Wines in Israel - interview with Mr. Israel Preker
In 1999 my Doctor recommended that it would be beneficial to my health if I will drink a glass of red wine every day. I looked for information online about the subject of wine in Israel and unfortunately I could hardly find any data about the subject. I decided to start a small website – almost for myself – and to collect information from wineries in Israel that I began visiting. Slowly as I noticed that thousands of people are visiting my website I decided to invest more in it and make it bigger – and the rest is history. The website turned into the leading Israeli wine portal and it gives great exposure to Israeli wines and wineries. 2. Which types of wine are mainly being produced in Israel? The main types of wine produced in Israel are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Shardone, Sauvignon Blanc and tens of other kinds of wines. 3. What in your opinion sets the Israeli wine apart from wine produced in other parts of the world? In recent years there has been a significant advancement in the quality of the Israeli wines and they started to get recognition and prizes in wine competitions around the world. Despite that fact many people are still not familiar with the quality wines that come from Israel and believe that only sweet kosher wines made for Kiddush (Jewish Friday evening ceremony) are being produced in the country. 4. Where do you see the Israeli wine industry going in the next few years? Every year new wineries that produce different kinds of wine are being opened in Israel. There are also several wine courses that are always full with new students – following the course some of those students are opening their own wineries. It seems like it turned into a “plague” in the country. I hope that the uneasy economic situation won’t hit the producers hard and that they will still have buyers. 5. Which is your favorite winery among the big wine producers in Israel? And which is your favorite among the smaller producers? The big wineries that produce the wines that are considered the best in Israel are: the Golan Heights Winery, Carmel Winery and Yatir. Smaller wineries that are considered of good quality are: Castel, Clos De Gat, Flam, Ella Valley, Recanati and others. 6. If you would have to choose only 1 bottle of Israeli wine to offer a tourist visiting in Israel which one would that be? In my opinion Katzrin of the Golan Heights winery is considered one of the best wines currently produced in Israel. 7. Could you please share your opinion on which wineries should a tourist visit in while traveling Israel? My recommended wineries to visit while traveling Israel are: Golan Heights Winery, Carmel Winery in Zichron Yaacov, Ella Valley winery, Tzora vineyards and others. Return from Israel wine interview to the interviews page Return to the Home Page |
