Israel’s most famous high quality wines are arguably Yarden Katzrin, Castel Grand Vin and Margalit Special Reserve. In a few years of continuing to produce wines of the same quality as today, maybe Flam Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve & Yatir Forest will join this select list. However what are Israel’s most influential wines over the years? Which are the wines that charted the progress of Israeli wines as the Israeli wine industry developed? The coming list is the story of Israel through its wines – each one contributed to the advance of Israeli wines in some way and each one was a stepping stone in the upward advance of the Israel wine industry.

Carmel No. 1 1900

The first Israeli winner at a major wine show was the Carmel No.1 at the Paris World Fair at the beginning of the last century.  It won a Gold Medal alongside the French First Growths. It confirmed the rebirth of a modern Israeli wine industry after 2,000 years.

Carmel Cabernet Sauvignon 1970 – Winemakers: Shimon Rosenthal/ Yaacov Avni

 Israel’s first varietal wines – a Cabernet Sauvignon & a Sauvignon Blanc    were first launched with the 1970 vintage. Golan Heights Winery introduced Merlot & Chardonnay in the late 1980’s.

Carmel Special Reserve 1976 – Winemaker: Feddie Stiller

This wine was Israel’s first really serious ‘fine’ wine. Aged in French oak barrels for two years and then aged in the bottle, it was only released in 1980. Surprisingly, the wine lasted over 15 years. A definite milestone in the production of Israeli wine.

Carmel Special Reserve 1979 – Freddie Stiller

Carmel repeated the success of the 1976 with the 1979 vintage. 

Yarden Sauvignon Blanc 1983 – Philip Steinschriber

Golan Heights Winery has never been known for the best  Israeli Sauvignon Blanc. However this was their first vintage and when this wine was launched it became known – particularly in America, as Israel’s first world class wine. The wine was a real breakthrough for Israel – light straw colored, aromatic and with good acidity – rather than the over oxidized, flabby, yellowing white wines that were produced up to then.

Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 1984 – Mike Lake

This was the first Israeli wine to wine an international prize at the very highest level. It not only won the Gold Medal at the International Wines & Spirits Competition in London, but also The Winiarski Trophy (presented by Warren Winiarski of Stags Leap fame) as the best red wine in the competition. This was the first real proof to the wider wine world that Israeli wines were international class. To onlooking wine experts it was an astonishing result.

Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 1985 – Mike Lake

The Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 1985 many rate as Israel’s finest ever wine. It lasted 15 years and is the only Israeli wine to date to win three major prizes: A Gold Medal at the IWSC in London, a Gold Medal at the Challenge International du Vin in Bordeaux and the Grand Prix d’Honneur at Vinexpo, also in Bordeaux. The Golan went on to win the Grand Prix d’Honneur three times in a row – an unique achievement, but this wine was the first and arguably the finest of the three Trophy winners.

Yarden Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest 1988 – Andrew Star

Israel’s first special dessert wine made from grapes naturally affected by botrytis. It was probably the most unique wine ever produced in Israel. It was never duplicated.  Dessert wines were always regarded previously as low quality – their sweetness being too reminiscent of kiddush (sacramental) wines.

Yarden Katzrin 1990 – Peter Stern/ Victor Schoenfeld

Yarden Katzrin was Israel’s first super de luxe red wine. The first vintage was 1990. It was Israel’s first ever $50 bottle of wine and when Israel has its first ever $100 bottle of wine, this is likely to be it. Today made by a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it is only produced in especially good vintages – to date 1990, 1993, 1996 and 2000.  This wine took Israeli wine onto a new plain.

Castel Grand Vin 1992 – Eli Ben Zaken

This wine was famous because it was Eli Ben Zaken’s first vintage, but it was also the one ‘discovered’ by Serena Sutcliffe, Master of Wine and Head of the Sotheby’s Wine Department. She referred to it as the best Israeli wine she had ever tasted.

Margalit Cabernet Sauvignon 1993 – Yair Margalit

Yair Margalit gained a reputation as the first really international class      boutique winery. He was israel’s best known winemaker at this stage and this was his greatest wine to date. The wine drew attention to the coming boutique winery explosion that was to follow.

Yarden Merlot 1993 – Victor Schoenfeld

The Yarden Merlot 1993 was a double Gold Medal winner in the two main      wine tasting competitions, the IWSC in London and the International Challenge du Vin (then associated with Vinexpo) in Bordeaux. It  was the international recognition for Victor schoenfeld – the first permanent winemaker of the Golan Heights Winery and arguably Israel’s finest winemaker.  

Yarden Blanc de Blancs N.V. – Victor Schoenfeld

In 1997 a champagne method sparkling wine became the best bottle fermented sparkling wine winning the Trophy at the IWSC. The wine was then non vintage, but today is a vintage sparkling wine. this showed that Israel could triumph on the world scene with another wine style, Another triumph for the versatility of the Golan Heights Winery.

Castel Grand Vin 1997 – Eli Ben Zaken

Castel drew attention to Israel when the Grand Vin 1997 became Decanter Wine of the Month. Decanter, only second to the wine Spectator in importance, rarely tasted Israeli wine, let alone drawing attention to them. Castel went on to achieve this three time

 “C” Blanc du Castel 1999 – Eli Ben Zaken

Though Israel as a country became mainly known for its red wines, this wine probably Israel’s finest Chardonnay, became Decanter “best new release’ giving rare focus to Israel’s whit wines.

Yarden HeightsWine 1999 – Victor Schoenfeld

An outstanding dessert wine made in an imitation icewine style was a double Gold Medal winner. It showed the Israeli ability to adapt & improvise and the result was Israel’s most decorated sweet wine.

 Flam Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2000 – Golan Flam

This was one of four Israeli wines – three from Flam Winery and one from Margalit Winery – which were chosen after a blind tasting as one of the ‘100 Most Exciting Wine Finds’ in the Wine Report 2004 by Tom Stevenson. This showed that the Israel best wineries now included more wineries than just the Golan Heights Winery, Domaine du Castel & Margalit Winer.

September 2005