($15, Royal Wine Company): Every year we see more high-quality wines, such as this one, coming out of Israel, a place that seems ill suited for premium wine because of its climate.  But, in fact, the Galilee plateau’s elevation accounts for its more moderate climate and explains why it’s a prime location for growing quality grapes. … Read more

($65, Royal Wine Company): The winemaker uses fruit from all over Israel for this plush wine, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Petit Verdot (32%), Merlot (17%) and Cabernet Franc (1%).  Attractive, subtle spice supplements the initial impression of plump black cherries. … Read more

($60, Royal Wine Company): Yatir, rapidly becoming a producer to remember, makes three levels of wine.  The Yatir Forest, a blend of mostly (82%) Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder Merlot, is their top of the line.  Big and bold, the ripe black fruit flavors marry with the moderate tannins to deliver a balanced wine that screams for beef.… Read more

($13, Palm Bay): Bright cherry flavors swamp your taste buds and then give way to alluring earthy elements.  Not big and heavy, it shows a wine need not be muscular to be noticed.   And on top of all that, it is a bargain.… Read more

($30, Royal Wine Company): Although ripe fruit flavors dominate, intriguing gamy overtones peek though.  The fine tannins give it nice structure without astringency.  Still, its size and backbone means this Merlot is best at the table, not as a before-dinner drink.… Read more

($30, Royal Wine Company): Firmer than Segal’s single vineyard Merlot (no surprise there), this Cabernet comes across slightly leaner but with more complexity.  (It’s like comparing sirloin and filet.)  A match with beef or lamb would be the obvious choice because its tannins will cut and balance the fattiness of those dishes.… Read more

($24, Royal Wine Corp.): Yatir Winery, a joint venture between grape growers and the Carmel Winery, one of Israel’s leading producers, is located on the edge of the Negev dessert, but the vineyards are more suitably located nearby at high elevations that actually see snow. … Read more

 ($27, Royal Wine Corp.): The Carmel Winery, originally founded with the help of Baron Edmond de Rothschild (Lafite), has reinvented itself from a purveyor of sweet wines for sacramental use to premium wines.  They have several levels, from basic varietal wines to ones made from grapes from a single region, such as this one, to single vineyard wines. … Read more

 ($20): The wines that the Golan Heights Winery produces under their Yarden label just get better and better. This 2002 Chardonnay, from an organic vineyard, is certainly a member of the buttery school of Chardonnay. Rich and intense, it has enough balancing acidity because of the elevation of the vineyards in Galilee to hold it all together.… Read more