This week on the blog, we are featuring the Sauvignon Blanc from the Zion Winery. Sauvignon blanc is a white grape found in both the Bordeaux and the Loire Valley regions of France. It produces a light to medium bodied wine that is known for high acidity and both citrus and herbaceous flavors.
In the 1970’s it became very popular to grow Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, doing well with their diverse terroir and maritime climate. It’s a vine that thrives in an area with moderate winters and warm summers; which is why it also has found a home in Israel.
Benefiting from the higher elevations in the Galilee and Golan, and its warm days and cool nights, Israeli Sauvignon Blanc is not just thriving, it’s excelling. It is one of its top producing varietals, soon to outpace Chardonnay!
Israel Sauvignon Blanc is mostly fermented in stainless steel tanks, keeping it crisp and fresh. You will be sure to smell its grapefruit and herbaceous aromas, and taste its delicious acidity with citrus fruits on the palate.
The Zion Winery was founded in 1848, by Rabbi Yitzhak Galin in the Old City of Jerusalem. Galin was a religious Jew whose family had immigrated from the Ukraine. He saw the need for wine making in the Holy Land and attempted to start a business. He didn’t have a license to sell wine (Ottoman Empire restrictions), but his brother-in-law Baruch Shor did, so the venture began. They purchased grapes from farmers in Hebron, made the wine in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, and called the business Shor Family. Eventually, when the trend moved away from using family names, the original winery was renamed “Zion Winery”, to honor the connection to Jerusalem.
Today, the winery is located outside of Jerusalem and the vines are located in the Judean Hills and Galilee. The winemaker is Zvika Shor, a descendant of one of the original owners.
This Sauvignon Blanc recently earned a gold medal as a best value wine at the 2024 Israel Wine Competition. It pairs well with Celebrity Chef Jamie Geller’s Thai Chicken Salad. The acidity in the wine will cut through the spiciness of the dish, making it a perfect complement to Thai cuisine. Go ahead and give it a try this Shabbat!
Israel Wine Girl 
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