Wine Talk: Wine in the city

One of the venues I was going to talk about did not make it through the year, but the others are still flying the wine flag within our major cities.

The wine lover in Israel, as everywhere else, loves to visit wineries. However, most wineries tend to be in outlying areas. Unlike in Europe, where wineries blend into villages and are positioned alongside vineyards, near hotels, restaurants and other gourmet destinations, here wineries are banished more often than not to industrial estates. This is an archaic law or ruling that is immensely damaging to wine tourism. In any case, a visit has to be planned in advance and normally necessitates an outing taking up half a day or more.

However, wine lovers need not despair. If you do not have time to visit wineries, there are tasting rooms and winery visitors’ centers within the city. So, wine lovers can taste, buy, learn and talk about wine along with enjoying a little food, without going on a day trip.

The latest of the tasting room genre is the Seren DPT Bar & Tasting Room in Jaffa. This a play on the word Serendipity, which is an unplanned and fortunate discovery; finding something good, by accident. An example would be wandering around Jaffa and finding the unique tasting room, minutes from the old clock tower and seconds from where the legendary Yo’ezer Bar was once situated. 

Seren DPT offers tutored tastings, wine explanations, lectures, workshops and wine education seminars. There are wines available by glass, flight or bottle. It is situated at 7 Yo’ezer Street to the east of Jaffa’s famous clock tower. It is in the area known as the Monastery or Greek Market, full of people and tourists (in normal times). They may be found browsing in the street markets, drinking coffee in the coffee bars and eating in nearby restaurants. Street musicians perform on street corners. Now they can also enjoy a glass of wine while soaking up the atmosphere.

One of the special benefits of Seren DPT is that you can taste wines of the caliber of Margalit and Clos de Gat by the glass by using Coravin. This is an advanced and expensive toy for wine connoisseurs that allows pouring a glass without any deterioration in the quality of the bottle. Therefore, it offers the opportunity to taste some expensive wines by the glass, which you would not usually think of purchasing. 

Alternatively, you can select from any number of wines produced by small, boutique-quality wineries that are situated anywhere between the Upper Galilee and Mitzpe Ramon. It is possible to buy a bottle at the retail price and with an insignificant corkage fee. This you can enjoy with a platter of bread and cheese without any of the exaggerated restaurant mark-ups. Apart from Margalit and Clos de Gat, they also list wines of Bar-Maor, Capsouto, Ghito, Gros, Maia, Nana, Shiran, Stern and Yaacov Oryah, among many others. Seren DPT is also the ideal venue for wine lectures, winery tastings, company events and casual tourist visits too. Winemaker-wine educator Roni Saslove holds her courses there. 

VORTMAN WINERY in Haifa is perched high up on Mount Carmel, with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea. (VORTMAN WINERY)

Roy Itzaki says, “Our objective is to bring the uniqueness and quality of Tulip Winery to Tel Aviv.” Tulip Winery is one of Israel’s best wineries. Founded in 2003 in Kfar Tikva, Kiryat Tivon, it is an extraordinary project that provides hope and work for adults with disabilities. No wonder they are situated in a place called “the Village of Hope.” Tulip wines win all sorts of awards and high scores due to the quality of their vineyards, mainly in the Upper Galilee, and the skills of winemaker David Bar Ilan. The wines, some of which come in very innovative blends, come under three labels: Tulip, Espero and Reserves. My favorites are the Net Sauvignon Blanc, White Tulip, White Franc and Tulip Syrah Reserve. Their prestige wine is the velvety, rich Black Tulip, which has received repeated international recognition at the very highest level.

THE TULIP Showroom brings the innovative, high-quality Tulip Winery to Tel Aviv. (DROR VARSHAVSKI)

JERUSALEM VINEYARD Winery is one of Israel’s older wineries. The Shor family founded their winery in the Old City of Jerusalem in 1848. In the 1940’s, as the family grew, the two brothers split the business. Zion Winery continued to make wine and Moshe Shalom Shor founded Shimshon Winery, undertaking only to make spirits and grape juice. In 1951, the winery was passed on to his daughter Tzippora Shor and her husband, Yona Mendelson. After the Six Day War, the winery moved to Atarot. In 2006, it was purchased by Ofer Guetta, and renamed Jerusalem Wineries. Lior Lacser, previously the much respected chief winemaker of Carmel Winery for many years, is the CEO and winemaker. At the Jerusalem Vineyard Winery Visitors Center, the wines worth buying are the flagship Special Reserve, the Montefiore Windmill Yemin Moshe at one end of the spectrum and a great value modern-style Chardonnay, and an award-winning fresh Rose in the mid-price range.

Wine lovers in Haifa are fortunate to have Vortman Winery (www.vortmanwinery.com) in their midst. This is one of our most interesting small wineries. It is owned by grower-winemaker Hai Vortman. The winery itself is by necessity apart from the visitors center. However, I can vouch for the fact that it is small, spotlessly clean and very professional. The visitors center is situated in the family house in the quiet Shambour district, perched high upon Mount Carmel, overlooking vines and the sheer drop to the Mediterranean Sea. Here you can taste and buy and enjoy the beautiful and unique view. THE JERUSALEM Vineyard Winery Visitors’ Center inside the windmill, offers the opportunity to taste and buy. (JERUSALEM WINERIES)

Vortman is an unsung, little known winery, but real wine lovers should seek it out. It was founded in 2003. The passion, modesty and professionalism of Hai Vortman, who cares for his own vineyard in the Shefaya Valley, next to Zichron Ya’acov, is quite apparent to all those who meet him. He reminds me that wine of character and individuality is a creation of a person and a place. He initially gained notice for beautifully fresh white wines. Now his reds are also drawing attention. My favorites are the Vortman Colombard, Carignan and a Mediterranean blend called Levant.

Therefore, wine connoisseurs, wine lovers and tourists have new venues where they can taste, learn and buy. Some of these are close to residential areas and hotels, so visitors don’t have to leave the city. These wine venues are something between tasting rooms, visitors centers, wine stores, wine bars, wine education schools and wine-themed events venues. Or maybe they are a mixture of all these things together. THE MONTEFIORE Windmill, in Mishkenot Sha’ananim in the heart of Jerusalem, is a unique wine venue. (JERUSALEM WINERIES)

Companies, wine lovers, families, students and tourists have the new option of organizing wine entertainment evenings. Just be sure to book well in advance. We say that in Jerusalem people pray, in Tel Aviv they play, and in Haifa they work. Now, in-between the praying, playing and working, they can also take time out to drink wine. Those in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa can visit Seren DPT, the Tulip Show Room, Montefiore Windmill or Vortman Winery for a unique wine experience. They are four of the most innovative wine venues in Israel.