Month: October 2019

Latroun is mainly known in Israel as a junction, off the Tel Aviv Jerusalem highway, set in the gentle curves of the Judean Foothills. Latroun Monastery was founded in 1890 by Trappist Monks, a silent Order related to Cistercians, which dates back to the 6th century. It is a beautiful, serene building, surrounded by flowers and bushes in a blaze of color. It is a quiet, tranquil oasis amid the noise of day to day Israel.
The Trappist charter promotes earning a living by using one’s skills and being economically independent. Life is based on three fundamental principles, prayer, labor and study & contemplation.

For over forty years Hagafen has been a fixture on the kosher wine shelves and a feature in the Napa Valley wine scene. The wine has gained great respect for its quality whether its customers are Kosher consumers or Napa Valley connoisseurs. The wines are grown and produced with a unique care of the environment combined with a respect for religion, and are made by a talented, experienced winemaker.

I have written about wine in international and local media for nearly thirty years, but for much of that time I also worked for wineries. Only since 2016 when I left Carmel am I truly independent and self employed. I have written my regular Wine Talk column in the Jerusalem Post for ten years now. The question is, what am I in my new incarnation, a wine critic, wine journalist or wine writer?
In my view a wine critic is someone who tastes wine in as sterile as environment as possible, without outside influences, so they can give absolute concentration to fairly describing the wine. There is probably an objective to taste as many wines as possible, because that is their reason for being. A wine journalist is someone ideally with a regular spot in the media, who reports on wine related events, which is usually wine launches or new vintages. The role is largely reactive, and the person relies on press releases from wineries. Then, there is the wine writer. His or her job is to tell a story, to educate and enthuse about wine. They weave a tapestry around the wine.