In an evet held on November 16, 2017 by the Embassy of the State of Israel at the Main Duty Free Store a variety of Israeli wines were launched for the very first time. This exciting event was hosted by the Israeli Wine Ambassador, Mr. Tal Gal-Cohen, and attended by the international diplomatic community.
Quality wines from the Holy Land are available for purchase in Ethiopia at the Duty Free Shops and at the Airport Shop. The Ethiopian Tourist Trading Enterprise has started selling Israeli wines from three famous key wineries.
It might sound ironic that Israel is making New World wine in what is one of the oldest wine-producing places on earth. The Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean was the cradle of the world’s wine culture, and Canaan must have been one of the earliest countries to enjoy wine, over 2,000 years before the vine reached Europe
Noah planted the first recorded vineyard in the land of Israel in 2000 B.C.E. and although grapes have been grown in the area for 8,000 years. Many wine presses have been discovered throughout Israel, giving a guide as to the winemaking practices more than 2,000 years ago. Visit any modern winery in Israel and they will show you the ancient wine press nearby. In the Ha’aretz Museum in Tel Aviv, they have a number of different wine presses from different periods to illustrate how they changed and developed over the years.
The official Israeli wine regions were decided in the 1960’s long before the Israel wine industry took its current shape. The country is divided into five regions; Galilee, Shomron, Samson, Judean Hills and the Negev. The Shomron and Samson areas are the traditional wine regions of Israel. These are coastal regions where the bulk of vineyards were originally planted and they formed the basis of Israeli wine for a hundred years or so. With the quality revolution, new vineyards were planted in the cooler areas of the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee, Judean Foothills and Judean Hills. These are proving to be Israel’s best quality wine producing areas, where most of the new vineyards are being planted.
Until quite recently, going into a liquor store and requesting the finest bottle of Israeli wine is not something many people are used to do. The reason for this is that wine, until recently, was not something Israel brought to the table. Now all this has changed, and it is time to add wine along with others sectors like technology, agriculture and medicine in which Israel is a global leader.
Hugh Johnson, the renowned British wine writer, had this to say, “New vineyards with classic varieties and a focus on cool climate and high-altitude regions has transformed Israeli wines, as has modern technology and internationally trained winemakers.” Oz Clarke, another Brit wine writer, said: “Israel is a rising star in the wine world.”
If you reside in Ethiopia, then you do not have to take others words for granted. You can go, purchase and taste it for yourself. There are seven types of excellent wines from three wineries, for immediate sale from different grape varieties.Tasted through time and with a mastery of wine making for millennia, every bottle tells a story.
TEPERBERG 1870 WINERY: was founded in 1870 by Zeev Zaide Teperberg in the old city of Jerusalem and came to be the first family winery founded in Israel in the new era. The winery has been privately owned by the family ever since.
- IMPRESION - Sauvignon Blanc- Chardonnay Dry White Wine $10
- IMPRESION – Gewurztraminer - Semi-Dry White Wine $10
- IMPRESION – Syrah - Dry Red Wine $10
- IMPRESION - Cabernet Sauvignon - Dry Red Wine $10
Carmel Winery: Carmel Winery is the historic winery of Israel. It was founded in 1882 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, owner of Chateau Lafite in Bordeaux. The story of Carmel represents the story of Israel, and the recent developments of Carmel's wines, symbolizes the revolution of Israeli wine in recent years.- PRIVET COLLECTION - Chardonnay - Dry White Wine $10
- PRIVET COLLECTION – Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot - Red DryWine $10
Adir Winery: At the heart of the Upper Galilee region, along the slopes of Admon Mountain, resides an inspiring family winery that has raised the standard of Israeli wine to a completely new level. Adir Winery produces high quality wines and is a true reflection of the favorable conditions in which their grapes are grown and harvested.* KEREM BEN ZIMRA - Cabernet Sauvignon - Red Dry Wine $24