Grape Escape: Galilee, Israel

As a Christian, I get a kick out of drinking wine. It was Jesus’ first miracle in John 2. In verse 10, the master of the feast proclaims the wine to be the best served—and that it is odd to bring out the best wine at the end of the party. We have a God who does nothing by halves and who believes in having a good time.

Where Exactly?

As a proud Millennial with an iPhone but no sense of direction, I knew that Galilee was in Israel, but that didn’t mean I could find it on a map. So, I will assume that everyone else is equally as confused. Galilee is the northern portion of Israel, stretching from the Mediterranean coastline to Syria. Roughly the top fifth of the country, with Nazareth almost in the center. Keep in mind the country is only the size of New Jersey.

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What about the labels?

Galilee is an administrative region as well as a registered wine region. Similar to Napa—Napa Valley is a wine region that can go on a bottle, and Napa County is an administrative region that can set taxes. Although the region is located in the Middle East, the climate is Mediterranean—think Greece, not Arizona. The vineyards are scattered throughout the region, with many of them clinging to rocky outcroppings at high elevations (1,500 ft)—similar to the mountains in Napa Valley. The resulting wines fall solidly into the fruit-forward ‘New World’ style, although the region has grown grapes since ancient times. Honestly, when I was tasting the Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon from Golan Heights, I would have sworn it was from Sonoma Valley or a cooler vintage from Napa Valley.

While Cabernet Sauvignon and other ‘modern’ grapes dominate the viticultural landscape, there are other grapes, some that date back to Biblical times like Argaman. Labels for wines from this region may simply say ‘Galilee’, or if sourced from smaller regions: Golan Heights, Upper Galilee, or Lower Galilee.

If you love Jordan, Chateau Montelena, or Prisoner, you should try these: