Victor Schoenfeld, Chief Winemaker at the Golan Heights Winery in Northern Israel, has been named “Wine Person of the Year 2014” by Poland’s leading wine magazine, Czas Wina. Previous winners of the Czas Wina wine award include Hugh Johnson, the renowned British wine critic and Michel Rolland, the influential Bordeaux Oenologist (wine expert). The award is both a source of national pride for Israel and another milestone in Israeli-Polish relations. It marks the first official recognition of Israel’s wine industry in Poland and heralds an increased interest in the viticultural offerings of this Middle Eastern country.
Poland’s interest in Israeli wine rocketed following the attendance of a Polish wine critic and Editor-in-Chief at the Golan Heights Winery’s 30th birthday celebrations. He was hosted at the winery and sampled a selection of the winery’s finest vintages and continued to celebrate with thousands of Israelis at a week-long wine event on Tel Aviv’s renovated port. The coverage in the Polish press was highly complementary and soon after a Polish delegation of wine importers visited Israel to see first-hand what this small country has to offer.