On a dry but cold winter morning we set out for Zemora Winery.  Tucked in Moshav Beit Zayit – just below Jerusalem and in particular, Har Nof can be found a small but budding kosher winery.  The winery has been in business for some time now, but only started producing kosher wines as of the 2004 release.   We had heard of Zemora from Rogov’s site and we contacted Baruch Yosef and he agreed to meet us at the winery in the morning.  Unfortunately he was not available to meet us in the end, but Moshe the masgiach was more than happy to assist.  The road into Beit Zayit is quite windy as we came down from Har Nof into the moshav.  The road down passes through the Jerusalem Forest – which is a one way road and quite harrowing given the wet roads from the previous days rain.  Once down we winded to the entrance only to find out that the road into the moshav was actually the easy part!  The road to the winery was a dirt road made for 4 wheel drives – not the low framed Toyota that our friend was driving.  In the end, we made it to the winery and it was well worth the trip.  The winery overlooks the Moshav’s lake/creek that fills in as the winter rains increase.  The lake is home to many a social scene during the late winter and early spring days when the banks are overflowing from the winter’s abundance.

The winery’s output is now around 50,000 bottles and produces wines from the following varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot (for blending), Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Viognier and Chardonnay.

We would like to thank Baruch and Moshe for their hospitality and time when visiting the winery.  Following are the tasting notes which we sampled at the winery.

Zemora Viognier 2006 – Score: B-
The nose on this straw colored wine is filled with honey and apricots.  The mouth of this medium bodied wine has honey, apricots, citrus, and ripe fruit.  The finish is medium long with a nice crisp sensation.

Zemora Chardonnay 2006 – Score: B+
The nose on this straw colored wine is filled a strong aroma of burnt wood and citrus.  The mouth of this medium bodied wine is filled with spicy wood, apples, strong acidity and medium structure.  The finish is medium long and filled with spice and lychees.

Zemora Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 – Score: A (aged in oak for 15+ months)
The nose on this purple to black colored wine is strong with black cherries, currants, and cassis.  The mouth on this medium – full bodied wine is filled with black fruit, spicy wood, and cassis.  The finish is long and laden with black cherries and wood.

Zemora Cabernet Franc 2006 (Barrel Tasting) – Score: A
The nose on this light garnet colored wine is green with red fruit.  The mouth is floral with strong cherry notes, and more vegetation.  The finish is medium long with a bit of acidity and toasted oak.