Israel Flashcards
Israel Winery built by Lafite Rothschild

Carmel
- Baron Edmond de Rothschild arrived in Israel, 1887
- In 1960s, Carmel owned 90% of vineyard area

Year Golan Heights Winery was est

1989
- Turning point in Israel’s wine industry

Simcha Blass

- Invented drip irrigation in the mid-20th century
- One of Israel’s early innovations

Israel
1990s “boutique” wineries
- Margalit, 1989
- Domaine du Castel

Argaman
Crossing

Carignan x Souzão
- Developed as a workhorse variety
- First crossed in 1972 by Pinchas Spiegel-Roy in Beit Dagan, at the Agricultural Research Organization’s Volcani Center
- Resurgence in interest from quality-minded producers

Emerald Riesling
Crossing
Riesling x Muscadelle
Galilee
Soils
2 sectors

Galilee: one of Israel’s largest wine regions
- Diverse soils: limestone, volcanic soils, terra rossa
-
2 sectors:
-
Upper Galilee
- Just beneath Lebanese border
- Hillier, up to 1,000 m
-
Lower Galilee
- Lower in elevation
- Centered around Mount Tabor
-
Upper Galilee

What château of Bordeaux invested in Israel in the 1880s?

Baron Edmond de Rothschild of Ch. Lafite
Where in Israel did Rothschild establish his estate? What year?

Mount Carmel, 1887
mevushal

“cooked” in Hebrew
Requires flash-pasteurization
Israel
two native white varieties

- Marawi (unrelated to Lebanon’s Merweh)
- Dabouki
Israel
two native red varieties

- Baladi Asmar
- Bittuni
Judean Foothills
primary soil type

- terra rossa topsoil
- limestone beneath
Mountainous region located in northeastern Israel
Golan Heights
Region located west of Golan Heights
Galilee

Galilee
two sectors
Upper and Lower Galilee

What is the southernmost subregion in Israel?
Negev

What soil type is found in Galilee and the Judean Hills?
Terra Rossa, Limestone base
What is Emerald Riesling?
Riesling x Muscadelle
In reference to Israeli wine – what are Marawi, Jandali, and Baladi Asmar?
Native grape varieties
What are the generally accepted 5 wine regions of Israel (registered with the TTB and European Community)?
Gailee, Shomron, Samson, Judean Hills and Negev
Acres are used in the US; hectares are used in the European community – what is the unit of measurement used in Israel?
Dunams – 1 hectare is 10 dunams/1 acre is 4.047 dunams
What is the climate of Israel?
Mediterranean
What is the most widely grown grape variety in Israel?
Cabernet Sauvignon
What Israeli wine “region” produces the most wine?
Galilee – mainly Upper Galilee and Golan Heights
What is the main flavor of Arak?
Anise
Marawi and Jandali - red grapes or white grapes?
White Grapes
What is the name for the hot winds that blow in from the Arabian desert around harvest?
Hamsin
T/F - Golan Heights is situated in the south of Israel?
F - Northeast
Which project in Israel was Leslie Rudd associated with?
Covenant
5 producers are responsible for ~75% of Israel’s production - name 2
Carmel
Barkan
Golan Heights
Teperberg 1870
Binyamina Wine Cellars
Name an indigenous red grape variety:
Baladi Asmar
Bittuni
Argaman
What process is used that differentiates Mevushal wines?
These wines have been flash-pasturized (they can then be handled by anyone without losing Kosher status
What notable Frenchman was responsible for planting his country’s varieties all over Israel? Which well-known Israeli winery did he help build?
a. Baron Edmond de Rothschild, 1887
b. Carmel Winery, 90% majority owned by Carmel now
What geographical feature has a cooling effect on Golan Heights?
Snow-covered Mount Hermon and its cooling breezes
What is Argaman? Why was it developed and what grapes is it a crossing of? Name a producer?
Hebrew for “Crimson”, medium-bodied with sweet fruit flavors, soft tannins.
Originally developed as a blending variety to correct color deficiencies in Israeli reds
Crossing of Carignan x Portuguese Sousao
Varietal producers: The Segal, Jezreel and Barkan C
Emerald Riesling is a crossing of which two grapes? Where are most of its vineyards planted? What’s the grape’s significance? Name a producer?
a. Riesling x Muscadelle
b. Majority planted in southern Mount Carmel region and Central Coastal Plain
c. In the 1980’s, 75% of wine sold was white, Emerald Riesling was king
d. Producers: Selected, Tishbi, Barkan Reserve
True or False: Israel’s Marawi is related to Lebanon’s Merweh?
False
What is Israel’s southernmost subregion?
Negev Region/Negev Highlands Subregion
Describe the Golan Heights from a geological perspective? Height? Material?
a. 1200m
b. Volcanic Plateau
Where is Israel’s largest concentration of vineyards found?
Today the largest concentration of vineyards is in the north (Galilee & Golan) and the Judean Foothills, between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Tableside: Would you be able to recommend a Kosher white and red for us? What about something outside of Israel?
a. 2020 Shiran Viognier, Negev
b. 2020 Barkan Classic Sauvignon Blanc, Samson
c. 2021 Tabor “Mt Tabor” Chardonnay, Lower Galilee
d. 2021 Segal “Fusion Red Blend”, Samson
e. 2018 Tabor “Adama” Cabernet Sauvignon, Lower Galilee
f. 2020 Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon, Golan Heights
g. Covenant Winery in Napa makes Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon
What winery is famous for local varieties such as Hamdani, Jandali, and Dabouki?
Cremisan Monastery
Mount Tabor is associated with which part of Galilee?
Lower Galilee
Mount Hermon is associated with which part of Galilee?
Upper Galilee
What color are the grapes Baladi Asmar and Bittuni?
Red
What color are the grapes Marawi (a.k.a. Hamdani), Jandali, and Dabouki?
White
With what juice or juice-flavored soda do Israelis commonly consume Arak?
Grapefruit
What is distilled to produce the base liquor for Arak?
Grapes
What geographical feature meets Lebanon, Syria, and Israel?
Mount Hermon
Lachish is the unofficial subregion of what region?
Judean Foothills
What beverage from the greater Eastern Mediterranean is famed as being the oldest named wine in recorded history?
Commandaria from Cyprus is widely recognized as the oldest wine still being manufactured, with records of its production dating as far back as 800 B.C.
What is “hamsin”, and how does it affect Israeli viticulture?
Hot winds that blow through the Arabian Desert that can greatly boost temperatures, which can cause the vine to shut down
Which Israeli subregion is characterized by its high elevation and cool climate?
Golan Heights
In which region is the city of Tel Aviv located in? Jerusalem?
Tel Aviv- Coastal Plain
Jerusalem- Judean Foothills
Which wine region of Isreal is 200 meters below sea level?
Judean Foothills