The Holy Land has had a contentious relationship with the planted grape vine. Religion has played a strong role in wine's position in daily life. Under Islamic rule grape growing and winemaking was deemphasized. The Jewish return to the Holy Land has changed all this. Baron Edmond de Rothschild of Chateau Lafite de Rothschild reintroduced French grape varietals and founded the Carmel Cooperative Winery in the late 1800's.
+/- Contemporary Israeli Wines
Today Israel has over 200 wineries. Grape growing spans the hillsides and mountains in the north to the desert and forest in the south. Winemakers are utilizing modern winemaking technology including drip irrigation and flash pasteurization techniques. Plantings are progressing in earnest in the cooler growing climates at higher and higher elevations. The Golan Heights, Upper Galilee and Judean Hills are producing wines that are currently recognized by international wine critics.
Holiday time is approaching and we thought this was the perfect time to introduce modern-day Israeli wines. The following two wines come from an historic land from which many of the most important Western religions trace their origins.
Teperberg Terra Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $18.99 http://www.heightschateau.com/catalog/product_detail.php/pid=5692~subid=566/index.html
This wine comes from Shomron, the coastal plain below Haifa. The grapes are grown in limestone soil and are influenced by the cool Mediterranean winds; the result is classic Sauvignon Blanc, clean, crisp and refreshing.
Dalton Reserve Shiraz 2007 $32.99http://www.heightschateau.com/catalog/product_detail.php/pid=5693~subid=565/index.html
This Shiraz is sourced from vineyards in Galilee in the far north of the country, extending south from the border with Lebanon, where some of Israel's highest mountains are found; it is a deep, rich wine with vibrant notes of pepper and other spices.
