O
revolution. O
In O
1976 B-LOC
the I-LOC
first O
vineyards O
were O
planted O
on O
the O
Golan O
Heights. O
The B-PER
idea I-PER
was I-PER
to B-PER
give I-PER
the I-PER
communities I-PER
another O
source O
of O
income O
and O
Carmel O
was O
going O
to O
buy B-LOC
the I-LOC
fruit. O
Professor O
Cornelius O
Ough O
from O
the O
University O
of B-PER
California I-PER
at O
Davis O
had O
visited O
Israel O
in O
the O
1960’s O
and B-LOC
1970’s O
on O
long B-LOC
working O
visits. O
He O
made O
recommendations O
to O
the O
Israel O
Wine O
Institute O
the B-LOC
Ministry O
of O
Agriculture O
and O
the O
‘large O
cooperative’ O
(meaning B-PER
Carmel I-PER
SCV.) O
He O
was O
disappointed O
that O
no O
one O
took O
his O
advice. O
In O
1982 O
he O
did O
however O
recommend O
founding O
a O
winery O
on O
the O
Golan O
Heights O
planting O
classic O
varieties O
and O
hiring O
a O
winemaker O
from O
California. O
www.adammontefiore.co O
PETER O
STERN O
INTRODUCES O
NEW O
WORLD O
TECHNOLOGY O
By O
1982 O
a O
group O
of O
four O
kibbutzes O
and O
four O
moshavs O
on B-LOC
the I-LOC
Golan I-LOC
had O
decided O
to O
plant O
vines. O
They O
formed O
a O
partnership O
and O
the O
result O
was B-LOC
the I-LOC
founding O
of O
the O
Golan O
Heights O
Winery O
in B-PER
1983. I-PER
The I-PER
canny I-PER
general O
manager O
of O
the O
winery O
was O
Shimshon B-PER
Welner. O
He O
sought B-LOC
expertise O
from O
overseas O
and O
was O
put O
in O
touch O
with O
Peter O
Stern O
from O
California. O
Stern O
was O
a O
wine O
consultant O
who O
had O
been O
winemaker O
of O
J.Lohr O
and O
had O
previously O
worked O
for O
famous O
wineries O
such O
as O
Mondavi O
and O
Gallo. O
He O
was O
approached O
because O
of O
his O
professional O
background O
and O
also O
his O
Jewish O
name. B-LOC
Even I-LOC
though O
it O
transpired O
he O
was O
not O
Jewish O
he O
was O
to O
be O
the O
winemaking B-LOC
consultant O
for O
the O
next O
twenty O
years. O
Peter O
Stern O
along O
with O
a O
series O
of O
his O
protégé O
Californian O
trained O
winemakers O
re O
invented O
Israeli O
viticulture O
and O
brought O
New O
World O
winemaking B-LOC
techniques O
to O
Israel O
using O
the O
cooler O
climate O
high O
elevation O
vineyards O
of O
the O
Golan. O
This O
was B-LOC
the I-LOC
first I-LOC
time I-LOC
an O
Israeli O
winery O
took O
total O
charge O
of O
vineyard O
activities O
and B-PER
decisions I-PER
of O
what O
to O
plant O
how O
to O
prune O
and O
when O
to O
harvest O
passed O
from B-PER
the I-PER
grower O
to B-LOC
the I-LOC
winery. I-LOC
Stern B-PER
brought O
about O
a O
massive O
change O
in O
Israeli O
winemaking O
and O
later O
did O
the O
same O
for O
Kosher O
wine O
in O
the O
United O
States B-PER
as O
winemaker O
of O
Herzog O
Wine O
Cellars. O
YARDEN O
PUTS O
ISRAEL O
ON O
THE O
INTERNATION O
WINE O
MAP O
When O
Yarden O
wines O
were O
exported O
to O
America O
by O
the O
Golan O
Heights O
Winery O
they O
were O
referred O
to O
as O
Israel’s O
first O
world O
class O
wines B-PER
by I-PER
famous I-PER
wine O
critics O
like O
Frank O
J. O
Prial O
and O
Howard O
G. O
Goldberg. O
In O
1987 O
at O
the O
International O
Wine O
& O
Spirit O
Competition O
in O
London O
the O
Yarden O
Cabernet O
Sauvignon B-LOC
1984 O
won O
not O
only O
a O
Gold O
Medal O
but O
also O
the O
Winiarski O
Trophy O
as O
the O
best O
red O
wine O
in O
the O
Competition. O
Then O
a O
year O
later O
the O
Yarden O
Cabernet O
Sauvignon O
1985 O
won O
Gold O
Medals O
at O
both O
the O
Challenge O
International O
du O
Vin O
in O
Bordeaux O
and O
IWSC O
again O
and O
also O
a B-PER
trophy I-PER
at O
Vinexpo. O
Yarden O
wines O
were O
awarded O
the O
prestigious O
"Grand O
Prix O
d'Honneur" O
at O
Vinexpo O
in O
Bordeaux O
three B-LOC
times I-LOC
in O
a O
row. O
Israeli O
wine O
had O
arrived! O
Since O
then B-PER
the O
Golan B-LOC
Heights O
Winery O
have O
been O
the O
pioneers O
of B-PER
the O
Israel O
wine. O
They O
continue B-LOC
to O
win O
awards B-LOC
in I-LOC
major I-LOC
wine I-LOC
tasting O
competitions. O
YONATAN O
TISHBI B-LOC
FIRST O
GROWER O
TO O
FOUND O
WINERY O
Tishbi O
Winery O
was O
founded O
in B-PER
1985. I-PER
Yonatan O
Tishbi B-PER
whose I-PER
great I-PER
grandparents O
planted O
vineyards O
for O
Rothschild O
in O
the O
1880’s O
became B-LOC
the O
first O
vineyard O
owner O
to O
decide O
to O
build O
his O
own O
winery. O
He O
left O
the O
Wine O
Growers O
Cooperative O
(SCV). O
This O
was O
at O
the O
time O
a O
brave O
move O
with O
no O
certainty O
of O
success. O
Tishbi O
was O
the O
forerunner O
of O
the O
small O
winery O
boom O
that O
was O
to O
follow. O
The O
first O
winemaker B-LOC
of O
the O
winery O
was O
Dr. O
Yair O
Margalit O
and B-LOC
one I-LOC
season B-PER
a O
young O
winemaker O
from O
California O
called O
Victor O
Schoenfeld O
looked O
after B-LOC
the B-LOC
vineyards! I-LOC
www.adammontefiore.com O
In B-LOC
1990 O
Barkan O
took O
over O
the O
Stock O
– B-LOC
WEST I-LOC
winery I-LOC
(previously I-LOC
known O
as O
Friedman O
Tnuva) O
which B-LOC
had O
gone O
bankrupt O
and O
steadily O
grew O
their O
share O
of O
the O
market. O
MARGALIT O
AND O
BEN B-PER
ZAKEN I-PER
SMALL I-PER
WINERY O
BOOM O
The O
boutique O
winery O
revolution O
began O
in O
the O
1990’s. O
Kibbutz B-PER
Tzora I-PER
and O
Dalton O
followed O
Tishbi’s O
example O
of O
adding O
a B-PER
winery I-PER
to O
established O
vineyards. O
Tzora O
was O
founded O
by O
grower O
and O
Kibbutz O
member O
Ronnie O
James O
and O
Dalton O
by O
the O
Haruni O
family O
originally O
from O
England. O
Yair O
Margalit O
and O
Eli O
Ben O
Zaken O
were O
examples O
of O
domestic B-PER
winemakers O
who O
decided O
to O
establish O
their O
own O
wineries O
resulting O
in O
Margalit O
Winery O
and O
Domaine O
du O
Castel O
respectively. B-PER
Dr. O
Yair O
Margalit O
was O
a O
chemistry O
professor O
who B-LOC
studied O
winemaking B-PER
in I-PER
California I-PER
opened O
his O
boutique O
winery O
in O
1989. O
It O
was O
the O
first O
modern O
quality O
boutique O
winery. O
Yair B-PER
Margalit O
also O
acted O
as O
consultant O
to O
other O
fledgling O
wineries. O
Tony O
Aspler O
Canada’s O
leading O
wine O
writer O
wrote O
that O
Margalit O
was O
making O
the O
best O
wine B-PER
in I-PER
Israel O
which O
could O
be O
mistaken O
for O
Mouton O
Rothschild O
in O
a O
blind O
tasting. O
Eli O
Ben O
Zaken O
was B-PER
a I-PER
self I-PER
taught O
domestic B-PER
winemaker O
who B-PER
learnt O
winemaking O
from O
a O
book O
by O
Emile O
Peynaud. O
By O
a O
stroke B-PER
of O
good O
fortune O
his O
first O
wine B-PER
the I-PER
Castel O
Grand B-PER
Vin I-PER
1992 I-PER
got O
noticed B-PER
by O
Serena O
Sutcliffe O
MW O
head O
of O
the O
Sotheby’s B-LOC
Wine B-PER
Department. I-PER
She B-PER
wrote I-PER
that I-PER
it O
was O
the O
best O
wine O
Israeli O
wine O
she O
had O
ever O
tasted. O
Both O
Margalit O
and O
Castel O
showed O
that O
smaller O
wineries B-LOC
could O
also B-LOC
make I-LOC
world I-LOC
class O
wines. O
Many O
other O
small B-PER
new I-PER
wineries O
would O
be O
founded O
in O
the O
coming O
years. O
In O
2003 O
Castel B-LOC
became I-LOC
kosher O
and O
won O
even O
more O
awards O
after O
than O
before. O
This O
illustrated O
once O
and O
for O
all O
that B-PER
kashrut I-PER
was O
not O
something O
that O
effected O
quality O
The O
1990's O
really O
saw B-PER
the I-PER
coming B-LOC
of O
age O
of O
the O
Israeli O
wine O
market. O
During B-PER
these O
prosperous O
years O
Israel O
went B-LOC
through O
a O
cultural O
revolution O
in B-PER
terms I-PER
of I-PER
food I-PER
& O
wine. O
The O
boutique O
winery O
boom B-PER
continues I-PER
today. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
LARGE O
WINERIES O
REJUVENATED O
The O
larger O
wineries O
reacted B-PER
to O
the O
boutique O
winery O
boom O
at O
the O
beginning O
of O
the O
2000’s. O
The O
traditional O
historic O
wineries O
of B-PER
Israel I-PER
Carmel O
Mizrahi O
Efrat O
Eliaz O
and O
Askalon O
were O
renamed O
Carmel O
Winery O
Teperberg O
Binyamina O
and O
Segal O
Wines O
respectively O
and O
they B-PER
started I-PER
a B-PER
revolution I-PER
of O
their O
own O
deciding O
to O
re O
brand O
and O
focus O
on O
quality O
table O
wines. O
The O
large O
wineries O
also O
invested O
heavily. O
Carmel O
founded O
Yatir O
Winery O
in B-PER
the O
Northeast O
Negev. O
They O
closed O
production O
at O
Rishon O
Le O
Zion O
and O
totally O
refurbished O
their O
Zichron O
Ya’acov O
facility. O
Later O
they O
built O
a O
new O
facility O
at O
Alon O
Tabor. O
The O
Golan O
Heights O
Winery O
opened O
a B-LOC
new I-LOC
winery O
called O
Galil O
Mountain O
situated O
on O
the O
border B-LOC
with O
Lebanon. O
Barkan O
built O
a O
new O
advanced O
winery O
at O
Hulda O
and O
planted O
alongside O
it O
the O
largest O
vineyard O
in O
the O
country. O
They O
also O
bought O
Segal O
Wines. O
Teperberg O
built O
a O
new O
winery O
at O
Tzora. O
The O
traditional O
so O
called O
Jerusalem O
wineries O
all O
created O
new O
wineries O
or O
new O
brands O
promoting O
table O
wines O
instead O
of O
Kiddush O
wine O
and B-LOC
grape B-PER
juice I-PER
1848 I-PER
Winery B-LOC
was B-PER
founded O
by O
the O
8th O
generation O
of O
the O
Shor O
family B-LOC
owning I-LOC
Zion B-LOC
Winery; O
Arza O
created O
a O
new O
brand O
called O
Hayotzer O
Winery O
and O
Shimshon O
Winery O
became O
Jerusalem O
Vineyard O
Winery. O
A O
new O
style O
of O
investor O
became O
attracted O
to O
the O
Israeli O
wine O
scene. O
These B-LOC
were O
idealists O
who B-LOC
built O
new O
wineries B-LOC
with I-LOC
no O
expense O
spared. O
They O
had O
a O
determination O
to O
make O
quality O
wines O
but O
also O
with O
great O
attention O
to O
aesthetics. O
Amphorae O
Chateau O
Golan O
Clos B-PER
de I-PER
Gat O
Ella O
Valley B-LOC
and I-LOC
Flam I-LOC
were I-LOC
examples O
of O
new O
wineries O
built B-LOC
in I-LOC
beautiful I-LOC
settings. O
Large O
commercial O
concerns B-LOC
entered B-PER
the O
wine O
business. O
Tempo O
the O
country’s B-PER
largest O
brewery O
purchased O
Barkan O
which O
has O
grown O
to O
become O
Israel’s O
second O
largest O
winery. O
IBBLS O
a O
subsidiary O
of B-PER
the I-PER
Central O
Bottling O
Company O
aka B-LOC
Coca O
Cola O
Israel O
purchased O
Tabor B-LOC
Winery. I-LOC
The O
owner O
of O
the O
supermarket O
chain O
Hezi O
Hinam O
bought O
Binyamina O
Winery. O
A O
Recanati O
from O
the O
famous O
industrialist O
& O
philanthropist O
family O
invested O
in O
wine O
by O
founding O
the B-PER
Recanati O
Winery. O
Carmel O
Winery O
was O
bought O
by O
Kedma O
Capital O
a O
consortium O
of O
investors O
from O
Britain O
France O
the B-LOC
United I-LOC
States O
and O
Israel. O
Eventually O
the O
two O
largest O
wineries O
became O
part B-LOC
of I-LOC
public O
companies. O
Tempo O
Beverages O
was O
the O
first O
and O
this O
was O
recently O
followed O
by O
Carmel O
Corp. O
the O
new O
owners O
of O
Carmel O
Winery. O
Winemakers O
invariably O
studied O
abroad O
either O
in O
California O
Australia B-LOC
France B-LOC
or O
Italy. B-LOC
Also O
wine B-LOC
consultants O
were O
used. O
Peter O
Stern O
responsible O
for O
much O
of O
the O
quality O
revolution O
in O
Israel O
www.adammontefiore.com O
worked O
with O
the O
Golan O
Heights O
Winery O
and O
then O
for O
Carmel. O
Flying B-PER
winemaker O
Australian O
John O
Worontschak B-LOC
assisted O
Dalton. O
Later B-LOC
the O
Californian O
icon O
Zelma O
Long O
advised O
the O
Golan O
Heights O
Winery O
Michel O
Rolland O
the O
world’s O
most O
influential O
winemaking O
consultant O
advised B-PER
Amphorae O
Riccardo O
Cotarella O
worked O
with B-PER
Cremisan O
and O
Jean O
Claude O
Berrouet O
winemaker O
of O
Petrus O
one O
of O
the O
world’s O
most O
iconic O
wines O
still O
advises O
Tzora O
Vineyards. O
THIRD O
PARTY O
RECOGNITION O
However O
the O
major O
step O
forward O
was O
in B-LOC
the I-LOC
international O
recognition B-LOC
Israel I-LOC
started B-LOC
receiving O
for O
its O
wines. O
Good O
reviews O
high O
scores O
and O
prestige O
awards O
put O
Israeli O
wines O
in O
focus. O
The O
likes O
of O
Hugh O
Johnson O
and O
Robert O
Parker O
Decanter O
and O
Wine O
Spectator O
began O
to O
give O
positive O
coverage O
to O
Israel. O
The O
Golan O
Heights O
Winery B-LOC
became O
the B-LOC
first O
Israeli B-LOC
winery B-LOC
to O
be O
invited O
to O
the O
New O
York O
Wine O
Experience B-PER
in O
1999. O
Domaine O
du O
Castel O
became O
the O
first O
Israeli O
to B-LOC
be O
awarded O
the O
maximum O
Four O
Stars O
in O
Hugh O
Johnson’s O
Pocket B-LOC
Wine I-LOC
Book I-LOC
in O
2008. O
Yarden O
Cabernet B-LOC
Sauvignon O
2004 O
was B-LOC
the I-LOC
first I-LOC
Israeli B-PER
wine I-PER
selected O
by O
the B-PER
Wine O
Spectator O
in O
the O
Top O
100 O
Wines B-PER
of I-PER
The O
Year. O
Robert O
Parker.com B-LOC
tasted I-LOC
Israeli B-PER
wines I-PER
for O
the O
first O
time O
in O
2007. O
Highest O
scores O
to O
date O
were O
awarded O
to O
the O
Castel O
Grand B-PER
Vin I-PER
and I-PER
Clos O
de O
Gat O
Muscat. O
In O
addition O
Israeli B-PER
wines I-PER
won O
some O
pretty O
impressive O
awards. O
Carmel O
Kayoumi O
Shiraz O
2006 O
won O
‘The O
International O
Trophy’ B-LOC
at O
the O
Decanter O
World O
Wine O
Awards O
in O
2010. O
The O
Golan O
Heights O
won O
Winery O
the O
award O
for O
‘Best O
Producer B-LOC
Worldwide’ O
at O
Vinitaly O
in O
2011 O
and O
the O
next O
year O
they O
won O
the O
‘Wine O
Star O
Award O
for O
Best B-LOC
New O
World O
Winery’ O
awarded O
by O
The O
Wine B-PER
Enthusiast. I-PER
Furthermore B-PER
sommeliers O
of O
Michelin O
star O
restaurants O
and O
wine O
buyers O
for O
specialist O
wine O
shops B-LOC
began I-LOC
to I-LOC
taste I-LOC
Israeli O
wine O
firstly O
out B-LOC
of O
curiosity O
and O
then O
because O
of B-LOC
interest I-LOC
in O
what O
was O
for O
them O
a O
new O
quality O
wine O
producing O
country. O
VICTOR B-LOC
SCHOENFELD O
A O
SUSTAINABLE O
FUTURE O
Suffering O
from B-PER
the I-PER
leafroll O
virus O
the O
Israel O
wine O
industry O
was O
slow O
to O
come O
up O
with O
solutions. O
The B-LOC
Golan O
Heights O
Winery O
therefore O
decided O
to O
invest O
in O
their O
own O
Propagation O
Block B-PER
and I-PER
Nursery I-PER
which O
they B-LOC
did O
in O
cooperation O
with O
the O
French O
company O
Entav. O
Following O
this O
they O
undertook O
what O
they O
called O
Project O
2020 O
to O
replace O
virus O
affected O
vineyards B-LOC
with O
clean O
plant O
material. O
The O
winery O
then O
decided O
to O
become O
sustainable O
according O
to O
the O
protocol O
of O
‘Lodi O
Rules’ O
from O
California. O
These O
moves O
were O
led O
by O
California O
born O
Victor O
Schoenfeld O
who O
became O
Head O
Winemaker O
in O
1992 O
and O
has O
so O
far O
been O
leading O
the O
way O
in O
viticulture O
for O
over O
30 O
years. O
The O
technology O
they O
use O
and O
data O
base O
of O
information O
they O
have O
would O
impress O
many O
of O
the O
most O
advanced O
wineries O
the O
world O
over. O
Other O
wineries O
making O
a B-LOC
particular I-LOC
effort O
to O
become O
www.adammontefiore.com O
sustainable O
to O
different O
degrees O
were O
Galil O
Mountain O
who O
amongst O
other O
things O
made O
their O
own B-PER
compost I-PER
from I-PER
recycled O
Nespresso O
capsules; O
Tabor O
Winery O
who O
introduced O
what O
they B-LOC
call O
‘ecological’ O
vineyards; O
and O
Tzora O
Vineyards O
who O
were O
certified O
by O
Fair’N O
Green. O
DR. O
SHIBI O
DRORI O
RESEARCHES O
LOCAL O
VARIETIES O
The O
idea O
of O
using O
local O
indigenous O
varieties O
for O
wine O
was O
pioneered O
by O
the O
Palestinian B-PER
winery O
Cremisan. O
In O
2008 O
they O
made O
wines O
from O
Baladi O
Dabouki O
Hamdani O
and O
Jandali. O
This O
gained O
notice O
when O
their O
Hamdani O
Jandali O
blend O
came O
in O
first O
in O
a O
tasting O
of O
Israeli O
whites O
by O
Jancis O
Robinson O
MW. O
Their O
consultant O
in B-LOC
this O
project O
was O
Italian O
Riccardo O
Cotarella. B-LOC
Fadi B-PER
Baterseh I-PER
of O
Cremisan O
researched O
these O
varieties O
at O
Hebron O
University. O
Then O
Dr. O
Shibi O
Drori O
winemaker O
of O
Gvaot O
Winery O
began O
a O
project O
to O
collect O
catalogue O
and O
research O
all O
the O
varieties O
his O
team O
could O
find O
throughout O
the O
country. O
They O
found O
over O
120 O
varieties O
and O
of O
these O
twenty O
varieties O
showed O
potential O
for O
wine. O
The O
research O
continues O
and O
Drori O
set O
up O
an O
experimental O
pilot O
winery O
at O
Ariel O
University. O
The O
first O
Israeli O
winery O
to O
make O
wines O
from O
these O
local O
varieties O
was O
Recanati. O
They O
produced O
a O
Marawi O
and O
Bittuni O
a O
cooperation O
between O
a O
Palestinian O
grower O
and O
Israeli O
winemaker. O
Other O
wineries B-PER
to O
make O
wine O
from O
one O
or O
more O
of O
these O
varieties O
are O
Barkan O
Feldstein O
and O
Gvaot. O
ERAN O
PICK O
MW O
– O
ISRAEL’S O
FIRST B-LOC
MASTER I-LOC
OF O
WINE O
Israel O
received O
a O
great O
deal O
of O
positive O
attention O
when O
Eran B-PER
Pick O
of B-PER
Tzora I-PER
Vineyards O
became O
Israel’s O
first O
ever B-PER
Master I-PER
of O
Wine. O
At O
the O
same O
time O
the O
Wine O
Spectator O
did O
its O
first O
ever B-PER
cover I-PER
feature O
on O
Israeli O
wine. O
The O
Institute O
of O
Masters B-LOC
of B-PER
Wine I-PER
came I-PER
on I-PER
their I-PER
first B-PER
official I-PER
visit O
to O
Israel. O
IPEVO O
the O
official O
organization O
for O
winemakers O
and O
viticulturists B-PER
published O
an O
Israel O
wine O
map O
according O
to O
terroir O
and O
typography. O
The O
Judean O
Hills O
Quartet O
was O
formed O
consisting O
of O
Domaine O
du O
Castel O
Flam O
Winery O
Sphera O
and O
Tzora O
Vineyards. O
This O
was O
to O
advance O
the O
Judean O
Hills O
as O
a O
quality O
wine O
growing O
region. O
However O
it B-PER
was O
also O
extremely O
effective O
in O
advancing O
the O
Israel O
wine O
brand. O
Pick’s O
focus B-LOC
on O
precision O
viticulture O
in O
one O
particular O
vineyard O
symbolizes B-PER
the O
new O
focus O
of B-LOC
the I-LOC
industry O
in O
searching O
for O
identity O
and O
a B-LOC
sense I-LOC
of O
place. O
Furthermore O
the O
white O
wines O
of O
Tzora O
and O
Sphera O
in O
particular O
best O
illustrate O
the O
great O
leap O
forward B-PER
in B-PER
Israeli I-PER
white O
wines O
in O
the O
last O
decade. B-LOC
Ido O
Lewinsohn O
MW O
(ex O
Recanati B-LOC
Barkan O
and O
Lewinsohn O
Winery) O
followed O
Eran O
Pick O
to O
become O
Israel’s O
second O
Master O
of O
Wine. B-LOC
www.adammontefiore.com O
ISRAEL O
WINE O
TODAY O
Israel O
has O
6 O
500 O
hectares O
of O
vineyards O
covering O
Israel O
from O
the O
Upper B-LOC
Galilee O
down O
to O
the O
Negev. O
The O
areas O
with O
the O
biggest O
boom O
in O
new O
vineyards O
are B-LOC
the I-LOC
Upper B-LOC
Galilee O
Golan O
Heights O
and O
Judean O
Foothills. O
The O
bulk O
of O
the O
harvest O
is O
from O
August B-LOC
to O
October O
but O
it O
can O
start O
in O
July O
and O
has O
occasionally O
gone O
on O
until O
the O
first O
week O
in O
November. O
GRAPE O
VARIETIES O
The O
most O
planted O
varieties B-LOC
are O
Cabernet O
Sauvignon O
Carignan O
and O
Merlot O
followed B-LOC
by O
Shiraz/ O
Syrah O
and O
Petit O
Verdot. O
The O
main O
whites O
are O
Colombard O
and O
Muscat O
of O
Alexandria. O
However B-LOC
most O
of O
the O
quality O
wines O
seem O
to O
be O
made O
from O
Cabernet O
Sauvignon O
Syrah O
or O
Shiraz O
or O
Bordeaux O
style O
blends O
featuring O
Cabernet O
Sauvignon O
Merlot O
and O
Petit O
Verdot. O
There O
is O
a O
revival O
of O
traditional O
varieties O
like O
Carignan O
and O
Petite O
Sirah. O
Grenache O
is O
making O
a O
comeback. O
The O
predominant O
whites O
are O
Sauvignon O
Blanc O
and O
Chardonnay B-PER
followed O
by O
Riesling O
Gewurztraminer B-PER
Roussanne O
and O
Viognier. O
The B-PER
most I-PER
Israeli O
variety B-LOC
is O
Argaman O
made O
by O
a O
cross O
of O
Carignan O
with O
the O
Portuguese O
grape B-LOC
Souzao. O
The O
first B-LOC
Argaman O
was O
launched O
by O
Carmel O
in O
the O
mid O
90’s. B-LOC
The O
specialists O
of B-LOC
this I-LOC
variety O
are O
1848 B-LOC
Winery O
Barkan O
Feldstein O
and O
Jezreel O
Valley. O
Emerald O
Riesling O
was B-LOC
a I-LOC
variety I-LOC
created B-LOC
in I-LOC
California O
in B-LOC
1948 I-LOC
the I-LOC
same O
year O
of O
the O
establishment O
of O
the O
State O
of O
Israel. O
It O
was O
a O
cross O
between O
Riesling O
and O
Muscadelle O
and O
it O
never O
succeeded O
anywhere O
apart O
from O
Israel O
where O
for O
a O
time O
it O
became O
the O
most O
popular O
wine. O
Muscat O
of B-PER
Alexandria I-PER
is O
an O
indigenous O
variety O
to O
the O
Eastern O
Mediterranean O
and O
it O
has O
had O
a O
revival O
due O
to O
the B-LOC
popularity O
of B-LOC
Moscato O
the O
low O
alcohol O
wines O
made O
in O
the O
style O
of O
a O
Moscato O
d’Asti. O
Maybe O
the O
humble O
Carignan O
is O
in O
the O
end O
the O
variety O
most O
associated O
with O
Israel. O
It O
has O
been O
in O
Israel O
for O
over O
150 O
years O
being O
established O
even O
before O
the O
involvement O
of O
Rothschild. O
For O
100 O
years O
it O
was O
the O
mainstay O
of O
the O
industry O
and O
lately O
has B-PER
been I-PER
used I-PER
to O
make O
quality O
fine O
wines. O
It O
is O
a O
variety O
that O
has O
been O
adopted O
by O
Israel. O
Of O
the O
local O
Holy B-LOC
Land O
indigenous O
varieties B-LOC
Bittuni O
Dabouki O
Marawi B-PER
(aka O
Hamdani) O
and B-LOC
Jandali O
are O
the O
most O
well O
known B-PER
but O
quantities O
are O
still B-LOC
tiny. O
These O
are O
mostly O
grown O
in O
the O
Hebron O
region O
though O
Dabouki O
was B-PER
also I-PER
once B-PER
grown I-PER
prolifically O
in B-LOC
the O
State O
of O
Israel O
particularly O
in O
the O
Coastal O
Plain. B-LOC
It O
was O
often O
used O
for O
distillation O
in O
the O
past. O
Recent O
localized B-LOC
expressions I-LOC
have O
been O
made O
by O
individual O
wineries O
including O
Be’er O
(white) O
and O
Yael O
(red) O
by O
Barkan O
and O
Zuriman O
(red) O
by O
Dalton. O
www.adammontefiore.com O
WINERIES O
Today O
in B-LOC
Israel I-LOC
there O
are O
technologically O
advanced O
wineries B-LOC
that I-LOC
would I-LOC
not O
be O
out O
of O
place O
in O
Napa O
or O
Barossa O
and O
others O
where B-PER
a O
lack O
of O
expertise O
is O
made O
up O
for O
by O
boundless O
passion. O
They O
cover O
the O
land O
of O
Israel B-PER
from O
the O
northern O
border O
with O
Lebanon O
down O
to O
the O
deepest B-LOC
Negev. O
There O
are B-LOC
moshav I-LOC
wineries O
and O
kibbutz O
wineries. O
There O
are O
wineries O
run O
by O
ultra O
orthodox O
Jews O
and O
wineries O
operated O
by O
Christian O
monks. O
There O
is O
even O
one O
called O
Mony O
situated O
at O
a O
monastery O
which O
is O
owned O
by O
an O
Israeli O
Arab O
family O
and O
they O
produce B-LOC
kosher O
wines! O
There O
are O
four O
large O
wineries O
producing O
over B-PER
five I-PER
million B-LOC
bottles O
a B-PER
year O
– O
Carmel B-PER
Barkan O
Golan O
and O
Teperberg O
which O
have O
over O
75% O
of O
the O
Israeli O
market. O
Other O
wineries O
producing O
over O
a O
million O
bottles B-PER
of O
wine O
a O
year O
are O
Arza O
Hayotzer O
Zion O
Tabor B-LOC
Binyamina I-LOC
Recanati O
Jerusalem O
VW O
Dalton O
Tishbi O
and O
Galil O
Mountain. O
The O
large O
wineries O
control O
well O
over O
90% O
of O
Israel’s O
harvest. O
There O
are O
roughly O
350 O
wineries O
in O
Israel. O
According O
to O
a O
recent O
edition B-PER
of O
Hugh B-PER
Johnson’s I-PER
Pocket B-PER
Wine O
Guide O
the B-PER
top O
five O
rated O
Israeli O
wineries O
were O
Domaine O
du O
Castel B-LOC
Tzora O
Vineyards O
Flam O
Winery O
Sphera O
and O
Golan O
Heights O
Winery. O
Israeli O
exports O
total B-LOC
more O
than B-LOC
US O
$50 O
million O
and O
are O
increasing. O
Over O
half O
of O
the O
exports O
are O
to O
the O
USA O
and O
Canada. O
The O
other O
main O
market B-LOC
is O
Western O
Europe O
mainly O
France O
Britain B-LOC
Germany O
Holland O
and B-LOC
Belgium. O
New O
markets O
are O
Eastern O
Europe O
in O
particular O
Poland O
& O
Russia O
and O
the O
Far O
East O
mainly O
Japan. O
Israeli O
wines O
are O
sold O
to O
more O
than O
forty O
countries O
in O
five O
continents. O
WINE O
REGIONS O
Wine O
growing O
started O
in O
the O
Coastal O
Plain O
in O
the O
valleys O
of O
the O
Southern O
Mt. O
Carmel O
and O
in O
the O
Judean O
Plain O
south O
east O
of O
Tel O
Aviv. O
With O
the O
move O
to O
quality O
the B-LOC
concentration I-LOC
of B-LOC
vineyards O
moved B-PER
northwards O
and O
eastwards O
in O
search B-LOC
of O
high O
elevation. O
The O
main O
vineyards O
for O
quality O
wines O
today O
are O
in O
the O
Upper O
Galilee O
and O
Golan O
Heights B-PER
and B-LOC
in I-LOC
the I-LOC
Judean B-PER
Hills. O
In B-LOC
the I-LOC
last O
twenty B-PER
years B-PER
a O
wine O
route B-LOC
has I-LOC
also O
developed O
in O
the O
Central O
Mountains O
region O
and B-LOC
in I-LOC
the O
Negev O
Desert. O
IPEVO O
the O
profession O
association O
of O
winemakers O
and O
viticulturists O
created O
a B-PER
wine I-PER
map O
identifying O
the O
following O
fifteen O
regions O
GALILEE O
Upper O
Galilee O
West O
Upper O
Galilee O
East O
Lower O
Galilee; O
GOLAN O
HEIGHTS O
Upper O
Golan B-LOC
Lower I-LOC
Golan; I-LOC
COASTAL B-LOC
PLAIN O
Zichron O
Ya’acov O
– O
Hanadiv B-LOC
Valley O
Judean O
Coast; O
CENTRAL O
MOUNTAINS O
Mt. O
Gilboa O
Shomron O
Hills O
Judean B-LOC
Hills B-LOC
Negev O
Judea; O
JUDEA O
Judean O
Foothills O
Lachish; B-LOC
NEGEV O
Ramat B-LOC
Arad O
Mitzpe B-LOC
Ramon. B-LOC
www.adammontefiore.com B-LOC
These O
are O
the O
regional B-LOC
names I-LOC
in O
use O
in O
the O
industry O
today. O
The O
registered O
regions B-LOC
with O
the B-LOC
European O
Community O
and O
TTB O
(USA) O
remain O
Galilee O
Shomron O
Samson O
Judean O
Hills O
Negev. O
Talks O
are O
underway O
to O
update O
the O
registered O
regions O
which O
have O
been O
in O
place B-LOC
since I-LOC
the O
mid B-LOC
1970’s. O
Recently O
jamessuckling.com B-LOC
tasted O
Israeli B-LOC
wines O
and O
gave O
some O
very O
high O
scores O
to O
Israeli O
wines. O
The O
highest O
scoring O
wines O
received O
97 O
points. O
Twelve O
wines O
from O
seven O
different O
wineries O
scored O
95 O
points O
or O
more. O
Stuart O
Pigott B-LOC
who O
tasted O
the B-LOC
wines I-LOC
wrote O
“I O
am O
seriously B-LOC
amazed O
by O
what O
rapid O
progress O
the O
leading O
winemakers O
of O
this O
Eastern O
Mediterranean B-LOC
country I-LOC
have O
made O
since O
my B-LOC
first I-LOC
tasting O
trip O
there O
in O
2014. O
Not O
only O
are O
many O
of O
the O
new O
wines O
worthy O
of O
attention O
they O
also O
begin O
to O
reflect O
the O
enormous O
geographical O
diversity B-LOC
and O
amazing O
cultural O
melting O
pot B-LOC
of I-LOC
this I-LOC
country I-LOC
which B-LOC
invented I-LOC
the O
USB B-LOC
stick I-LOC
and O
drip O
irrigation.” O
He O
went O
on B-LOC
“If I-LOC
Israeli I-LOC
winemakers B-LOC
have O
anything O
in O
common O
it O
is O
this O
spirit O
of O
innovation.” O
For B-LOC
those O
exporting B-LOC
wine O
in O
Europe O
politics O
is B-LOC
never I-LOC
far B-LOC
away. I-LOC
Some I-LOC
see B-LOC
Israel I-LOC
purely I-LOC
through B-LOC
a O
prism B-LOC
of O
politics. O
Tim O
Atkin O
MW O
made O
a O
good O
response O
to O
those B-PER
who I-PER
are O
preoccupied O
with O
these O
issues O
 “In O
such B-PER
a I-PER
climate I-PER
tending B-PER
vineyards O
and O
producing O
wine O
is O
an O
act O
of O
courage O
and O
of O
optimism. O
I O
have O
enormous O
admiration O
for O
the O
majority O
of O
Israel’s O
winemakers…. O
Surrounded O
by O
anger O
dogma O
devastation O
deprivation B-LOC
mutual B-LOC
suspicion B-PER
and….politics B-PER
they B-LOC
offer O
the B-LOC
possibility O
of O
hope O
for O
a O
better O
future.” O
In O
terms O
of O
climate O
cuisine O
and O
character O
Israel O
is O
both O
Mediterranean O
and O
Middle O
Eastern. O
A O
New B-LOC
World I-LOC
wine O
country O
set O
in O
the O
winemaking O
center O
of B-LOC
the O
Ancient O
World. O
The O
new O
quality O
combined O
with O
a O
rich O
history O
make O
Israel O
a O
country O
of O
unique O
interest O
to O
wine O
historians O
wine B-PER
lovers I-PER
and O
connoisseurs.  O
ASM O
2023 O
www.adammontefiore.com O
ISRAELI O
WINERIES O
Israeli O
wineries O
producing O
more O
than O
a O
million O
bottlers O
a O
year. O
WINERY O
LOCATION O
OWNER O
VINEYARDS O
PRODUCTION O
  O
  O
  O
Main O
Region O
Bottles O
(m) O
Carmel O
Alon O
Tabor O
Carmel O
Corp O
Mt. O
Carmel O
> O
10 O
Barkan O
Segal O
Hulda O
Tempo O
Beverages O
Judea O
> O
10 O
Golan O
Heights O
Katzrin O
Golan O
& O
Galilee O
Vineyards O
Golan O
> O
5 O
Teperberg O
Tzora O
Teperberg O
family O
Judea O
> O
5 O
Arza O
Hayotzer O
Mishor O
Adumim O
Motti B-LOC
Shor O
Judea O
> O
2 O
Zion O
Mishor O
Adumim O
Shor O
family O
Judea O
> O
2 O
Tabor O
Kfar O
Tabor O
IBBLS O
/ O
CBC O
Galilee O
> O
2 O
Binyamina O
Binyamina O
Hezi O
Hinam O
Galilee O
> O
1.5 O
Recanati O
Ramat O
Dalton O
Lenny O
Recanati O
Galilee O
> B-PER
1.5 I-PER
Jerusalem I-PER
Atarot O
Guetta O
family O
Judea O
> O
1.5 O
Dalton O
Ramat O
Dalton O
Haruni O
family O
Galilee O
> O
1 O
Tishbi O
Binyamina O
Tishbi O
family O
Mt. O
Carmel O
> O
1 O
Galil O
Mountain O
Yiron O
Golan O
Heights O
Winery O
Galilee O
> O
1 O
www.adammontefiore.com O
BIBLIOGRAPHY O
R. O
Aaronsohn O
Rothschild O
And O
Early O
Jewish O
Colonization O
(Hebrew O
University O
Heb O
Magnes O
Press). O
A. O
Ever O
Hadani O
History O
Agudat O
Hacormim O
(Agudat O
Hacormim O
Heb O
1966). O
M. O
Ben O
Joseph O
The O
Bible O
of O
Israeli O
Wines O
(Modan O
2002). B-LOC
M. O
Ben O
Yosef B-LOC
Israeli I-LOC
Wines O
(Chemed O
Books O
Heb O
1997). O
M. O
Ben O
Yosef O
The O
Wine O
Book O
(Keter O
Publishing O
Heb O
1990). O
S. O
Cooper O
H.Gan O
and O
Y. O
Kornblum O
Koren O
The O
Comprehensive O
Guide B-LOC
To O
Israeli O
Wines O
(2016). O
M. O
Dayagi O
Mendels O
Drink O
and O
Be O
Merry O
(Israel O
Museum O
1999). O
J. O
Gur O
The O
Book O
of O
New O
Israeli O
Food O
(Al O
Ha’Shulchan O
2007). B-LOC
A. O
Hadas O
Vine B-LOC
and I-LOC
Wine O
in O
the O
Archaeology O
of O
Ancient O
Israel O
(Kronenberg O
Heb O
2007). O
R. O
Heskett O
and O
J. O
Butler O
MW O
Divine O
Vintage O
(Palgrave O
Macmillan O
2012). O
H. O
Johnson O
Pocket O
Wine O
Book O
2024 O
(Mitchell O
Beazley O
2023). O
H. O
Johnson O
and O
J. O
Robinson O
MW O
The O
World O
Atlas O
of O
Wine O
(Mitchell O
Beazley O
2019). O
HaRav O
Shraga O
Kallus O
Wine O
Whisky O
& B-PER
Halachah I-PER
(Orot I-PER
Haim I-PER
2018). O
I. O
Langer B-LOC
The O
Kosher O
Grapevine O
(Gefen O
2012). O
K. B-PER
Macneil I-PER
The O
Wine O
Bible O
3rd O
Edition O
(Workman B-PER
Publishing O
2022). O
Y. O
Marcus O
The O
Wine O
Book O
(Haifa O
Publishing O
Heb O
1972). O
A. O
Montefiore O
Domaine O
du O
Castel O
The O
Biography O
(Castel O
2023). O
A. O
Montefiore O
Golan O
Heights O
Winery B-LOC
Forty B-PER
Years I-PER
of O
Quality O
Innovation O
and B-PER
Authenticity I-PER
(Golan I-PER
2023). O
A. B-LOC
Montefiore I-LOC
International B-PER
Wine I-PER
and I-PER
Spirits O
Review B-LOC
1991 B-LOC
(Winchester O
Group O
1991). O
I. O
Nachum O
Wineland O
(2018). O
R. O
M. O
Parker O
Jr O
Parker’s O
Wine O
Buyer’s O
Guide O
(Simon O
& O
Schuster O
2008). O
A. B-PER
Ravid I-PER
and O
A. O
Montefiore O
Carmel O
Winery O
120 O
Harvests O
(Carmel O
Winery O
2010). O
J. O
Robinson O
MW O
The O
Oxford O
Companion B-PER
to O
Wine O
(Oxford O
University B-PER
Press B-PER
2006 I-PER
2015 O
2023). O
Y. B-PER
Roman I-PER
and I-PER
A. O
Montefiore O
Drinking B-LOC
In O
The O
Local O
Color O
(Eretz O
Magazine B-PER
1991). B-LOC
D. O
Rogov O
Rogov’s O
Guide O
To O
Israeli O
Wine B-PER
2005 I-PER
2011 I-PER
(Toby O
Press O
2005 O
2011). O
D. O
Rogov O
Rogov’s O
Guide O
To B-PER
Kosher I-PER
Wines O
2011 O
(Toby B-PER
Press I-PER
2010). I-PER
D. O
Rogov O
The O
Ultimate O
Rogov’s O
Guide B-LOC
to O
Israeli O
Wines B-PER
(Toby I-PER
Press I-PER
2012). O
E. O
Sacks O
and O
A. B-LOC
Montefiore I-LOC
The O
Wine O
Route B-PER
of O
Israel O
(Cordinata O
2012 B-LOC
2015). O
E. O
Sacks O
and O
A. O
Montefiore O
Wines B-PER
of B-PER
Israel O
(Cordinata O
2012 O
2020). O
R. O
Saslove O
and B-LOC
G. O
Haran B-PER
Wine I-PER
Journey O
An O
Israeli O
Adventure B-PER
(2021). B-PER
S. O
Schama O
Two O
Rothschilds O
and B-PER
The I-PER
Land I-PER
Of O
Israel O
(Alfred B-PER
A. O
Knopf O
1978). O
Y. O
Shaked O
The B-PER
Shaked I-PER
Dictionary I-PER
(WineClopedy O
Heb O
2016). B-PER
T. I-PER
Stevenson I-PER
The O
New O
Sotheby’s O
Wine O
Encyclopedia B-PER
(National I-PER
Geographic O
2020). B-PER
T. I-PER
Stevenson O
Wine O
Report O
2009 O
(Dorling B-PER
Kindersley O
2008). B-PER
Rabbi O
D. O
Y. O
Travis O
Wine O
& B-PER
Wisdom I-PER
(Feldheim O
Publishers B-PER
2015). O
The O
Israel O
Export O
Institute O
Wines O
of O
Israel O
(IEI B-PER
2013). I-PER
Tzora O
Vineyards O
Time O
and O
Place O
(2023). O
Wine O
Spectator B-PER
Feature I-PER
articles O
on O
Israel O
1998 O
2008 O
2016 O
2022 O
(M. O
Shanken) O
www.adammontefiore.com B-PER
1 O
21 O