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WINE AND ISRAEL / BY JOHN SALVI One more river and that’s the river of Jordan, One more river, there’s one more river to cross. OLD NEGRO SPIRITUAL SONG HISTORY Israel! One’s very first thought, or at least for many of us, might be “an unlikely newcomer to the World of International Wine Tasting Competitions”. But upon reflection why should it be? Wine has been made here for over 7,000 years and what we are seeing today is resuscitation or rebirth and not birth. It is in fact one of the cradles of wine, no less. Of course it was not called Israel – we all know that this was created in 1947 and the poor place has been subject to both changes of rulers, names and religions many and many a time over the centuries during the long history of the Middle East. The erudite and charismatic Professor Amos Hadas is the acknowledged world expert on the early history of the vine and of wine production technologies in the Middle East, being one of the Israeli scholars who have studied this in great depth. Over many years of assiduous research and literature research he has found a multitude of fascinating facts and artefacts, which are well worth mentioning. Under the title of “Paleobotanical and Archaeological Evidences”, he has mentioned that fossilized vine remains have been discovered dating back 60 Million years and fossilized wild vine remains of 2 Million years old. Grape pips uncovered in South Caucasus and Israel are aged 1 Million and 800,000 years old respectively and grape pips at Bnot Jacob Bridge, in the Upper Jordan river basin, have been dated to approx. 800,000 Before Christ (BC). They are also in abandoned campsites and caves in the Galilee, Carmel, Jordan Valley, dating back to 35-50,000BC. Under what he terms “Archaeological Benchmarks”, he has described, based upon archaeological reports, how concentrations of grape pips were found in submerged Neolithic villages, Mount Carmel and the Carmel Coast, dated at 10,000 – 8,000BC. Under what he terms “early signs of wine production” crude jars with tartaric acid salts have been found in Azerbaijan, which are 8,500-8,000 years old, and smaller jars with the same salts in Hajj Fijruz Tepe, Zagros Mountains, at 7,500-7,000 years. Under what he terms “First Wine”, and now more absolutely concrete, is a substance that has been identified as wine, again in Hajji Firuz Tepe, in Northwest Iran, dated at 7,500BC. Then there is a portable winepress found in Taanach dating back to 6,500 - 5,500 BC, which is why I started by saying that wine has been made here for over 7,000 years. There are clear signs of viticulture in Israel, Jericho, around 5,200BC, but this could possibly even be 7,200BC as dating is uncertain. Signs of “Commercial” wine production can be found in Naharyia around 4,500BC or again possibly 6,500BC. Much later, the Romans imported vast quantities of wine from Israel and, in Cana, not far from Nazareth, Jesus enacted his first miracle at age 13, turning water into wine. I think it is safe to assume that he turned it into wine with a local organoleptic profile rather that that of a Burdigala or a Rioja! Perhaps the reason that one des not immediately think “wine” when Israel or Tel Aviv or Eilat are mentioned, is that this part of the world came under Muslim rule for some 800 years, during which time it was a forbidden fruit and neither produced nor consumed. Spain knows all about this much better than I do, having experienced a similar period! When Judaism and Christianity regained the upper hand, wine had to make a comeback strictly from point zero. One of the first enlightened souls to produce serious wine here soon after was Baron de Rothschild, in the regions of Mount Carmel and Tel Aviv-Jaffo. The Baron actually arrived with the renewal of Jewish agricultural settlements, from 1882. However, to be strictly accurate, prior to that the Turkish Sultan had granted concessions to European nations and the very first pioneer to grow grapes for wine and to open a winery was the SHOR family, in 1848-49. Even then, for a number of years things just gently puttered along and, although some decent wine was produced, the world had to wait for Israel to be created and for the world wine boom to get under way before some growers really got the bit between their teeth and started seriously setting about producing quality wine. Today, although the entire wine business only has exports totalling something short of 15 million dollars, nevertheless there are some 200 wineries, many of them boutique, and many a serious, dedicated and highly passionate wine grower as we shall see. It was, and is, perfectly understandable therefore that some farsighted person should wish to start an international wine tasting competition in Israel, TERRAVINO I was one of the 12 fortunate international people to be invited as a judge to TERRAVINO 2006, the first “Mediterranean International Wine Challenge” in Tel Aviv, and one of the equally fortunate 16 to be invited a second time to Terravino For the first competition there were 391 samples from 20 countries of which 225 were from Israel and therefore 171 from 19 other countries. A pretty good start for a new competition considering the ever-increasing number of them. This year there were 517 samples, again from 20 countries, which is an increase of 32% and a splendid performance. There were also 27 weird and wonderful Israeli Spirits to judge, including a mouth-numbing chilli liqueur, which somehow won a gold medal!! What was truly excellent was that no less than 252 samples came from outside Israel and therefore only 265 from within the country. Many infinitely larger, more important and long established competitions have serious problems raising samples from outside their homeland. So successful had been the first competition last year that it had immediately been granted the patronage of the OIV (no mean feat!) and this year Federico Castellucci was present in person. This is something of both an accolade and an honour. Regretfully France only contributed 13 samples, whilst Spain was much more generous with 78! There were also 3 Spanish judges out of the 16 of us: Fernando Gurrucharri, Jesus Navasques Gomez and Garcia Herrera. Four people need to be especially mentioned. Raul Castellani, an Argentinean who was the General Manager together with his son Leonardo who was joint Samples Director. The indomitable and indefatigable defender of Israeli wines, Moise Aaron Spak, International Affairs Director, also an Argentinean who settled in Israel a few years ago and who is the finest Ambassador for Israeli wines that Israel could hope to have. He is a splendidly gregarious and outgoing personality with tremendous charisma. He is a mover and shaker in excelsis and it is very much thanks to him that the whole thing has got off to such a good start and been so immensely successful. I have come to have a great affection for him. Finally, Haim Gan, the organisational Executive Director. Eilat proved to be a fascinating venue, being on the coast at the very southernmost tip of Israel, a mere Apart from the long, and at times frustratingly slow, tastings on three successive mornings, the social programme included a bathe in the Dead Sea, a boat trip and another bathe in the Red Sea and visits to two desert wineries. The first of these was YATIR WINERY in the Hebron Mountains and filled a major part of our first day, comfortably breaking the coach journey from Tel Aviv to Eilat via Jerusalem. The second was fascinating indeed, being a Kibbutz right in the heart of the desert – NEOT SEMADAR WINERY. You really need to be passionate to even think of producing wine under these extreme conditions. To start with all the water has to be brought by pipes from over Being the southernmost vineyard in the country, the grape harvest is the earliest and starts in JULY. The vines are exposed to extreme heat (45*C) and aridity, with huge differences between night and day. The thin, sandy soil is also extremely salty. Here, since 1995, the members of the kibbutz have planted a wide variety of fruit trees and also the vineyard. Lying at In 2006 the production was 8000 bottles and they are hugely proud of having won gold medals both in Yalta and in Argentina. So wonderful were the people of the kibbutz, so dedicated, generous, charming and hospitable, that I will leave the tasting notes of their wines unwritten! Orit Idan and Ruth Bar-Halof deserve all the praise that I can heap upon them for making wine at all under such impossibly adverse conditions. The wine is not yet a Vega Sicilia or a Pingus but the Muscat Canelli Shemesh (sun), matured for eight months in Demi-Johns in the broiling sunshine goes very well with their wonderful, juicy, fresh dates and their delicious olives, with unleavened bread and a sublime sweet-potato pie. And what therefore of the Israeli wine scene in general? We tasted a great many wines and in 2006 visited a large number of wineries in the more moderate climates of central and northern Israel. The fascinating kibbutz desert winery that I have described above is a total exception and nothing to do with 99.9% of the wines produced in this country. The vast majority are situated from approximately the level of Jerusalem northwards, the most moderate climate being in the far north although it is still decidedly hot! Already this year I found progress since 2006. There was less rusticity and more elegance and refinement. With all that wonderful sunshine it must be very tempting to cede to power, richness and ultra-ripe (over-ripe) fruit. Restraint is needed. Who is to say that growers are wrong if that is what the market is asking for and that is what they can sell? Just as long as they realise that they are sacrificing elegance and finesse on the altar of power and liquid sunshine, and are making wines that give you sunstroke and a headache! A recent tasting of Israeli wines by the DUAD, in Bordeaux, attended by many of the most famous Bordeaux winemakers, confirmed this impression. To my mind this is a pity, but I am an old-fashioned purist and the world is a commercial one. The Israelis are nothing if not businessmen! I tend also to forget that Israel regards the USA as its most important market by far and the belief is that “monsters” are what that market is looking for and so what they must be given! Some of the best growers are acutely aware of the above and several said to me that they look for finesse, purity of fruit and elegance in their wines rather than alcoholic potency. A number have succeeded admirably; with others it is as yet only lip service. Most were happy to say that they acidify when they feel that the wine requires it. They are fully aware of the importance of good acidity levels to make both fresh and longer lasting wines, to get a good balance between ripeness, alcoholic strength and correct crisp acidity in their white wines and to avoid jammyness or cooked flavours in the reds. This jammyness was unfortunately rather too prevalent and to be found in too many of the red wines. The proof that the choice of location is of prime importance was demonstrated with crystal clarity by wines that had been grown at considerable altitude. These wines had purity of vibrant fruit, clean, fresh and vital acidity and velvety tannins in a complete and fine structured whole. It showed quite clearly that it can be done with knowledge and skill. Oak control is overall excellent. I found very few examples of oak juice or of flagrant over-use of new oak and this gave me much pleasure. Far less over-oaking than in Bordeaux!! Barrels appeared to be chiefly of 225 lire capacity (the Bordeaux barrel) and in the vast majority French. Some complexing was done with small percentages of American oak and occasionally Eastern European. Rarely did I see a wine that had been kept too long in barrel. This is all excellent news and shows real sensitivity. Tannins are on the whole extremely well integrated and smooth. Of course there are exceptions but then there are everywhere. The above applies to the natural tannins as well as those from the oak barrels discussed above. The addition of tannin is extremely rare. Awareness of getting good balance between phenolic ripeness and correct levels of sugar and acidity seems to be universal here and this major problem has been well and rapidly mastered. After all, it is only recently that Bordeaux has seriously addressed this problem itself! Unripe and harsh tannins – unlike Bordeaux – are not an Israeli problem. Limpidity does however seem to be somewhat of a problem. Deep, dark, intense colours one would expect, but both during the visits to the wineries and in the wines presented in the competition, a lot were not brilliantly limpid. The same was true, but less so, for the white wines. It is only a guess, but I feel that for the red wines one of the reasons may lie with insufficient colour stability and therefore stabilisation rather than with straightforward clarification and/or filtration. Possibly growers with brilliance problems should look at post-fermentation maceration control. A word of warning. For professionals who come to taste the wines, be they buyers, traders, assessors or writers, it is important to organise the tastings at the wineries in a professional manner and with great care and efficiency in order that the wines should show at their very best. It is not professional to mix wine and food, delicious though that may be. It is impossible to make professional tasting notes with the powerful and tantalising odours of cooking food and spices in the nostrils. Although both generous and enjoyable, please keep the wine and food far enough apart for odours not to reach the place of tasting. I love my food, indeed I am something of a gourmand and a glutton, but I prefer to taste quietly and seriously and then stuff myself to bursting when my tasting notes are completed. Please also give tasters tables to write their notes on and chairs to sit upon rather than asking them to taste standing up with the wines lined up on a table and nowhere to put their notebook. Be that as it may, the Israeli wine scene is both exciting and exhilarating. It is wonderful to hear growers talk of passion without any embarrassment or reticence. Small wineries and big ones, on a steep learning curve, unashamedly eager to learn as much as they can as fast as they can. It is splendid (and strange for a Bordelais!) to see the friendly exchange of knowledge between them and the way they taste each other’s wines. All this gives the whole scene an urgent vibrancy and an optimistic and positive impetus. Israeli growers want to go places, are determined to do so and will assuredly succeed. Two short visits of one week each to Israel are not nearly enough. I have now tasted some 400 Israeli wines but am aware that I have only scratched the surface. I shall buy, taste and drink them whenever they come my way and I shall follow their progress with enthusiasm and pleasure. Congratulations to all the winemakers who are putting Israeli wines on the world map and to the organisers of Terravino who are helping them to get there with speed and efficiency. |
