Israel and I discovered quality modern style wines about the same time. For me it was Margaret River 1983 which is one year before Golan Heights Winery, Israel’s first large scale modern producer, released its first vintage of Yarden and Gamla wines.
Margaret River was on the verge of achieving the international renown it now enjoys and I have seen enormous improvements to the style and quality of its wine in the past decade let alone almost the last 3. Mention Margaret River and Chardonnay and CSM are top of mind.
Israeli wine has made a slower leap into world prominence mainly due to its kosher funk. Kosher wine is wine that is approved by the Rabbinical authorities for consumption by orthodox Jews. Most Israeli wine was destined for this market, primarily domestically, USA, UK, France and other centres of world Jewry. Unfortunately, those who only drink kosher wine have never tasted a Margaret River Chardonnay, subtle and complex Barolo or high quality New Zealand Pinot Noir. And to generalise, since for most orthodox Jews wine is not a widespread interest, price was more important than quality.
The number of winemakers at the Israeli Winexpo who gloated over their kosher superiority to their competitors made James and I want to reach over the tasting glasses and shout the Hebrew words for “who cares.”
But Israel is one of the most high-tech countries in the world with a determination to succeed and survive surpassed by none. This also includes a new breed of winemakers who with or without their kosher certification are producing some excellent wines. I mentioned some of them in my previous posting Holy Chardonnay.
Israel has all the ingredients for a prosperous modern wine industry and many of the winemakers we met were educated at the world’s best winemaking universities in France, Australia, NZ or Italy. The winemaking equipment and viticultural practices are really world class and money for some seemed no limitation.
But the industry is missing one thing. In the words of the software industry, “a killer app.”
Australia has Shiraz, New Zealand has Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa Pinotage, France Bordeaux etc, Italy has among others Sangiovese, Germany has its Riesling, Spain the ubiquitious Rioja and even Hungary has Tokaj. A wine style or grape that put them on the map and that the international wine consumer immediately identifies with that country.
I asked every winemaker I met what style of wine they made, what differentiates Israeli wines from others and what wines from other countries they enjoyed most. I even asked Israel’s wine ambassador, Adam Montefiore who was lost for words. I never got a good answer to any of these questions although Recanati’s assistant winemaker tried hardest and in the end admitted this is a huge industry problem.
Israel has one indigenous grape, Argamon, which uniquely Segall Winery made a reasonable wine out of, but otherwise it was generally a pursuit of modern Bordeaux variety grapes that is the holy grail of most winemakers.
I understand that a wine industry that has its vintage disrupted by war every so often and worries over its major grape producing region being one day returned to Syria has more things on its mind than a pithy elevator pitch. However, wine consumers are fussy, spoiled for choice and will not pay 50% more for the same wine varieties available from any number of modern wine producing countries.
As an example, we met an intense young winemaker from France, David Ventura, who followed his dream to make wine in Israel and his Bordeaux style wines were of high quality and finesse. Slipping his wine into a blind tasting of mid-priced Bordeaux wines and his would rate well. The thing was, his wines were not mid-priced, they were way above mid and well, if we want Bordeaux wines we will buy them from, you guessed it, Bordeaux.
Israel’s scientists do not need to invent a new grape or its marketers a catchy slogan for the industry, they need a top-level focus on defining what makes Israeli wine special, different and worth picking off the shelf.
Also, for as long as winemakers blend grapes from the Negev Desert, cool Golan Heights and humid central plains near Zichron Yakov, the terroir of Israel will never shine through.
Regional and vineyard typicity should receive laser focus and the industry should decide what wines it does best, better, uniquely, not messing around with Pinot Noir and other grape varieties that will never work and even if they do find a niche market, will not help put the zing into their export market.
Shortly we will release our first range of Israeli wines to the Swedish market which are purchased because they are great wines that are beyond comparison although made from ubiquitous modern grape varieties. I hope you will get to try them and if you have any thoughts how to describe what makes them uniquely Israeli I will send it on to Adam Montefiore!
Cheers
Mark
