Kosher Wines the Yom Kippur War, Zaken Had to Leave His Wife Monique and His Three Children to Go on a Six-Month Deployment with the Israeli Defence Forces
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n the eighth century BCE, Prophet Amos – one of the twelve minor prophets descended from Judah, the son of Jacob – prophesied a day to come in the land of Israel when it “will drip sweet wine and the hills will flow with it”. Today, 28 centuries later, his vision is coming true. Situated at an altitude of 750 Imetres, overlooking the Yad Hashmona village in the Biblical region of the Judean Hills lies the Domaine du Castel winery, set up by Eli Ben Zaken. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1944, Zaken had to flee his country in the mid-1950s following the persecution and expulsion of the Jews of Egypt by President Gamal Nasser. Thereafter, Zaken travelled to Milan for work, and then to study in London. In 1970, Zaken decided to settle in the Jewish WINESOFISRAEL homeland, Israel. As a visionary Zionist, he wanted to fulfil his “romantic dream of being a farmer in the ancient land of Israel”. Three years later, he established a riding school and a chicken shed to sustain his family. But with the outbreak of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, also known as KOSHER WINES the Yom Kippur war, Zaken had to leave his wife Monique and his three children to go on a six-month deployment with the Israeli Defence Forces. Since the war took longer than expected to get over, Zaken’s wife had to sell the chickens to feed her children while her husband was away, and was Approved by a Rabbi! forced to shut down the riding school as well. Once Zaken returned home, he and his wife set up an Italian restaurant Domaine du Castel produces brilliant kosher wines in nearby Jerusalem called Mamma Mia which became something of a A view of the culinary institution because of its fresh Italian pastas and wines. While Domaine du that are greatly influenced by Bordeaux and Burgundy. working at the restaurant, Zaken became well acquainted with wines and Castel winery in Yad Hashmona Kanika Dhawan travels to Israel to tell us more… started thinking about winemaking as a hobby; he taught himself how to that was offi cially make wine by reading the books of French oenologist Émile Peynaud. opened for visitors in June 2016 50 Sommelier INDIA MARCH-APRIL 2017 MARCH-APRIL 2017 Sommelier INDIA 51 oday, Domaine du Castel has 40 ha in Viticulture and Oenology is the winery under cultivation and grows a wide advisor who assists with the different practices Trange of grapes – from Cabernet of winemaking and vine growing. Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet “During his many travels, wines from Franc, Malbec, Chardonnay and Syrah to Bordeaux and especially those from the Graves an upcoming crop of Sauvignon Blanc. region south of Bordeaux, inspired Eli to make Castel vineyards are on the Judean Hills, blends. The Castel Chardonnay is the result of five kilometres from the winery in Yad an emotional encounter that Eli and Monique Hashmona at Kibbutz Tzuba and Kibbutz had with a burgundy from Meursault. While Maale-Hachamisha. For the uninitiated, sitting at a restaurant in a village in Burgundy, kibbutz means, “group” in Hebrew; it is a Eli tasted an extraordinary white wine and that democratic community traditionally engaged drove him to plant chardonnay back home and in agricultural pursuits. make the C’ Blanc du Castel,” explains Talya Making wines that are very much in line Kessler, marketing and visitor centre manager. with the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, For the first 24 years, Castel produced only chief winemaker Zaken chose the Old-World four wines. These included a fruity, French French style of winemaking because, as he puts oak-aged C’ Blanc du Castel, made with 100 % it, “I wanted to produce what I like to consume.” chardonnay grapes – its 2003 vintage received The French influence is not restricted to just serious acclaim in Bettane & Desseauve Le Plus wines; even the labels are in French. One Grands Vins du Monde; the Grand Vin, full of would have to look closely to spot the “produce “chutzpah”, which is a blend of the best Merlot, of Israel” lettering at the bottom of the label. Family Zaken, left to Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec from right: Ariel, Ilana, Eli Dr Pascal Chatonnet, international consultant Ben Zaken, Eytan and the vineyards. The 2008 vintage was awarded Monique Private customers and their children plant a new plot of into making it, and converted “Judean Hills” Chardonnay at Wind n 1988, Zaken planted Cabernet Mountain, Judean into the appellation “Haute-Judée”. Sauvignon and Merlot vines in a Hills in June 2016 Initially, only his friends tasted the Grand I299 square yard plot beside the Vin but for Zaken, their positive feedback erstwhile chicken shed adjoining his house wasn’t enough. In 1995, the famous Israeli in the village of Ramat Raziel, about three actress turned food-and-wine critic, Dalia kilometres from Yad Hashmona. Pressing Penn Lerner, suggested taking a bottle to grapes in the abandoned stable next to the Serena Sutcliffe MW, head of Sotheby’s wine shed, a proud Zaken harvested his first crop department, London. Sutcliffe, who tasted the in 1992. Three years later, in the spring of wine with her husband David Peppercorn MW, 1995, after ageing the wine for 24 months in sent Lerner a fax that said, “The wine is a real two Seguin Moreau new French oak barrels, tour de force, brilliantly made and very ‘classic’. his 1992 vintage was bottled. Please give him our congratulations”. Zaken named his winery Castel, after a Sutcliffe’s fax was like a bolt of lightning nearby fortress at the Castel National Park, for Zaken. He decided to plant more vineyards, near the former Arab village of Al-Qastal. renovate the shed and send his youngest son The label for the wine was a lovely etching of Ariel, after his military service, to study in the Castel vineyard and Zaken’s house, done Burgundy and practice viticulture at Domaine by his friend the renowned Jerusalem artist, Emile Voarick. By 1999, family Zaken completed Arie Azene. He called the wine “Grand Vin” building his first winery in Ramat Raziel. to commemorate the hard work that had gone 52 Sommelier INDIA MARCH-APRIL 2017 MARCH-APRIL 2017 Sommelier INDIA 53 by the three Stars of David, known in Hebrew exported to the US, France, England, Hong as the David Shields, while the lion is the Kong, Japan, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Australia symbol of the lost Judean tribe. Jews consider and South Africa, among other countries. themselves to be descendants of this tribe. This year, Castel’s vine grower, an ex- farmer who learnt the ropes of winemaking part from the family, the other on his own, is being sent to South Africa to important people in the winery study agricultural aspects of growing vines in Aare the kippah (skullcap)-wearing different terroir conditions. kosher workers. Until 2002, the winery was Things are looking up for Israeli wines non-kosher but that never posed a problem. since the time when most of the vineyards were “We had a very good reputation before 2002 covered with olive groves and the wine quality as well,” says Kessler. However, in 2002, they was poor. By next year, a Master’s Degree in decided to go kosher because they wanted to viticulture and vinification is slated to start in enlarge their market. Also, once the wine is some colleges in Israel. kosher, “everyone can drink your wine; no At Domaine du Castel, the road ahead one is ‘out of the club’ anymore,” she explains. is a “never-ending journey towards balance Now, only Sabbath-observing Jews “come in and improvement”. Introducing new wines touch with the wine” and handle end-to-end to cater to new tastes is on the agenda. “We winery operations, from crushing grapes to hope to keep taking part in the achievements bottling the wine, after which the local Rabbi and acknowledgement that Israel’s wines are gives his stamp of approval. enjoying these days. And to build a sound, Currently, Castel produces 300,000 bottles long-term family business which will benefit its Rafid Mountain a year. About 65% of the production is sold in vineyard in Kibbutz surroundings as well.” the domestic market, the main customers being Maale-Hachamisha In the traditional Hebrew toast “to life” we Domaine du Castel with plantations of Grand Vin 2013 Israeli wine shops, high-end restaurants and can all join in and say, L’Chaim! v Cabernet Sauvignon, 93 points by Robert Parker. Petit Castel, a chardonnay it’s wonderful,” says Kessler, adding private customers who are sent wines through Merlot, Malbec, more accessible wine with elegant tannins, and that the “poor soil” benefits the vine because a Door2Door service. The remaining 35% is Petit Verdot and Chardonnay a refreshing, Rosé du Castel is made from a of the naturally diluted crop and minerals, blend of Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. which contribute to the wine’s complexity in an “improved Mediterranean weather.” n 2015, the winery added two more “Since we are close to the sea, the breeze wines: La Vie Blanc du Castel, a lovely comes in every evening while the humidity Iblend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc remains at the shores of Tel Aviv. Additionally, and Gewürztraminer, cold fermented in the altitude contributes to the coolness of the stainless steel, and La Vie Rouge du Castel, nights. The days are quite hot, but the nights a casual entry-level red wine, a blend of don’t go above 20°C; the altitude compensates Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, for the southern latitude.