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April 28, 2006
Israeli wineries going for gold
Sophisticated tipple comes to Vancouver for first-ever fest.
KELLEY KORBIN
Israel is in the midst of a wine revolution. In fact, the country
is now producing more than 50 million bottles a year – up from
only about 100,000 15 years ago.
Estimates are that there are currently more than 200 wineries in
Israel, but that number is just an approximation, as the industry
is growing so fast that nobody is really sure of the exact figure.
Vancouver's first-ever Israeli Wine Festival next month will give
British Columbians a chance to try 20 different top Israeli wines
that would otherwise be difficult to access because the British
Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch only carries two Israeli products,
both Carmel brands.
Israeli wine critic and aficionado Jonathan Livny will be in Vancouver
to introduce the Israeli wines at the festival, which takes place
May 14 – the 58th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence.
In a telephone interview from Israel, Livny told the Independent,
"One of the best-kept secrets in Israel is how good our wine
industry has become."
Livny credited Israelis' penchant for travelling with bringing excellent
wines to their country.
"In the past few years, I think primarily since Israelis started
travelling abroad and finding wines all over the world, drinking
wines on their trips – and you know Israelis travel in the
world probably more than any other nation there is because we are
land-locked by Arab countries and so the only way to get away from
a life that sometimes feels like we are in a pressure-cooker is
by going overseas – so Israelis discovered wines all over the
world, came back to Israel and started demanding that the wines
in Israel improve in quality, and they really have. We now have
a fabulous wine industry in Israel."
So fabulous, in fact, that many have won international acclaim,
standing up to wines from all over the world. Most recently, Decanter
magazine gave Domaine du Castel's Grand Vin, a five-star rating,
while another seven wines from various Israeli wineries earned four
stars.
Livny said Israel's climate makes it ideal for wine production.
In fact, 2,000 years ago, the area was one of the most productive
wine areas in the Roman Empire. Livny pointed out, "The whole
area of the valley between Zora and Eshtaol is famous for its wine
from biblical times. And the Judean Hills always had wine.
"The problem of Israel," he added, "was that for
thousands of years, the Muslims ruled our area and because wine
is not permitted to them, they destroyed all the wine growth and
all the grapes and we had to start all over again, because when
the first settlers came, there was no remainder of any of the wonderful
wines that used to grow from biblical times, so we couldn't develop
any indigenous wines."
In the late 19th century, Baron Edmond de Rothschild donated saplings
to Jewish settlers in the area. Unfortunately, these grape varietals
"didn't do well in France or Israel," according to Livny.
They were the acidic grapes responsible for the sweet red sacramental
wines many people associate with Israel.
It wasn't until the early 1970s, when new varietals, like cabernet
sauvignon, merlot and sauvignon blanc, were brought to Israel from
the University of California, Davis, that Israeli vintners really
began to recognize what wonderful wines they could produce. It was
all about knowing what varietals to plant in which regions.
In general, "the climate in Israel is very, very, very conducive
to growing wines, because we have a long summer, we have a lot of
heat and sun – and sun is what helps develop the sugar within
the grape. The cold weather is also very important for the vine
itself and we have wonderful terroir [wine-growing land].
We really have the ideal conditions for growing grapes in Israel,"
declared Livny.
The wine committee for the Israeli Wine Festival has selected wines
from four distinct growing areas in the country: the Galilee, the
Judean Hills, Shomron and the Negev. Each of these areas has its
own unique climate and each has the capacity to produce excellent
wines. Event chair Rochelle Golumbia said, "I think we did
a very good job choosing wines that are rated very well and that
are the top or close to the top of the line from the various wineries."
The Israeli Wine Festival is a benefit for the Isaac Waldman Jewish
Public Library. Golumbia said the unifying theme of the event is
Israel.
"Our main purpose with the wine festival is to support the
library and to build the Israel collection at the library. Our other
purpose has always been to promote Israeli wines in the community
... so that someone here, an agent, will be interested enough to
go through the process to be able to import them into British Columbia,"
she said. "The idea is that this can be a launch pad, a first
step, for interesting the local wine community in Israeli wines,
which will lead to them being available here."
The festival will take place in the Wosk Auditorium of the Jewish
Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC) on May 14 at 7 p.m.
and is supported by honorary co-chairs Zev Shafran and Yosef Wosk,
the Government of Israel Economic Mission to Canada, the Jewish
National Fund, the Canada-Israel Committee, Anita and Arnold Silber
and the JCC. Israeli consul and trade commissioner Ephraim Shoham
will be in attendance. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the
door. Call 604-257-5111 or visit www.jccgv.com.
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