Bruce B. in New Bern, NC, Is THE REASON I Founded Israeli Wine Direct (For Real)
by Richard ~ July 29th, 2008. Filed under: Events, News.Earlier this evening, in a small town on the coast of North Carolina, my parents and their good friends Bruce and Deirdre enjoyed some wine from two small Israeli wineries thousands and thousands of miles away.
They actually conferenced me in 1,000 miles away here in Chicago for a few minutes of the tasting.
Listen to Me: Are you getting how small this world can become when we use technology in the best of ways?
We talked a bit about two wines they tasted this evening:
Meishar 730 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Flam Sauvignon Blanc / Chardonnay 2007
In one private hidden tasting, The Long Undiscovered Tail of Israeli wine reached across continents and oceans and found itself re-discovered in the living room of a family who has (I believe) never before experienced wine from Israel. An ancient wine land got re-born this evening…this time in modern America over a conference call via cell phone. I don’t think anyone anywhere got together like this to talk about and share an experience of wine from Napa Valley (no, wine was NOT born in Napa Valley…or in France!).
I think what they did tonight was pretty darn cool.
(Um…gosh, it looks like even Bruce’s dog is into the wine – doesn’t it look like the dog is sort of waiting in line for a glass of his own? And Bruce is painstakingly pouring him a glass! Only the best for Bruce’s dog! This just re-defines “man’s best friend” – I mean, it’s hard for me to share wine with my wife…forget about the dog!)
All kidding aside, awakening Bruce and others like him to great wines from an ancient wine land is the reason on this side of the world I founded Israeli Wine Direct.
The reason on the other side of the world (in Israel) I founded this company is so small often family-owned wineries there could access the world’s most important wine market in a creative way they simply could not have achieved on their own.
I have a feeling we’ll hear more from Bruce once he and the dog recover from drinking all the wine they bought from us (smile).
BRUCE: if you’re not still drinking, share some COMMENTS down below!
July 30th, 2008 at 5:08 am
Bruce and Deirdre were gracious hosts, as always. They wanted to share their first tasting of Israeli wines, and we were so happy to join them in tasting these two new wines. The white was absolutely superb — refreshing. The red offered such a unique taste that I am lost to describe it — it was delicious as well. I look forward to more Israeli wines as I expect each will impress me as unique and exciting…. certainly not what I have exerienced.
As we sat there enjoying the wine with good friends and conversation, Bruce commented that he felt the moment special as we sipped wine from a place in this world where it was first made, and is today still nourished and harvested by the people whose ancestors gave wine to the world. steve
July 30th, 2008 at 6:37 am
Somewhere between the best Pinot Noir and Merlot ever is where I would place the Meishar Vineyard 730…I don’t know the wine “words” yet..but I know what I like, and this was simply awesome. The Flam white wine was descibed by Rogov as having “melons and pineapples and apples”..didn’t think they all could fit in a 10 oz glass..there truly was a mild fruitiness that overcame my fear of white wine..after all my only experience with what I thought was Israeli wine, was a shot of Mogen David at the few Passover Seders I went to.
On a more serious note, I really could feel the ancient history that came with each bottle and had a similar feeling when our small Temple in New Bern,NC was fortunate enough to receive a Torah scroll that had been salvaged from the Holocaust and I sadly felt for all the lost souls that might have read from this scroll.
My Irish wife Deirdre and my yellow lab Bailey are now all hooked on the “juice”…keep those cards and “bottles” coming! Bruce B.
August 10th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Richard:
The Pelter unoaked Chardonay was superb…never thought I would like white so much..Deirdre and I had a quiet moment before our guests from England, who were staying with us returned, to try some wine and we both decided that we will treat them to an Israeli wine tonight..I’m beginning to feel like Leon Uris in Exodus..maybe I can change some British history tonight..God save the queen!
August 10th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Bruce – I agree! I’m generally not a fan of Chardonnay (and I DO dislike overoaked buttery ones) so I think the reason I love the Pelter Unoaked Chardonnay is just that — the fruit comes through crisp since it never saw the inside of a barrel.
In fact, a restaurant in Chicago now carries this wine from me as a by-the-glass selection.
Richard