A Kosher Wine Tasting

Israel receives little attention for its wines, but it has been making wines for millennium. There are many references in the bible to winemaking as a normal part of life. There are many wineries in modern day Israel, producing a wide variety of wine styles. In December 2000 we tasted four in preparation for the winter holidays.

1998 Carmel Valley Cab Sauvignon 1998

Named "Sampson", this medium-garnet red wine is from Israel and is Kosher. It had a slight tobaccoey aroma to it, not much. The flavor is a medium-body blend of cherry, tobacco, some blackberry too. When the wine was first poured it was very rough, but as it sat out it mellowed and got much tastier. Very good with spicy foods.

1999 Dalton Canaan Cabernet/Merlot A light garnet/cherry color, it has a gentle cherry aroma as well. A bit harsh when first poured, it opened up and became light and fruity, quite drinkable. Slight tannins and fruit flavors on the finish. We had Thai with this, and my friends with the spicier dishes found that it tasted better the spicier the dish got.

Sabra Chocolate-Orange Drink Yes, we bought this drink because of the cool genie bottle. We were told later by some Israeli natives that this is a gimmick they use to suck in the tourists, and that few natives would be seen drinking this stuff! It is indeed chocolaty and orangy, but in a half-hearted koolaidy sort of way. I'd recommend mixing together Grand Marnier and Godiva liqueur if that's the flavor you're after! Apparently locals use this as an ingredient in brownies, though, which is tasty ...

Wine Review Listing