Wines from Israel – Jesus didn’t drink the good stuff!
I recently went to a wine tasting that featured boutique wines of Israel. It was held at a trendy mid-town Houston wine bar called 13 Celsius.
This event interested me for a couple of reasons: 1) I wanted to expand my wine palate to taste wines I would otherwise probably never taste. 2) I like to see what wines are offered from the different parts of the world. For $13, you got a generous pour of these wines to taste.
We walked in and the bar was packed with people. It was almost hard to get in the door. I grabbed my friend and push our way through the crowd to the marble bar. We planted ourselves there near the wine that was being poured. That’s when I met Richard Shaffer.
Shaffer, of Israeli Wine Direct, is a world-renowned importer and advocate of the boutique wines of Israel, and was only in Houston for a short time to pour the wines that he represents. Richard, who is originally from Israel, started a wine import company to feature the emerging wines from Israel, and introduce America to these small vineyards.
He’s a very interesting fellow, and as packed as the wine bar was, he took some time with me to explain the history behind the wines he was pouring. I told him I wrote a blog and asked if I could record him as he described the history of the wines. He said enthusiastically said yes. So out comes my iPhone! It was so noisy in the bar, but he leaned in and spoke loudly.
Richard calls the wines of this area the original vines of wine-making because they are 1000s of years old, dating back to the days of Noah and the Ark. He said 20 years ago there were only about 20 vineyards in Israel and today there are over 250.
So here are the wines I tasted:
Pelter Chardonnay – no oak, stainless steal fermentation, grape is from the Golan Heights, which are the remains of an ancient volcano. This gives the wine ash, basalt, and minerals tones. The Golan plateau and the Hauran plain to the east constitute a Holocene volcanic field that also extends northeast, almost to Damascus. Much of the area is scattered with dormant volcanoes, as well as cinder cones, such as Majdal Shams. The plateau also contains a crater lake, called Birkat Ram (“Ram Pool”), which is fed by both surface runoff and underground springs. These volcanic areas are characterized by basalt bedrock and dark soils derived from its weathering. The basalt flows overlie with older, distinctly lighter-colored limestones and marls, and is exposed along the Yarmouk River in the south.
Trio “Spirit” – This was a wine that was made in a basement, and only a few bottles were produced…less than 5,000 bottles. It was produced by three brothers who own one of the best high-end wine retail shops in the area. Richard said the brothers know where the best grapes are in the region and they buy the grapes from the vineyard to make this fun little wine. The wine has a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Petite Verdot.
Flam “Classico” – This wine was made by a young guy who trained at vineyards located in Italy. He came back to Israel in 1999 and opened this winery with his brother, sister, mom and dad. The Flam Classico has a blend of Syrah and Cabernet.
Flam Syrah – Richard explained that Syrah is a name of the winery or name of a place. It’s a junction that is known to the people in the area. Richard said if you go there now, it’s a four-way stop with flashing lights. Syrah is mentioned in the Bible’s Book of Judges as a place for trade, and was known to be a place where you would go for premium wines.
Tazora Cabernet Blend – This wine is a 50/50 blend of Cabernet and Merlot. The vines are located near the valley where David killed Goliath. All of the reds that were presented were from the hills around the Jerusalem area. There are about two dozen wineries in the area. The reds in these areas have an earthiness to them with a little sage taste.
Here’s my take on the wines….Jesus didn’t drink the good stuff! These wines were interesting to taste. But they had a very acidy and tannic taste to them. None of the wines that I tasted would be wines that I would sit down to sip. But they might pair very well with food. It was fun to do, and I really enjoyed learning the history behind the vines.
