Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/7240
50 / the tasting panel / march 2010 six wines named for one of the pre- cious biblical Hoshen Stones, to the fl agship Binyamina Reserve varietals, to the Yogev wines. The Yogev—He- brew for farmer—is a tribute to the winegrowers whose names appear on the back labels. Spain More than 80 farmers form the cooperative known as Capçanes, started in 1933 in the southern por- tion of the Priorat (in the DO now known as Montsant). It was only in the mid-1990s that the region was noticed on a global scale as its production, once de-clas- sifi ed as bulk, was trans- formed into fi ne wine and quality skyrocketed thanks to the infl uence of modern winemaking technology. One of the winery's most important catalysts was the demand by the Jewish community in Barcelona for a high-quality kosher wine. Capçane's reponse was Flor de Primavera, kosher wines produced primarily from old vine Garnarcha and Carignane. Although Capçanes was born from the desire for kosher wine, more than 95% of its portfolio today is non-kosher. From Binyamina, The Cave is a proprietary name; the wine is actu- ally aged in 300-year-old caves for two years. "This is our 'garagiste is- raeli' wine," Paz tells THE TASTING PANEL. "It is important that in all our wines, Israeli character of terroir shows through." Jürgen Wagner, winemaker for Capçanes in Montsant, in the southern portion of Spain's Priorat region. At Home At Herzog We met the group of Royal Wine's global winemakers thanks to the Herzog family and their 3rd Annual International Food & Wine Festival. Pictured here left to right: Joseph Herzog, General Manager and VP of Operations, Herzog Wine Cellars in California (and also 8th generation of the Herzog family); Ken Snyder, SW&S VP, General Wine Manager SoCal; Tobin O'Connor, SW&S sales; David Herzog, President and CEO, Royal Wine Corp.; Steve King, SW&S Chain VP, SoCal; Mike Massery, SW&S District Manager/Tri-Counties; and Nathan Herzog, Executive Vice President, Royal Wine Corp. Herzog Winery is the Central Coast's most southerly winery. Located in Ox- nard, about an hour's drive south of Santa Barbara, it is a complete package, from winemaking facilities to bottling to tasting room. It also features one of Ventura County's fi nest restaurants, Tierra Sur. Yatir Forest is a forest in Is- rael, located on the southern slopes of Mount Hebron, on the edge of the Negev Desert. The wine, from Yatir Winery the Judean Hills, is a Cabernet Sauvignon–driven blend with Petit Verdot and Merlot. An abundance of earth and sun is refl ected in its ripe- ness and depth; a sweet jam ex- plodes against the serious side of its meaty tannins. Capçanes Flor de Primavera 2005 is a blue-fruited, min- eral-rich old-vine garnarcha- based wine with spice and vivid red fruit.