Adam Montefiore: A Driven Passion for the Wines of Israel

He always told me, "Never forget Israel." He, being Adam Montefiore, and his passion for his adopted country, and the wines they produce, left a lasting impression on me. At the time I knew Adam, he was my mentor as the export manager at the Golan Heights winery, and I was responsible to him for the sales and marketing of their wines in the United States. That time period was between 1998 and 2000. Since then, Adam has spearheaded a team that has brought life to Carmel Winery, and he has positioned himself as the voice of Israeli wine.

In 1989 Adam emigrated from England to Israel. This was a beginning of a growth era for both the food and wine industries in Israel, and Adam was poised to part of it. He already had a built a solid career in England, where he worked as the Wine Manager for the Bass Hotel Group. Some of the skills of that job: wine buying, wine training, and wine marketing, helped to formulate the unique spokesman for Israeli wines that Adam has become. 

During his time in Israel, his accomplishments are lengthy. He was the first to advance the concept of 'wine by the glass'. He organized the first Wine Waiter competition, helped build the international reputation the Yarden brand, and since December of 2002, has helped to revitalize the Carmel winery. Adam, because of complicated distribution agreements, has represented at times as many as fourteen different wineries in export markets. He lectures college courses on wine, and has written pieces on wine that are included in some of the most notable publications writing on the subject of wine; such as; The Wine Route of Israel, Jancis Robinson's Oxford Companion to Wine, The Book of New Israeli Food & Wines of Israel, and The NY Times. 

I spent some time asking Adam about current trends of wine in Israel.

Q: What role is "Kosher" playing in winemaking today?

A: Most of the wine produced in Israel is kosher. In the same way many countries make sparkling wine, but the best is Champagne, many countries make kosher wine, but the specialist is Israel. It is very easy to make kosher wine in Israel, so it is almost routine. However we still say we try and make the best wine we can that just happens to be kosher. An Israeli wine may be on a wine list next to Chateau Musar, or on the wine shelf alongside a Greek wine.

So Kosher plays as big a part as the customer wants ('It's kosher if you want it to be kosher'). However Israel has a big potential outside the kosher market too for any retailer or sommelier interested in the Eastern Mediterranean (Greece, Lebanon, Israel) or anyone interested in exotic, unusual wine regions.

Israel's top wineries according to the major critics; Daniel Rogov, Hugh Johnson, and Robert Parker are (whatever order you choose) Domaine du Castel, Yatir, and Yarden. All happen to be kosher. The next two; Margalit and Clos de Gat are not kosher.

Q: What is the hot winery?

A: The hot winery is Yatir Winery. Founded in 2000, wines launched in 2004. It has the highest score with Robert Parker for an Israeli wine (93), equal high score in Wine Spectator (92) and Tom Stevenson wrote in the Wine Report 2009 'that it was the classiest Israeli wine he had tasted.' If Yarden was the Israeli wine of the 1980's, Castel of the 1990's, arguably Yatir is the wine of the 21st century.

Q: What are the finest wines?

A: The best wines are Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux style blends. The best wines are Israel's red wines and dessert wines. Truly world class. Some of the white wines and sparkling reach a very good international standard.

Q: Talk of New World in the Old World , in relation to styles of wine, grape growing practices, and cellar practices.

A: Israel is a New World wine country. Israeli farmers are the best in the world, and Israeli growers are also technologically advanced. Israeli wine though, is a combination of the Old World, New World, and ancient world with a 5,000 year history. Three revolutions:

1. In the 1880's Israeli wine was formed on a basis of French expertise with Bordeaux winemakers, cuttings from Chateau Lafite and consultants. Founded by the Rothschild family.
2. The quality revolution (Mondavi movement) happened because of the Golan Heights Winery in the 1980's.
3. Today, the influences have shifted more to Australia than UC Davis.

Q: What grape growing regions are showing "terroir" in current times?

A: Ten years ago only the Golan Heights was considered a good terroir for world class wines. Today the Upper Galilee may be considered as good for red wines, in particular Cabernet Sauvignon. The Judean Hills proved very well in the Wine Advocate tastings. Our terroir is eastern Mediterranean; fruit forward reds with Mediterranean herbs twist.

Q: What would be the most important point you could make to let people know about some of the high quality wines that are being made both in boutique wineries, and some of the more established wineries?

A: Israel is making some of the finest wines in the eastern Mediterranean today and the largest and best quality kosher wines in the world. There is incredible variety of terroirs and wine styles in so small a country. Taste the wines put them in your blind tastings.
Best trophy wines: Yarden Katzrin, Yatir Forest, Castel Grand Vin, Carmel Limited Edition, Clos de Gat Sycra Syrah.

Most interesting wines: Carmel 'Appellation' Carignan Old Vines, Carmel 'Appellation' Petite Sirah Old Vines, Segal Argaman, Ella Valley Cabernet Franc.

Not so long ago, if you were looking for the kosher section of a wine retail store, you could start your search by finding the stack of cases closest to the store's restrooms. Spearheaded by the passionate and tireless marketing efforts of Adam, and some of his disciples, you can actually find sections in key locations of the store that include the Eastern Mediterranean countries of Greece, Lebanon, and Israel. Israel has kosher wines too, if you want it to be kosher.

Brad Haskel

Sommelier and Restaurateur

 

The Importance of French Wine

Somehow, when all the critics declared that Bordeaux's 2009 vintage was the finest they had ever tasted, the clamoring from the wine drinking public in the US was very lukewarm. There are many legitimate factors that have come into play at the same time. First, even for those that can afford the exorbitant prices that top Bordeaux demands, the pricing is geared closer to an item that you would want to invest in, rather than consume. Secondly, the US market is no longer singularly fixated on French wines as the only source of the finest wines. That viewpoint was not always the case.

The Old Model

Before the famous Steven Spurrier tastings in Paris in 1976, if you were a wine lover you had to know about French wine. French wine was the standard-bearer so much that someone in the US, asking for a generic white wine would ask for a Chablis, and someone asking for a red wine would ask for a red Burgundy. They weren't getting a fine Chablis from Burgundy, nor a fine Pinot Noir from Burgundy. They were receiving a cheap field blend of grapes from California, that fit a price point. Still, the reference was to French wine, and wine had not become popular at all yet. Wine was really a mindset of the Europeans, and the well-to-do.

A high compliment about an Australian Chardonnay, or a California Chardonnay was that it tasted Burgundian, or was made from clones of the best producing regions of Burgundy. A great Cabernet Sauvignon, or a red Bordeaux blend, may have other names, such as Meritage in the new world, but the best compliment is still to call it a great Bordeaux blend.

Examples of this New World borrowing of French techniques and grapes are spread throughout the winemaking world.

Here are some of the more common grape varietals that are planted around the world whose origins are French:

Red Grapes
Syrah (Shiraz) the red grape varietal that was once most famous in France's Rhone Valley, might have a legitimate argument to its popularity with Australia's success. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the staples of the Medoc portion of Bordeaux. Those two varietals are planted all over the world. Cabernet Franc whose fame is derived from the the right bank of the Gironde river whose two most famous communes are St. Emilion and Pomerol, is also a prominent red grape in the Loire Valley. You can find Cabernet Franc planted in vineyards from New York's Long Island, to many places that grow other red Bordeaux varietals. The only difference in the philosophy of most of those producers is whether they are trying to emulate the style Bordeaux or the style of the Loire Valley.

Argentina has planted and prospered with the Malbec grape, whose origins are from Bordeaux and the southwestern French region of Cahors. Grenache, the grape that dominates blends in the southern Rhone Valley, has prospered in Spain, as well as Australia; and much of the world. Then, there is Pinot Noir. The grape that Burgundy made famous, has proliferated all over the winemaking world. Pinot Noir, the heartbreak grape speaks of the terroir of Burgundy, and is planted everywhere in an attempt to duplicate its greatness. Those winemakers who plant Pinot Noir in the cool growing regions that mimic the conditions of Volnay or Gevrey Chambertin, are clearly looking to emulate a wine that has been admired for centuries.

White Grapes
Chardonnay is the most popular white varietal. Long after people in restaurants stopped asking for a generic white wine by asking for a "Chablis", they started to ask for Chardonnay. Still this is the elegant varietal that makes up Burgundy wines such as Puligny Montrachet, Pouilly-Fuisse, and Corton Charlemagne. Chardonnay, is a hearty varietal that can be produced in many styles, and is known as a "winemaker's wine", meaning the winemaker can sometimes mask deficiencies of the quality of grapes. Sauvignon Blanc is found in the Loire Valley in its most recognized wines of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. Sauvignon Blanc is also the primary grape in white Bordeaux blends. Lastly, Riesling, which is often associated with Germany, can be found in the northern region of Alsace. Riesling, while often thought to be a sweet wine, is traditionally vinified in a dry style in Alsace.

I would argue that if you truly want to understand what is happening in the world of wine, you still need to have an understanding of the wine producing regions of France. Today, the world of wine is; well the WORLD of wine. Twenty-five years ago, the wine drinking world looked to western Europe; France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Portugal for fine wine. The rest of the world was in experimental phases, that borrowed from this old world model. Today, the winemaking world trades back and forth borrowing techniques and ideas from old world to new world and from new world to old world. Someone just entering the wine business, or has a fascination about learning about wine has an overwhelming amount of information to absorb. Still, we all have to start somewhere, and I believe the best place to start is in France.

Brad Haskel

Sommelier and Restaurateur

Sangria: One Bloody Year Round Punch!!

What exactly is sangria and why is it so named? Why are there so many different ways

to make it and who were the first people to enjoy this popular drink? When did

Americans discover this refreshing summer libation? The answer to these and other

questions lies below. So take a sip, savor, lean back and enjoy.

The word sangria is Spanish, derived from sangre, meaning blood (sangue in

Portuguese). Steeped in hundreds of years of humble Spanish tradition, this red wine

punch was originally made with Rioja and other indigenous red wines, but is today often

created with a claret base (a hearty French Bordeaux wine), with fruit added for extra

flavor. Claret Cup Punch was a popular drink at festivities in the 1700s and 1800s (and

is also mentioned in some old movies if you listen very closely).

Most Americans were introduced to this drink at the 1964 Worldʼs Fair where it was

featured in "The Spanish World" Pavilion. The preparation and ingredients differ greatly

and so does the alcoholic content. White wine can be substituted for red in which case

the result is sangria blanco. In parts of southern Spain, the drink is sometimes made

with peaches and nectarines and is called zurra.

Usually, fruit is cut into thin slices or small cubes and all the ingredients are mixed in

advance except for ice and carbonated sodas (gaseosa), which are added as the drink

is poured. It takes several hours chilled in the refrigerator for all of the fruit flavors to

blend with all of the other ingredients and the more time they have to do so, the better

the taste. Sangria is usually served throughout Spain during the summer and all year

round in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

In the United Kingdom, the attractions of Spain are often referred to as: "sun, sea, sex

and sangria." The Spanish themselves usually do not order the drink from pubs and

restaurants, although it is a popular selection among tourists who visit both Spain and

Mexico. In such a public setting, a 1-litre pitcher large enough to hold all the ingredients

with a wooden spoon to retrieve the fruit from the bottom of the bowl or container is

served on a table. It is a very popular libation at informal gatherings.