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Whats your Favorite Winery?
Whats your Favorite Winery?
Tue, 06/30/2009 - 5:45pm | Report Abuse
There are over 150 wineries in Israel so this question can be quite daunting, but I really wonder what everyone considers their favorite Israeli winery. It could be because of the wines they produce, the winemaker, or the winery itself. I would love to hear from everyone what they consider their favorite winery in Israel.
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Tue, 06/30/2009 - 5:52pm | Report Abuse
hmm... Well the first wine that always comes up in my mind as the best Israeli wine is the Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon. So Yarden would have to be on my list. Recently I just tasted the Margalit Cab 2006 which was fantastic - I have to add that winery to the list also. I love the staff at Recanati winery and Dalton also comes to mind. But now I'm just naming wineries, this is a very tough question.
Username : Dan
Forum Posts : 44
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Tue, 06/30/2009 - 9:13pm | Report Abuse
Living in Maryland, we have very little opportunity to taste many wines. I happened to get some Castel "C" Chardonnay in Pennsylvania and my wife and I really enjoyed it. When we had the chance to visit Israel for the first time, we had a tour guide set up a tour/tasting at Castel. Ruth was a wonderful guide and while we tasted the wine she even put out juice and cookies for our grandchildren that were with us. So at this point Castel is my favorite.
Username : lavrunin
Forum Posts : 1
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Tue, 06/30/2009 - 10:47pm | Report Abuse
My favorite Israeli wine is Teperberg Reserve. I have never been to the winery. I've been to Yarden Winery and Castel Winery. Their wines are also excellent. Castel Winery serves the best cheese, and it is very nice to visit. Everyone is very friendly, and being a small winery it feels like family.
Username : nkarl
Forum Posts : 1
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Wed, 07/01/2009 - 7:56am | Report Abuse
My favorite winery is TURA.
The 2005 Merlot received the gold medal in the recent Eshkol Hazahav competition in Tel Aviv. The wine is arriving into the US this month.
Username : spessar
Forum Posts : 1
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Wed, 07/01/2009 - 9:16am | Report Abuse
If we're talking about history, there's no discussion. Carmel has the longest history. Walking thru the caves at Zikhron Ya'akov was a real highlight for me. The winery was built in 1885 by the Rothschild family. Seeing how they were able to make wine in 1885 compared to now was fascinating. The Carmel LTD Ed also happens to be my favorite Israeli wine made.
I was also fascinated by the Yatir Forest. I saw a 2000 year old wine press built into the mountains of the Yatir Forest near ruins of an old settlement. The wines from Yatir are also top notch.
Username : Lee Dresner
Forum Posts : 7
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Wed, 07/01/2009 - 10:42am | Report Abuse
I've just recently heard about Tura. Where are they located? Do they have an actual winery that I can go visit?
Username : Dan
Forum Posts : 44
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Wed, 07/01/2009 - 11:21am | Report Abuse
With due respect the poster either means Tzora (http://tzorawines.com/eindex.asp), which is a wonderful winery, or Tzuba (http://www.tzubawinery.co.il/winery-vineyard.html), also a great winery. You can find postings about each winery on my blog (www.kosherwinemusing.com), along with the wine tasting I had at the wineries when I last visited Israel.
Still, saying there is a single winery that defines Israel, or the one that I love the most is crazy hard. I am surprised that no one has mentioned Ella Valley yet. It is a great winery, and I recently had a Cabernet Franc vertical from them (2004, 2005, 2006).
I will say, that Israel is the clear winner to me for kosher wines, France has been dethroned as the kosher wine capital, and you can forget America. While there are tons and tons of great kosher wines from around the world, there is no single country that has the breadth and depth that Israel has - that much I can say very easily!
David
Username : David Raccah
Forum Posts : 23
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Wed, 07/08/2009 - 3:44pm | Report Abuse
Yes, Virginia....there actually is a Tura Winery.
Formerly known as the Erez winery, and relying primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay grapes, the winery has relocated to the settlement on the summit of Har Bracha (Mount Bracha), overlooking the Arab city of Sh'chem. The wines are currently selling for NIS 130 each.
For those interested, I am currently checking on precisely how to purchase these wines and whether they are kosher or not. I shall post as soon as I have that information.
Tura, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005: Made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes selected from a vineyard at 850 meters of altitude, with 21 months in oak. A medium-dark garnet wine, with a clean black-fruit nose and tannins that have lost their chunkiness since a last tasting and are not showing smooth and gently gripping. On the nose and palate black currants, blackberry and chocolate notes. Drink now or in the next year or so. Score 86. (Re-tasted 25 May 2009)
Tura, Merlot, 2005: A bit confusing for if this is the same wine tasted under the Erez label, showing remarkably better than at an earlier tasting. Aged in new oak for 21 months, a deeply extracted wine, full-bodied with gripping tannins and spicy wood in good balance with blackcurrant, wild berry and licorice notes. Just enough complexity here to grab the attention. Drink now-2010. Score 85. (Re-tasted 25 May 2009)
Tura, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, 2005: Dark garnet towards royal purple, medium- to full-bodied, with soft, gently mouth-coating tannins. Generous spicy oak here but that in fine balance with tannins, acidity and fruits. On the nose and palate blackberries, currants and wild berries along with a generous hint of bitter-sweet chocolate. Drink now-2011. Score 86. (Tasted 25 May 2009)
Username : Daniel Rogov
Forum Posts : 32
Location : Israel
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Wed, 07/08/2009 - 9:14pm | Report Abuse
I was contacted by the importer of Tura wines just this week. According to them they are kosher and should be available very shortly in the US. I believe that they will retail for approximately $50 per bottle, but I have yet to receive a solid confirmation.
Username : Dan
Forum Posts : 44
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Thu, 07/23/2009 - 12:55pm | Report Abuse
While still a newbi at this I am trying a lot of different wines. But the old reliable and I personally think best tasting is Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon. I have about 5 bottles of 2004 left and about a case of 2005in my wine cooler. I don't know enough to talk about all the little details but after I try a few wines and then open a Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon it is "like coming home". Rogov will probably freak at my basic approch but its about drinking what you like right? I have not found anything that I like more than Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon. Time to buy a few more cases of 2005.
Username : surfingbob
Forum Posts : 3
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Thu, 07/23/2009 - 12:55pm | Report Abuse
While still a newbi at this I am trying a lot of different wines. But the old reliable and I personally think best tasting is Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon. I have about 5 bottles of 2004 left and about a case of 2005in my wine cooler. I don't know enough to talk about all the little details but after I try a few wines and then open a Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon it is "like coming home". Rogov will probably freak at my basic approch but its about drinking what you like right? I have not found anything that I like more than Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon. Time to buy a few more cases of 2005.
Username : surfingbob
Forum Posts : 3
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Thu, 07/23/2009 - 3:52pm | Report Abuse
Bob, Hi....
I won't "freak" at all as I have often said that indeed the "best" wine is the one s person likes the best.
Indeed there are standards and there are critics both professional and non-porofessional but the ultimate judge of any wine must be the person drinking it.
Best
Rogov
Username : Daniel Rogov
Forum Posts : 32
Location : Israel
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Tue, 07/28/2009 - 1:09pm | Report Abuse
Daniel, Wow thanks for the response.
I just wanted to expand on my last post. Basically everything I know (not that much) about wine especially kosher Israeli wine have come from your last 2 books. But lack of knowledge does not necessarily mean lack of taste. As you already know the 2 wines that I love and mentioned in my post Yarden Cab Sav 2004, 2005 are rated at 92 in your book. I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your reviews and your books. While not an exact science I have yet to be disappointed by a wine that you have highly rated. I thought that I had read somewhere that you were coming out with a U.S. Kosher wine book. Please let me know when that will be available. Until then, L’Chaim
Robert
Username : surfingbob
Forum Posts : 3
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Tue, 07/28/2009 - 2:07pm | Report Abuse
Robert,
We're eagerly awaiting Rogov's new Guide to Kosher Wines. The book is supposed to be released in the US September 1st, and we're going to try to stock it asap but of course it will also be available through the usual book sellers.
You can check out a picture of the new book cover here: http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=25434
Rogov, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it will list the 500 best kosher wines outside of Israel that Rogov has tasted this year.
Best,
Scott
Username : Scott Shu
Forum Posts : 43
Location : United States
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Tue, 07/28/2009 - 4:46pm | Report Abuse
Hi Dan,
My favorite Israeli winery has been Tabor for a long time - I simply am a big fan. I appreciate Recanati Winery a whole lot as well
- E.Y.
Username : exabgen
Forum Posts : 25
Location : Israel
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Tue, 07/28/2009 - 4:52pm | Report Abuse
The new kosher book, Rogov's Guide to Kosher Wines, is scheduled to appear in the USA and in Israel on 1 August. The book, the first of what will be an annual release, will include the best 500 kosher wines that I have tasted in the last year, and that will include Israeli as well as wines from the rest of the world.
As soon as my publisher sends me an official release, I'll post here in Rogov's Corner. After all, one is entitled to occasionally toot one's own horn.....
My thanks for the kind words posted by SurfingBob above.
Best
Rogov
Username : Daniel Rogov
Forum Posts : 32
Location : Israel
Re: Whats your Favorite Winery?
Tue, 01/10/2012 - 2:39am | Report Abuse
We were there last month, and Ruth really is terrific.
While Castel is certainly a possibility for favorite winery, as are several of the other boutique wineries, I have to say that Golan Heights set the tone thirty years ago and it still produces a wide, broad - basically unmatched - line of superior wines. You can drink almost anything they produce sight unseen, and they produce a LOT.
Username : wbcoleman
Forum Posts : 3
Location : United States