white wines are often overlooked by Israeli wine consumers and in a warm climate like ours, we should be drinking more and more of them.
As you may know, on Shavout the tradition is to serve dairy dishes: blintzes, quiches, pasta, burekas and fish are all good options. As the temperatures continue to rise, especially if you are thinking of eating out doors, I would recommend serving a chilled white, rosé or even a chilled light-bodied red vinos. In my opinion, white wines are often overlooked by Israeli wine consumers and in a warm climate like ours, we should be drinking more and more of them.
Following is a list of several white wines and one rose that were recently released to the market. In my next article, I’ll include several red wine suggestions that will also pair nicely with traditional “Shavuot dishes”:
Dalton, Single Vineyard - Elkosh, Semillon, 2013 – a new wine from the Dalton winery and to my knowledge the first varietal Semillon they produced. Semillon is an interesting grape varietal that is considered to be relatively easy to grow and capable of producing some of the world’s top dessert wines (Sautern wines) as well as interesting and complex dry vinos. Serve well chilled, the wine is medium bodied and a bit oily on the palate suggesting pleasant notes of green apples, lime and honeysuckle leading to a clean and harmonious finish. Will be very interesting to see how this wine develops over the next few years.
Tulip, White Tulip, 2013 – Tulip winery's recent release is a unique blend of Gewürztraminer (70%) and Sauvignon Blanc (30%). The wine is medium bodied, light straw in color showing aromas and flavors of tropical fruits, orange zest and slight grassy notes with good balancing acidity. Another wine from Tulip that would be a good choice for Shavuot is Tulip’s White Franc – a very refreshing and tasty wine comprising an untraditional blend of Cab Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.
Recanati Rose 2013 – One of the best Rose wines on the market, Recanati’s version is produced using Barbera (80%) and Merlot (20%) grapes. Light and refreshing, the wine is showing pleasant aromas of strawberries, cherries, nectarines followed by notes of grapefruits and flowers. Serve chilled, the winery suggests serving the wine alongside Asian style dishes or rich fish dishes.
Galilee Mountain, Viognier, 2013- 100% Viognier grapes from vineyard in the Upper Galilee. Light gold in color, the wine is medium bodied with generous aromas that bring to mind white flowers, apricots, peaches and other summer fruits followed by a touch of warm spices leading to a pleasant finish.
Tishbi, Jonathan Tishbi - Special Reserve, Chardonnay, 2013 – Tishbi’s flagship label consisting of the Chardonnay as well as a red blend. The 2013 version is made with 100% Chardonnay grapes, medium-full bodies with pleasant notes of green apples, vanilla and buttery notes leading to a long finish with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
L’Chaim!
