Celebrate Christmas & the New Year with Premium Israeli Wines
The land where Jesus walked is now producing world-class wines to give your Christmas celebration a taste of the Holy Land.
Most of us will not be in Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas but new technology is spreading the fruit of the Holy Land around the world. Once only for serious wine collectors, Israeli wines are increasingly available around the world in all manner of locations. This year many will enhance their holiday celebrations by popping open a bottle of premium quality wine from the Galilee and Golan Heights regions of Israel. If you can’t make a pilgrimage to the birth place of Jesus, at least you can bring a little of that blessing to your table.
When Jesus roamed the hills of the Galilee preaching the gospel, a number of his followers from Nazareth to Capernaum, were engaged in various agricultural activities, including tending to lush grape vineyards in the Galilee and Golan Heights. Ancient wine grape growers didn’t possess the state-of-the-art agricultural technologies that are now an integral element within Israel’s contemporary burgeoning wine industry.
In recent years, wines from Israel, particularly the regions around the Sea of Galilee have won numerous international awards and earned high-praise from renowned publications such as Wine Spectator. This international recognition has helped move Israeli wines from being reserved for a few experts to being enjoyed by ‘regular’ wine drinkers. Yael Gai, International Marketing Manager of the Golan Heights winery, explained, “Our wines are now available in places as varied as Brazil and Japan. Now all around the world people are drinking Israeli wines.”
With a wide range available you can find something special to enhance any part of the holiday meals. “During the festive holiday season, rich foods and meats are usually enjoyed,” said Eyal Franco, Marketing Manager at Galil Mountain Winery. ”Red wines that are bursting with robust fruit flavors make perfect choices to balance out the strong flavors.”
Yael Gai added, “Christmas and New Year’s celebrations wouldn’t be complete without sampling a bottle of premium sparkling wines that are bursting with flavors from our magnificent vineyards and offer revelers a true taste of the Holy Land!”
Here are a few palate-pleasing selections to toast the holiday season:
Yarden Blanc de Blancs
This champagne style sparkling wine is perfect to start the party off with a bang, to round off the celebrations with a toast to the day. But don’t save it just for toasts, it pairs with most foods and is an excellent palate cleanser between courses. So whether you’re having it with breakfast or desert, Yarden Blanc de Blancs will uplift your celebration.
Mt. Hermon Moscato– This lightly sparkling wine has a gentle sweetness and a lower alcohol level making it a perfect toast for the ‘designated driver.’ It’s also perfect for desert when the light sweetness will especially compliment fruit deserts.
Galil Alon– Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, this wine has a dark purple hue and flavors of ripe fruit and spices. It matches perfectly with stews, braised and grilled meats.
Yarden Syrah- This full-bodied wine is a perfect companion to rich meat dishes. It shows off pleasing cherry and blackberry fruit characters along with notes of smoke, earth and exotic spices.
Galil Viognier –Please the white lovers with the flavorful wine. Spicy and characteristic, it’s perfect if you want to add an exotic twist to your Christmas Day fare.