This month the #WinePW crew is discussing Merlot. October is #MerlotMe month and the tradition continues. For me, Merlot has always been a go-to wine. It’s the wine I order in a restaurant not known for their wine list, in an airport bar, or on a plane, if it’s available. There was never any daylight between me and Merlot. I hated the movie “Sideways” and never jumped on that bandwagon. For me Merlot is always a safe bet, no matter where it comes from. I always think of it as a food friendly grape as well.
The grape is always looked at in comparison to other grapes be they Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Merlot is often made into inky blue black wine and can be softer and fleshy and lush on the palate. It ripen early than some other big reds and is less tannic. Merlot is a child of Cabernet Franc and its second parent is an lesser known variety called Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. Merlot is related to the other Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, and Malbec. It is often used in blends and is also very often made into a monovarietal.
Its medium body, medium alcohol, medium acidity and fine juicy tannins make it also a good grape for novice red wine drinkers who don’t enjoy wine with too much alcohol, tannins, or acidity.
Growing Merlot apparently has some risks because it has a thin skin, buds early, and can be hit by frost in the spring. It is also prone to disease and can be a very vigorous grape so it needs to be managed to make quality wines. Merlot is happiest on deep, loam soils and those that can contain and preserve moisture.
Merlot grows all over the world. Today I am reposting about some Israeli wines I tasted with Merlot. I am horrified and speechless of what went on a week ago in the country and cannot wrap my mind around it. I can though write about aspects of the wine industry there and think about magical moments that I hope continue to happen for all.
Today’s post is about a winery from Israel in an area called the Judean Hills. I know a few things about Israeli wines but this was a part of the country I was unfamiliar with although one of the wineries in the area is very well-known, Domaine du Castel.
I had tasted a number of their wines in the past, all made form Bordeaux varieties but I knew nothing really of the family or what a pioneer their Patriarch had been in founding not only the winery but this area of winemaking in Israel. As their website notes, wine has been made in this area for centuries and is even mentioned in the Bible. The winery while large is still a family firm with the second generation largely running operations today. I tried their rosé which was made from Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. I loved it. Refreshing with just the right amount of fruit and acidity. I also had no idea how far up the vineyards were in this part of the country. Domaine du Castel has vineyards at 750 meters above sea level.
As this is a wine and food pairing event, I made Tabbouleh. I found a recipe from Ina Garten on the Foodnetwork. It was delicious and worked well with this rose.
I ran out of scallions so I substituted with red onion. Easy to make and delicious my only dismay was that it said it serves 8 people in this quantity. I could have finished this whole dish by myself. Through the years, I have written about other Israeli wines here and here.
Our group will be meeting up on Saturday morning, October 14th, at 11 AM ET on X to chat about our findings. We would love to have you join us. You will find us by following #WinePW. Here are the topics we will be discussing……
- American Merlot Meets Kashmiri Food by Keep the Peas
- A Redwoods Ride, a Merlot from Santa Cruz, and Pacific Cod Soft Tacos by Culinary Cam Bottom Round Roast with Mushrooms and Merlot by Cooking Chat
- Celebrating our Homecoming with L’Ecole Merlot by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Magical Merlot Moments by Avvinare
- Marvelous, Magnificent, Merlot by Side Hustle Wino
- Merlot and the Common French Fry: Just Do It! by Our Good Life
- Pairing Merlot while your kitchen is out of service by My Full Wine Glass
- Unveiling the Flavors: Blueberry Tart and L’Ecole Merlot by Exploring the Wine Glass
- Vegetarian Italian Fall Fare: Squash Focaccia Wins With Ettore’s Organic Mendocino Merlot by Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley
avvinare.com 
I’m glad you were able to showcase some wines that you had previously. I love when it works out like that.
Thank you so much for choosing this great theme. I know I love when you have a reason to write about something other than just desire and a deadline.
I love Tzora, Flam, and Sphera! I was able to visit when I was in Israel a few years ago. Sphera’s wines especially I love. Did you get their wines in the US??
I got a small sample as part of a tasting event for Les Dames. I didn’t see the bottle but the winery looks so chic and elegant.
[…] Susannah of Avvinare shares Israeli Wine From the Judean Hills and Tabbouleh Salad […]
First things first. Happy 13th Anniversary with Avvinare!
Your tasting with Judean Hills sounds like it was so informative. I know so little about this region. Your tabouleh looks delicious. Tabouleh is a favorite of mine, but I have not made it in quite a while.
Wow Robin thank you. I completely forgot!!! Yes yesterday was 13 years. Hard to believe. It’s been a long ride thus far and loads of wines. It was delicious. I hadn’t made it in a while either but the wines and the topic pushed me to do so. Thanks for reading.
This is a wine region I need to explore more. Thank you for the winery profiles, I know where to start with my search for Israeli wines. I am with you, Tabbouleh for 6-8 can easily be eaten just by me, love Tabbouleh!
Jane, Thanks for reading. Yes I love Tabbouleh too and had forgotten that but wanted to write about those wines so great occasion to do both. Cheers.
What a fantastic post and spotlight on an Israeli quartet! Did you get those wines here, or were they shipped to you from Israel?
Camilla,
It was part of a tasting led by Tali Dalhaba who is a also a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, as am I. She shipped us the bottles. I know most of those wineries are represented in the US.
Thanks for taking us on this tour of the Judean Hills! I really think Israel has so much interesting wine to offer, and yet they’re not well recognized here or quickly dismissed as kiddush. Thanks for sharing these stories.
Thanks Nicole. I think people fail to recognize that it has a vibrant wine community and not all wines are Mesuvhal (cooked basically). It was a fun tasting.
[…] Susannah of Avvinare shares Israeli Wine From the Judean Hills and Tabbouleh Salad […]
[…] Susannah of Avvinare shares Israeli Wine From the Judean Hills and Tabbouleh Salad […]
[…] Susannah of Avvinare shares an Israeli Wine From the Judean Hills and Tabbouleh Salad. […]
Having just returned from Egypt, where the local wines are not fantastic, I wish I had read this article before I went. Perhaps I could have sourced a bottle in Egypt. To Egypt’s defense, most of the population do not consume alcohol so I’m sure that wine is way low on the list of priorities.
Your trip seemed fascinating. I have never had the pleasure of visiting but my 9 year old is hot into Egyptian history and mummies :).
Susannah, what a creative way to show your solidarity with the Israeli people during this difficult time. As another big fan of Merlot, I love this sentence: “There was never any daylight between me and Merlot.” L’chaim!
Linda, Thanks for commenting. As you can see by how long it has taken me to respond to this, its been such a hard few months. I hated the movie and have always loved Merlot :).
I hope things are better now. Happy holidays!
Love that you have been featuring Israeli wines Susannah, in a situation where most individuals – and certainly myself -feel helpless it is a beautiful gesture.
I think roses with Merlot are not easy to find so even more lovely to find one from Israel. I bet it was fabulous with tabbouleh and I am filing this pairing away for future reference.
Thanks so much Kathy.It’s been such a time.
[…] Magical Merlot Moments by Avvinare […]
I had a chance to go to an Israeli wine tasting a few years ago and was impressed by the variety of high quality wines. This sounds like another good one!