Dalton’s Canaan White 2023

This week marks the holiday of Christmas, and the beginning  of the Festival of Hanukkah. The first candle will be lit on the evening of Christmas, Dec. 25th, which has only occurred four times since 1900. To celebrate this special occurrence, it seems the  perfect week for trying Dalton Winery’s semi-dry “Canaan White”.

Canaan is made from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, Viognier, and Muscat grapes harvested from the vineyards of the Upper and Western Galilee. This is a well balanced wine with just the right amount of fruit and acidity. Produced with the Israeli climate in mind, this wine is perfect to accompany a dinner/lunch of Celebrity Chef Jamie Geller’s Mediterranean-Spiced Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.

The Dalton Winery is located in the heart of the Galilee. Vineyards of the Galilee are located between 600-900 meters above sea level and the soil is rich with basalt and limestone, perfect terroir for growing quality grapes. The climate is hot, with dry summers and mild rainy winters, only occasional snowfall, all which keep the soil  fertile and perfect for growing grapes.. 

The Galilee has special significance to both the Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations. Nazareth, a small village located within the Lower Galilee, is the biblical home of Jesus, and whose birth is celebrated on Dec. 25th. Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it was Nazareth where he actually lived and grew up.

In the Hanukkah story, the Jewish Army, led by Judah Maccabee, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem from Antiochus, the King of Syria, who had taken it over years before. Once  reclaimed, the altar was rebuilt and the Menorah rededicated.  Shortly after, the fighting moved north into the Galilee. Battle would continue for several more years, but eventually the Jewish Army was able to defeat the Syrians altogether and reclaim the region. 

This week, let’s remember the brave Israeli soldiers fighting today in the very same region the Maccabees fought in, and where Jesus was raised, both over 2,000 years ago. Honor them and add Dalton Winery’s Canaan White to your celebration.