FOR VALENTINE'S DAY TWIST, ISRAELI WINERY PUSHES HISTORIC SPARKLING WINES

This Valentines Day why not turn to the Land of Milk and Honey for  sweet inspiration with your loved one. A Yarden Blanc de Blancs and Brut Rose is a great addition  into your holiday choice.  

The sparkling wines of Yarden are produced from vineyards in the volcanic, rocky soil of the Golan Heights, which overlook the Galilee. Yarden urges Valentine’s Day celebrants this year to try two of Israel’s top sparkling wines – the Yarden Blanc de Blancs and the Brute Rose – to add a flavorful and historic taste to the holiday.

“It’s always wonderful to enjoy sparkling wines on Valentine’s Day, but drinking the distinctive sparkling wines of the ancient Land of Israel brings a whole new – and historic – flavor to the holiday experience,” said Dorit Ben Simon, international marketing manager for Yarden Inc., the U.S. importer of the Galil Mountain and Golan Heights wineries.

The Yarden Blanc de Blancs is made entirely from chardonnay grapes from the northern Golan, according to the traditional method. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed, and the wine is aged for a minimum of four years with the tirage yeast. The wine, showing notes of delicate tropical fruit, floral and citrus, is balanced with nuances of toasted bread and minerals. This elegant, crisp and dry wine will age gracefully for up to 10 years from harvest, and pairs well with rich and/or salty food such as cold terrine of goose liver, toast points topped with avocado puree and caviar.

The Yarden Brute Rose is made from 70 percent chardonnay and 30 percent pinot noir grapes, also from the northern Golan. The wine is made strictly by the champagne method, including pressing of whole clusters and secondary fermentation in the bottle. Disgorging began after five years of bottle aging on the tirage yeast. This sparkling wine is crisp and elegant, displaying an aromatic fusion of bright strawberry, citrus and pear fruit notes, balanced with characters of flowers, apple pie, baguette, and roasted nuts. The wine will age gracefully for up to 10 years from harvest. It pairs well with cured meats, tuna tartare, fish tacos, roast chicken, pumpkin ravioli or even a flaky raspberry pie.

Enjoy on your day of sparking love!