"He will bring forth from the wilderness and the desert, and the desert will blossom like the rose" (Isaiah 35:1).
One of the praises of God is "living and existing," meaning that there are two meanings in creation and nature.
A - A living place, everything is green, blooming, blossoming, water is flowing, streams are flowing and foaming, and everything is full of life. In one word: "The Galilee.".
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In contrast, there is also "existence", the place itself proclaims "I am here"! And does so in all its majesty and splendor, its power, strength, and breathtaking primordial beauty, in one word: "the Negev.".
The Galilee is alive and the Negev exists.
The power of the desert is expressed in the streams, the canyons, the breathtaking landscape, the color gaps of a green and blooming oasis in the middle of the expanses of golden-brown sand.
Anyone who comes for a quick peek and escapes doesn't know how many contrasts the desert is: high temperatures during the day and bone-chilling cold at night.
We flee after a short hour of scorching sun during the day, or freezing cold at night, but the vine is planted in its place and silently suffers this extreme. It is hard for it, it is distressed, but when it sees the produce, it says: "It was worth it.".
Smart agronomists have learned to exploit this contrast to the benefit of fine wine.
Two wineries will use the same grape variety, and even from the same vineyard, and surprisingly, each will produce a wine with a slightly different taste.
Temperature differences
As true as this is anywhere, it is doubly true in the desert.
Everything there is sharp and pungent, with harvest differences significantly reflected in the wine. That's why at the 'Desert' winery, caution must begin long before the grapes reach the winery's gates. Indeed, the 'Desert' winery is well-versed in exploiting these strengths for the benefit of a fine wine-loving audience.
Caring for a vineyard is no small feat, and even more so when it's in the desert. To grow these special grapes, it's not enough to be an expert; you also need to love the profession and love the vineyard.
The Midbar Vineyard and Winery has earned all of these virtues, where these operations are carried out by the winemakers who are the founders of the Torah nucleus in Mitzpe Ramon.
The vineyards are planted at an altitude of about 800 meters above sea level, overlooking the Ramon Crater. In winter, the vineyard receives the floods of the Zin River. The area has loess soil and rock rich in suitable minerals.
In the winter there is snow, and in the summer it is hot during the day and cold at night, with complete dryness both day and night. Strong sunlight from the sky and reflected radiation from the ground greatly accelerate the ripening of the grapes, but not too much, because every night, due to the intense cold, the grapes go back a few degrees, so that in the morning they are already able to absorb another generous dose of scorching desert sun.
This is how the desert manages to "cook" good grapes into fine wine.
The desert dryness provides another important advantage: there is almost no need to spray the grapes, all of which is greatly reflected in the quality of the wine.
Became kosher
The Midbar Winery is located in the industrial area of Arad, in the "Artists" district.
The winery was purchased in 2012 by a kind, friendly, and smiling man named Itzik Wolf. A year later, he realized and decided it would be a good idea to make it kosher.
The first kosher harvest was last year, in the 2014 harvest under the kashrut of the rabbi of Arad, Rabbi Yosef Albo, as well as in the kashrut of the Bnei Brak Chatam Sofer Group, headed by Rabbi Dov Landa.
The professional winemaker Meital obeys all of the supervisor's instructions, the staff obeys all of her instructions, and this collaboration produces wine that is both kosher and fine.
The label there bears a unique inscription: "Kosher for Kiddush, also according to the Maimonides," which means 100% wine without added water. Although most fine wineries do not add a single drop of water, this is the first time I have found someone who writes this wording.
As of today, 45,000 bottles are produced there, with the goal being to continue growing, but not to become a giant winery, but to grow only until the current space is filled, without expanding walls or moving to a larger location.
The new trend: white wine
The winery focuses mainly on the rising trend in recent years, namely: white wines.
Wine lovers have begun to realize that our country is more summery and warm, and is more suitable for drinking white wines, which are recommended to be drunk cool - 10 degrees.
About two weeks ago, the launch of kosher white wines took place, which bring pleasure to Shabbat, and a little color to the chant: "Drink fragrant wines and indulge in fine wines every three times.".
Even in the middle of the week, it's sometimes worth looking for a reason to party and an excuse to open a bottle or two.
The produce is: one rosé and five white wines.
The 'rosé' is made from 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache. After separating the stems from the grapes, the liquid was left with the skins for three hours to obtain the pinkish hue that tends to orange. Immediately afterwards, the liquid was separated from the skins and fermented for thirty days.
Its taste is fruity, strawberry, raspberry, slightly bitter and very refreshing.
The white grapes are harvested slightly before the red ones, and during this period the ripening process begins.
''Southern White' is a blend of mostly Chardonnay with a little Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Gewürztraminer. Even if you don't understand much about these names, you can trust the team of experts there that if they could make a better blend, they would.
Ten percent of it spent ten months in wood. Light yellow color, slightly grassy acidity, with aromas of yellow fruits, lemon, pear and green pineapple. An accessible and pleasant wine to drink.
Doesn't mention Sauvignon
The grapes were harvested by hand in July-August, and underwent long, cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks. After alcoholic fermentation, the grape varieties were combined into a blend and stored in the tank.
The wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation, which is the second fermentation that converts malic acid [-malic acid] into lactic acid [-lactic acid], which also aims to refine the sharpness of the wine.
In this wine, winemaker Meital decided not to put the wine through malolactic fermentation, in order to preserve the freshness and freshness of the fruit. Approximately 101% of the wine was aged in oak barrels for five months.
''Vionia' was my first variety in the desert. An interesting wine, I received it when it was very cold and from the smell I expected to get a green and herbaceous flavor that is quite reminiscent of Sauvignon, and to my surprise its flavor is completely different, full and fills the mouth, very similar to Chardonnay, only when it warms up a bit, the smell and taste are equal.
Clear golden color, good and balanced acidity, fruity, mango, a little tropical, perhaps because of the malolactic fermentation it underwent.
Like its predecessor, it was aged in oak barrels for several months, approximately 10%.
This wine won a gold medal at the 2015 Golden Cluster competition, in the Other White Varieties category.
Bags for sale
At the Midbar Winery, you can also get this varietal wine in large, 3/5 liter, aseptic bags. The wine is vacuum-packed in these bags, and is airtight, and when the wine is taken out, no air enters the bag, but it shrinks and the wine does not oxidize.
''White 55' is not "fifty-five," but "five-five"! That's how it was named, because it was originally made from five varieties.
Today it is a blend of Viognier and Chenin Blanc, about half and half. 12% of it was in barrels for four months for seasoning and the delicate flavor of the wood.
For 'White 55', the winery's flagship wine, the grapes were carefully selected only from the selected rows in the vineyard, and this is completely noticeable.
The wine is very mineral in both aroma and taste, a 'premium' wine for all intents and purposes, a wonderful light golden color, smooth and clean, a long and pleasant finish. Medium body, complex aromas and flavors of wine, which constantly develops from the first taste until the bottle is finished.
There are other white and red wines, as well as a semi-dry one, but if we don't save additional flavors for another occasion, we won't have anything to read about next time.
• Shraga Gebhard, Consultant in the field of kashrut and professional training
