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January 1, 2014 12:41 pm
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Psagot Wines Receive International Acclaim in France

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avatar by Anav Silverman / Tazpit News Agency

Psagot Winery. Photo: Psagot Winery.

Continuing the Biblical tradition of wine production in Israel, the Psagot Winery has been internationally recognized once again for its high quality wines. All of its eight boutique wines received gold stars in an annual wine competition recently held in France.

Established in 2003 by Yaakov and Naama Berg, the Psagot Boutique Winery is located in the Binyamin hills near Jerusalem, which served as the cradle of wine-cultivation in Biblical times. The winery’s vineyards are planted on ancient limestone terraces at a height of 900 meters above sea level, alongside the small community of Psagot.

In keeping with the history of the location, the Psagot Winery ages its wines in an ancient underground cave that was used for wine-making in the Second Temple period. The cave was discovered in the process of establishing the winery in an area where remnants of ancient vineyards still exist.

The annual French wine competition is held by 1001degustations.com, a wine site that was created by French wine producers in order to promote international interest in wines and wine production.

The Psagot wines competed against scores of wines sent from wineries across the world including leading wine-producing countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, ,Australia, the United States, South Africa and Argentina.

All eight of the Psagot wine entries placed in the competition – either in first, second, or third place – a special feat for the Israeli boutique winery according to founder and CEO Yaakov Berg. “We sent all our wines to the competition and they all received awards,” Berg told Tazpit News Agency.

Psagot’s red wines, Prat and Shiraz, were awarded gold stars as well as the Judges’ Favorite Award. The grading is based on the criteria of color, aroma, and taste, and is decided by a jury composed of wine producers, sommeliers, oenologists, and restaurant owners. On the competition’s website, Psagot’s Prat wine was noted for its pleasant fragrance and fruity flavor, while the judges described the Shiraz as an elegant delight.

The Psagot Winery has won accolades in Panama, England, and the United States among other countries. Because the competitions use blind tasting of wines to prevent bias, the Psagot wines have an equal opportunity to win like all the other wines. “Otherwise, politics would just get in the way and our wines would have no chance,” Berg told Tazpit.

As one of the leading boutique wineries in Judea and Samaria, the Psagot winery produced 200,000 wine bottles this year following a successful grape harvest in 2012. Most of the bottles have been exported abroad to various countries.

“This recent win is special because it shows the world what the land of Israel is made of. Two-thousand years ago, our people produced good wines in the same region, and now we are back home doing the same,” concludes Berg.

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