Israeli Winery visits

[Elchonon Hellinger]

Hello,
I shall return to my homeland on nov 13-dec 4, not as long as i'd like but have surgery scheduled in boston dec 10.

I have gotten much more in to wine since my last trip, and not merely content to drink from bottles but ive broadened my horizons to barrels.

Who would like to join in on winery trips ? my target winery's are below and will join others..

Ben Porat
Kinor David
Gvaot
Tanya
Tura
Gush Etzion
Shiloh
Ventura
Psagot
Livni


These im sure I can arrange, others i'd like to visit include:

Yatir,
The cave
Castel
Flam
Bravdo
Yarden
Adir

[Lior Yogev]

Consider Tzora, with a very friendly visitor center (perhaps try to schedule it with their terroir thing, includes vineyard tour and tastings)
Tishbi with possibly the most diversified visitor center with a very nice vegeterian-kosher restaurant, choclate-wine pairing activity, generous wine tastings and good atmosphere.

Regarding Castel, indeed a recommended place to visit but last time I checked they only received visits when you (or a small group) buy a (12) case or more of the GV, if I'm not mistaken.

If you're up north (Adir et al) then going to Dalton and Galil Mountain is recommended. Both include tours for the wide public, beautiful (and different) scenery and generous tastings (sign up to Galil's members club online and get the tour for free)

Lior

[Daniel Kovnat]

If you're up north (Adir et al) then going to Dalton and Galil Mountain is recommended. Both include tours for the wide public, beautiful (and different) scenery and generous tastings (sign up to Galil's members club online and get the tour for free)

Lior

Being a "Northerner," or, as another of the active members of our forum might say, a "Tzaphon-nic," I second what Lior says. Not only that, if you come to the Moshav Dalton Industrial Area, you can park your car and walk less than 5 minutes from the stylish modern Adir Winery Visitor Center for tasting and a delicious kosher breakfast including cheeses from their own goat dairy to the Dalton Winery Visitor Center, and then to the Rimon Winery Visitor Center (O.K -- O.K., it's not "wine"), and then (actually between Dalton & Rimon) to the Butterfly Brewery Visitor Center where you can taste the handcrafted product of this excellent Israeli Microbrewery.

As an aside, I just saw that someone on eBay is selling empty Butterfly Beer bottles for $7.95 + $9.00 shipping. That's better than I get (30 agorot for) returning the empty bottle.

Tell them Dr. Dan, the israelwinetaster.com man sent you. That, and $8 will get you a gallon of gas at any gas station in Israel.

[Elchonon Hellinger]

Ok, adir sounds great.. i'll be planing with Eli Poch.. surprised I havent gotten a stronger response yet.. for some trips we have room in the car and gas can be split...

Or you can drive there etc.. my goal is 30-50 winerys

[Gabriel Geller]

my goal is 30-50 winerys

30-50 wineries! And in how many days? 10, 15? Man I should call up two or three newspapers, such a marathon could make it to the news here although I seriously wonder what you would still be able to say when they'd interview you by the end of it...

[Elchonon Hellinger]

my goal is 30-50 winerys

30-50 wineries! And in how many days? 10, 15? Man I should call up two or three newspapers, such a marathon could make it to the news here although I seriously wonder what you would still be able to say when they'd interview you by the end of it...

im there 3 weeks, minus shabbat thats 18 days... we do 3 a day thats 54... GG where do you want to join us for ? i sure hope you'll join me for at least 15 of them

[Lior Yogev]

Considering your plan, I'd make sure to eat well in the morning and lunch, and spit everything you taste. From my experience, 2-3 wineries a day for a week can be rather exhausting to the body and mind.

Lior

[Elchonon Hellinger]

Considering your plan, I'd make sure to eat well in the morning and lunch, and spit everything you taste. From my experience, 2-3 wineries a day for a week can be rather exhausting to the body and mind.

Lior

no spitting!! Im on vacation! i can handle 1 bottle of wine no problem, tasting wise in 3 winery's thats like 1 bottle i'd guess. eating is my plan, organic goats yogurt, kemach maleh bread... you bet!!

Why arent you joining us ?

[Lior Yogev]

I recently moved to the states. Do you have a designated driver for all these plans?
For me drinking 1/2 a bottle and drinking the same amount as tastings is significantly different in terms of the alcoholic effect. And anyway, after consuming 2/3 bottle I don't think I can taste very well the next wines. That's just me, perhaps you can do better, but I still fail to see the point to "the more the better", especially since, as you mentioned, this is a vacation...

Lior

[Elchonon Hellinger]

i just never got the spitting part... espexxcially if its good

[YossiD]

To find out which wineries might be near other ones that you already plan to visit, have a look at my Google map of wineries:
yossiswinemap.notlong.com

It's mostly, though not entirely, up to date. There's supposed to be contact information for each winery, but Google lost some of the information and I have yet to fix it.

Have fun,

Yossi

yossiswinepage.wordpress.com
yossiswinemap.notlong.com

[Stephen Weil]

Flam
Castel
Tzora
Mony
Ella
within 10 min of each other and will all have guests. Might have to pay a few bob

[Yossie Horwitz]

For an up to date map of only the kosher wineries, try here:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=216077309031719733434.0004b75c578cf2f58580e&msa=0

[Elchonon Hellinger]

Thanks guys! Waiting on Gabriel and Eli poch to iron the logistics out to some, particularly the northern visits.. Would love to make it to Odem.

I have 1 couple for one trip and various others for some days, if any one else wants in thatd be great, I simply dont want to spend more on gas than on wine

[Daniel Kovnat]

As regards the gas/wine quotient, it's hard not to spend more on gas than wine at $8/gallon. To bad we don't have more electric cars in Israel. Or should I say ANY electric cars to get us all the way up to our Golan Heights Winery, the Mecca of wine in this little land?

[Stacey B]

Odem Mountain - Go for it! Try to get a hold of the Amber Port while there, and enjoy the R Merlot 2008 and the Syrah is a winner too!