Changes In Barkan

[ChaimShraga]

Yotam Sharon, one of the winemakers at Barkan, posted on Facebook yesterday that he's leaving Barkan after thirteen years. He did not specify his future plans although it seems he's not leaving the field.

I don't know exactly who does what at Barkan, but I'd just like to say that the one time I had the opportunity to drink with Yotam, I found him to be a great drinking companion, which is probably the best personal compliment I can extend: he knows wine, he's a great person and company and it didn't hurt that he brought a bottle of Pegau with him. I'd have to check to be sure, but I think he also liked some savvy musical tracks I posted on Facebook.

Anyway, good luck to Yotam. I hope that someone with a better understanding of the Barkan hierarchy can comment on his contributions. But even if his only contribution was to be part of the team that made the Tzafit and the Altitude wines, I think his place in the Israeli Wine Heaven is guaranteed.

[Gabriel Geller]

,good luck to Yotam. I hope that someone with a better understanding of the Barkan hierarchy can comment on his contributions. But even if his only contribution was to be part of the team that made the Tzafit and the Altitude wines, I think his place in the Israeli Wine Heaven is guaranteed.

Best of luck to Yotam indeed! Btw ChaimShraga, is it Tzafit or Tzapit? I always try not to misspell wines' names and I'm unsure about this one in particular.

[ChaimShraga]

Tzafit.

[David Raccah]

On a partial aside, the 2009 Tzafit (yes spelled Tzafit) will NOT be coming to the U.S. - why you ask? What could be wrong with 2009? They blended in 5% of the 2008 vintage into it! Are you kidding me? Who came up with that idea? I know the US market is not that large, but by blending in 5% of 2008 juice, you cut out an entire channel for your wine! Royal will not touch the stuff!

I can only imagine this was done last minute and in the heat of fermentation/crushing, but really? Maybe this was done at bottling - not sure. I did not ask when the blending occurred.

I attached a picture of back label for "fun". Note no OU, OK, or other such American supervision. Just Rabanut and talk of Otzar Beit Din and Shivit! Are you kidding me for 5%. I REALLY liked this wine! I bought one of these in Israel and brought it back without even thinking of looking at the back label! Bummer.

David

2009 Barkan Tzafit Back label.JPG (46.69 KiB) Viewed 1339 times

[Jon Tabak]

Oops!

[Isaac Chavel]

I guess I'll have to pick up a bottle, if available, on my next trip to Israel.

[David Raccah]

Isaac - they are available and reasonably priced at 89 sheck.

[Isaac Chavel]

reasonably priced at 89 sheck

thanks, now i'm really interested

[Yehoshua Werth]

Yotam Sharon,
Hatzlacha and good fortune to you.
Some amazing wines have come out of there and may you find a place to bring more wonderful wine to all of us and the world.

Very interesting about the blend of Tzapit.
If the wine maker is working to give out the best wine and this was what he felt would do it; then Kudos for having the art upfront. If these other Rabbi's feel its Kosher then so be it.
Did they have the Ou or OK before this change in the Bottling?

[Yossie Horwitz]

More changes in the Israeli wine industry. Ilan Hasson, CEO of Binyamina has resigned as they consolidate their marketing/distribution efforts with the larger food group under the same ownership (the "Chatzei Chinam" supermarket chain and "Pri HaGalil" produce distribution group. This move follows the recent promotion of Sasson Ben-Aharon from Chief Winemaker to Head of the Binyamina Winery (while retaining the Chief Winemaker title although I would guess that Assaf Paz will receive the title Chief Winemaker within a short period of time as Sasson assumes greater managerial responsibilities).

Whether these and the Barkan changes are coincidental and merely business as usual or the underpinnings of consolidation/cost-cutting changes in the Israeli wine industry remains to be seen.

[Gabriel Geller]

Yes I heard that today as well and I'm in a bit of shock and confused.

[Peter May]

On a partial aside, the 2009 Tzafit (yes spelled Tzafit) will NOT be coming to the U.S. - They blended in 5% of the 2008 vintage into it!

Under TTB rules, as I understand it at least 95% of the named vintage must come from that year, so having 5% ofthe previous vintage is not illegal in the US.

[Mike_F]

On a partial aside, the 2009 Tzafit (yes spelled Tzafit) will NOT be coming to the U.S. - They blended in 5% of the 2008 vintage into it!

Under TTB rules, as I understand it at least 95% of the named vintage must come from that year, so having 5% ofthe previous vintage is not illegal in the US.

Peter,

The reasons are religious, not legal. To keep it simple, Jewish religious law requires that fields lay fallow every seventh year, and 2008 was such a year. There are various special dispensations and different interpretations of the rulings that allow the wineries to make wines in a sabbatical vintage and sell them locally, but many (most?) religious Jews in the USA will not purchase or drink wine from such a vintage.

best,

Mike

[jgpersky]

The problem is that both Barkan and Segal blended shmitta wine into many of their 2009 wines. This was not limited to their experiments.

[David Raccah]

Ouch! I wonder how many more wine were treated in this manner? Do you know?

David

[Yehoshua Werth]

The sparkling wine from 09' Gilgal is the same issue.

They blended some 08'

So we did not get any because of this.

Oh well what can we do.

[Jonathan K]

Just curious, if you were over at my house for dinner(in the US), and I poured an Israeli wine from a shmitta year, would you drink it? Would you question the kashrut of my house? Or would you just insist we finish the bottle lest some gets thrown out?

[Pinchas L]

Just curious, if you were over at my house for dinner(in the US), and I poured an Israeli wine from a shmitta year, would you drink it? Would you question the kashrut of my house? Or would you just insist we finish the bottle lest some gets thrown out?

Jonathan,

You've strewn a minefield. A scenario I consider similar to yours comes to mind, that goes as follows: One Shabbat afternoon two non-Jewish kids are playing ball on my block as I'm on my way to shul, one overthrows the other and I'm the only person who can prevent the ball from getting lost, should I do so, and would it matter if there is an "eiruv" in place, on which I do not rely but others in my neighborhood do? Inevitably we are moving towards Jesus' famous question about the fallen ox, for which I don't have a satisfactory response. Interacting with other people who adhere to different codes of conduct, gets very tricky at times.

Best,
-> Pinchas