Young, dynamic and successful: Israel’s Boutique Wineries at

ProWein 2011

Leipzig/Tel Aviv, 3 March 2011: Young, dynamic and successful: these are
the characteristics of modern Israeli winemaking that have caught
worldwide attention in recent years. Boutique Wineries play a substantial
part in the quality boom in Israel's new wine production. This category
unites small and often family-owned wineries that produce between 1,000
and 100,000 bottles per year. The first Boutique Wineries were founded in
the 1990s by highly qualified and committed enologists and winemakers.
Shortly after that, they were followed by various newcomers to the
profession that were looking for a new challenge after careers in the IT
industry, the restaurant and catering trade. Most of the newly founded
Boutique Wineries are located in
Israel’s two top wine-growing
regions. The first of these is Galilee
in the north, including the vineyards
on the Golan Heights. The other is
the mountainous region of Judea on
the ridges around the city of
Jerusalem up to the Yatir forest.

Thanks to their outstanding quality,

the wines of the leading Boutique
Wineries are now internationally sought after and have recently boosted
general demand noticeably. In 2010 alone, worldwide exports of Israeli
wines increased by some 30%. At ProWein 2011, the following Boutique
Wineries will be represented at the joint Israeli pavillion:

Avidan: Founded by the Avidan family in kibbutz Eyal. The vines are
cultivated in different locations in the Judean Mountains. The grapes are
harvested by hand, and most of the wines are matured in French and
American oak barrels. Avidan’s red wines are left unfiltered. The annual
production is about 30,000 bottles.

Margalit: This family-run estate, founded by Dr. Yair Margalit in 1989,

was the first Boutique Winery in Israel and is now one of the leading
names in Israeli winemaking. Winemaker Asaf Margalit ferments grapes
from his two vineyard sites in Upper Galilee and the central coastal region
near Shomron. Emphasis is placed on limiting the yield to 35 hl per
hectare, which results in an annual production of 20,000 bottles.

Tulip: This family-owned wine estate is one of the largest and most
modern Boutique Wineries in the country. Winemaker Tamir Arzy uses
grapes from the best vineyard sites of Upper Galilee and the Judean
Mountains. The cellar is located in Kfar Tikva, the Village of Hope, which is
an international community and employment project for the mentally
disabled. Many of its residents are employed by the wine estate and help
produce 95,000 bottles a year.

Vitkin: This winery was established in 2001 by Doron and Sharona Paz-
Belegolovsky together with enologist Asaf Paz in the village of Vitkin. It is
today renowned for being one of the most fascinating wineries in Israel. All
its grapes come from selected vineyards all over the country. The estate
specializes in typical varieties such as Carignan, Petite Sirah and Viognier,
which are marketed as unique blends. Some 45,000 bottles are produced
annually.

Israeli Wine Pavilion at ProWein 2011

From March 27 through 29, 2011, wines of Israel will be presented for the
fourth time at the ProWein trade fair in Düsseldorf. Exhibiting at the Israeli
Wine Pavilion, Stand H21 in Hall 6, are: Avidan Winery, Binyamina Winery,
Galil Mountain Winery, Golan Heights Winery, Margalit Winery, Recanati
Winery, Teperberg 1870, Tishbi Estate Winery, Tulip Winery, and Vitkin
Winery. The ProWein Israeli Wine Pavilion is organized by the Israel Export
Institute, Tel Aviv, in collaboration with the Israel Trade Center, Berlin.

German Press Contact: Ms. Ulrike Schinagl, Bestsidestory GmbH,

Neumarkt 20, 04109 Leipzig, Tel: +49 (0) 341 - 39 29 98 90, E-mail:
ulrike.schinagl@bestsidestory.de

Israeli Contact: Ms. Michal Neeman, Israel Export & International

Cooperation Institute, 29 Hamered St., Tel Aviv 68125, Israel, Tel: +972
(3) 5142859, E-mail: michal@export.gov.il