Spears into Pruning Hooks

你好!

I’m happy to be back in Luxembourg and back to my routine after some time in Taipei. Taipei is truly a place to eat and drink, and if you are into Burgundy and grower Champagne, you’ll find a selection and prices to rival what we have in Luxembourg. If you want to see more photos from Taipei, check out the highlights on Instagram @thirdplacewine.

I’ve had to hit the ground running since my return, both for my jobby job and in preparation for the latest installment of Flight Club where the cru tasted four Israeli white wines that I brought back from Tel Aviv this summer.

Arguably, white wine in the fall is an odd choice, but when the terrorist attack of 7 October happened, I decided the best use of these bottles would be for raising funds to support those in Israel who were impacted. We served Israeli food that, mercifully, my co-hostess made (cooking is not my forte), and challah from Challah for a Cause.

My search for 10 people to join this modest initiative drew personal attacks, as well as rage-quitters in social groups, TPW social media and this newsletter. The hostility I’ve encountered is astounding and has only served to validate the necessity to help.

It is a tragic sign of our times that people would seek to weaponize compassion by interpreting compassion for one person’s suffering into a declaration of denial of another’s. This zero-sum thinking only inflames division, hatred and ultimately leads to violence.

I am happy to report that despite this, we managed to exceed our goal of €1,000, thanks to some who felt called to donate even though they could not join the tasting. It is perhaps worth noting that donors came from various backgrounds, united by their compassion.

I hope this example will inspire you to do one small, positive thing to make the world a kinder, safer place. This is mine.

Without further ado, for today’s (long) post I wish to celebrate a beautiful part of Israeli culture: their wine. I will give an overview of the history of wine in Israel, the wine regions, and the wines we tasted. (Hot tip: you can click on the links to jump straight to the relevant section.) L’Chaim!

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New Old World

Although today it is considered an emerging New World wine region, wine production in Israel dates back 5,000 years—long before the “Old World” was even the “Old World”! Spanning millennia, wine history in Israel reflects the intricate interplay between culture, religion, and geography. Here, a very high-level overview:

Ancient Roots: Ancient Israelites embraced viticulture as a significant aspect of their agricultural practices, and wine was an integral part of religious rituals, daily life, and social gatherings. Biblical accounts, such as Noah planting a vineyard after the flood (Genesis 9:20), provide examples of the early cultural and religious importance of wine in the region.

Phoenician and Egyptian Influence: The coastal areas of ancient Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jaffa, had contact with the Phoenicians and Egyptians, who were renowned for their maritime trade. The Phoenicians, in particular, played a crucial role in spreading viticulture throughout the Mediterranean, contributing to the development of wine culture in the region.

Roman Period: The Roman conquest of the region in the 1st century BCE elevated the status of wine production in Israel. Recognizing the quality of local wines, the Romans expanded vineyard cultivation, leading to increased production and the export of wine to other parts of the Roman Empire. This period marked a peak in the recognition and trade of Israeli wines.

Byzantine Era: The spread of Christianity in the 4th century CE further emphasized the importance of wine in Israel. Monasteries played a pivotal role in preserving and advancing winemaking knowledge, and the Byzantine Empire continued to support viticulture, maintaining wine as a central element in religious ceremonies.

Islamic Period: With the advent of Islam in the 7th century, the production and consumption of wine faced challenges due to Islamic dietary laws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol. While wine production declined, some Christian and Jewish communities continued the tradition for religious purposes. The subsequent Crusader period witnessed a resurgence in wine production under European influence.

Ottoman Rule: The Ottoman Empire, which controlled the region for centuries, imposed religious and cultural restrictions on the wine industry. Despite these challenges, some winemaking persisted, particularly in areas with significant non-Muslim populations.

Modern Era and Rebirth: The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked a revival in Israeli winemaking. Jewish immigrants, especially from Eastern Europe, brought with them a deep winemaking tradition. Notably, Baron Edmond de Rothschild played a pivotal role in supporting the establishment of wineries during this time.

Post-Independence: The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 marked both opportunities and challenges for the wine industry. Economic growth and technological advancements in viticulture and winemaking began to take root. Coops, like the Golan Heights Winery founded in 1983, played a crucial role in improving the quality of Israeli wines.

In the late 20th century, a new generation of winemakers emerged, exploring innovative techniques and grape varieties. The focus shifted from mass production to quality, with boutique wineries gaining recognition. International acclaim for Israeli wines also increased, with some wineries receiving prestigious awards.

Contemporary Landscape: Today, Israel has a diverse and dynamic wine industry, with 250 wineries producing a total of 40 million bottles per year. It exports about 20% of production, representing about USD $50MM, primarily to the US, France and the UK.

The wine regions

Israel is about the size of New Jersey but has a variety of terroirs and microclimates that support the growth and production of all types of wines. Israel, as many New World regions, enjoys greater freedom that comes with not having strict appellation requirements typical of the Old World. This means that consumers may not rely so heavily on appellation designations to understand what they might expect in the bottle, they will instead have to rely more on their personal experience or winery reputation.

To complicate things further, the definition of wine regions remains a topic of debate among various industry and government bodies.

Above, the IPEVO map illustrates actual vineyard areas (vs geographical regions) and reflects the professional view of winemakers. You may see some of these names on wine labels, and some may overlap with official wine regions, though not all are officially-recognized.

Below, the five official regions registered with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in the US and with the EU: Galilee, Shomron, Samson, Judean Hills, Negev. Wineries must choose one of these five registered regions when exporting.

It’s not always straightforward, so just be mindful that the official region on an imported wine label may not accurately reflect where a wine actually comes from. You can always cross reference information from the winery (e.g. from their website) and the IPEVO map for more accuracy.

Galilee (Upper Galilee, Lower Galilee, Golan Heights)

Galilee, split into Upper-, Lower- and Golan Heights, is situated in the north of Israel. Characterized by diverse altitudes ranging from 200 - 1,200 meters above sea level, it features a Mediterranean climate with warm days and cool nights. Limestone and terra rossa soils dominate, and offer excellent drainage.

These features are favorable for grape growing, and Galilee is considered the most suited to high-quality winemaking, particularly Golan Heights. Mia Luce, which we tasted, is from here.

Shomron (Northern Coastal Plain, Mt. Carmel, Menashe Hills, Shomron Hills)

Shomron (Samaria) is known as Israel’s most traditional wine growing region and was first planted by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, the owner of Château Lafite, who founded the modern Israeli wine industry with Carmel winery in 1882.

Most vineyards can be found in the valleys surrounding the towns of Zichron Ya’acov and Binyamina, which benefit from the southern Carmel Mountain range and breezes from the Mediterranean. Elevation is 0 - 150 meters above sea level (700 - 850 meters in Shomron Hills), and soils vary from calcareous clay and terra rossa to limestome and chalk. Margalit winery, which we tasted, is from the Northern Coastal Plain.

Samson (Central Coastal Plain, Judean Foothills)

Samson is not a geographical place per se, rather the region is named after the Biblical judge who frequented the area. It is split into the Central Coastal Plain and the Judean Foothills, with each area known for making different qualities of wine.

Along the Central Coastal Plain, elevation is 0 - 100 meters above sea level with alluvial soils, sandy, clay loams and some terra rossa. It is hot and humid and known for large volume wineries. By contrast, the Judean Foothills is 50 - 200 meters with limestone and clay loams.

Judean Hills (hills to the west/north/south of Jerusalem)

The Judean Hills (not Foothills) is full of small vineyards and start-up wineries. It is popular with tourists thanks to its proximity to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Elevation varies anywhere between 150 - 1,000 meters above sea level with limestone, chalky and clay loams. The climate is mostly Mediterranean but in higher elevations it benefits from a nice diurnal range (warm days, cools nights).

We tasted Chardonnay from Clos de Gat and Lewinsohn winery, which is made with grapes from Upper Galilee and Judean Hills. These wines were ranked #1 and #2, respectively, by the Flight Club cru (FCC).

Negev (Negev Highlands)

The Negev Desert in the south composes half of Israel’s land mass and produces about 5% of its wines. It is an emerging wine region known as being a frontier for experimental viticulture.

Although arid conditions mean less disease pressure, there are other challenges winemakers face from sufficient water to camels that eat grape vines all the way to the ground! (Fun fact: drip irrigation was invented by Jewish Polish-Israeli engineer, Simcha Blass.) Altitudes go up to 1,000 meters above sea level and soils include granite, limestone, sandy loam and loess.

The wines

I purchased all four bottles at @wine.bakerem which is a wine bar and store with a respectable selection of international and of course Israeli wines. I highly recommend a visit the next time you find yourself in Tel Aviv.

Here are the wines we tasted, in order and with any technical information that I could find, plus the FCC’s ranking for each:

Margalit, 2020 “Zichron” Optima

70% Chardonnay 30% Margalit Blanc, 11.5% ABV

This “Zichron” single vineyard wine is located on the northern side of Hanadiv Valley south of Zichron-Yaakov in the Coastal Plain, just south of Haifa (#6 on the map).

Margalit Blanc is a variety developed by the winery from Cabernet Franc, or rather, it was a mutation that occurred in their Binyamina vineyard, which they propagated and then planted in their Zichron vineyard.

Margalit is considered Israel’s first cult winery, and is listed among the “Handcrafted Wines of Israel”, a list of elite wineries representing Israel’s finest boutique wines from select vineyards. Annual production is about 2,500 cases.

Rank: #4. Contrary to what I had anticipated, Margalit came in dead last. To me, it tasted a little flat and dulled, so I wonder if the journey in my suitcase didn’t impact it somehow. I would like to try another bottle to confirm.

Lewinsohn, 2022 Garage de Papa Blanc

100% Chardonnay, 13% ABV

Lewinsohn winery is a “garagiste” winery, run by Ido Lewinsohn MW and his dad, Amnon. The grapes come from two vineyards in Upper Galilee (#3/4 on the map) on terra rossa soil and the Judean Hills (#12 on the map) on limestone soil.

This wine is fermented in Burgundy oak, aged sur lie for 6 months but did not go through malolactic conversion. Notes I captured earlier from their website (under maintenance as of writing) say:

An elegant Chardonnay, its nose exhibits stone fruit, floral notes, peach, minerality and a luxurious sea breeze and hazelnuts. The palate follows through with well-balanced acidity alongside high concentration and a generously long finish showing off citrus fruit and white flowers. This wine is approachable and enjoyable. now and will age well for a decade.

Rank: #2. This wine was well-loved not only because it’s good but (I think) in part because it felt close to home as in “French”. This outcome is not surprising given the spec and that our palates are adapted to white Burgundy.

Mia Luce, 2022 Blanc

93% French Colombard, 7% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% ABV

Mia Luce means “my light” and was founded by autodidact winemaker Kobi Arviv in 2008. He started out with Cab Sauv and Merlot, and later shifted focus to creating a “Mediterranean CSM” (Carignan, Syrah, Marselan), which as one might guess is inspired by Southern Rhône GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blends. Syrah and Marselan varietal wines round out his red offering.

The Blanc is his main white offering (though I see he now has two!). Kobi is a big proponent of whole-cluster fermentation and large barrel aging, and prides himself on making gastronomic wines.

Grapes for the Blanc come from mature vines in Galilee (#3/4/5 on the map) grown on limestone and terra rossa soils. Fermentation was done separately and low temperature in order to preserve aromas. Sauvignon Blanc was fermented whole cluster to enhance floral aroma in the final wine. Blending followed, then the wine was aged in a variety of vessels (225L and 500L Austrian-German oak, stainless steel). The oak vessels were matched by barrel manufacturer and variety, with a portion held in stainless steel to maintain crisp citrus fruit characteristics.

Rank: #3. This was almost a tie with the Lewinsohn. The FCC agreed that the quality was there but the difference was just a matter of personal preference.

Clos de Gat, 2019 “Sycra”

100% Chardonnay, 13% ABV

Another “Handcrafted Wines of Israel” winery, Clos de Gat was created by winemaker Eyal Rotem, who spent a number of years in Australia. The winery, which is situated in the Judean Foothills (#12 on the map), borders the Biblical Ayalon Valley, where Joshua defeated the Five Kings of the Amorites (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon).

Clos de Gat vines sit atop limestone, and the winery is particularly well known for its Syrah, Merlot and Chardonnay, as well as for using natural yeasts for fermentation.

The grapes for Sycra white are hand-picked, sorted, lightly pressed and go through both fermentation and malolactic conversion in French barrique. The wine is aged sur lie for 12 months with occasional batonnage then moved to stainless steel tanks to sit before bottling (unfiltered).

Compared to the other wines for this Flight Club, especially the Margalit, I fully expected this one to be a softer and rounder Chardonnay. Although it was, in then end I think Lewinhson’s actually was more so, though both were restrained.

Fun fact: “Gat” means “wine press” in Hebrew. An ancient gat pre-dating the Roman period by 1,000 years sits by the house in the vineyards. 

Rank: #1 by far. While this was an almost-universal favorite, it was universally agreed that it was the most complex and unique expression among the wines we tasted.

Voila! Personally, I would buy every single bottle again and I encourage you to try them, too, if you come across them. Regardless, I hope you’ll feel inspired to follow your curiosity and explore the wines that Israel has to offer ❤️

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