Judean Hills wine region – which is theoretically further divided into the Jerusalem, Gush Etzion and Southern Judean Hills sub-regions – Lies within the Samson region of Central Israel. The Judean Hills (or Mountains) form a low mountain range that dominates the landscape around Jerusalem and the West Bank. Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah also lie within the range, which formed the core territory of the Kingdom of Judah where the earliest Jewish settlements were located. Although not one of Israel's better known wine regions (like Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights in Galilee), Judean Hills is an emerging viticultural area, and significant potential has been identified for its future.
As the region's name implies, the topography here is decidedly hilly, with elevations of up to 1000m above sea level. It is precisely this relief that makes quality viticulture possible here, as the semi-desert of the plains below is typically too hot and arid to allow even the hardiest of vines to produce grapes with balanced sugars, acids and phenolics. This is to be expected given the continental nature of the macroClimate here in the Levant, and Jerusalem's latitude of 31 degrees North. Thus the Judean Hills are a fortunate exception in this otherwise desertous Part of the world.
There are very few northern hemisphere wine regions that are capable of producing quality wines this close to the equator, although attempts are being made in India and Mexico, and the southernmost wine regions of China sit on a similar latitude.
Judean Hills vineyards enjoy more rainfall than those in the Negev to the south, and the climate here is characterized by Warm days and cool nights. This elevated diurnal temperature variation is the secret behind the wines' freshness, as it allows the vines to develop Complex sugars and phenolics during the day, then to cool down (and close down) at night, retaining vital Acidity.
The shallow soils of the finer Judean Hills vineyards have a high stone content, which gives them excellent drainage potential.
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has received official approval from the Chinese government to resume its operation in mainland China following a year of suspended business activities at the end of January 2021. WSET has appointed Willa Yang as chief representative to head up its operations in China. Yang previously held leadership roles at Wine Australia’s China office and the Australian Trade Commission. In addition, supporting its return to business in mainland China, WSET announc ...
For those unfamiliar with the Vino de Pago qualification, it was created in Spain in 2003 to certify singular estates (pagos) as Protected Denominations of Origin. While not a requisite, it’s generally implemented by individual wineries looking to gain protected status for a single vineyard site within their domain. This is the case for Abadía Retuerta which is an estate of 700ha, of which 180ha is planted to vine. While located within the Duero Valley, the site resides within the borders of Sar ...
Both Mouton and Margaux 2021 were released en primeur at €420 per bottle ex-Bordeaux, down 2.8% on the 2020-vintage debut last year, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. While the market dynamics vary between these two First Growths, their 2021 grands vins were being sold en primeur as the cheapest of the last four vintages – below current prices on 2018, 2019 and 2020. Merchants were offering Mouton 2021 and Margaux 2021 at £5,100 (12x75cl in bond). Initial signs suggested t ...
