The Margalit Winery started as a boutique winery in 1989 and has established itself as one of Israel's most respected wine farms.  Located south of Hadera, in the Sharon region, in the foothills of Mount Carmel, the unpretentious surroundings amidst citrus orchards would never give a hint of the superb quality and outstanding reputation (well-deserved) attained by these family vintners, Ya'ir and Assaf Margalit. 

     In their first release in the 1989, the winery released a modest 900 bottles or about 3 barrels of wine. They growed gradually, though steady, to a current production of 20,000 bottles a year or about 1600 cases.  Many wineries have grown much larger in a 20 year span but it's the family's committment to quality over quanity that has cemented it's name as one of Israel's premier wineries.

     I recently had a chance to meet with Assaf and sample some his works in progress. He tastes his wines every two weeks to ascertain how they're aging and to gauge how he might blend them.  On this occasion, he invited winemakers from a larger commercial winery for the informal tasting. While some winemakers are more guarded about their craft, Assaf is quite generous in the amount of time he gives to aspiring winemakers, sommeliers and wine writers as my case might illustrate.  He mentors those who even if they've gone to work for would be competitors and seems open minded towards suggestions from those he respects in the industry.   Not that he needs their advice but I believe he  and his father, as do I, see wine as an intellectual pursuit as much as a career or craft and he enjoys the banter about wine as much as the process and results.

     Earlier, in what would prove to be just my first of many visits with Asaf we visited with one of his previous interns who is helping the Depawn Winery in it's fledgling stages.  This garagista looked like any other rural house on approach but touring about one saw a secluded lab and a tempeture controlled barrel room (attached to the owner's house) able to secure some blessed vintages as they mature.  Assaf was kind with his praise and constructive with his criticism which has gained him obvious affection and respect among others in the field.  Winemakers are as much artists as scientists and engineers and need reassurance when things go right and even more encouragement and guidance when things go wrong. No, winemaker wants to wait for the market's feedback because it will be of little use once the wine is made because next years wine will be different even if just subtlely. Different vintage, different grapes, different wine. 

     He and his father/founder Ya'ir (who I would meet on my second visit)  both give classes all across Israel as far north as Tel Hai along the Lebanon border and  in nearby Tel Aviv. Ya'ir, a chemist by training,  is a respected author on winemaking and wine technology and the books are for sale and use as text books in wine schools globally.  Assaf trained in agricultural studies at Hebrew Univeresity in Israel (which gives him better insight than most about what makes good wines grapes good) as well as training as a winemaker in California. Ya'ir, first had his interest sparked while doing research as a chemist at UC Davis.The proximity to one of the world's best academic wine programs held it's sway and he's been a winemaker in theory or practice ever since.

The wines of Margalit are worth exploring though you may to go to a wine store to purchase them as currently they only open to the public three times a year for special events. This may change if they grow into larger targeted environs more North in Binyamina but few wineries in Israel are so universally praised as Margalit's so if you're a wino at heart you shouldn't be dissappointed.

The Winery divides their production into 3 lines of wines: their premiere Special Reserve, their selection of single varitietal Margalit series, and their newest series Enigma which presents one new Bordeaux blend each year.  In their 2006 Vintage for example, they released their Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a Margalit series Caberent Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc (though most years they have also released a Merlot) and that years Enigma: a 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc and 17% Merlot.

Margalit Winery
PO Box 4055

Caesarea, Israel 38900

(972) 050-533-4433

marwine@netvision.net.il

www.marglit-winery.com

Israel is a small country, about the size of New Jersey; but, the world of wine here is even smaller. There's many migrations of winery workers and even winemakers between wineries. Gil Shatzberg, the currrent head winemaker at Recanati Winery, since 2008, previously served as the winemaker at Amphorae wines for seven years , which was considered one of Israel's most promising wineries due to his efforts. Before that he worked at Carmel, Israel's largest winery and at two wineries in California including the reknown Jordan Winery.  Ido Lewinsohn, Recanati's other winemaker, previously interned at the prestigious Margalit Winery under Asaf Margalit and at wineries in Europe and Australia. 

The red wine being sold now is that of founding winemaker, Lewis Pasco, but the whites are all Gil's and both recently won recognition at the Israeli Wine Awards at the David Intercontinetal Hotel in Tel Aviv on March 30th, 2009.

Some Stars from Recaniti Wines including their Award Winning Petite Sirah-Zinfandel

The Recanati Winery offers four series of wines: The Yasmine series, the Recanati series, their Reserve and Special Reserve series. All of Recanati wines are made dry with no residual sugar.

Their 2008 whites I tried were a good entry point into understanding what their new winemaker is crafting at Recanati. Although he's 's continuing with the same vineyard program as under Pasco ( growing the same grapes in silmiliar ways), Gil will be pushing for more Old World style (more nuance, less fruit forward) than the wines once offered by Recanati.  It will take a couple of years before all the wines, particualrly the reds show his influence. The 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, however, are subtle yet savory wines bridging the gap between Old World and New World styles. Less mineral than a Chablis, the Chardonnay shows off a good wine at a good price and why Chardonnays are becoming more and more popular in Israel as they have worldwide (though I think Viognier, Gewurtztraminer, Muscat or French Columbard have greater export potential to bust off the Kosher wine shelf to the International or Eastern Mediterranean shelf).

2008  Recanati Sauvingon Blanc 44 NIS (about $10.50)

sweet on the palette with expected grapefruit, smooth but with crisp acidity 13% alcohol no oak aging as expected of most Sauvignon Blancs.

2008 Recanati Chardonnay 52 NIS ( about $12.50)

these grapes come from Kibbutz Manara in the Upper Galilee overlooking the border of Lebanon

with 13% alcohol the tropical fruit the nose matches well pear on the palette and hints of coconut brought on by a few months in oak

Award Winning Chardonnay

2006 Recanati Shiraz 52 NIS ( about $12.50)

these grapes come from Ezrael and famed Ella Valley vineyard

14.5% alcohol 8 months in French and American oak barrels

exhibiting lots of black fruits: Plum and Black Cherry

don't be surprised if in the future these same grapes are offered as a Syrah and with less American oak to suit Gil's preference for Rhone varietals.

David Tasting & Enjoying the 2006 Recanati Shiraz

2006 Recanati Reserve Merlot

with grapes coming exclusively from the Ella Valley, this wine was treated to the wineries finest grapes and it's newest barrels. Both French and Hungarian oak was used for 16 months to produce a wine with lots of black fruit and a sweetness that doesn't come from any residual sugar but what the winery claims is a reflection of the Hungarian oak. This a wine sure to please fans of Merlot and maybe make a few new fans along the way.

14.5% alcohol

Kosher Supervisor Rabbi Weiss, Wine Journalist David Rhodes & Winemaker Gil Shatsberg

2006 Recanati Reserve Petite Sirah-Zinfandel

This is what I would call a "California-blend" since these two grapes are more popular in California than anywhere else. This was one of Lewis Pasco's pet projects and maybe is a reflection of his time studying wine at UC Davis. Since Gil also studied there it's not suprising that this wine will continue in their future line-up.

This wine showed the best of both varietals, the octupus ink purple and busty body of Petite Sirah with the raspberry jam fest Zinfandels fans come to expect. The tannins are smooth for such a heavy hitter and easily accessable now.

With only 14% alcohol, a little less alcohol than one might expect from a California version but that is what might make it feel a bit more balanced.

Recanati Winery

POB 12050

Industrial Zone, Emek Hefer

(south of Hadera about a 10 minute walk off a Route 4 Bus stop)

Tel: o4 6222288  Fax: 04 6222882

info@recanati-winery.com

www.recanati-winery.com