He is cheif winemaker for the Golan Heights winery in the Golan Heights. Have you had Israeli wine before? few years back, several producers came to the US and I was overwhelmed by how delicious all the wines were. was happy to just make the tail end of Victor Schoenfeld's visit to NYC. These were excellent wines.

Having worked at Israeli wineries I was sure that others would eventually acknowledge the high quality of up-and-coming Israeli wines.  The Golan Heights winery's Yarden 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon came in at 91.  Having followed Israel wines for many years I knew this day would come.  How cool is that! 

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. 

Spent the day in and around the Golan Heights today.  It is wild how you can see Syria as you drive many of the high altitude roads of the Golan Heights.  Visiting wineries up in The Golan Heights getting caught behind TANKS that are being transported.   It is really spectacular there.  Pretty wild.

I'm headed up North tomorrow to the Galil region which includes the highly regarded Galil & Golan Heights viticultural sections. While at a winery last week talking to a winemaker he had some visitors.  I was in Jerusalem for the last day and made my way upon the holiday's completion from Jerusalem to a winery near Sederot. 

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 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.  The Golan Cab was featured by wine writer Howard Goldberg in the NY Times in August , and as it turns out is a damn good wine. 

Among the instructor's opening statements was a proclamation that the Israeli wine industry took a major step forward with the introduction of the Golan Heights Winery 15 years ago  (it was more like 25 years ago). I attended an Israeli wine tasting at a local cultural center earlier this week. One should always decant red wine.

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. But there is a winery I have not yet mentioned - Recanati. Buy it up, drink it and be proud.

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.