Transcript Puerto Rico 'is' Latin America: An Economic Powerhouse Few

A Brief on Israeli Wines and
Wine Tasting
JCRC
March 27, 2014
Agenda
About Us
Introduction
Brief History of Israeli Wines
Quality of Israeli Wines
Climate and Geography
The Five Wine Regions
Grape Varieties
Kosher Wines
Tasting Wines
About Us
Gail Beth Appleson
Communications Editor, Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Freelance Writer
Wine Columnist, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A wine story: ___
Guillermo A. Rodríguez
Director, Int’l Projects & Study Abroad, Webster University
Hispanic Leader (Shalom Amigos, etc.)
Wine Consultant
A wine story: ___
Introduction
 Wine has been produced in the Land
of Israel since biblical times.
 Israeli wine is produced by hundreds of
wineries, ranging in size from small
boutique enterprises to large
companies producing over ten million
bottles per year.
 In 2011, Israeli wine exports totaled
over $26.7 million; a growing industry.
U.S. is largest export market.
Introduction
 Today, less than 15% of Israeli wine is produced
for sacramental purposes.
 The three largest producers—Carmel Winery,
Barkan Wine Cellars and Golan Heights
Winery—account for more than 80% of the
domestic market.
 As of 2012, Israel had 12,355 acres of vineyards.
 Annual wine consumption in Israel averages 4.6
liters per person; in the U.S. it is 10.5 liters.
Brief History of Israeli Wines
 In the book of Deuteronomy, the fruit of the vine was listed as
one of the seven blessed species of fruit found in the land of
Israel(Deut. 8:8).
 “And behold this vine...was planted in a good soil by great
waters that it may bring forth branches and that it may bear fruit,
that it might be a goodly vine.” – Ezekiel, 17.7
Brief History of Israeli Wines
 In Roman times, wine from Israel was
exported to Rome with the most sought after
wines being vintage, dated with the name of
the winemaker inscribed on the amphora.
 In the 7th century, the Islamic conquest of the
Middle East virtually wiped out the region's
wine industry with wineries closing down and
vineyards, planted with now lost indigenous
grape varieties, pulled out.
 Winemaking was temporarily revived in the
Crusader states from around 1100 to 1300
but the return of Islamic rule and the
subsequent Jewish Diaspora extinguished
the industry once again.
Brief History of Israeli Wines
 In 1848, a rabbi in Jerusalem founded the first
documented winery in modern times but its
establishment was short lived.
 The root of the modern Israeli wine industry
can be traced to the late 19th century when the
French Baron Edmond de Rothschild, owner
of the Bordeaux estate Château LafiteRothschild, began importing French grape
varieties and technical know how to the
region.
 In 1882, Baron Rothschild helped establish
Carmel Winery with vineyards and wine
production facilities in Rishon LeZion and
Zikhron Ya'akov near Haifa.
Quality of Israeli Wines
 The Israeli wine industry was based predominately on the
production of Kosher wines which were exported worldwide
to Jewish communities.
 The quality of these wines were varied, with many being
produced from high-yielding vineyards that valued quantity
over quality.
 Many of these wines were also somewhat sweet or very
sweet.
Quality of Israeli Wines
 In the late 1960s, Carmel Winery was the first Israeli winery
to make a dry table wine.
 In1980s the industry at large saw a revival in quality
winemaking, when an influx of winemaking talent from
Australia, California and France brought modern
technology and technical know-how to the growing Israeli
wine industry.
Climate & Geography
 Distinctly Mediterranean climate.
 Two primary seasons:
 A hot, humid summer season (April to
October) with very little precipitation
 A cold, rainy winter season (late October to
March).
 Dry growing season:
 Drip irrigation is essential to sustaining
viticulture.
 Vineyard managers use pruning and canopy
management techniques to maximize shade
production from the sunlight.
The Five Wine Regions
 Galil / Galilee / Golan - The most northern
region and produces many of Israel's top wines.
The Five Wine Regions
 Shomron / Samaria - Largest grape growing
area; Includes the Sharon plain located near the
Mediterranean coast and just south of Haifa.
The Five Wine Regions
 Shimshon / Samson - The most widely planted
region of Israel with almost 40% of the nation's
grapes being grown here.
The Five Wine Regions
 Judean Hills - Higher elevation region west of
Jerusalem. The nights are cool and crisp.
The Five Wine Regions
 Negev - A more arid, desert region of Israel.
Popular in biblical times for growing grapes, it
has redeemed some of its popularity thanks to
new watering technologies.
Grape Varieties
Main Varieties:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc
Grape Varieties
 Emerging varieties:
Cabernet Franc, Gewurztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Riesling Syrah.
 Other varieties planted to some significant degree:
Emerald Riesling, Muscat of Alexandria and Argaman.
Kosher Wines
 Kosher wine is grape wine produced according to Judaism’s
religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws (kashrut).
 To be considered kosher, a wine may only be handled by
observant Jews from the time the grapes are crushed.
 However, if the wine is boiled or pasteurized, it may
subsequently be handled by anyone without losing its kosher
status.
Kosher Wines
 Kosher wine cannot contain any non-kosher ingredients or fining
agents such as isinglass, gelatin or casein.
 None of the ingredients that make up wine (alcohol, sugars,
acids and phenols) is considered non-kosher.
 “Kosher for Passover” wine must have been kept free from
contact with grain, brad and dough.
Kosher Wines
 The kashrut laws specify that wine cannot be considered kosher
if it might have been used for idolatry.
 These laws include:

Yayin Nesekh (‫ )יין נסך‬-- wine that has been poured to an
idol;

Stam Yainom -- wine that has been touched by someone
who believes in idolatry or produced by non-Jews.
Kosher Wines
 When kosher wine is yayin mevushal ("‫ "יין מבושל‬- "cooked" or
"boiled"), it becomes unfit for idolatrous use and will keep the
status of kosher wine even if subsequently touched by an
idolater or non-Jews.
 While none of the ingredients that make up wine (alcohol,
sugars, acidity and phenols) is considered non-kosher, the
kashrut laws involving wine are concerned more with who
handles the wine and what they use to make it.
Kosher Wines
 When kosher wine is produced, marketed and sold
commercially, it must have the hechsher ("seal of approval") of a
kosher supervising agency or organization, or of an authoritative
rabbi who is preferably also a posek ("decisor" of Jewish law) or
be supervised by a beth din ("Jewish religious court of law").
 Although not all Israeli wine is kosher, virtually all of the large
producers in Israel have kosher certification.
The Wines to Taste Today
 WHITE:
 Dalton Canaan While
 Dalton Unoaked Chardonnay
The Wines to Taste Today
 RED:
 Barkan Merlot, Reserve Series
 Barkan Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve Series
Tasting Wines
Sight
 Look at 2 things in your glass
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What is its appearance?
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What is its color? Its shades?
Tasting Wines
Smell
Your nose is the key; 2 things to
notice
 Aroma – Related to the grape
 Bouquet – Resulting from the
wine making (fermentation, aging,
etc.)
Tasting Wines
Smell
 Process:
 Smell the wine without swirling the
glass.
 Swirl the wine and smell. This
liberates aromas and helps the wine
develop with exposure to oxygen.
 Evaluation: What does the aroma
remind you of? Can you identify any
different scents you know? Do you
like the way it smells?
Tasting Wines
Taste
 Sip the wine and move the wine
around in your mouth for a few
seconds before swallowing.
 Let it reach all of your palate and
even suck in some air to help
further liberate its flavor.
Tasting Wines
Taste
 Evaluation:
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Focus on the wine’s characteristics,
such as, sweetness, tartness,
bitterness, fruitiness, and saltiness.
How does it taste?
What types of flavors do you detect?
How would you describe the texture
of the wine on your palate?
Tasting Wines
Touch
 Evaluation of weight and body of the wine:
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How does it feel in your mouth?
Is it, light, watery, thin?
Is it medium in body; 2% milk?
It is full bodied, like cream?
Tasting Wines
The Aftertaste
 Swallow the wine
 Evaluation:
 Pay attention to the finish, or aftertaste.
 Is it pleasant or awkward?
 Does it entice you to take another sip?
 Do the flavors linger on your palate or does it
disappear quickly?
Tasting Wines
The Aftertaste
 Type of Aftertaste:
* Short - No aftertaste
* Long - Lingering aftertaste - Notable for a long time
* Clean - Pleasurable, free from defects
* Unpleasant - Too bitter or too sweet
Tasting Wines
Overall Impression
Your evaluation. All tastes are different, No right or wrong answer
 Simple - Did you enjoy the wine?
 Mentally combine your impressions of the wine's appearance
and color, aroma and bouquet, taste, body, and finish.
 Evaluate the harmony among the various aspects of the wine.
An outstanding wine will have balance among all these elements,
and each aspect of the wine will be well-integrated.
The End
Thanks. Gracias.
"Wine can be considered with good reason as the most healthful
and hygienic of all beverages." - Louis Pasteur
"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions
and more tolerance." - Benjamin Franklin
"A meal without wine is like a day without sun" - Anthelme BrillatSavarin