Romancing Israel and its wines

When you are in love, you ache for the sound of your loved one’s voice. And the voices of Israel are like a symphony coming together in a heart pounding crescendo: the songs of prayers, the market vendors hawking their wares and the rush of the sea onto the partially rocky shoreline. But there is no sound as seductive as the wind blowing through the valley making the vines tremble as when lovers whisper to each other. This can be experienced with visiting Chateau Golan located in the Golan Heights. This is an avant garde winery working with fun varietals such as Grenache, Mourvedre and even Portugal’s own Touriga Nacional. The Touriga Nacional was specifically imported by Chateau Golan and makes an outstanding port-style fortified wine. Less than 500 bottles are produced of this special wine which pairs beautifully with blue-veined goat cheese, a specialty of Israeli cheese makers.

• Sunrise in the Golan Heights

When you are in love, you long for the smell of your loved one; to bury your nose in their neck and breathe in their essence. Israel overflows with aromas that fill the nose enveloping the lungs with sweet scents of spices and flowers and of foods offered by corner vendors. The sweetest smell of all is that wafting from within the winery walls as the just picked grapes undergo their metamorphosis. No grapes make a more beautiful change than those under the handling and care of Gil Hershkowiz who makes the Galileo wines in the Galilee Mountains. His operation is small; making less than 200 cases of wine a year. Once you have a whiff of Gil’s wines, you’ll know why the trek to Israel is worth it. The small production, hand-crafted Cabernet Sauvignon is sweet perfume to the nose with scents of oak and a mingle of red and black berries. The wine has a rich and creamy texture with a lingering finish; a must have with lamb.

When you are in love, you desire the taste of your new love; to press your lips against theirs and drink in their flavors. Much as the encounter the palate has with the wines from Margalit Winery. Margalit is family-owned with father/son running the winemaking and daily operations of the winery that is located in the Ceasarea region. The winery has two vineyard locations: Kadita in Upper Galilee and Binyamina in the Haifa district. Margalit wines are big and need aeration to really come into their own. I happen to be a Cabernet Franc lover; I enjoy the bell peppery flavors it offers and the Margalit Cabernet Franc does not disappoint. Sourced entirely from the Binyamina vineyards, the 2007 Cab Franc is well-balanced and if I read my tasting notes correctly, it’s also “awesome.”

• Caesarea: Excavations along rocky shoreline

Israel asked me “why shouldn’t we fall in love?” I couldn’t think of one single reason why we shouldn’t. Now was certainly the time for it; we’re all too young not to experience love whenever and however it comes our way. Here’s hoping you get to experience this type of love affair at least once — don’t be afraid to let your heart discover.

(Note: You can find Galil Mountain Vineyard wines in the U.S. by contacting Yarden Inc. at 212.997.9463 or [email protected]. Contact Chateau Golan Winery at [email protected] for information on their wines in the U.S. market; and www.israeliwinedirect.com to purchase Margalit Wines.)