Passover is the main wine drinking time of the year in Israel and the Jewish world. We are commanded to drink Arba Kossot, four cups. It makes it a very important festival for wine marketers and wine drinkers.
I have long claimed that Seder Night is a glorified wine banquet. The classic order for wine at a banquet is sparkling wine as an aperitif, followed by a white wine, then red, and finally a dessert wine. This works for a Seder, and the middle wines, the white and red may be enjoyed also during the meal.
The fact that four cups is specified means they are connected, and as a wine guy, I prefer to have a theme. The first question is whether to choose Israeli or international wines. For me, I always choose Blue & White, and particularly in the current situation. The grape growers and winemakers need and deserve your support. Drilling down, you may choose to explore the different wine regions in Israel. Your wines may come from either the Golan, Galilee, Mt. Carmel, Coastal Plain, Judea, Central Mountains or the Negev. Choose four….or alternatively all the wines may explore one region. You may decide to taste different varieties, or the same variety in different guises. An example would be finding a Blanc de Noir, Rose, Red and Dessert Wine all from the same grape variety.
An innovative choice would be to focus on our heritage varieties. This would include indigenous, local and adopted varieties. Indigenous varieties include Bittuni, Yael, Dabouki, Hamdani (Marawi), and Jandali. The locally created variety would be Argaman. As for adopted varieties, this is my term for those varieties which have a strong affinity and a long history with Israel, like Carignan, Petite Sirah and Colombard.
Or you could make the four cups a vertical (different vintages of the same wine) or a horizontal tasting (different wines of the same vintage.) For the wine lover, you can be creative and there are no end of combinations and ideas to link the cups.
Some choose Rose, which is a style of wine I think matches the Israeli cuisine, climate and character. You could begin with a Provence type rose, light pale, onion skin color and progress in stages to a rose that looks like a light red.
Generally, I have wine for everyone, with grape juice for children and Moscato for those that dislike wine. I myself usually buy Carmel Tirosh Grape Juice from habit, and there are good red and white Moscatos from Carmel Buzz, Teperberg and Zion Wineries. For those with the minhag of a sweet wine for the first cup, I certainly recommend a Moscato instead of Kiddush Wine.
In short there are no rules. Choose what you like. Small Seders can accommodate better, more expensive wines. For larger Seders, it is more practical to follow good value. This is why I divide my recommendations into price categories.
WINE DRINKERS: Up to NIS 50
Zion Winery, Imperial Sauvignon Blanc 2025. I was first introduced to this wine a few years ago. I think it is the best value Sauvignon Blanc in the country. It is aromatic, with good varietal character, and a refreshing acidity. Zion Winery, founded 1848, is our oldest existing winery. Now making their best wines in the last 178 years!
Jerusalem, Vintage Gewurztraminer 2025. I could have chosen any ‘Vintage’ wine from Jerusalem Vineyard Winery. They all represent such good value. I settled on the Gewurztraminer only because I needed a semi dry wine. People who drink semi dry are wine drinkers too! This is very aromatic with spice and more than fits the bill. The Chardonnay and Colombard Sauvignon Blanc are both excellent too.
Carmel, Selected Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2025. This is light, fruity, flavorful and vibrant; Quaffable. Good value from the historic winery of Israel. Carmel was founded in 1882 by Baron Rothschild, and Selected is not only the oldest brand in Israeli wine, it is also the biggest selling brand in the country.
Carmel, Buzz Moscato or Carignano. Essential at every family Seder, for those who traditionally don’t like wine. There will be someone in every family. Lightly sparkling, low alcohol, sweet and tasty. A good option for the 4th Cup and a better option for those used to Kiddush Wine for the 1st Cup. The Carignano is the one for those who insist on reds.
WINE LOVERS: NIS 51-99
Recanati, Galilee Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2025. Classic Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh, aromatic with good acidity. Enjoyable and good value. Recanati Winery is these days the largest winery in the Upper Galilee.
Barkan, Allure Roussanne 2025. Barkan has a number of labels in this price category, some stand alone. The latest is Allure, as yet a series of white wines in easily recognizable bottles. The best in my opinion is the Roussanne. It has floral, herbal and herbaceous notes, with good flavor and persistence through to the finish. I loved it.
Jezreel Valley Nahalal 2025. Jezreel Valley Winery is mainly known for its reds from Carignan and Argaman. But this a charmingly different white with an exotic touch. It is a Sauvignon Blanc with a little Gewurztraminer. They are good bedfellows. I enjoyed its aroma, freshness and flourish.
Teperberg, Essence Chenin Blanc 2024. This is a lovely wine. Crisp with floral notes, with mouth cleansing freshness. It is not blowsy like so many of our whites, but satisfying through to the finish. Teperberg, founded in 1870, is a winery producing good wines at every price point.
Tura, Mountain Vista Rose 2025. A semi dry rose made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which real wine drinkers love. It is fragrant, fruity with a very delicate sweetness. Very popular. Tura Winery is a proud and active ambassador of Samaria in the Central Mountains.
Tabor, Artisanal Elements Barbera Rose 2025. This is a lively rose, with juicy berry fruit and a refreshing finish. Perfect as an aperitif or with mezze. ‘Artisanal by Tabor’ is the label or brand that represents the upper end of wines from Tabor Winery.
Yarden Pinot Gris 2025. Restrained aromas of lime, apricot and grapefruit, with more of an emphasis on mouth feel than aroma. Yarden by the Golan Heights Winery is impressively consistent over so many years. The wines are always high quality, well made and this Pinot Gris is such a bonny alternative to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Binyamina, & Wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot 2024. This is a brand called ‘& Wine’, in the context of ‘Food & Wine’ if I understand it correctly. There is a sheep on the label, which I interpret to mean it is ideally matched with lamb. My belief is matching food and wine is overrated. Drink the wine you want with the food you want and all will be ok. However, the wine is fruity with a bounce, tasty and very drinkable. Enjoyable without making things complicated, which may be the winery’s real objective.
Dalton, Estate Cabernet Shiraz 2025. Dalton Winery, owned by English Israelis, is the pioneer of the Upper Galilee. They are again in the front line and merit special support. They have just celebrated their 30th year since their founding in 1995. This is a juicy fruity, bright vibrant wine with lashings of cherry berry fruit. It is flavorful with a fruit led flavor. Cabernet and Shiraz are great partners
Vitkin, Israeli Journey Red 2023. A blend of Carignan, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Marselan from Vitkin Winery. They ushered in the ABC and Mediterranean revolutions in Israel. It is has aromas of red and black berries, with a floral hint, spice and pepper. This is followed by mouth filling flavor and it finishes fresh and is fruit driven to the end. Great drinkability and very good value.
1848 Winery, 5th Generation Orient 2024. I like to call this Orient ASM, which are my initials. It is an Israeli Mediterranean blend of Argaman, the Israeli variety, Syrah, and Marselan. It is not too showy or brash. It is understated, complex with great drinkability. It is a wine I have followed through the last few vintages. Great wine, good value. Always punches above its weight. 1848 Winery wines are showing very well these days.
CONNOISSEURS: NIS 100-149
Netofa Latour White 2024. Netofa is one of the pioneers of consistently produced high quality Chenin Blanc. They focused on this variety before it became fashionable. Only now, people realize its potential in Israel. This wine is a delicate fragrance, and a good minerality and tight texture.
Maia, Playground Roussanne Clay 2024. I liked this so much on a recent visit to Tulip Winery (parent company), I bought a bottle. It is from their Playground label. The wine is fermented and aged in amphorae, and it is delicious, fresh, lively and deeply satisfying. Both Tulip and Maia make wines of value and quality, that will not disappoint wine lovers or connoisseurs. This was great!
Dalton, Family Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2023. Cabernet Sauvignon is the number one brand in the wine business. It is our most planted grape variety and is likely to be part of the blend of most of our leading wines. This is a classic example, blackcurrant fruit, full bodied, good structure, well balanced, hints of tannins and influence of oak aging.
Galil Mountain, Yiron Syrah 2022. I refer to Syrah as the variety of the Eastern Mediterranean. It shows well in Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon, Turkiye and Israel. This is a great expression. Deep, rich, full bodied with spice, fruit and complexity. Galil Mountain has the regional focus of a small winery. All their grapes are from their own vineyards in the Upper Galilee, not far from the winery.
Feldstein Gilgamesh 2022. This is a wine from six varieties, and five vineyards in three regions. It is in essence a Bordeaux Mediterranean blend of varieties. The wine is so enticing, that on opening it, I just kept on taking sips. It has fruit, is not bombastic in any way, with layers of complexity and an elegant drinkability.
Tzuba Metzuda 2023. A consistently good wine from Tzuba’s beautiful vineyards, in the high elevation Judean Hills. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a touch of Syrah. Deep, full bodied, rich flavored with good length. Tzuba was founded in 1996. The winemaker is English speaker Paul Dubb, originally from South Africa.
FEINSCHMECKERS: NIS 150 +
Yatir Petit Verdot 2022. Petit Verdot is a variety that shows as well in Israel as anywhere, and it is at home in the northern hills, central valleys or desert. It is more usually used in blends. This is one of the best varietal expressions. It is deep, powerful full bodied with aromas of black fruit, but has an elegance on the palate that surprises and it has a long well balanced finish. Yatir Winery is the star of the south, situated in the northeastern Negev at Tel Arad. The fruit comes from Yatir Forest.
Flam, Even Sapir 2024. This is a wine that marks Flam Winery’s metamorphosis from winemakers to vignerons. It is a Syrah, balanced with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, from the beautiful Even Sapir terraced vineyard in the Jerusalem Mountains. Delicate hints of fruit, pepper and spice mingle to provide a velvety wine of layered complexity.
For many years Seder Night in Israel was for me was a gathering of only four people, three of whom are in the wine trade. So wines were carefully curated to justify high expectations. These days, Seders are more like twenty plus. Being absolutely honest, my method is to plop the wines of different styles on the table, along with the Moscato and grape juice, and allow everyone to choose their own poison. Easier and more practical…and more important, everyone is happy!
Adam Montefiore is a winery insider turned wine writer, who has advanced Israeli wines over four decades. He is referred to as ‘the English voice of Israeli wine’ and is the Wine Writer for the Jerusalem Post. www.adammontefiore.com
