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.
Amidst the situation which is all pervading and extremely depressing, I have to perform my annual job of recommending wine. Every family has their own ritual, and anything goes as long as you have the four obligatory cups. What do I do? When we had small family seders, with three people in the wine trade, we would make a theme for the seder and make it like a glorified tasting. Now I am part of a much larger family group, I bring wines of all types and styles, including grape juice and Moscato, put them in the center of the table and let everyone choose their own poison. No rules, but be sure everyone is catered for. After the sustained period during which Israeli wine has been under attack, you should be reminded to support the growers and winemakers of Israel. Drink Blue & White! Anyway, here are some recommendations.
WINE DRINKERS: Up to NIS 50
Cordorniu Classico Cava Brut. I would normally consider only Israeli wines for Passover. But this is new to me and is excellent value and kosher from one of Spain’s famous Cava producers. For those that want sparkling for the first cup, it would be a good choice. You will find it in Tiv Tam supermarkets.
Zion, Imperial Sauvignon Blanc 2024. For Sauvignon Blanc lovers, this is such good value with excellent typicity. Aromatic, flavorful and with a piercing fresh acidity. Zion Winery, founded in 1848 by the Shor family, is our oldest existing winery. It is now the 5th largest winery in the country, but even after 177 years it is still a family winery. The CEO, senior management and even the winemaker, are all from the family. That is pretty unique.
Carmel Selected Blend Israeli Red 2024. What makes this an Israeli blend, I don’t really know. They choose not to mention the grape varieties. On one hand it is a lack of information. On the other hand, we always pay too much attention to varieties. It is the wine itself that is important and it is bright, vibrant, fruity, soft, and inexpensive. Selected is the oldest brand in Israeli wine. The word first appeared on labels in 1972, and it became a major brand in 1987. These days it is the largest selling brand in Israel, and Carmel is the historic winery of Israel and the largest winery in the country.
Derech Eretz Petite Sirah 2024. This wine is young, fresh and fruity and for those that want want to flee from Cab and Merlot, it is rare to find a Petite Sirah at this price point. Derech Eretz is a brand developed by Shaked, the importers and distributors. The wines have been produced in different wineries over the years, but the brand represents solid quality, good value and is suitable for those purchasing an a strict budget for a large Seder. This one is made by Recanati Winery. The wines are sold in Shaked’s Derech Ha’yayin retail stores.
Binyamina Yogev Cabernet Sauvignon – Petit Verdot. A blend of grapes from the Negev and Upper Galilee. It is a fruit forward wine, with a full fruit flavor on the palate. Yogev is a good value brand over the years, which celebrates the growers. After all, good wine is made in the vineyard. Binyamina is one of our older wineries. It was founded in 1952 and originally named Eliaz. I always find Binyamina wines to be well made. Of course, the town of Binyamina is named after Baron Edmond de Rothschild who founded the Israel wine industry.
WINE LOVERS: NIS 51-99
Barkan, Seven Hills Chardonnay 2023. This is a new label. Seven Hills, named after the seven hills that Jerusalem sits on. There is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, and I chose the Chardonnay. It is fresh with aromas of pear, melon and citrus, a hint of oak from 12 months of aging, and a well-balanced finish. Certainly, good value. Barkan Winery, founded in 1990, is Israel’s second largest winery, but they are probably the largest vineyard owner in the Judean Hills that rise towards Jerusalem.
Golan Heights, Yarden Gewurztraminer 2024. The Golan Heights Winery were the first to introduce Gewurztraminer to the Israel market. Previously Latroun Monastery has planted it, but their market was very localized. At the start it was a difficult sell and no-one could pronounce it. However, in the last decade it has become more popular as a very aromatic semi dry wine. A few years ago, the Golan Heights Winery changed their Yarden Gewurz from semi dry to dry. It has the classic blowsy nose of lychee and floral notes, but where the aromas lead you think of sweetness, the wine is totally dry. Though dry Gewurztraminers are common in Alsace, in Israel they are extremely rare. It is nice to have a quality alternative to Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Galil Mountain, Stav Rose 2024. This is quite a full colored rose, which is already a nice change. Everyone else is making onion skin color pinks. It is made from Syrah, Sangiovese, Grenache, Malbec and Tempranillo. Quite a blend. It is not particularly aromatic, but is fresh and refreshing. It does the job and is a perfect wine with mezze. Galil Mountain Winery is a leader in sustainability, which the winery has adopted in full, not only in the vineyard, but also in the offices and amongst the employees. The winery receives all its fruit from its own vineyards which are in the Upper Galilee.
1848 Winery, 5th Generation Orient Red 2023. This is an Israeli blend of Syrah, Marselan and Argaman. It is a beautifully elegant, restrained wine, nicely weighted and not over ripe or bombastic in any way. It is one of my favorite wines from 1848 Winery, which was founded in 2006 by the eighth generation of a Jerusalem family called Shor. They of course established their family winery in 1848 in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Vitkin Israeli Journey Red 2022. A super blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. It is refreshing, so drinkable and with fruit led flavors. Sort of wine I like to drink during the summer months. Vitkin Winery was the icebreaker of ABC (Anything But Chardonnay, Cabernet) and the pioneer of the Mediterranean varieties.
Shiloh Shor Barbera 2022. Grown in the Central Mountains Region, this wine is medium bodied with cherry berry fruit, backed by vanilla notes and a fresh finish. Shiloh seems to make good wines across the board, and their whites have really improved in recent vintages.
Yatir, Darom by Yatir Red 2023. Darom is the value label of Yatir Winery. Whereas the wines of Yatir come exclusively from Yatir Forest, the wines of Darom (meaning south) come from the south of the country. When they first launched the label, the red was the weak link. Not any more. It is a colorful mosaic of Shiraz, Marselan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Zinfandel from Mitzpe Ramon, Ramat Arad and the Negev-Judea region. It is warm, layered and enticing with good drinkability. Delicious!
Teperberg Essence Dolcetto 2023. Teperberg have launched a Dolcetto and Barbera recently. The Dolcetto is better. It is reasonable new variety to Israel. It is best known in Piedmont of North West Italy. The Teperberg expression comes from the high elevation, northern Golan, The wine is light bodied with a nose of red cherries, strawberries and pomegranate, and is light in the mouth, but with a refreshing finish. It should be served chilled and is what I call a lunchtime red. Teperberg is the third largest winery in the country. It is owned by the Teperberg family. The winery was founded in 1870.
CONNOISSEURS: NIS 100-149
Tulip Net Sauvignon Blanc 2023. I have written about this before, but it always impresses me. It is an excellent wine from a 40 year old vineyard. It is very aromatic with lashings of tropical fruit, is medium bodied and has a very good balancing acidity. Sauvignon Blanc is a wine Israel makes particularly well these days. Tulip Winery is an enterprising winery which is always keen to innovate and do the unexpected. Their program to support adults with special needs is particularly praiseworthy.
Jezreel Valley, Megiddo 2021. Jezreel Valley Winery is a specialist of Argaman, the Israeli variety and Carignan, the adopted variety of Israel. This wine is a different approach. A blend of Bordeaux and the Mediterranean. Part of the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Israel’s largest planted variety and still the king in Israel, as in so many other places. The other component is Syrah, the 4th largest planted variety here. In my view it is the variety of the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean. It is a full bodied wine showing black fruit and ripe plum. It is full flavored and chewy and finishes long.
Tabor, Artisanal by Tabor, Creation Marselan 2020. Marselan is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. It first appeared in Israel from the 2012 vintage and proved ideal for our climate. This expression is full of juicy fruit with spice on the palate and is flavorful. Lovely wine. Tabor is a winery whose wines are always better quality than their image. As a result, they have made an upgrade to the presentation of their wines, and separated the leading labels from the mass market wines. Their top wines are now named: “Artisanal by Tabor”, which I have noticed is difficult for Israelis to say, but the objective is clear. These are artisan wines. The mass market wines will now be under the label Tabor.
Dalton Family Collection Cabernet Franc 2022. This is a very special year for the Dalton Winery. Firstly they are coming out of a horrible 2023-24 where they were under fire daily from Hezbollah. But secondly, this year they are celebrating their 30th birthday. When Dalton Winery was founded in 1995, it was a pioneer of the Upper Galilee. We have to thank two generations of the Haruni family, English Israelis. Their wines have never been better, and they deserve support for the reasons described. The Family Collection Cabernet Franc is a new expression. Similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but a tad lighter, a little more aromatic and with more green, herbaceous notes. This is a fine wine, with a beginning middle and an end. It punches through from the nose to the lingering finish. Very nice.
Lahat Red 2023. This is basically a Syrah balanced with Cabernet Sauvignon. It is beautiful red. Lean, focused, elegant and refined. It has aromas of cherries and berries, with hints of Mediterranean herbs, peppery notes in the background and a long lasting finish. Classy wine, which also refreshes. Lahat is a small winery known for focus on Rhone varieties like Syrah and Roussanne from the Western Upper Galilee.
Feldstein Shemesh 2022. Shemesh means sun, and this is a red wine made to be drunk in a hot climate. Let’s call it a summer red. It is made from Grenache, Syrah and Argaman. It was fermented in whole clusters and aged in concrete tanks and amphorae. It has a nose of violets, a blackcurrant and blackberry aroma and an elegance and energy that runs through from the nose to the tail. Feldstein is another winery from the Upper Galilee, that has borne the brunt of the attacks from Lebanon.
Bat Shlomo Regavim 2022. This is a blend of…wait for it…Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Mourvèdre. It was aged in French oak barrels for 20 months. It is a big wine, full of black fruit and ripe plum aromas, a backdrop of oak flavors. It has a good structure, soft tannins. The name of the wine is carefully chosen to emphasize the connection of the winery to the land and it pays tribute to the concept the winery follows of using Jewish labor. Many of those working in the vineyards are students from the Regavim School. The Bat Shlomo Vineyards Visitors Center is in the winemaking village of Bat Shlomo founded by Baron Edmond de Rothschild and named after his mother. It alongside The Farmhouse, the most divine boutique hotel, well placed as a base from which to tour the wine region of the northern coastal plain.
Tzuba Metzuda 2022. Tzuba is a winery high up in the Judean Hills that rise towards Jerusalem. It is well known particularly for its beautiful vineyards. This wine is the prestige wine of the winery. It is a classic Bordeaux combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a drop of Syrah to fill in the gaps. It is a bold wine, big on flavor but it ends with focus and a well-balanced finish. A good wine for carnivores.
Netofa VDN 2024. VDN stands for Vin Doux Naturel. It is a sweet wine made by Netofa Vineyards. I like a dessert wine for the 4th cup and this is an option. It comes in an attractive dumpy 500 ml bottle. It is made from Chenin Blanc, a variety for which Netofa have been one the pioneers. It has a lovely floral aroma, and though certainly sweet, it is not cloying. Nice way to end the Seder with a touch of sweetness. However, it is wine to sip, not gulp. Remember it is 16% alcohol! Serve it ice cold from the freezer…just don’t forget it there!
FEINSCHMECKERS: NIS 150 +
Ramat Negev, Ramon Petit Verdot 2022. Ramat Negev Winery is a pioneer of the desert, planting their first vineyards in Kadesh Barnea in the Western Negev. The whites seem to be better than reds there, but some red varieties thrive too. One of them is Petit Verdot. This is one of the best reds I have had from the desert. It is plush but velvety and slips down.
Castel Grand Vin 2022. Historic wine. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot grown in the Judean Hills. This is the 30th vintage of this wine. The very first was the 1992. From those beginnings the founder, owner, winemaker Eli Ben Zaken built an Israeli icon. Open this at your Seder, and you are paying a huge compliment to your guests.
Finally, if you want your choice of wine to really make a difference, then it is a mitzvah to buy from Terra Uma, who treat veterans coping with Post Trauma with vinotherapy. Each purchase is a way of showing support. Their Layla wines are particularly recommended. www.terrauma.co.il
While we are privileged to sit at our family Seder, we do not forget the bereaved or injured for one moment. There are too many homes that will have to cope with grief and loss instead of enjoying the festival. Please include them in your prayers during Seder Night. And be sure to leave a spare place not just for Elijah but also for our hostages and put aside the 5th glass for them. May they come home now, with no more delays. Nothing is of higher importance. Wishing everyone a Kosher and Happy Passover. At least enjoy the mitzvah of drinking the four cups. It will help make you feel better.
Adam Montefiore is a wine trade veteran and winery insider turned wine writer, who has advanced Israeli wines for 38 years. He is referred to as the English voice of Israeli wine and is the Wine Writer of the Jerusalem Post. www.adammontefiore.com
