Yarden Hermon White

This week’s featured wine is Yarden Mount Hermon White from the Golan Heights Winery. Scoring 90 points from Decanter, this is a lovely blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay that is light, refreshing, and easy to drink.

The Hermon line of wines is known for producing quality at an affordable price, and this one does not disappoint. On the nose it gives the aroma of green apple combined with citrus and a bit of floral. On the palette it is fruit forward with tangerine, lime, and a hint of spice on the finish. It is ready to drink now and a great wine for celebrating the New Year (2025) or the end of Hanukkah. 

The grapes for this wine were grown in the Upper Galilee, considered a premier area in Israel for growing quality grapes and also one of the coldest regions. The vineyards are located 1,300 to 3,900 above sea level, and do receive snow in the winter, which is perfect for giving the vines a chance to rest and rejuvenate. 

Golan Heights Winery’s Hermon series is named for Mount Hermon, the southern peak of a mountain cluster which travels North into Lebanon and East into Syria. It is considered the highest point in Israel rising to 7336 ft, and is located within the Hermon Nature Preserve.  It is a popular destination for skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. For serious hikers, it is used as practice for climbing the greater peak of Kilimanjaro, attempted by about 400 Israeli’s each year. 

Yarden is the American Importer for wines for The Golan Heights Winery. Their portfolio includes: Yarden, Yarden Cru Elite, Gilgal and Mount Hermon. The Golan Heights Winery is considered one of Israel’s leaders in quality and technological innovation. They maintain over 1,500 acres of vineyard, with rich volcanic soil, and since 1991, has been managed by Chief Winemaker Victor Schoenfeld.

This week, let’s remember our friends in Israel’s North that continue to bring us delicious wines despite it’s many obstacles, and put the Yarden Hermon White on your table. It can be found at Total Wine and online at kosherwine.com.