By Judy Lash Balint
JERUSALEM–As the center of the Jewish religious world, you would think that Jerusalem would have hosted a kosher wine festival before–but no, the first Jerusalem Kosher Wine Exhibit took place just this week at the Binyanei HaUma convention center.
With a steep entry price of 70NIS per person (my press card got me in for free) it was surprising to see such a turnout. On the second day of the two-day event, hundreds of smartly dressed observant Jews of every persuasion showed up to sample dozens of wines at the booths set up by the country’s leading wineries.
A sign at the entrance said, “Dear Visitor! Say the blessing for the creator of the vine when you go in, and the blessing of thanks for the fruit of the vine when you leave.”
The ratio of men to women was about 2:1, and the ration of ultra-orthodox to knitted kipa types was about the same, plus it was an overwhelmingly young crowd.
Apart from the well-known established wineries like Barkan and Carmel, there was good representation from some of the newer boutique wineries, many located in the Shomron, such as the Shiloh and Gvaot Wineries. The wines I tasted were all superb–I’m a Merlot fan, myself, and almost all I sampled at the Exhibit were smooth and sophisticated.
Almost all of wineries in Israel today have tours–so check out the websites and put at least one on the agenda for your next Israel visit.
I was at the Mony Winery not far from Beit Shemesh recently–a great place to relax and visit…
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Balint, a freelance writer in Jerusalem, publishes the blog Jerusalem Diaries: In Tense Times, and may be contacted at judy.balint@sdjewishworld.com