Led by the Israel Export Institute, with support from the Israeli government and participating wineries and importers, Wines of Israel is a campaign to win the hearts, minds, and palates of the general American public. In order to best represent the distinctive nature of Israeli viticulture, Alex Haruni of Dalton winery points out, it is important to debunk misconceptions about Kosher wines, and to instead focus on the distinctive traits, ancient grapes, and skilled use of classic European varietals—many of which probably originated in the Eastern Mediterranean—that define Israeli winemaking. Even though the United States is the Israeli wine industry’s biggest export market, American consumers are not yet well-educated about the quality and distinctiveness of the wines of Israel. Haruni points out that Israeli winemakers are trained in the best schools, able to move freely between new- and old-world winemaking styles, and are up to speed on the most important ecological and stylistic trends sought-after by informed wine lovers. Wines of Israel will recast Israel as Mediterranean wine region, developing a platform that showcases Israeli viticulture and contextualizes it among true peer regions like Southern France and Italy, while shedding misunderstandings about what the country’s wines are and aren’t.
Jewish Week. Food & Wine, June 12th , 2019: https://jwfoodandwine.com/article/2019/06/12/israeli-wine-gets-makeover
