Gift Packages

We now offer gift packages for birthdays, holidays, celebrations and thank-yous. A special selection of Israeli wines are the perfect gift for any occasion. There is no better way to give a piece of Israel to someone you love, appreciate, or care for than wine directly from The Land. Free greeting cards are also available to include in your shipment.

http://Israelwinecompany.com/wines.html

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 SIPS

Look for us on Thursday night, August 28th from 7-9pm in Marina Del Playa at the Around the World in 80 Sips wine tasting!!! http://www.drinkeatplay.com/aroundtheworldin80sips/

Wine and Health- Israelis Discover the benefits of Wine Pairing

Wine and health
Of sommeliers and stomachs
Jul 3rd 2008
From The Economist print edition

Red wine exercises its benefits before it enters the bloodstream
FINE food sings on the palate, but pairing it with the right wine creates a chorus. Among those in the know, the plum, chocolate and spice flavours of Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, Pinot Noirs and Sangioveses best accentuate the rich flavours of red meats. Now, however, a group of researchers led by Joseph Kanner of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has discovered that pairing red wines like these with red meat appears to be more than just a matter of taste. If the two mix in the stomach, compounds in the wine thwart the formation of harmful chemicals that are released when meat is digested.
The idea that red wine is actually good for your health is irresistible to the average tippler. But it appears to be true. In particular, red wines are rich in polyphenols, a group of powerful antioxidants that are thought to protect against cancer and heart disease by destroying molecules that would otherwise damage cells. How the polyphenols in wine exercise their beneficial effects, though, has been mysterious. That is because they do not seem to travel in any quantity from the stomach into the bloodstream.
The answer, Dr Kanner has found, lies in the stomach itself. The digestion of high-fat foods such as red meat releases oxidising toxins. One in particular, called malondialdehyde, is implicated in arteriosclerosis, cancer, diabetes and a host of other serious diseases. Dr Kanner suspected that the key to wine’s protective effect is when, precisely, it is consumed. He hypothesised that if the polyphenols arrive in the stomach at the moment when the fats are releasing malondialdehyde and its kin, then this might stop these toxic materials from getting any farther into the body.
To test this idea, he and his colleagues fed a group of rats one of two meals—either red meat from a turkey (a foodstuff shown by previous research to raise malondialdehyde levels in humans) or such meat mixed with red-wine concentrate. An hour and a half after the rats had eaten, they were killed. Dr Kanner then removed their stomachs and analysed the contents. As he reports in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the wine concentrate did indeed reduce the formation of malondialdehyde. It also cut the level of hydroperoxides, another group of oxidising agents that cause cell damage.
Based on these results, Dr Kanner and his colleagues argue that looking for antioxidants from wine in the bloodstream was a mistake; they do not need to be there to be useful. Their research also suggests that the habit of eating fruit at the end of a meal is a healthy one. Many fruits, too, are rich in polyphenols (wine is, after all, just fermented fruit juice). By treating them as dessert, these fruits arrive in the stomach at the point when meat-digestion is poised to do its worst—nipping the problem in the bud, as it were.

L.A. Wine Fest

Look for us at the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood for the L.A. Wine Fest. www.lawinefest.com

It should be a lot of fun and we are going to have some great wines there!! Come check it out!

See you there!

Jewish Vintners Celebration in Napa Valley was a huge success

It was amazing to see how many famous wineries have Jewish owners or winemakers... The list was long (and not comprehensive), the wines were fabulous and the guests had a great time.

Jewish Vintner Website

There were also some Israel Wine Company wineries from Israel pouring their wines... They showed really well and accentuated the Israeli climate, soil and winemaking. It is hard to compare wines from Israel to Napa as it is hard to compare Italian wines to Napa, but in terms of quality, they definitely stood their own!!!

Adam Sandler (The Zohan) and crew like their Israeli Wine with Humous!!

Adam, his producer Jack, and chef Albert came up to my winery for a tour and tasting. They loved the wine and winery and were super friendly. In fact, they invited us to come check out their latest set and filming of Bedtime Stories at Castello Di Amarosa. I brought them some Israeli wine and they'll be signing up for the Israel Wine Company, Israeli Wine Club!!! I was told that Jackie (Adam's wife), will like the Rimon Desert Wine, and the Clos De Gat Merlot will probably be tasted tomorrow in their trailer. Thank you guys for being so hospitable and friendly.

Photo optimized by Robb Farrington Digital

Israel Wine Company- June Wine Club Selections

Dear Israel Wine Company Member (and potential member),

I hope you have been enjoying the 60th Independence Day celebrations for the State of Israel!!!! We are excited to bring you Israel’s finest wines and to connect you with Israel’s best boutique wineries. Below you will find information on this month’s selections.

If you have not yet signed-up, you can still get June's selections if you sign-up here http://IsraelWineCompany.com/join.html

I hope you enjoyed last month’s wine selections. We have started this blog on our site for your reviews and comments about each shipment. Please let us know what you think of your wines by leaving a review in the comments section below.

This month I have chosen some especially unique wines. One very nice red and the other is not even made out of grapes, but pomegranate. I chose this wine because it is different and very tasty.

We appreciate your membership and look forward to providing you with unparalleled service. Please contact me with any questions or if you would like to order more of this month's wine selections at: ari@israelwinecompany.com or call: 707 307 4303

Please tell your family and friends about us!!!

Of course, Wine Club Members receive a 10% (or higher) discount on all orders. This month you will be receiving a 14% discount plus subsidized shipping. Please contact me with any questions or if you would like to order more of this month's wine selections at ari@israelwinecompany.com

L’Chaim,


Ari Erle
Israel Wine Company, Founder
ari@israelwinecompany.com



June, 2008, Israel Wine Company Exclusive Offerings:

HaMasrek: Kings Blend

Situated in the mountains at the 'gate' to Jerusalem, HaMasrek planted their
vineyards on ancient terraces above the famous 'Burma Road.' The newly planted forests and vineyards on rocky limestone and volcanic soil overlook the Ayalon Valley and Coastal Plains below. During the siege on Jerusalem, it was the mountain pass through Hamasrek vineyards that an alternative route to Jerusalem was found, ending the siege. Many pages of history from biblical times have been written about the area of Hamasrek vineyards and winery. The winery itself was established by the Greengrass brothers, who are third generation farmers at Beit Meir where the winery is located. Just driving up to this world class winery, is a gorgeous, history lesson which imbues quality.
When I was studying at Hebrew University, I used to work for JNF, planting trees on the hills around HaMasrek’s Vineyards. I remember the hardy, rocky, volcanic soil that forces the vines to struggle, ultimately, creating, even higher quality wine.


Tasting Notes
The King’s Blend is an eclectic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel. It is also a blend of the 2004/05 vintages. Regardless of vintage, or grape, HaMasrek put together the very best wine from their top lots. I get hi-tone minerals with sweet vanilla and barrel spice. It opens-up to raspberries, cranberries and juicy meat in the middle. The mouth-feel is clean and intense with nice, smooth tannins and a spicy long finish.
I think this would go great with my wife’s famous, Israeli meatball recipe
Recipe on our blog at this link: Keren's Mediterranean Meatballs

Retail Price: $27




Rimon: Dessert Wine 2005

Unlike other pomegranate wine and spirit beverages on the market, Rimon wines are not merely flavored with pomegranates. They are the only wines in the world made exclusively from 100% pomegranate with no addition of sugar. They are produced from a unique variety of pomegranate (patent pending) specially cultivated by the Nachmias family to have natural sugars equivalent to that of grape varieties used for winemaking.

The traditional techniques used by the Nachmias Family to make the Rimon pomegranate wines are virtually identical to the traditional methods of making grape wine. The fruit is harvested at optimum ripeness and crushed, then moved into large temperature-controlled steel tanks to ferment. After fermentation, the wine is then aged in French oak barrels to add complexity and softness. The only difference is in the machine that crushes the fruit. Rimon Winery uses a specially-designed machine to open each pomegranate into a flower-like shape, scoop out the ripe, edible seeds, and crush them for their rich red juice.

Each Rimon wine is produced using traditional winemaking techniques, which also preserves the pomegranate's succulent flavors and healthful attributes. The result is a beautiful wine that attracts the eye with superb clarity and rich color and warms the heart with remarkable and unique flavors. All Rimon wines are produced according to the highest quality winemaking standards and all are certified Kosher.

Tasting Notes
The aroma reminds me of the first rain in the Fall. It smells like a handful of pomegranate seeds that you just took a big bite into. The taste is sweet with an intense burst of pomegranate juice. Both the aromas and taste are much more elegant than any pomegranate juice I have ever had. It would be perfect with peach cobbler or blueberry pie. Some might want to even use it to cook their dessert syrup. This is truly a unique product, bound to attract a new group of health conscious wine drinkers. I would drink this with a chocolate covered peach cobbler.

Retail Price: $31

Please visit: www.IsraelWineCompany.com to learn more.

israel wine company| +1 (707) 307-4303 | ari@israelwinecompany.com