Ella Valley Chardonnay (Kosher) 2010 750ml

Winery: Ella Valley

Varietal: Chardonnay

There are few white wine grape varietals as famous or widely appreciated as the Chardonnay, and with good reason. This highly flexible and adaptable grape quickly became a favorite of wineries due to its fairly neutral character. This neutrality allows the wineries to really show off what they are capable of doing, by allowing features of their terroir or aging process to come forward in the bottle. As well as this, most high quality wineries which produce Chardonnay wines take great efforts to induce what is known as malolactic fermentation, which is the conversion of tart malic acids in the grapes to creamy, buttery lactic acids associated with fine Chardonnay. Whilst the popularity of Chardonnay wines has fluctuated quite a considerable amount over the past few decades, it seems the grape varietal allows enough experimentation and versatility for it always to make a successful comeback.

Region: Judean Hills

The Judean Hills are one of the world's most culturally and historically important areas, with millennia of history which has helped to shape the world in which we live today. Wine production and vineyard cultivation has actually been taking place in this ancient region since Biblical times, making this essentially New World wine region a very old one indeed, and giving historical and traditional clout to the relatively small wineries which operate there. As with most of the wineries in Israel, those in the Judean Hills use mostly imported French varietals, first introduced to the region in the mid 19th century by the Rothschild family, who wanted to boost the wine industry of the country. Today, the Judean Hills produce the country's finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines.

Country: Israel

For thousands of years, Israel has been an important country for wine production, with major wine regions growing thousands of acres of grapevines in the hot Mediterranean climate. The land itself is ideal for wine production, and has a mineral rich limestone based soil which helps ensure the grapes grow to full ripeness. Many of the vineyards of Israel are located at high altitudes, such as the popular and successful vineyards of Golan Heights in the Galil region, where the cooler temperatures and strong breezes create an ideal environment in which the imported French grape varietals can grow. Indeed, French grape varietals make up for the vast majority of grapes grown in Israel, with Cabernet Sauvigon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes growing in all five wine regions of the country.