Israeli Wine

It should come as no surprise to learn that vines and wine go back a very long time in Israel. Biblical references aplenty, wine has been part of the culture in this region for millennia.

There's no better way to get acquainted with Israeli wine than by tasting the boutique wines of Clos de Gat, with wines that are regularly rated as among the best in Israel.

It's not classified as kosher wine. That's reserved for those where only observant Jews are involved in the winemaking process, from start to finish. In order for a kosher wine to be able to be handled by a non-Jew it must also be mevushal, literally 'cooked' or 'boiled'.

Clos de Gat's wines aren't in this style; think more Napa Valley. Founded by Eyal Rotem in 1998 with a local kibbutz, the vines grow on a thin layer of soil over ancient limestone, as they've done for centuries. You'll find one of Israel's oldest stone wine presses among the vines (aka a 'gat'), believed to be 3,000 years old.

Wild yeast are used for the fermentation and plenty of the finest French oak barrels too. Eyal learnt winemaking both in the US and at one of Australia's best wineries, Giaconda. He doesn't cut corners, wanting his small production (around 5,000 cases) to properly reflect their ancient roots.