State of Israel  Geography Land of Israel · Districts · Cities Transport · Mediterranean · Red Sea Sea of Galilee · Jerusalem · Tel Aviv · Haifa Image File history File links COA_of_Israel. ... Anthem: Hatikvah (The Hope) Capital  Jerusalem Largest city Jerusalem Official languages Hebrew, Arabic Government Parliamentary democracy  - President Moshe Katsav1  - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert  - Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik Independence from the League of Nations mandate administered by the United Kingdom   - Declaration 14 May 1948 (05 Iyar 5708)  Area  - Total 20,770... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... The Land of Israel (Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, Masoretic: ʼẸretz YiÅ›rāēl, Hebrew Academy: Éreẓ Yisrael, Yiddish: ) is the divinely ordained and given territory by God as an eternal inheritance to the Jewish people. ... Map of the districts of Israel Population density by geographic region, sub-district and district (thicker border indicates higher tier). ... Jerusalem Tel Aviv-Jaffa Haifa Rishon LeZion Ashdod Beersheba Petah Tikva Netanya Holon Bnei Brak Bat Yam Ramat Gan Ashkelon Rehovot The following list of cities in Israel is based on the current index of the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... The Sea of Galilee or Lake Kinneret (Hebrew ים כנרת), is Israels largest freshwater lake. ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... Tel-Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of Jaffa. ... Hebrew Arabic حَيْفَا Founded in 3rd century CE Government City District Haifa Population 267,000 1,039,000 (metropolitan area) Jurisdiction 63,666 dunams (63. ... History Jewish history · Timeline · Zionism · Aliyah Herzl · Balfour · British Mandate 1947 UN Plan · Independence · Austerity This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This is a timeline of the development of Judaism and the Jewish people. ... This article is about Zionism as a movement, not the History of Israel. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Theodor Herzl, in his middle age. ... Arthur James Balfour. ... Flag The approximate borders of the British Mandate circa 1922. ... On 29 November 1947 the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine or United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, a plan to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict in the British Mandate of Palestine, was approved by the United Nations General Assembly. ... 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The Israeli wine industry has wineries numbering in the hundreds and ranging in size from small boutique enterprises making a few thousand bottles per year to the largest producing over ten million bottles per year. A winery is a facility where fruit, usually grapes, is processed into wine. ...

Wine in Ancient Israel

Wine has been produced in the Land of Israel since Biblical times. The ancient land of Israel (known at various times as Canaan and Judea) was making wine over two thousand years before Europe. In Biblical times the wine industry was the mainstay of the economy and wine had significant ritual importance. For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ... The Land of Israel (Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, Masoretic: ʼẸretz Yiśrāēl, Hebrew Academy: Éreẓ Yisrael, Yiddish: ) is the divinely ordained and given territory by God as an eternal inheritance to the Jewish people. ... // [[Image:]] Map of Canaan For other uses, see Canaan (disambiguation). ... Map of the southern Levant, c. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

The city of Gibeon was the center of wine making in ancient Israel. In 1959 and 1960 archaeological expeditions discovered ancient wine cellars saved and preserved at temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius. Furthermore it has been determined that wine was made and stored in ancient Gibeon between 600 C.E and 700 C.E. The city of Gibeon in Canaan (about 6 miles north of the center of Jerusalem in the West Bank) was one of the four cities of the Hivites, which did not easily fall to the Hebrews. ... For referencing in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing sources. ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ...

Michael Bar Yosef writes in his book that through his travels he visited both Gibeon, Israel as well as Champagne. Besides the vineyards' difference in size (Gibeon being much smaller) Ben Yosef notes absolute similarities between the wine cellars of Gibeon, Israel and Champagne, France as if the same architect was involved in the design and building of the wine cellars despite the fact that the cellars of Gibeon were built 500 years earlier than the cellars of Champagne, France. Location of the Champagne province in France The Champagne wine region (archaic English: ) is a historic province within the Champagne administrative province in the northeast of France. ...

After the Roman conquest of Judea in 70 C.E., many vineyards were destroyed, and the remaining vines were torn up during the period of Muslim rule that began in 636 C.E. The Muslim conquest led to a 1,200 year halt to local wine production. There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ...

These ancient wines lacked the quality that people have become accustomed to in modern times. They were thick and sweet and had to be seasoned just to make them palatable.

Beginnings of the modern industry

1890s. Winemaking barrel shop in Zikhron Yaakov

The modern Israeli wine industry was founded by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, owner of the famous Bordeaux Chateau Château Lafite-Rothschild. In 1882 he supported the new wave of Jewish immigrants by sponsoring their efforts to start a viable wine industry. There were a number of initial setbacks - the soil was stony and sandy, crops did not survive the hot sun & the first vineyards were struck with phylloxera. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Baron Edmond James de Rothschild (born August 19, 1845 - died November 2, 1934) was a philanthropist and activist for Jewish affairs and a member of the prominent Rothschild family. ... Château Lafite-Rothschild Lafite-Rothschild label from the 1999 vintage Château Lafite Rothschild is a winery in France currently owned by members of the Rothschild banking family of France. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... A common vineyard. ... Grape Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, family Phylloxeridae, superfamily Aphidoidea) is a serious pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. ...

Rothschild built two wineries, one in Zikhron Ya'aqov and another in Rishon LeZion. Because of high temperatures the wine of the first vintages went sour, so deep underground cellars were constructed at enormous cost. Zikhron Yaaqov (זִכְרוֹן יַעֲקֹב ; unofficially also spelled Zichron Yaakov) (meaning Jacobs memorial) is a city in Israel, near Haifa, part of the Haifa District. ... Rishon Le Zion in 2002 Rishon LeZion, or Rishon LeZiyyon (ראשון לציון) is a city in Israel, on the central coastal strip, in the Center District of Israel, just south of Tel Aviv, and part of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area (Gush...

According to Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (86-volume edition), the region's export of wine and cognac in 1895 alone amounted to ₣ 277,000. [1] Title pages of «Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary» Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (35 volumes, small; 86 volumes, large) is, in its scope and style, the Russian counterpart to the 1911 Britannica. ... For other uses, see Franc (disambiguation). ...

In 1906 Baron Edmond de Rothschild passed the management of the wineries onto the growers who formed the Societe Co-operative Vigneronne des Grandes Caves and in 1957 his son, James Rothschild, donated the wineries to the wine growers cooperative. Their vineyards covered many parts of Israel, but the main concentration was in the coastal regions of Sharon & Samson. The resulting wines were sold under the brand name 'Carmel'.

At the turn of the twentieth century Carmel produced the first Israeli wine to win a medal at a wine show (Carmel No. 1 1900 was a gold medal winner at the Paris World's Fair). It signaled the rebirth of the Israeli wine industry after 2,000 years. Worlds Fair is any of various large expositions held since the mid-19th century. ...

Well into the 1960s, Israel suffered from a reputation of producing wines too thick and sweet to appeal to true wine connoisseurs.

In the 1970s Carmel began to produce Israel's first varietal wines (Cabernet Sauvignon & Sauvignon Blanc). Old vine Cabernet Sauvignon at Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley. ... Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. ...

It is fair to say that Israel's move toward producing quality wines really began with one special bottle of wine - Carmel Special Reserve 1976 (released in 1980). This wine was Israel’s first serious ‘fine’ wine. The wine, which lasted over 15 years, was a definite milestone in the production of Israeli wine (the 1979 vintage was also a great success).

Wine revolution

In the 1980s the quality revolution began in Israel, heralded by the formation of the Golan Heights Winery in 1983. Importing expertise from California, using state of the art technology and high altitude, cooler vineyards, the Golan led the country to a new dawn of quality wine. They won a host of gold medals and a number of trophies at the IWSC in London and Vinexpo in Bordeaux - in particular with their premier label, Yarden.

The Golan winery began to encourage vineyard owners to improve the quality of their grapes and, in the American tradition, paid bonuses for grapes with high sugar and acid content and rejected those which they perceived as substandard. The winery was also the first to realize that wines made from Grenache, Semillon, Petit Sirah and Carignan grapes would not put them on the world wine map and focused on planting and making wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, white Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Old vine Cabernet Sauvignon at Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley. ... Merlot grapes on the vine. ... Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. ... Oak-aged Chardonnay is particularly popular in the United States. ... Pinot noir (pi no nwar) is a red wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. ... Riesling is a white grape variety and varietal appellation of wines grown historically in Germany (see German wine), Alsace (France), Austria, and northern Italy. ... Gewürztraminer grapes on the vine Gewürztraminer (IPA: , sounds like guh-VERTS-truh-MEE-ner; IPA: in German; Croatian: ; Hungarian: ), sometimes referred to as Gewürz or Traminer, is a white wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. ...

The Golan wines were a success from the beginning; their second wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the 1984 vintage, won a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Many other wineries have made major steps forward in improving the quality of their wines. There are now five major wineries, approximately a dozen medium sized wineries and a rapidly growing host of small and boutique wineries in the country. Many of these are producing wines that are of high quality, and a few even producing wines good enough to interest connoisseurs and wine lovers throughout the world.

As wine writer Oz Clarke said, "Israel is now on the world wine map", and many local dry red and white wines are as good as some of the fine wines of California, Australia and others of the "new-world" wine-producing countries. Some Israeli wines are so good that they are compared favorably to the wines of the respected chateaux of France. Oz Clarke (1949 - )is a British wine writer and broadcaster. ...

Boutique revolution

Starting in the 1990s and continuing in the 2000s there has been an explosion of new boutique wineries throughout Israel. The most famous of these is Domaine du Castel, situated in the Judean Hills, west of Jerusalem. Castel wines were chosen as Decanter Wine of the Month on no less than three occasions.

Wine growing areas

The country is divided into five vine-growing regions:

• Galil (Galilee) - the region most suited for viniculture in Israel due to its high elevation, cool breezes, marked day and night temperature changes and rich, well-drained soils (most suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay)

• Judean Hills - surrounding the city of Jerusalem, and with a cool climate due to the relatively high elevation, this area has proven excellent for viniculture (most suitable for Chardonnay grapes)

• Shimshon (Samson) - located between the Judean Hills and the Coastal Plain

• Negev - drip irrigation has made it possible to grow grapes in this semi-arid desert region (most suitable for Merlot grapes)

• Sharon - located near the Mediterranean coast and just south of Haifa - surrounding the towns of Zichron Ya'akov and Binyamina - this is the largest grape growing area in the country

• Golan Heights - In the north of Israel, the Golan Heights is a growing wine production region, particularly along the Syria border.

Israel's main wine growing areas remain the traditional coastal regions of Sharon & Shimshon, but the best quality wines are coming from the Upper Galilee, Golan Heights, Judean Hills & Ramat Arad. The soils are Terra Rossa on the coast, limestone on the hills, sandy clay in the south and volcanic in areas of the north. There are approximately 4,000 hectares of vineyards, which makes Israel one of the smallest of all wine producing countries. However there are a surprising number of microclimates that lie between the snow covered Mount Hermon in the northern Golan & the Negev Desert in the south, which allows for the production of many varieties of grapes. The volcanic basalt soil, the relatively cool climate and the night-day temperature differentials of the Golan Heights (within the Galil region) have proven ideal for the production of premium quality wine grapes. For other uses, see Galilee (disambiguation). ... The Judean Mountains are the mountain range on which Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel is located. ... In geography, a coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. ... :For the light machine gun see IMI Negev. ... Sharon (שָׁרוֹן, Standard Hebrew Å aron, Tiberian Hebrew Šārôn) can be a Female or male name which can be spelt with one r or two (Sharron). ... Hebrew Arabic حَيْفَا Founded in 3rd century CE Government City District Haifa Population 267,000 1,039,000 (metropolitan area) Jurisdiction 63,666 dunams (63. ... Hebrew זִכְרוֹן יַעֲקֹב Name Meaning Jacobs Memorial Founded in 1882 Government Local council District Haifa Population 17,000 Jurisdiction 32,000 dunams (32 km²) Building wine barrels in Zikhron Yaaqov, 1890s Zikhron Yaaqov (Hebrew: זִכְרוֹן יַעֲקֹב; also Zichron Yaakov) (Jacobs Memorial) is a town in Israel, 35 km south of... Binyamina (Hebrew: בינימינה) is a place in the north west of Israel, near the Mediterranean, south of Haifa and north of Netanya. ... The Golan Heights (‎ Ramat HaGolan, Arabic: Habat al-Å«lān) or Golan is a mountainous area in northeastern Israel[1] on the border of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. ...

Israel is known for its advanced agriculture & technology and these come together in the vineyards. Whether it is the use of meteorological stations in the vineyards, the latest drip feed methods or planting vineyards in the desert, the Israeli viticulturist is up to date and always experimenting.

Varieties

The most common grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon (The best awards for Israeli wines & the premier wine of each winery tends to be with this grape), Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Others include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Johannisberg Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat Canelli. Of the newer varieties, Syrah/Shiraz was noted as the most promising. Numerous other varieties are available - from Petit Verdot to Viognier. There are no indigenous varieties, though the Muscat of Alexandria, which is prominent in the Eastern Mediterranean and is used to make dessert wines, comes closest. Emerald Riesling, a cross between Johannisberg Riesling and Muscadelle, is a variety which succeeded in Israel more than in California, where it was originally introduced. Old vine Cabernet Sauvignon at Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley. ... Merlot grapes on the vine. ... Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. ... Oak-aged Chardonnay is particularly popular in the United States. ... Pinot noir (pi no nwar) is a red wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. ... Cabernet Franc is a red wine grape variety similar to and a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. ... Riesling is a white grape variety and varietal appellation of wines grown historically in Alsace (France), Austria, Germany (see German wine), and northern Italy. ... Gewürztraminer grapes on the vine Gewürztraminer (IPA: , sounds like guh-VERTS-truh-MEE-ner; IPA: in German; Croatian: ; Hungarian: ), sometimes referred to as Gewürz or Traminer, is a white wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. ... Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is a white wine grape that is a member of the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera. ... Shiraz grapes have a characteristicly deep purple color that is reflected in their wine. ... Petit verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally in classic Bordeaux blends. ... Muscadelle is a white wine grape. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

Influences

Although the Israeli wine industry was built on French roots, Californian winemakers were responsible for the significant changes of the 1980s. Today nearly all the winemakers from the larger wineries and some from the better boutique wineries are internationally trained - mainly in Australia, California, France or Italy. It can be said that Australia has now replaced California as the dominant influence.

Prizes

^{[citation needed]}

Israel wins most prizes for its red wines, in particular Cabernet Sauvignon, but awards have been won for traditional method sparkling wines, white wines & dessert wines too. Eleven different Israeli wineries have won gold medals at the very highest level of international blind tasting wine competitions at least once, and some are regular winners. Blind tasting of wine involves tasting and evaluating wines without any knowledge of their identities. ... The most common form of wine competition is one in which awards are given to groups of wines in various winning categories on the basis of the blind tasting of wine. ...

Industry today

Today there are approximately 12 commercial wineries in Israel and over 150 boutique wineries. The largest wineries, which control over 90% of the Israel wine industry, are as follows:

1. Carmel Winery - dounded in 1882 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild. Carmel is the historic winery of Israel. It has existed under Turkish, British & Israeli rule and still has 50 % of the local market.
2. Barkan Wine Cellars - founded in 1990, located at Mitzpe Ramon in the central Negev Desert. The winery opened a modern winery at Hulda. In 2004 Barkan were purchased by Tempo, Israel’s biggest brewery (owners of Maccabee & Goldstar, importers of Heineken & agents for Pepsi Cola.
3. Golan Heights Winery
4. Efrat Winery - founded in 1870 by the Teperberg family in the Old City of Jerusalem. For many years Efrat has catered to the religious, orthodox Jewish population by virtue of its strong Rabbinical supervision. The winery was move to Motza, at the entrance to Jerusalem.
5. Binyamina Wine Cellars - founded in 1952 in Binyamina at the site of a unsuccessful perfume factory built by James Rothschild. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, Eliaz it was the second biggest winery but was geared mainly to religious Jewish market. In 1992 the winery was bought by two Los Angeles filmmakers, renamed Binyamina Wine Cellars.
6. Tishbi Estate
7. Galil Mountain
8. Dalton Winery
9. Recanati Winery - located in Emek Hefer, owned by Lennie Recanati of the Israeli banking family. The grapes are grown in vineyards in the Upper Galilee.

The following were awarded stars in Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2006 as the leading nine Israeli wineries: Carmel Winery is a vineyard and winery in Israel. ... Barkan Wine Cellars is Israels 2nd largest producer of wine and owned by beer brewer and soft drinks producer Tempo Beer Industries Ltd. ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... Binyamina (Hebrew: בינימינה) is a place in the north west of Israel, near the Mediterranean, south of Haifa and north of Netanya. ... Hugh Johnson (born 1939) is a British writer and expert on wine. ...

Three Stars

1. Domaine du Castel - founded in 1983, by Eli Ben Zaken, located in an old chicken coop, at Ramat Raziel in the Jerusalem Mountains.
2. Golan Heights Winery - located in Katzrin, on the Golan Heights. The winery produces premium varietals, proprietary blends and traditional method sparkling wines, marketed under the labels "Yarden", "Gamla", and "Golan".

Two Stars

1. Flam Winery
2. Margalit Winery
3. Yatir Winery - located at Tel Arad, in Yatir Forest, in the southern Judean Hills, established by joint venture between the growers of Yatir Forest and Carmel Winery. Yatir has won gold medals in the Challenge International du Vin competition in Bordeaux.

One Star

1. Amphorae Vineyard
2. Carmel Winery
3. Galil Mountain
4. Saslove Winery - a family operated winery, established in 1998, located at Kibbutz Eyal. The winery vineyards in Kaditah in the upper Galilee produce .5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. The winery also produces Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Muscat Dessert wines. Saslove wines has won gold medals in the Challenge International du Vin competition in Bordeaux.

Others: For other uses, see Bordeaux (disambiguation). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see Galilee (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bordeaux (disambiguation). ...

1. Chateau Golan - located on the southern Golan Heights.
2. Clos de Gat
3. Ella Valley = located in the Judean Foothills.
4. Mony Winery - owned by an Israeli Arab family, situated in a monastery. The winery produces kosher wines.
5. Neot Smadar - located in the Negev Desert, not far north of Eilat.
6. Odem Mountain - located in the Golan Heights at 1,000 meters altitude.
7. Tzora Winery - founded in 1993 by Ronnie James, located in Kibbutz Tzora. The winery was the first small winery in Israel to use all the grapes from their own vineyards, instead of buying grapes from elsewhere.

The Tzora kibbutz is an Israeli settlement situated about 30 km. ...

Summary

Israeli wines of today can not be confused with the syrupy sweet wines of past decades. They may be found on the wine lists of Three Star Michelin restaurants or on the shelves of premium wine stores. Yarden has been invited to The Wine Spectator's New York Wine Experience & Castel to the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter - both events are by invitation only, to the finest wineries in the world. Carmel wines are in supermarkets & retail stores in Europe & America. Israeli wines may be found in 40 countries in five continents, but most exports are to the Americas & Western Europe. Israeli wines may be categorized as 'new world wines, from one of the oldest wine producing countries on earth.'

References

• Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• The Wine And Food Academy
• IsraelWines - Israel’s Most Influential Wines
• IsraelWines - The Ups & Downs of Israel’s Most Famous Winery
• Daniel Rogov - Wine
• Daniel Rogov's Israeli Wine site
• Ancient Givon
• The Kosher Wine Society
• The Kosher Wine Guy
• Israeli Wine Direct Blog
• Israeli Boutique wineries and wine information (Hebrew)
• ‘The Bible of Israeli Wine’, written by Michael Ben Joseph, published by Modan Publishing, Ben Shemen, Israel, 2002