Delivers rich, dark fruit flavors in a very approachable kosher-for-Passover wine from a major Israeli producer. This is an easy-drinking Cab rather than one with complicated structure, a category that has its place in your glass and is respectful of your bank account. $18-22
The Golan Heights Winery was founded in 1983, two years after Israel extended Israeli law and administration in the territory. Golan Heights Winery includes three main labels: Yarden, Gilgal (the North American export name for Gamla), and Mount Hermon. Yarden Cru Elite is a single-vineyard, single-block effort.
The Golan Heights Winery is one of Israel’s premium producers. Wine Enthusiast named it “New World Winery of the Year” in 2012. The “New World” designation is amusing since it is hard to imagine Israel and the Middle East qualifying as “New World” since the region was making wine thousands of years before there was a “New World”—but in the wine business, New World covers wineries not in Europe or Western Asia (Georgia, Armenia), but it is a muddied term and basically refers to modern winemaking rather than a defined geographic place.
Golan Heights Winery’s 1,557 acres of vineyards stretch from near the Sea of Galilee to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Hermon—a region where wine has been made for more than 6,000 years, but only in the past four decades have modern quality winemaking practices become standard.
The Golan Heights Winery’s acres are divided into 28 vineyards (96% in the Golan Heights) and about 450 individual blocks. The winery monitors each block individually, harvests it separately, and keeps the fruit separate through the winemaking process until final blending. There are 16 growers who grow 20 grape varieties. The Golan Heights winery and tasting room get very high marks on TripAdvisor. Visitors can take a Jeep ride through the vineyards before enjoying (according to several reviewers) great food.
Golan Heights winemaker Victor Schoenfeld is one of Israel’s most influential winemakers. He graduated from UC Davis in 1988 with a degree in enology. He worked at Robert Mondavi and Preston Vineyards in Sonoma, then Jacquesson & Fils Champagne house, north of Épernay, before joining Golan Heights. Schoenfeld strongly advocates new winemaking technology and precise climatic and viticultural analysis. Not surprisingly, the winery embraces sustainable agriculture and environmental responsibility, including solar and wind power, wastewater management, and composting.
The wine is rabbi-certified Kosher Lemehadrin—one of the most stringent levels of kosher supervision. It is not mevushal—it was not flash pasteurized or boiled. It also means it can only be opened and poured by Sabbath-observant Jews to satisfy the strictest regulations.
Golan Heights Winery Gilgal Cabernet Sauvignon, Galilee 2020: Deep ruby color; dark cherry, raspberry, plum, blackberry, black tea, black pepper, chocolate, tobacco, oak spice on the nose and palate. 14.5% ABV
Dry; amiable tannins and acidity, but not flaccid or flabby. Medium-plus body. Decanting or swirling in a large glass will help soften the tannins and integrate the oak.
Pairing—Braised short ribs, grilled ribeye, strip steak, slow-cooked beef brisket, pot roast. Lamb chops, herb-roasted lamb; venison and other wild game. Portobello mushrooms, lentil or mushroom stew. Cheese—Aged cheddar, Manchego, Gouda, Pecorino, Comté, Gruyère, smoked provolone. Avoid delicate, fresh cheeses.
