Gizo Winery - New Boy on the Block 
 11.01.2010 
 By: Daniel Rogov

One sometimes wonders just when winemaking makes the leap from being a hobby to becoming a commercial enterprise. Throughout Italy, France and Greece, for example, hundreds of thousands of people make anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand or more bottles of wines in their own homes ever year, those wines generally destined for consumption by family members and friends. And that's the way it has been since the days of Odysseus and not one of those hobbyist winemakers would dream of putting his wines on the open market. We Israelis are a somewhat odd bunch, however, and from the moment that some people produce 250 bottles a year they print labels, brochures and business cards and regardless of their knowledge of wine or winemaking declare themselves to be "wineries" and announce to all and sundry that their wines are for sale.

All of which can be fair enough. After all, when Eli Ben Zaken of Castel and Yair Margalit of Margalit winery released their first wines to market they had produced only 600 and 900 bottles each and those, excellent in their own right, marked the formal beginning of what were to become two of the unquestionably best wineries in Israel. Today, however, with artisinal, micro-, mini, garagiste and boutique wineries opening at a pace more rapid than rabbits multiply, it is pretty difficult to know just which of those places will still be "in business" in another year or two. It is also increasingly difficult to know just which of those self-declared winemakers has the foggiest idea of what they are doing.

At least for the critic, optimism must reign supreme, and in my own case I am most certainly willing to taste the wines of even the smallest winery and in that sense about a month ago I tasted the wines of the new Gizo winery. My thanks to the winemaker for bringing the wines to Tel Aviv for my tasting and my apologies for waiting so long to post my tasting notes but I have been so burdened by deadlines for books, articles and lectures that although there was plenty of time for inhaling there seemed to be none left over for exhaling. I look forward to following the future of this new venture.

Best
Rogov

Founded four years ago by Yoav Alon in the village of Gizo on the Yoav-Yehuda wine route not far from Beit Shemesh, current production is about 1,000 bottles annually. The winery specializes in red wines, those to date based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The winery is also making a late harvest Port-style wine from Hamburg Muscat grapes.

Following are my tasting notes for the 2008 vintage wines I sampled. For further information or to purchase wines contact Yoav Alon at yoavalongizo@gmail.com or by telephone at (052) 5342228.

Gizo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, 2008: Dark garnet, medium- to full-bodied, reflecting its 13 months in barriques with soft, gently mouth-coating tannins and light notes of spicy wood. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvigon, 12% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, opens in the glass to reveal generous back fruits, those supported comfortably by notes of roasted herbs and earthy minerals. Approachable and enjoyable now but best from mid-2010. NIS 55. Score 86. (Tasted 11 Dec 2009)

Gizo, Merlot, Tu BeyAv, 2008: Blended with 3% Petit Verdot and with a generous 15% alcohol content, the alcohol noticeable but in good balance with wood and still firm tannins. On the nose and palate blackberry, blueberry and cassis fruits, those on a background of earthy minerals and, on the finish a note of baking chocolate. Not the "usual" Merlot and worth trying to see if it is to your taste. Best from mid-2010. NIS 70. Score 88. (Tasted 12 Dec 2009)

Gizo, Merlot, Soreq, 2008: Garnet towards royal purple, oak-aged for 13 months, blended with 3% Petit Verdot. On first attack black fruits and mocha, those yielding to notes of cassis and black olives. With tannins rising, the 14.7% alcohol content makes itself felt with a light touch of heat on the finish. Needs time for its elements to come together. Best starting in 2011. NIS 55. Score 85.