In the weeks leading up to the holiday season, wineries have released a number of new treats to the marketplace. Stores are offering hard to resist sales as well, making the new selection hard to resist. Yonatan Sternberg offers some suggestions for highlights of the new batch in 2010!
As you may have noticed, in the two weeks leading up to the holiday season many new wines have been released to the market. Since a great portion of the wines in Israel are purchased before the holidays (primarily Rosh Hashana and Passover) the wineries and beverage stores time the official release of their new wines for these seasons and hold attractive sales that are often hard to resist.
Following are a few of the newer wines that are now available on the market:
One of the popular trends in the Israeli wine scene is the dramatic increase in the number of sparkling wines purchased by Israelis. While this trend is primarily influenced by affordable imports from Spain, Italy and even France, several Israeli wineries have also begun producing sparkling vinos of their own, the latest addition being the Tabor winery.
Tabor, 562, Blanc, Non Vintage (N.V) – named after the altitude of the vineyards situated at 562 meters above sea level, this bubbly was produced from 80% Chardonnay grapes and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon in the Charmat method (AKA Metodo Italiano). In this method, the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in large stainless steel vats and is then bottled under pressure. The winery also released a 562 sparkling red wine produced from Barbera grapes.
Another affordable sparkling option is going for NIS 25 a bottle, a price one can hardly resist. Imported by the Shaked Company, Cruse, Blanc de Blancs, Brut (N.V) is made exclusively from white grapes, in this case Chardonnay – dry, light and refreshing. Serve chilled with fish or vegetable starters or even mix in cocktails to impress your guests.
Teperberg, Terra, Malbec, 2008 – Originally a French grape variety that is showing excellent results in Argentina, Malbec is considered by many as the national Argentinean grape variety. Teperberg’s Malbec is one of the only varietal wines produced from this grape in Israel and, judging from the 2007 and 2008 releases, the results are quite impressive. Deep ruby towards purple in color, this wine is medium-full bodied with soft tannins, suggesting aromas of various red berries, raspberries, young plums, oak and a hint of chocolate. ~ NIS 69.
Yaffo Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 – 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot from vineyards in the Ella Valley, the wine was aged for thirteen months in both French and American oak barrels. Medium leaning towards full-bodied and dark ruby in color, Yaffo’s Cab suggests generous aromas of black berries, cherries, fresh herbs and slight earthy notes. The winery suggests serving this wine alongside grilled cuts of beef and rich stews. ~ NIS 110.
L’chaim!
