This is a small dynamic country. Things change a lot, and very quickly. Apparently that applies to appointments made for professional meetings with visitors from overseas. I did my best to work with someone local to set up meetings with winemakers for me to visit in the Negev. I worked a month in advance, explained my purpose (to help share their wines and stories with Jews in the US). On the one hand, only one of 6 planned meetings were held at the appointed time and place in the last two days. On the other, opportunities opened up, and we got introduced to other people, and we ended up meeting two winemakers, both making all natural wines with no additives or commercial yeasts, who each have very interesting stories. We haven’t tasted either wine yet (we’re planning one of them for Shabbat - but I’ll go back to the details).
We got a later than planned start from Jerusalem, because Budget Rent a Car has a bad process in Israel. I wanted to get the car early; I tried calling and they didn’t answer. When I arrived, they said they didn’t have cars (but I suspect they did, they just aren’t very nice). We tried Avis, Hertz and Enterprise, all within a block in Jerusalem - apparently the Army has requisitioned a lot of rental cars and there just aren't any cars available. That led to our first appointment getting postponed two days - when we called to say we were on our way, they said they had already gone home. We called Ramat Negev - the harvest has already begun here, about a month earlier than most of the grapes in the country) and we rerouted to Kadesh Barnea on the Egyptian border. Yogev, the current winemaker, wasn't available but his father Alon, the founder of the winery, was prepared to host us.
It was a bit of a drive, but it was my first time driving in nearly 3 weeks and I didn’t mind. Alon was a most gracious host, shared with us the story of the winery and opened bottle after bottle. We tasted a few whites and 4 of their flagship red wines. They make more than 350,000 bottles a year with a goal of getting to 500,000, have 22 different wines and they are one of the few Negev wineries exporting to the United States. While Nana’s grapes are grown in the Negev, in Mitzpe Ramon, the wine is made in the Upper Galil - I’ll let you decide if that qualifies as a Negev wine, Yatir, in the northern Negev can claim to be either a Negev wine or a Judean Hills wine, as they’re far enough east to likely qualify for that claim.
Ramat Negev has 4 series: Kadesh Barnea (the name of their Moshav - a biblical stop on Israel’s journey from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael), Neve Midbar (mostly unoaked white wines), Ramon and Exodus, Here’s a short video, in English, about the winery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-ZqC7_cOzA
I particularly enjoyed the red, the Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. We learned about another winemaker nearby, Alon said an Anglo, I think he’s Canadian, Boaz Dreyer, about 10Km away at Moshav Be'er Milka. We called Boaz and he was happy to meet us. Boaz is South African, has been growing grapes and making all natural wines, no additives, to commercial years, for several years. He didn’t have anything to taste, he’s currently building a new winery near his home (the foundation is laid and some of the walls are up) and we left with a bottle of his Shiraz that we hope to drink for Shabbat - his wine is kosher. His story and his methods are fascinating, and I look forward to tasting his wine.
After about an hour’s drive to Beer Sheva, we landed at the home of Yossi’s son Daniel and his fiancee Gili. They are raising an adorable puppy for the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind, Sadie, and we got settled and went to a really nice kosher Thai restaurant in the Old City of Beer Sheva. The wings were terrific, and after the wine at Ramat Negev, I passed on having a beer, though it would have paired well.
Wednesday we had the most enjoyable visit with Itzik and Shelly Wolf at the Midbar Winery in Arad. Itzik, a former corporate CEO in his seventies, started making wine 14 years ago to pursue his passion for the Negev (though he lives a bit further north). His grapes for his signature wines are grown by Eran Raz in Mitzpe Ramon at an elevation of 800 meters (2500 ft) in clay soil - he has a 20 year contract with the vineyard and they are managed to his specifications. He has entry level wines that are made from other grapes further north, that are also very high quality for the price (the Midbar 22 series, and they make great everyday wines). The signature wines are lovely, meant to be enjoyed soon after bottling and spend little or no time in oak barrels - this was a recurring theme with the Negev wineries. Buy wine and drink it, it's not for saving. The signature wines were flavorful and fruit forward and priced with comparable boutique wineries we’ve visited, the the 120-150 shekel range ($32-$40 range). He has some lovely whites, Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc, a blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Sauv Blanc and Semillon, Midbar Southern White that was very enjoyable. I particularly like his pinot noir, and one will be coming home with me, likely to be shared at Thanksgiving.
From the car in Arad we spoke with our next appointment, Tania at Pinto in Yerucham, and she was changing plans but said while we’re in Arad, there’s another winery we should contact (this is also common here - winemakers aren’t in competition with each other - they help and support each other. After a quick cafe lunch we met Tzuf Bar Sadeh, of the Tzuf winery, about 2 minutes from Midbar. Tzuf started showing interest in wine while working with his father Eli when he was 9 years old and has been making wine for 14 years (he’s 24 and was recently released from an elite army unit). As of the 2022 vintage, their wine is kosher, and they’re currently making the evolutionary step from Garagiste to Boutique winery with their new place in Arad which is still being equipped. Tzuf like Boaz Dreyer, all natural, organic, no spraying, no additives. If I can figure out how to get it in the states, both will be a great solution to the people who ask me for wine without sulfites. It was a bonus meeting Tzuf and I hope to see him again and watch his wines progress. https://negevwine.co.il/en/vineyard/%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%91-%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%A3/
We drove to Yerucham, found the Pinto winery and Tania was not to be found; it turns out we learned two things when we called her; someone else had texted her canceling an order and she wrongly assumed it was us canceling our appointment, and second, she is related by marriage to my friend Rabbi Ravid Tilles in Boston though his wife Yaffa. We ended up not meeting with Tania and not tasting Pinto’s wines. Something for a future visit I suppose.
After a lot of communication gaps (mostly on my end with phone issues) we were trying to reach my friend Yitzchak (Ira) Zimmerman who made aliya from Silver Spring, MD 7.5 years ago - I didn’t have a phone number and I kept emailing without success. I told him where we were, but without a phone number or address I said we’re at the supermarket to get snack, we’ll meet you there - as we walked out he met us on the steps of the market, and we spent an hour catching up at a nearby bakery (owned by his new landlord - it’s a small town - your barber could be your rabbi). It was great seeing him, and remote, desert, small town life seems to agree with him. It was back to Beer Sheva for a quiet evening.
