Yarden Winery Golan Heights
Do you love Israeli Wine From Golan Heights ?
Of course I do! Israeli wine from the Golan heights has the absolute best of all words.
First, you have the Mediterranean climate that gives warm summers and cool (not freezing) winter and spring.
Then you have what the French call “know-how” – this is the “Bible Belt” of the Wine Industry.
This means wine has been made in this era for well over 2000 years.
Yarden Winery Golan Heights
Israeli wine is typically Kosher wine.
Yarden Winery Golan Heights is Kosher – an excellent wine to buy for a holiday or to enjoy every day.
The combination of wine from Israel, and the fact most of it is Kosher, renders Israeli wine an excellent choice to buy as a gift if you are a guest to party celebrating Purim, Hannukah, or another holiday.
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Yarden Winery Golan Heights – Excellent Quality for the Price
I remember when Israeli wines first came to New York as part of a trade show.
It was the first time I tasted a wine from Israel.
Two things stood out for me at the tasting, that still stand true today.
1. The quality of the wines was equal and superior to any wine I could find from a top quality region like Bordeaux for the reds or Burgundy for the whites.
2. The price point was a bit more than I anticipated, yet in the scheme of things very good value for the money.
Yarden Winery Golan Heights
Today I had the good fortune of tasting a variety of wines (Chardonnay, Bordeaux varieties) from Yarden Winery in the Golan Heights.
The selection of different Chardonnay based wines (aged in oak), a surprising and fresh Gewurztraminer, and the expected “Bordeaux Blend” (as well as single bottlings of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) were all excellent.
… And here is the thing.
As wine lovers in the USA market, we pretty much EXPECT an excellent wine at a price point that is $20 – $30 dollars.
Yet what are the factors that make an excellent wine?
You have probably heard it said that “wine is made in the vineyard.”
Yawn.
Yes, understood!
What surprised me today about the Yarden winery from the Golan Heights is that they have a variety of very high tech (and super expensive) systems in place to ensure that the vines are getting EXACTLY as much water as they need.
No more.
No less.
This means that while vines might need to stress a bit (in terms of adapting to tiny amounts of water given to them) they will NOT need to die of thirst.
Yarden Winery Golan Heights
Most wine lovers think of France as having some of the best terroir to grow the grape vines.
Yet Israeli wines are so good just because they also have excellent terroir!
In the case of Yarden wine, the white wine varieties that need high acidity are planted very high.
The red Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) are planted lower, in areas that receive a lot of sun.
Yarden Winery Golan Heights – Winemakers
Israel is a young country.
The Isreali winemaking community is even younger.
The Yarden Head winemaker Victor Schoenfield was one of the first winemakers at Yarden, and was “imported” from America because at the time there were very few winemakers in Israel.
Today Victor has six winemakers working under him, and as he has been at the winery for almost two decades, he knows the terroir quite intimately.
Yarden Winery Golan Heights – Freeman’s Restaurant in NYC
It was a curious choice to have the Israeli wine tasting of Yarden Winery wines from the Golan Heights at Freeman’s Restaurant.
It was the first time I was to visit the restaurant, and only looked it up as I was en route.
Skimming the reviews, people thought the décor “funky” and food is usually served (for large groups) family style.
Many people also noted the “street art” in the alley” leading up to the restaurant.
So you can imagine I was curious!
Yarden Winery Golan Heights – Tasting
Actually, the Freeman’s Restaurant Venue was a very good choice as a venue.
Nearly a half-dozen journalists were seated along a large table.
A placemat of several wines (Chardonnay, an interesting Gewurztraminer, Bordeaux blends and single varieties) were labeled in front of us.
Food was served “family style.”
This included some vegetarian dishes, salads, etc.
Other courses included the Freeman restaurant “signature” brisket sandwich and a few other things.
The Introduction and Tasting
One of the most interesting elements of the presentation was the colorful mask placed in front of the tasting glasses.
The mask was in honor of Purim, a Jewish holiday where everyone is supposed to dress in costume (like the American Halloween).
The video below (filmed at the venue) explains the reason for the holiday and masks in more detail
During the presentation of the various courses, Victor explained the wine and also the unique terroir of the Yarden Winery in the Golan Heights.
Final Thoughts About Israeli Wine
This tasting of Israeli wine from the Golan Heights, with Yarden winery as an example, both supported and proved the ability for this region to produce wine as good or better than the finest wine in Bordeaux and the Napa Valley.
The reason is due to a few factors.
First is the terroir.
Israel, of course, has been making wine from biblical times.
The climate is very conducive to making wine without a lot of chemicals, as it is arid.
As by definition the “Golan Heights” is at a high altitude, you have a cooling factor when it comes to fresh acidity for the white wines, no matter the temperature on the flat land.
And also, Israel is attracting top talent so you have the most innovative winemakers.
Yarden Winery Golan Heights – Wine For Every Time
I would need to look up the exact statistics, yet I venture to say that most Israeli wine is purchased during the “High Holidays’ or other holidays like Purim.
Yet the high quality of this wine goes beyond just making a presentation for family and friends with a religious holiday.
Israeli wine from the Golan Heights, like Yarden Winery, is great to buy for every day dinners as well as making a gift presentation for hosts.
Starting Out with Golan Heights Israeli Wines
I really liked all the Israeli wines presented by Yarden today.
The sparkling wine was absolutely incredible. The Chardonnays could rival Sonoma.
Yet if you were only to buy one wine from Yarden, I would look to the Bordeaux blends aged in French oak.
In this wine you will taste some of the highest quality, most long-lived wine Israel can produce.
How to Visit Israeli Golan Heights and Other Wine Regions
You are well advised to begin your research well in advance of your trip.
More than 200 wineries are scattered across the country, from the Galilee in Northern Israel to the barren Negev desert.
Consideration: Are You Driving or Not?’
Driving makes sense if you are a family of adults or a group of friends.
If you do not drive, cabs are possible – but expensive!
It might make more sense to investigate one of the many tour companies that can pick up up at your hotel and then whisk you off to the winery.
This is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED choice so you can relax and have the experience of actually tasting the wines without being the designated driver.
Seeing Fun Things in Israel
Israel offers a lot of fun restaurants, hotels, and activities.
You can check out what I did on my last visit here!
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