Caladan's Wineries Adventure in Galilee

[Caladan]

Since several people have asked about traveling Israel, I decided to share my recent visit to Galilee in Northern Israel. I hope this will break the misconceptions that Israel is all about holy sites or conflicts. 2 Hours drive from my home, a new relaxing world dwells, so here is some of it. I hope this will give people indication about the various possibilities of travel and experience in Israel.

Not far from where Jesus turned water into wine, and where Dionysus the Greek god of wine was widely worshiped in the pagan past, we decided to spare a weekend dedicated to tasting Galilee's finest. Here are some impressions!

Kerem Ben Zimra.

At Miles winery, tasting some great whites and chilling with a hospitable vineyard owner.

At Amirim, the vegan/vegetarian village we stayed at:

Decisions... decisions. And also some cheese in a bag.

Galilean view:

Dan gets serious and reads an NG article to develop some appetite:

 

[Caladan]

Maybe the pagans never left this place...

The village is packed with homegrown organic fruits:

Sea of Galilee in view:

Liqueur tasting at Ramot Hagalil!

More liqueur!

 

[Caladan]

There are over 360 wineries in Israel today. For a nation with a population numbering in a handful of millions and the size of New Jersey that is pretty impressive.

 

[Penumbra]

Galilean view:

I like that one the best.

 

[Sunstone]

Great photos! I think the photos I've seen from you of Israel, Dan, are among the best I've seen by anyone.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Get thee down to the Negev and drop by Carmey Avdat. Good wine, good people, and a great place to hang out for a few days.

 

[Sunstone]

Get thee down to the Negev and drop by Carmey Avdat. Good wine, good people, and a great place to hang out for a few days.

Jay, how do Israeli wines stack up to wines from, say, California or France?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I cannot speak for France.

Israel is, in some ways, a micro-California and very capable of producing outstanding wines. At the same time, they have a ways to go before I'd compare the Galilee with Napa-Sonoma. Market factors play a significant role in this. A good Sonoma wine is in high demand throughout the US and Canada almost immediately and almost irrespective of the size of the producer. It is not easy for the Yardens and Gamlas of the region to compete.

But it's getting progressively better, and doing so on an almost yearly basis.

And, where else can you be at a lovely winery in the early afternoon and in Yerushalayim for dinner?​

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

All in all, I can think of no place I'd rather go wine-tasting ...

... well, maybe Tuscany. ​

 

[Caladan]

I like that one the best.

This is one of the main reasons I picked this lodging. I wanted a whole weekend where I can enjoy the Galilee view and enjoy the wine of my taste while munching on cheese. This really was ideal.

 

[Caladan]

Jay, how do Israeli wines stack up to wines from, say, California or France?

I took my in-laws on a 2 week trip in Israel a few months ago. They are a French couple who know their wine very well. And when I visit them in Cognac, it is usually a feat of French cuisine and a variety of wines, and other French drinks. I'll just sum it up by saying that Israeli wine passed the acid test. Also I've been living with a French wife here for almost a year and a half, and we had plenty of time to try a wide range of Israeli wines, many of them are good to excellent. I think the real boom in the Israeli wine industry started in the last two decades, when people started to take wine production and consumption much more seriously.