A Wine Lover's Weekly Guide To $10 Wines - Yet Another Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon

Here we review one more kosher Israel Cabernet Sauvigno; one that is available (sometimes) under the magic $10. The grapes for this wine come from the northern regions Upper Galilee and Golan. The geography is hilly and rocky, and the soil is thin all good signs for winemakers if not for ranchers. Barkan traces its history back to 1899 and now owns over 1200 acres (500 hectares, or to use the local measure 500,000 dunams) making them the second largest winemaker in the country. They process more than 8,000 tons of grapes a year.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price. Wine Reviewed Barkan Classic Cabernet Sauvignon (V) 2007 13.0% alcohol about $10

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. "Description : Black currants, blackberry, cedar, toast and spice are front and centre here. Dry, soft and fruit, but the fruit is nicely balanced by fresh acidity. Medium bodied with a surprisingly long finish. A short-term cellar dweller (2-3 years). It will also match beef or lamb kebabs." And now for my review.

At the first sips the wine was slightly sour and full bodied tasting of black currants. Its first pairing was with a commercially barbecued chicken breast that was too dry but its paprika-dusted skin was nice and moist. This Cab was round with soft tannins. With the tastier chicken leg it was quite fruity, offering lots of blackberries and a good length. It worked well with a tomato-based Turkish salad giving tobacco in the background.

The next meal involved a middle-eastern specialty known as Kube, ground beef in crushed Bulgar jackets accompanied by Swiss Chard and a slightly sour, delicious broth. The wine had crisp acidity and a tinge of tobacco but not a lot of fruit.

My final meal involved beef ribs cooked slowly with soft wheat kernels and accompanied by a moderately spicy guacamole. The meat was fatty, and the Cabernet Sauvignon didn't mind at all; its solid acidity dealt well with the grease. Its tobacco and dark fruit were powerful and I tasted tar. The guacamole weakened the wine.

Prior to the traditional two cheeses I tried some Matjes herring. The wine was definitely weakened but did try to fight back. When paired with a local Provolone, the Cab's acidity returned but there wasn't much fruit. With a tastier Swiss, the wine showed good acidity and gave me black cherry and tobacco.

Final verdict. It all depends on the cost. If I could purchase this wine at the American Internet price of $10 I would definitely buy it again. But since I have to pay much, much more here I intend to pass.


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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but definitely prefers drinking fine French, German, or other wine. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com features a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines. Visit his Italian wine website www.theitalianwineconnection.com .