Stop and smell the rosé at the capital's annual kosher wine exhibition at the Jerusalem International Convention Center on March 9 and 10. In its fifth year, Wine Jerusalem is hosting 40 wineries from across the country. Ahead of Passover, wine lovers can get to know the Jewish state's quality wines, with a close look at what's new and what is yet to be launched, as well as a number of free workshops. Yaakov Berg of Psagot Wines notes, “There aren't a lot of wine exhibitions in Israel, so this exhibition is special for two reasons. First, the timing because the exhibition falls just before Purim and Passover. Passover is really wine time, with 45 percent of it sold in Israel before the holiday. The second reason is the crowd. The population of kosher wine consumers in Israel is always growing. They have a refined taste in wines, and they always impress me.” The exhibition was initiated and produced by A.A. Pyup kosher wine shop to expose Israeli consumers to the country's wine industry, which has intensified and strengthened over the years. Like all fine wine, with age comes a deep history and rich layers of flavor. Meital Sharon of Eli Peretz's collection of wineries, which will be pouring their vintages at the event, gave In Jerusalem a look back at Peretz's family history and long-lasting connection to being vintners. “The legacy of this family of vintners is extremely important to Eli Peretz and his story. His great-grandfather brought his vintner skills from Spain to Italy to new, younger generations in Israel,” Sharon recounts. “The Moreli Winery is completely dedicated to his family. His uncle Alberto died in the Six Day War, resulting in Eli dedicating a collection of bottles to him. It's the bestseller, but he also has other blends like Alberto petit verdot, sol, and alegriya; it's a way for him to commemorate his whole family. “His winery has produced 40,000 bottles, which sell in stores and restaurants throughout Israel and now the rest of the world. Every year the company grows; we are very proud of that.” Wine Jerusalem is taking place on March 9 and 10 at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. NIS 90 includes unlimited wine tasting and a bottle of San Pellegrino. Free parking. Information: (02) 581-1122 and www.pyup.co.il
The annual kosher wine exhibition