Eran Pick was working as a winemaker in Sonoma when a trip home to his native Israel and a visit to Tzora Vine-yards in the Judean Hills in 2006 changed his destiny. “Walking through the vineyard, you see it has hallmarks of the greatest vineyards in the world—shallow limestone soils, 60-million-year-old marine fossils, vines growing on rocks—and the Mediterranean, which you can see from the vineyards.”
Pick was hired on the spot by the late Ronnie James, who founded Tzora in 1993. Thus, like so many in Israel’s current generation of winemakers, Pick returned home after years of winemaking abroad armed with knowledge and perspective that has helped chart a new course for this both ancient and emerging region.
“I want to tell the story of a place, not a variety,” explains Pick, who trained at the University of California, Davis, and was Israel’s first Master of Wine (now joined by Barkan Winery’s Ido Lewinsohn). “A grape is a tool to tell the story of a region, and you need the right tool.”
He began to transition Tzora’s estate plantings to Rhône grapes, increasingly edging out the Bordeaux varieties that Israel’s modern wine industry was founded on. “Syrah is a very good variety in our climate; you can harvest when grapes aren’t extremely ripe and the tannins aren’t harsh,” which can sometimes be a problem for Cabernet in Israel, he explains.
Denne historien er fra October 15, 2022-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
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Denne historien er fra October 15, 2022-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New Zealand's Success Story - From small beginnings, the country's wines have ascended to global prominence
Since then, New Zealand has become one of the world’s most successful wine nations. Currently there are 102,000 acres planted, and 40 million cases were sold in 2023, according to the New Zealand Winegrowers. The tiny country produces less than 2% of the global wine supply, but it’s the world’s sixth-largest exporter of wine by value. Another thing that’s evolved? The image of corks no longer applies, as most vintners there eschew cork (only about 15% of the wines we review still use the closure).
Wine Is Healthiest Choice for Drinkers - Decades of research has linked light to moderate drinking, especially of wine, to a range of health benefits.
There’s also strong evidence that alcohol consumption raises the risk of certain cancers and that heavy drinking carries serious health risks. But the reasons why moderate drinking seems to be neutral or beneficial for some people and harmful for others remains a mystery.A new study sought to solve that puzzle. Looking at health and lifestyle information for a large population, the researchers found that while any alcohol posed risks for adults with existing health problems from poorer areas, healthy adults from wealthier areas suffered no additional risks from moderate drinking, and those who drink wine with food even enjoyed better health.
In Pursuit of the Perfect Crust
“Dough is always the hardest challenge for any home chef,” explains chef and restaurateur Tony Gemignani. “But it’s the foundation of any great pizza.”
SEAVEY VINEYARD
In Napa’s Conn Valley, a family-run winery marches to its own drum
CALIFORNIA RHONES Show Their Range
RECENT VINTAGES DELIVER EXCELLENT REDS AND WHITES IN AN ARRAY OF STYLES
Tuscany Comes of Age
Anchored by the 2021 vintage, Tuscan reds set a new standard of quality
The Absolute Best Places to Eat and Drink in America
PROFILES OF THE 63 WINE SPECTATOR GRAND AWARD WINNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TODAY, AS THE PROGRAM MARKS ITS 44TH YEAR
Events- A Grand Tour for Wine Spectator- a perfect day with an evening of outstanding wines.
A young couple in shorts and festival shirts sped into the ballroom of the New Orleans Marriott on a mission.
Big Wine Players Target Pinot Noir - Plenty of small winery owners are cashing out, either because they're looking to retire or they see selling as the best way to keep their label growing
Plenty of small winery owners are cashing out, either because they’re looking to retire or they see selling as the best way to keep their label growing
Restaurant Awards- Lazy Bear- Lazy Bear bills itself as a modern American dinner party. But it's so much more.
Lazy Bear bills itself as a modern American dinner party. But it’s so much more. This Mission District restaurant effortlessly strips away the formality of a multicourse dinner and replaces it with conviviality, nostalgia and curiosity. With reverence for time and place, Lazy Bear is an ode to California where guests dine in concert with the season and can explore diverse wines, including an impressive collection of older California vintages.
