Cabernet Sauvignon in Israel, like most of the wine world, is the king of red wine grapes.  One of the five blending grapes used in many of the world's most sought after wines in it's original home of the Bordeaux region in France.  It's typically the principal grape blended with any one or more with  the other four (Merlot, Caberent Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot).

In the New World of wine, defined as anywhere outside of traditonal European wine regions, Caberent Sauvignon has broken through the shroud of obsticating French wine labels that most often display the region or vineyard but not the grapes on the label. Used in Israel and other "New World" wine regions most often on it's own to make wine's that are fruit bombs and less nuanced than it's traditional roots in France.  FYI: Many wine regions define a blend as any wine with less than 75% or 85% of one principal grape. So a wine for instance with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot might not be considered a blend but marketed as a single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon while a wine with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 35% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc would be a blend.

 In Israel:

Many notable Israeli wineries are making Bordeaux-type blends as their top-tier reserve wines (such as Domaine du Castel's Grand Vin, Carmel's Limited Edition, Yatir's Yatir Forest and Tishbi's Jonathan Tishbi Reserve Sde Boker ) while others are making Cabernet principals their top tier wines (such as Margalit). Either way, Cabernet plays a major role in most Israeli premier wines.

It is questionable whether in the future for Israel to create a bigger niche in the world wine market if Cabernet Sauvignon will remain the grape most widely associated with Israel although right now Cabernet and Cabernet blends are accounting for the majority of world recognized wines (for now).

Expected Characteristics:

Fruit Flavors: Black Fruit such as Black Currant/Cassis,  Blackberries, Black Cherries  and Plum

Herbal/Vegetative: bell pepper,  olive and green bean

Other flavors: pepper, cinnamon, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and cigar box

Food/Flavor affinities:

Apple, pear, blackberry, elderberry, shallot, domestic and wild mushrooms, wild rice, fresh tarragon, basil, mint, green peppercorn, cinnamon, nutmeg,

allspice, nuts with stronger tannins like hazelnut, pecan and walnuts  Most People find tomato or orange sauces clash with Cabernet Sauvignon maybe try Cabernet Franc instead which has higher acidity. * Adapted from Wine & Food Affinities by Karen Johnson

Other Notable Wine Regions: Bordeaux, France, Tuscany ( Super Tuscans) , Italy, California, Washington State, USA, South Africa and Chile

Reds

Barbera

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon

Carignan

Gamay

Grenache

Malbec

Merlot

Nebbiolo

Petit Verdot

Petite Sirah

Pinot Noir

Pinotage

Sangiovese

Syrah/Shiraz

Temprinillo

Zinfandel

Whites

Chardonnay

Chenin Blanc

Colombard/ French Colombard

Emerald Riesling

Gewurztraminer

Muscat

Riesling/White Riesling

Sauvignon Blanc

Semillon

Viognier

Here's a partial list of the winners of the Israel Wine Awards, presented at a gala event Sunday March 30th, 2009 at the David Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv (across the beach from the Eastern Mediterranean).

I didn't find out about the event until the night of the event which is a shame since it was also a charity event raising money for troubled adolescents, which I would have liked to get people to attend to donate or particiapte in the wine auction.

The Awards were decided by a panel of 20 judges, many of them wine writers, but were limited to wineries who submitted their wines to the competition so even though the award winners deserve credit and congrats for their award winning wines; these results and similar results from other events need to take that not all of israel's wines were represented into consideration.

i'll post all the winners as the official results are published and I'll give you some of my insights of the event

Sauvignon Blanc

3rd Place Carmel 08

2nd Place Galil 08

1st Place: Gamla 08

Chardonnay

3rdPlace:  Recanati 06

2nd Place: Ella Valley 07

1st Place:Yarden 06

Read the separate blog on the Recanati winery

Special White

2nd Assaf Viognier 06

1st Vitkin Riesling 07

Blend White

2nd Yasmin Recanati

1st Avanim Galil

Cabernet Sauvignon

3rd Asaf Reserve 06

Tie  2nd Place: Evigan reserve & Alexander the Great 05

1st Place: Ella Valley Reserve 05

read the separate blogs on the Alexander Winery and on the Cabernet Sauvignon grape

Merlot

3rd Yarden 04

2nd Place Ella Valley 06

1st Place Recanati Reserve 06

read the separate blog on the Recanati winery

Syrah/Shiraz

3rd Place

2nd Place

1st Place

Cabernet Franc

3rd Tulip

2nd

1st

Read the seperate blog on the Cabernet Franc grape

Special Red

3rd Recanati Petite Sirah Zinfandel 06

2nd place malbec Teperberg 07

1st place Petite Sirah Carmel  05

red the separate blog on the Recanati Winery

Blend

Ist Place Amphorae 05 (Gil Shatsberg: Wine Maker)

Dessert Wines

3rd Place:  Moscato Golan 08

2nd Place:

1st Place:  Carmel Gerwurtraminer