Carmel Emerald Riesling Vineyard Selection

Winery: Carmel

Varietal: Riesling

The pale skinned fruits of the Riesling grapevine have been grown in and around Germany's Rhine Valley for centuries, and contributed much to the country's wine culture. Today, Riesling grapes are grown and processed in several countries around the world, where they are prized for their ability to grow well in colder climates, and their unique flavors and characteristics. Riesling grapes produce an impressive array of wines, including fine semi sweet and dessert wines, to excellent dry white wines and sparkling varieties, all which allow the grape to shine through as a premier example of an excellent white wine varietal. One of the things which makes Riesling such a special grape is the fact that it is highly 'terroir expressive', meaning that the features of the land it is grown on can come across well in the flavors and aromas in the wine. As such, it isn't unusual to find flavors of white stone, or smoky ash-like notes in a fine Riesling alongside the more usual orchard fruit flavors more commonly associated with good white wines.

Country: Israel

Israel has long been a country associated with wines, with plenty of historical evidence pointing out the significance of wines in biblical times and most likely even before then. Of course, when the country was under Islamic rule, many of the vineyards were destroyed and wine production ceased completely, but today Israel enjoys a thriving wine industry and is frequently recognized as a producer of fine wines which have a growing global audience, helped by the fact that most wines of the country are made with kosher certification. Israel enjoys a Mediterranean climate, and has plenty of mineral rich soil on which to grow vines. There are several micro climates across the country, formed by the geographical features of the land, and wineries have had a long and successful relationship with the imported French grape varietals which flourish there.