Darom by Yatir and a Conversation with Eran Goldwasser

As I’ve been reviving my blog and wine study, I’ve begun to reflect. I thought about how I first got interested in learning about wine. It all began with a trip to Chicago Gourmet, and meeting Cindy Rynning of Grape-Experiences.com. We hit it off while waiting in line for a Champagne tasting and she encouraged me to learn more. Before I sat through any WSET class, I was invited to a kosher Wine from Israel event in May of 2017.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of the event, but I have tasting notes! From tasting my first Viognier, a 2014 Judean Hills Yatir wine, where I effused about how the fruity, full bodied white with a hint of effervescence won me over. What a full circle moment, then, when I had the opportunity to interview Eran Goldwasser, the head winemaker at Yatir Winery in Tel Arad, Israel.

While it certainly is part of the cradle of civilization, and the Bible and Torah speak frequently of wine, the heart of the Negev Desert is not where most people would start a winery. But with the establishment of the Yatir Forest, a man made forest planted in the 1960s by the Jewish National Fund, diversity of ecology in the region sustained. Without any irrigation or fertilization intervention, this forest of mostly Aleppo Pines thrives, bringing with it a new oasis for wildlife, bugs, and vegetation. Planting a vineyard, then, seems not so crazy after all.

Wine from Israel: Darom by Yatir

What serendipity it was, for me to have a chance to cover wine from Israel ahead of Easter and Passover. As a highly awarded and distributed wine from Israel, Yatir is the producer I was most interested in covering. Their Darom brand, which focuses on strictly wine from the Southern region of Israel, has focused on wine blends save for this years release of a single Varietal, their 2023 Judean Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. I made a short video about this wine from Israel, and others I tasted that you can check out.

I also received samples of the Darom Red and White blends. Encompassing seven different red grape varietals, the Darom Red had flavors of red raspberry, juicy strawbery, white pepper, oregano and a little anise. The Darom White, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, had the tropical fruit flavors one enjoys from warm climate wine, like mango, cantaloupe, and some floral lilac as well. The body and acid would have it stand up to heartier cheese or poultry dishes you might serve this Easter or Passover.

A Conversation with Yatir Wine of Israel Head Winemaker, Eran Goldwasser

Eran Goldwasser, the chief winemaker of Yatir

JM: First, you started your career and had your training in Australia, when did you join Yatir, and what drew you to this opportunity at Yatir in Israel?

EW: I joined just before the first vintage (year 2000). It was an opportunity to be involved in the creation of a new winery, in an area without any recent wine culture, and with the resources to focus on quality winemaking.

JM: Israel is the land of milk and honey. You landed at a winery in the desert–have you ever had any years where the weather has made you wonder, what have I gotten myself into?

EW: Absolutely. The desert environment is not natural for vine growth. The mitigating factor is height, which brings lower temperatures.

JM: Yatir practices a not widley practiced goblet style of grape growing. How does this help with grape production and health with the extreme weather in the region. Was this the initial growing style or something that became an object of necessity with the extreme aridness and heat. How do you get enough water to these vines?

EW:It’s the most direct and intuitive way to grow a vine, and it’s the old way. But the standard in Israel and much of the world in the past 50 years has been VSP. I always wanted to grow goblet vines, as it’s a natural way to protect the bunches and the under-vine soil from direct sunlight (heat), reduce evaporation, improve the health and balance the growth and yield of the vines. It took me a few years to overcome the local growers skepticism.

Goblet Style Grape Growing by Lodi Grape Growers — Goblet Style Grape Growers Image C/O The SurvivorGardener.com

JM: Along those lines, what kind of challenges surprised you when you joined Yatir?

EW:The temperatures in Yatir are not so different than the Mediterranean average, but the evaporation is much higher. This makes controlling the vine’s water balance very difficult. The soils are very dry, and this limits the roots volume and the development of cover crop.

JM: As a home gardener, I know the importance of cover crop when it comes to soil health, diversity of bugs and pollination. One of the many difficulties of growing in the region I would imagine!

JM:The Yatir Forest is a man made forest near the estate that helps combat climate change and enriches the soil in an otherwise arid expanse. Forgive me if this is obvious, but I am just not familiar: is this a national park type of area that is owned by the government, or can individuals own pieces of the land? Does Yatir own any land to grow grapes in the Yatir forest?

EW: Yatir Forest is managed by the government. Small plots of land suitable for agriculture within the forest were leased to a local grower collective. Yatir winery partnered with this collective to grow and manage the vineyards together. The wines names have a geographical connection to the area.

JM. Does Yatir have to source grapes, or are they all estate grown?

EW: All grapes for the Yatir brand are self-grown, but some of the grapes for our Darom brand are bought from other growers in the south of Israel.

Q. What grapes does Yatir grow today, and are there any that have fallen out of favor because of climate change? Are there any native grapes of Israel that people may not know about? I saw your video on new Cinsault being planted after the October 7th attack and it really moved me.

EW: We started planting the “international” varieties which were the only ones available at the time. Merlot and Chardonnay did not do so well. Since then we shifted focus to varieties that better suit arid conditions- mainly Rhône varieties.

JM: Passover is coming up; which wine do you recommend serving for a passover seder with roasted chicken as the main course? My family hosts an Eastover celebration where our Jewish friends join us on Easter–which wine would you pair with a rack of lamb?

EW: Yatir Creek white (or red) for the roast chicken, Yatir forest for the lamb. [Editor’s note: the Darom by Yatir brand offers similar pairings at a more approachable price point. Consider KosherWine.com or OnlineKosherWine.com

JM: What are you most excited about for 2025 and the future at Yatir?

EW: The goblet vineyards are getting mature and established, so the quality is improving every year. Also continuing our experimentation with vinifying both red and white wines in amphora.

JM:For tourists who are coming to visit the Yatir Forest and your winery, what other activities or sights in the area would you say are cant miss, and where do you recommend they stay?

EW:Visiting Tel Arad archeological site, Darigat & Wadi Attir nomad culture tourism. The Dead Sea and Massada are close. Stay in one of the B&Bs in Arad, or splurge in Ye’elim boutique hotel

Many thanks to Yatir Winery’s Eran Goldwasser for answering my questions and Etti Edri for translating!

Yatir Wine from Israel: A Story of Place as Much as People

Apart from the practical difficulties of maintaining a thriving vineyard in an arid dessert, there are the people. To have the a spirit to take such a tremendous risk can’t be replicated. Ben, Etti, and their colleagues gamble, as they continue to learn from the land and wait in anticipation for the literal fruit of their labor. You can admire and support the chutzpah and trailblazing mentality that goes into this through trying their wines, available at many retailers such as Total Wine and Binny’s, and online.