Made a trip back up to the Golan Heights today.  Making wines exclusively grown in the Golan Heights region on its volcanic soils (a result of two volvano eruptions - the most recent a short million years ago), GHW (Golan Heights Winery) grows 22 varietals and produces close to 30 wines. 

Among the many things I must do is to better acquaint myself with one of Israel's oldest wineries - Carmel.  Well guess what folks, quietly the Carmel people have made HUGE advances in the vineyards, winery & their resulting products.  YES, that Carmel, of the sweet, thick sacramental wine.  Neither stuck, but how cool is that?!

The 2003 is drinking great, the 2004 is delicious and the just released 2005 is gorgeous.  the winery does produce several other wines that have been of particular interest of late.  The last Israeli wine I want to mention is a wine I recently tried for the first time, the Golan Cabernet Sauvignon.  Let's start with Carmel. 

You will find both 2005 & 2006 vintages in stock. The 2005 is selling for $12.50 The last wine I want to bring up in this category comes from the Golan Heights Winery, famous for its Yarden wines. Hermon" wines, but the GH Winery has a 2nd label you should all familiarize yourselves with - GAMLA.

Well ladies and gentlemen, the results are in. will be copying a list of wines & their scores from Israeli Wine Critic Daniel Rogov's "Wine & Food Forum".  I am waiting for my physical copy of the issue to arrive before I comment specifically.  More comments later.  Without further ado, the scores.