The first gourmet wine tour from America visited Israel for a week in July 2007.

The group was made up of 20 wine lovers from the USA, including the Vice President of Wine Spectator Magazine. After an exhausting but exhilarating week, the participants raved about the new Israel they were introduced to. It is hoped the success of the visit will inspire and encourage others to visit Israel through the prism of its wines, wineries and vineyards.

The group toured Israel from the Negev to the Upper Galilee and included all the main wine growing regions in the country. They visited large commercial wineries and new start-ups. The wineries they visited were:

Northern Negev:  Yatir & Ramim

Judean Hills & Jerusalem: Ella Valley, Erez & Psagot

Zichron Ya’acov & Mt Carmel: Carmel Winery & Tishbi

Lower Galilee: Tabor

Upper Galilee: Dalton & Galil Mountain

Golan Heights: Golan Heights Winery

At each winery they were hosted by winemakers and senior executives, given tours and tutored tastings.

In addition they also found time to visit Carlsberg Brewery, Shadmot Devorah Honey & Silk Farm, the Rimon Pomegranate Winery and the Golan Olive Oil Mill.

Special meals were prepared at all stops including at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem, Carmel Forest Spa on Mt. Carmel and Ruth Rimon Hotel in Safed. At each opportunity, there was an appropriate guest speaker. These included local wine connoisseur Jonathan Livni, Miriam Morgenstern from The Wine Spectator, Adam Montefiore from Carmel Winery, who spoke about the Israel Wine Industry and Rabbi Dr. Aharon Adler, who lectured about the use of wine in Judaism.

 The visit was the idea of Dr. Leo Weiner from Long Island who had long dreamt of a wine tour to Israel. He co-opted Adele Roffman, Director of The American Department of World Emunah, to organize the tour. A year ago she attended a seminar at Carmel’s Rishon Le Zion Wine Cellars presented by Adam Montefiore on ‘Wine Tourism To Israel.’ There she met with retired Doctor, Auri Spigelman, a fully qualified Tour Guide, whom she brought on board to be the guide for ‘The Israel Wine Trail.’ (Auri Spigelman, tel. 052 337 7609, specializes in wine tours).

Amidst the wine tastings, gourmet meals and site-seeing, they found time for the most important item on the itinerary. They visited Beit Elazraki, Emunah’s Home for Children at Risk in Netanya. Emunah is a social welfare and educational organization which has under its auspices 10,000 children in Israel.

July 2007