""Barkan Winery is the largest kosher winery in the Jewish world and the most decorated with quality awards and gold medals in international wine competitions," said Shmuel Boxer, CEO of Barkan Winery, during a tour for media personnel at the Barkan Winery visitors' center in Kibbutz Hulda. Boxer revealed that Barkan wines are marketed in 54 countries around the world, many of which have Jewish communities.
In his remarks, the CEO reviewed the winery's development, with the major turning point being the winery's move to Kibbutz Hulda, in the Judean Lowlands, where a new and sophisticated winery was built, equipped with the most advanced production facilities in the world. The winery includes laboratories, large tank farms, a filling and storage center, and a marketing and logistics center.
Barkan Wineries dominates over 10,000 dunams of vineyards in all growing regions of the country. The winery has dozens of varieties spread among the vineyards, with each variety adapted to the best growing regions for it. The vineyards are scattered, from Mitzpe Ramon along the Negev, the Lachish region, the coastal plain, the Inner Lowlands and the Judean Lowlands, the Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights.
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The nationwide distribution of the vineyards allows for a very wide variety of flavors and qualities. "Owning the vineyards allows 100% to determine the method of cultivation and prevents conflicts of interest that sometimes exist between the vintner and the winemaker. The principle that "good wine begins with a quality vine" is fully implemented and the results speak for themselves," added the CEO.
Barkan wines won the largest number of gold and double gold medals in international competitions, between 2008 and 2015. The CEO attributes this to the enormous variety of grape varieties and growing regions, fermentation methods, and the pursuit of excellence.
Rabbi Yosef Fromovich, the chief kashrut supervisor for the Petah Tikva Chatam Sofer, reviewed the strict kashrut system that oversees the production of wines. Barkan wines are produced under the exquisite kashrut of the Petah Tikva Chatam Sofer, the Petah Tikva Chatam Sofer, and the OK kashrut system.
""All production processes, from planting the vineyards, through their daily care, harvesting, production, bottling and distillation, are all done with utmost care under the watchful eyes of three full-time kosher supervisors, in addition to employees who observe the TOM as required," he said.
Rabbi Fromowitz emphasized that during the 19 years he served as chief supervisor at the winery, he never encountered management's refusal of any request in the field of kashrut. Koshrut systems and rabbis from all over the world and Torah Judaism circles periodically visit Barkan wineries, learn about kashrut supervision and adopt various methods introduced at Barkan to ensure the quality of kashrut.
Following the visit, the participants toured the winery and observed closely the fascinating production process of Barkan wines.
At the end of the tour, participants were invited to taste the wines of Barkan Winery, accompanied by the insightful explanations of winemaker Rabbi Tzachi Meltzer, who has extensive experience and expertise in various wineries. The wine expert explained the types of wines, the aromas, shades of color, and the subtleties of the different flavors between the types of wine.
