EVENTS AND NEWS

 

Israel's Galil Mountain Winery Showcases Elegant Wines and Avant-Garde Architecture

 

March 22, 2007

 

After a tumultuous 2006 harvest shadowed by political conflict, Israel’s ultra-modern Gail Mountain Winery introduced its latest vintages with typical Mediterranean flair at Downtown Fig & Olive in New York City’s chic Meatpacking district. 

Snow was falling outside, but the restaurant’s ambiance fittingly reflected the exotic warmth of the Upper Galilee where the winery is located - a mountainous, yet lush region of forested slopes, gorges, and running streams.

Galil Mountain Winery is a joint venture of the Golan Heights Winery and Kibbutz Yiron - one of the finest winegrowing areas of the Galilee region where the first official vineyard was planted in 1997. The dramatic history of the area and the passions of its people lent inspiration to the construction of the winery and its seamless integration with the striking environment. Official operations began in 2002 when construction was completed.

Galil Mountain Winery is located within eyeshot of a Hezbollah outpost on a nearby mountain. It was briefly closed during the conflict with Lebanon last August yet key personnel were allowed onto the premises for the essential time each day so as not to interrupt production. Fortunately, the vineyards did not sustain any damage and the area was cleared of military activity well in time for a premium harvest.  According to Micha Vaadia, Galil Mountain’s new head winemaker, “We were very lucky since the harvest began just a few days after the fighting ended. I believe that the winery is so beautiful that Hezbollah decided to spare it. The wines produced during this conflict, including our first Viognier and Petit Verdot which are new to the region, are showing great potential.”

Galil Mountain is partly a family affair, as Micha’s brother, Gil Vaadia (of the Tel Aviv based firm Weinstein and Vaadia) happens to be the winery’s architect. The talents of the two brothers greatly contribute to Galil Mountain’s success, and both were hosts of the event, sharing their unique insights and experiences with guests. 

Gil began the seminar with a discussion about the concept and construction of the winery, renowned as the most innovative in Israel for its progressive, ecologically-responsible design.  Based on the concept of “comprehensive” tourism, visitors can explore the facilities inside and out through a platformed route that follows the flow of winemaking from the vineyard to the bottle. The platform ends in a tasting room with floor to ceiling windows that offer a dynamic view of the surrounding vineyards.

After the audience was familiarized with the winery’s location and structural attributes, Micha led a vertical tasting of Galil Mountain’s award-winning Yiron and renowned Pinot Noir wines. A graduate of UC Davis, Micha’s experience at vineyards around the world has given him exposure to different climates and winemaking styles. After working at the Golan Heights Winery for seven years, in 2006, he became Chief Winemaker at Galil Mountain, now regarded as the producer of Israel’s “number one value wine” by critic Daniel Rogov.

The technical portion of the event was capped by a delightful Israeli-inspired luncheon where Galil Mountain Wines displayed their delightful food-friendliness.  An amuse of Mediterranean crostinis accompanied the Sangiovese based 2006 Galil Mountain Rosé - one of the first wines from this vintage - which Micha describes as “charming with vibrant acidity and notes of pomegranates, strawberries, rose leaves, and spices.” Fresh zucchini carpaccio was served with the crisp 2005 Galil Mountain Chardonnay. Finally, a stunning main course of grilled lamb on rosemary skewers with fig couscous was the perfect match for the fragrant, earthy 2003 Galil Mountain Yiron Syrah.  As guests savored their last sips of wine with dessert, Anat Rushansky, CEO of Yarden Inc., the U.S parent company, thanked everyone for their participation, and advised them to look out for new vintages within the coming year.

 

Contact

Golan Heights Winery
Yarden, Inc.
575 Madison Ave., Suite 1006
New York, NY 10022
Tel: 212-605-0478
Fax: 212-605-0479
Email: hhassin@aol.com

Visit their Website:
www.yardenwines.com

 

Related Articles

May, 15, 2007	Golan Heights Winery Premiers 4x4 Tasting of its Yarden Wines
March, 22, 2007	Israel's Galil Mountain Winery Showcases Elegant Wines and Avant-Garde Architecture
July, 22, 2005	Yarden Wines Celebrate the Sweet Side of Rosh Hashanah
May, 20, 2005	Golan Heights Winery Releases New Single Vineyard Reds
July, 15, 2004	Golan Heights Winery Releases New Katzrin Wines
March, 15, 2004	First Single-Vineyard Wine from Golan Heights Winery: Yarden Odem Organic Vineyard Chardonnay 2002
September, 10, 2003	New Botrytis Technology from Golan Heights Winery
July, 11, 2003	Yarden Takes Top Awards at Vinexpo 2003
October, 11, 2002	Zelma Long to Consult to Golan Heights Winery
January, 24, 2002	Yarden Places Israel on International Wine Map