Month: April 2025

Yom Ha’atzmaut demands a spirit of togetherness which creates a sense of enjoying the moment and looking forward. We will celebrate it this year, not forgetting anything, but old habits die hard. This is Israel Independence Day, a time of celebration and happiness. However, we will be hoping and demonstrating for the return of the hostages both before, maybe during and after this special day. I hope not, and that they return beforehand. It does not bear thinking about that this is the second Yom Ha’atzmaut where Israelis are held in captivity in terrible conditions in underground tunnels. Once upon a time in Judaism, redeeming the captives was considered sacred and the Israeli ethos of not forgetting anyone and not leaving anyone behind, was a source of great pride. What happened? Where did these noble principles go to? They seem to been sacrificed on the altar of waging a permanent war.

At the recent Sommelier Trade Exhibition in Tel Aviv, I came across an Armenian winery. That piqued my interest. Armenia is one of those countries in the southern Caucasus, where wine had its beginnings. They are new here, but part of the Ancient World of winemaking…..and we are too!

Passover is known also as the Festival of Spring and the Festival of Freedom. It is certainly the spring season. To see that, one only has to visit a vineyard. The vines are budding and the vineyards are covered in wild flowers. It is our annual lesson, that wine goes on despite the surrounding noise. Nature is not affected by mood. It presses on regardless. The Festival of Freedom is harder to celebrate this year, with those kidnapped still held in Gaza. Redeeming the captives is an important facet of Judaism, and the Israeli ethos is not to leave anyone behind. So, it is very hard to understand why they have been abandoned twice, firstly on October 7th and then since.

I recently wrote an article in the Jerusalem Post and the person editing the article questioned the use of the word ‘garagiste’ saying Americans would not know what it was. In fact, it was at the peak of the influence of American critic, Robert Parker, that the word garagiste first became used. It described the French domestic artisan winery that was small enough to fit in a garage. Some of these produced wines in the Parker style and he fanned the new interest by giving them high ratings. The French term garagiste winery was born.