S. Simon Jacob 0:09

Welcome to The Kosher Terroir. I'm Simon Jacob, your host for this episode from Jerusalem. Before we get started, I ask that, wherever you are, please take a moment and pray for the safety of our soldiers and the safe return of all of our hostages. Israel's wine industry has doubled, in terms of wineries, in the last 10 years. We have now well over 400 wineries, from very large commercial operations producing millions of bottles of wine down to very small boutiques producing batches of only a couple of thousand bottles. Our conversation today is with Yaacov Ben-Ami, a winemaker in , perched on a ridgeline looking east down towards the Jordan River Valley. Yaacov's Ben-Ami Winery produces three price categories of wines, each of which has several brands in which he strives to make his offerings the best wines within each price level. Yaakov is a university-trained agronomist and brings those skills to bear in his selection of vineyards to source grapes and the varieties he plans on blending. I want to thank my friend, itzik Stern for my original introduction to Yaacov and his participation in this podcast. I do want to mention that there is a brand of wine marketed exclusively in the United States called Ben Ami, produced by Barkan Winery in Israel and distributed by Royal Wines, the Ben Ami Winery in this podcast is a different entity and is totally unrelated.

S. Simon Jacob 1:53

If you're driving in your car, please focus on the road ahead. If you're relaxing in your home, please select a wonderful bottle of kosher wine. Sit back, relax and enjoy listening to this remarkable entrepreneur's journey. Welcome, welcome. Thank you, it's a pleasure. Thank you for welcoming me here into , to visit with you. Thank you for coming. It's a pleasure, it's really a pleasure. So tell me a little bit about your origin. How did the winery come about? How did you get into winemaking?

Yaacov Ben Ami 2:26

I was born in Ramat Gan, yep, and raised in a kind of semi-religious, semi-not religious area. Mm-hmm, and it was there all the time. But my parents weren't religious. It was there all the time.

Yaacov Ben Ami 2:46

But my parents weren't religious, so I grew up with normal childhood and went to normal schools and everything. But when I was a student in 2001, I started making wine. My inspiration was my grandfather, saba Moshe. He was making wine every year. Fermentation smells were part of their home. Every time you go to Shabbat to Kiddush, it was his wine. He was very proud of it.

S. Simon Jacob 3:19

Where did he live? Ramat Gan. In Ramat Gan as well, wow yeah.

Yaacov Ben Ami 3:23

He came from Yemen. Okay, he was making wine over there, wine in Arak or so. It was a tradition in the family. So they made wine for themselves and for selling. We backed him. We backed him by the virus.

S. Simon Jacob 3:38

Yes, you were infected by the virus. Yes, so um.

Yaacov Ben Ami 3:40

Caught the bug. Yeah, caught the bug. I caught the bug right, thank you. Ever since I'm making wine, Very cool.

S. Simon Jacob 3:51

How many, Bottles?

Yaacov Ben Ami 3:51

sort of volume of wine do you make 3,000 bottles a year?

S. Simon Jacob 3:53

About 3,000?.

Yaacov Ben Ami 3:55

It's a home winery. I make it here in the back room.

S. Simon Jacob 4:00

Very cool. It's got the hashgachot on it and everything, so it's like it's at a certain volume.

Yaacov Ben Ami 4:07

So at least it's 3,000 bottles, some years more, some years less. I have six labels, six different labels, two series of wines, three wines in each series, and the vineyard that I take grapes from is here in Shiloh.

S. Simon Jacob 4:29

Okay.

Yaacov Ben Ami 4:29

And the Itamar, a little from the we're not far.

S. Simon Jacob 4:33

We're not actually very far from that. It's 15 minutes, yeah, yeah.

Yaacov Ben Ami 4:37

And a little bit from the Galil, from Givat Ada Gush Etzion.

S. Simon Jacob 4:43

So the grapes that you bring in are from, I guess, the Binyamin region.

Yaacov Ben Ami 4:48

Mostly.

S. Simon Jacob 4:48

Okay. Is there something special about the terroir here in the Jordan Valley where you're making the wine? Does it impart something special into the wine beyond what would be in Shiloh?

Yaacov Ben Ami 5:03

I think, the area of Jordan Valley. We are actually in the middle between the Shomron Heights and Jordan Valley. My life line is right in the middle, so for me it's like a connection between two different worlds, between the ancient winemaking from the Shomron from many years ago, and today is modern agriculture in Jordan Valley, which is very intensive and very modern. So the wine is, I think it's affected more by inspiration. For me, the names of the wine, the names of the, the wine is, I think it's affected more by inspiration. For me, the names of the wine, the names of the labels are influenced from the surrounding. So tell me, tell me a little bit about it. I have a wine, white wine, it's called Chavar, which is the white soil of the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea. Havar it's mineral, it's white, so it's connected to my perception of white wine. The rosé is called Emekazo. Emekazo is the valley between Israel and Jordan. It's an army territory. You can't go in unless you are a soldier or a farmer. You have a farm there, so it's called Emekazo.

Yaacov Ben Ami 6:43

It's actually a natural reserve nature um, all the birds flying from africa to europe in the season come through there. Yeah, so it's a very unique area, emikazo, which is, by the way, rosé on the front border. So it was nice match. It's an anagram. Yeah, and I have a red wine called Yelkut Aroim, which is a local plant. The shape of the fruit is just like Yelkut Aroim, like a bag of shepherds. Shepherds, sederata, eilidh, eilidh series. Arei Besamim is the last words of Shir HaShirim, which tells me that the grapes take all the good stuff from the mountains. Arei Besamim, the perfumes come from the mountains, from the surrounding the mountains. Yep, I was. I mean, the fumes come from the mountain from the soil.

S. Simon Jacob 7:51

I'm an agronomist, okay, you're an agronomist by.

Yaacov Ben Ami 7:52

It's my profession, so I like the soils and where did you study? They hold it in Rehoboth. Very cool.

S. Simon Jacob 8:06

It's at the Hebrew University.

Yaacov Ben Ami 8:11

So that's your specialty as agronomy Soil and water, soil and water.

S. Simon Jacob 8:15

Okay, so that I guess, with your grandfather directed your life so far.

Yaacov Ben Ami 8:21

The winemaking was a hobby. For many years I was very serious about it but it was a hobby. Actually, I directed myself to agronomy profession and I got into professional winemaking. In the last 15 years I was also a winemaker in. I think now it's a big winery Tura, Winery Tura.

S. Simon Jacob 8:50

Yeah, sure, we were just there. We just visited last week.

Yaacov Ben Ami 8:56

Really yeah.

S. Simon Jacob 8:58

Just visited.

Yaacov Ben Ami 8:59

I think I saw that post in the Facebook.

Itzik Stern 9:02

Yeah, I mentioned their Merlot 22, which was Crazy charts.

Yaacov Ben Ami 9:10

I was there until harvest of 2018. From 11 to 18. There, I owe this place a lot of knowledge and practice. I learned a lot and in 2017, I started my own label making my own wine, Ever since I'm making wine every year on the Ben Amir.

S. Simon Jacob 9:38

So, as an agronomist, would you ever want to open your own vineyards?

Yaacov Ben Ami 9:46

It's a dream, okay, I can't tell you it's not, but I really believe that making what you're best in best of it's better. For I think my scale of winery doesn't need a lot of vineyards, so it would be more of a hobby than a profession to grow a vineyard in this size. I don't want to be a real farmer to sell grapes to other people, unless it's mine. I can't really take land. It's not an agricultural settlement.

S. Simon Jacob 10:31

The view as you're driving in here is absolutely unbelievable. It's such a blend of the desert and the mountains coming down to it. It's just an unbelievable place to be.

Yaacov Ben Ami 10:48

It's an hour drive from the center, from Tel Aviv, 30 minutes from Jerusalem, and it's just a different world. The Jordan Valley, it just opens and you can just stay and watch for hours.

S. Simon Jacob 11:04

Right, it's unbelievable. Let's talk a little bit about the grapes that you've chosen, because, since you buy the grapes, you can actually choose exactly what you're looking for out of these. So tell me a little bit about the blends, because these are all blends.

Yaacov Ben Ami 11:18

Yes, all my wines, except the Rosé, are blends.

S. Simon Jacob 11:22

The Rosé is not a blend.

Yaacov Ben Ami 11:23

The Rosé is not a blend. I used to make it a blend, but then I discovered Sangiovese Okay, and then it was okay. This one is 100% Sangiovese.

S. Simon Jacob 11:36

So how do you make rosé out of it? What's your methodology to make rosé?

Yaacov Ben Ami 11:44

I think rosé should be between fruit and bitterness and complexity in the mouth, not only just 30-40 flavors and off-dry taste. I think the complexity of the rosé is very important because I think of all my wines as food wines. I think they are stimulators for food. So that's how I accept wine. Rosé is made basically the same like everyone else, but I think it's a the variety. It makes the wine what it is. I harvest my grapes very, very soon, early, early, yeah, and it has 11% alcohol, sometimes even less. The grapes are usually made for red wine, full red wine, sangiovese but you get the grapes very early so they have a very nice expression of acidity and very sharp red flavors. That I love very much. And it's made basically the same like everyone else. You know, short.

S. Simon Jacob 13:20

Short exposure okay.

Yaacov Ben Ami 13:21

And they're impressing. And wine ferments from their own, that's it.

S. Simon Jacob 13:27

So the color is, the color is mostly about harvest time. Okay, that's the main thing okay, so the color is a light pink, or?

Yaacov Ben Ami 13:36

it's white, salmon, pink, okay, but um, I'll have a sample soon. Okay, I like the color to become more and more light. Light, I like the color to become more and more light.

S. Simon Jacob 13:45

Good Interesting. The Sangiovese is great, it's quite unique In Israel. It's unique, it's very unique.

Yaacov Ben Ami 13:54

The other wines are all blends.

S. Simon Jacob 13:57

How do you select the blends?

Yaacov Ben Ami 13:59

First, I love to play with wine. I think it's very interesting that seeing the blend is much more interesting than each grape by itself, because we have a lot of it. You can taste Syrah, you can taste Cabernet Sauvignon, you can taste Merlot single wines it's all over, so making another one is not interesting enough for me. Okay, I think also boutique wineries, small wineries, have to justify their being by making things different, making things interesting. Otherwise, why am I making more of the same? We have a lot of regular wines in the market, so I'm making more of it. That's how I look at things.

Yaacov Ben Ami 14:57

My blends are made for maximum juiciness so they're approachable from the very beginning will be always more juicy, more full-bodied not actually full-bodied, but more expressive With the fruity side combining together. That's what I'm looking for when I'm tasting.

S. Simon Jacob 15:20

As an example, on these blends that you have here. You pick them in advance, so you know what you want to do in advance for it. Or do you find?

Yaacov Ben Ami 15:29

I think about the wine before I make it. Before you make it, yes, I plan the wine. Okay, like in this case, the Zahov is a the Chardonnay, the Chardonnay and Viognier. It's a wine that is being fermented with the skins. It's orange wine is being fermented with the skins, it's orange wine, what you call orange wine. The varieties are mixed together with certain amounts after fermenting separately, each variety with its own skins, and then blend it together. The Viognier was fermented twice the time when the Chardonnay, with the skins because of its thick skin. So each variety gets its own expression and then blends into the wine.

S. Simon Jacob 16:26

That sounds so interesting.

Yaacov Ben Ami 16:28

I really want to taste that yeah, and it's uh also aged 10 months in oak, which I never did before, but I thought this wine was demanding it. So the complexity, the flavors uh needed to balance in oak, I think the oak was. I used 300 liter oak barrels, not small ones, so it's not a very roasted impact on the flavors. New oak barrels no Okay. Second use Second use Good. The structure of wine was very nice when I took it out.

S. Simon Jacob 17:12

Very cool. So you get the micro-oxidation but you don't get the heavy impact of the oak. You get some oak but you don't get the heavy impact of it. Oak flavors yes.

Yaacov Ben Ami 17:23

I choose my barrels very carefully. Yes, I choose my barrels very carefully. I take it with very low, medium roast oak and the big, relatively 300 liters are more than the 225 standard barrels, so the flavor's impact is reduced. So the flavor's impact is reduced With other blends, the red blends, the Arey Besamim and Merkava. I was thinking about two different wines. One is the Bordeaux blend, classic Bordeaux blend, arey Besamim it's four varieties. Cabernet, cabernet Franc, petit Verdun, merlot it's four varieties Cabernet, cabernet Franc, petit Verdun, merlot, again fermented separately and then combined to a blend. And you can say a Mediterranean blend, syrah, petit Syrah, which is more juicy, more condensed flavors, or concentrated, very concentrated.

Yaacov Ben Ami 18:32

Okay, it's being harvested late, so it has a high alcohol percentage. Actually, I was making from this vineyard three different wines. I used to make Rosé when it was harvested very early, early, uh, which is the mid range, and then, which is the ripest expression of the sierra. Sierra is a very strong motive in my wines. I love Syrah.

S. Simon Jacob 19:08

It's developed into something that's, I think, it's the best match for Israeli people. Yes, I do too.

Itzik Stern 19:13

I have to ask when you're talking about the Zahov with the Vionier and you're saying you know, I've been making this for a while and then I felt it needed something and I'm just going to throw it in oak as you know, a as a boutique winery, you're not producing tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of bottles my first thought is that must be terrifying. I'm going to throw it in the oak, I'm going to do something different to it, without really knowing how that's going to turn out. Do you have a way to sort of figure out in advance or other wines that you taste that were similar?

Yaacov Ben Ami 19:44

I'll tell you a secret With each and every one I make, I have a point where I think it will be a disaster. It's not going to work, it tastes awful and it's not going to be bottled.

S. Simon Jacob 20:02

Then God shows his hand.

Yaacov Ben Ami 20:04

Yeah, exactly, it's like art. You know I start something and you think it doesn't look good. The color here and the line here, it's not going to blend together. But that's one thing I love about blends that the total sum is bigger than the ingredients. So it combines together and just goes one into another and it works. So I love taking decisions in the winery.

Fermentation, Yeast, and Wine Exploration

Yaacov Ben Ami 20:34

So it's gut feelings intuition and eventually I think the guidelines are there making a full, juicy, expressive wine as much as I can from what I get. It starts with fermentation how to ferment, how many times to mix the skins with the wine and which yeast to choose. It's everything.

S. Simon Jacob 21:06

Being an agronomist by trade. Does that make you pick the sources of your grapes much more carefully? Do you look at how the vineyards are actually, what the vineyards are actually doing does it.

Yaacov Ben Ami 21:23

Look at the vineyards how it looks, meaning if the leaves, what the color of the leaves, if the vineyards is thirsty, if it's irrigated, if it's not irrigated, how much space between the vines, between the clusters and the branches. Of course I look at it when I go to pick what I want, but I think I have the base vineyards that I take grapes from. That I like very much, and sometimes very nice surprises, like the Sangiovese from Givatada. It was an amazing discovery for me. Basically every yeast, just keeping it in line, not a very different one you mentioned yeast and using different yeasts and what have you?

S. Simon Jacob 22:22

do you do anything else with yeast? Many of the winemakers make breads. They make other things.

Yaacov Ben Ami 22:32

I make pizza with my leftovers from the yeast. I think I'm the only one that likes it. My kids don't like it, but I think yeast would be an interesting component in composting.

S. Simon Jacob 22:46

Yeah, wow, never even thought of that. Okay.

Yaacov Ben Ami 22:50

Instead of just throwing leftovers in the kitchen or the things you have to compost pile, you can add sediments or yeast. It would be, I think, very active. I tried once, but the whole neighborhood smelled like one of these, smelled like wine.

Itzik Stern 23:09

I couldn't complain about that yes, you do.

Yaacov Ben Ami 23:12

It doesn't smell like wine, it smells like rotten.

S. Simon Jacob 23:16

I could see that. But yeah, one of the nicest smells is walking into a barrel room. It's just we were talking about if you could package that as a cologne. And is walking into a barrel room. It's just if they could. We were talking about if you could package that as a cologne. That would be something that a lot of people would like.

Itzik Stern 23:36

I think it would have a very select target audience. Yes, yeah, but you definitely have it.

S. Simon Jacob 23:41

Can we taste some wines?

Yaacov Ben Ami 23:42

Sure yeah, I would love to Straight from the.

S. Simon Jacob 23:45

Wow, okay, it's already almost very ready.

Yaacov Ben Ami 23:51

It's ready.

S. Simon Jacob 23:52

Yeah, it's ready. It's so beautiful. There's no cloudiness, no nothing.

Yaacov Ben Ami 23:58

No, it's filtered. It's ready for yeah.

S. Simon Jacob 24:01

That's interesting. Sangiovese it's definitely different, but you're getting like that classic.

Itzik Stern 24:07

Sangiovese, that acid that you would get. I mean again, it's not Italy.

S. Simon Jacob 24:11

Yeah, no, no, no, but it's.

Itzik Stern 24:13

It very much correlates with the grape.

S. Simon Jacob 24:16

Thank you, I didn't realize you're.

Yaacov Ben Ami 24:19

L'chaim.

S. Simon Jacob 24:19

L'chaim tovim mishalom.

Yaacov Ben Ami 24:22

Baruch haram.

S. Simon Jacob 24:25

Thank you.

Yaacov Ben Ami 24:26

Still bubbly.

S. Simon Jacob 24:27

A little, a little effervescence.

Yaacov Ben Ami 24:31

This is on the skins. For how long An hour?

S. Simon Jacob 24:33

Okay, really short. Okay, I love the color. I love the color. The salmon color is beautiful and I love the choice of Sangiovese. It's just so.

Yaacov Ben Ami 24:47

What do you think about the acidity?

S. Simon Jacob 24:50

I think it's great.

Yaacov Ben Ami 24:52

I think it's very high.

S. Simon Jacob 24:53

Yeah, it's, high, but it's this is.

Itzik Stern 24:55

It's really balanced. It's hard and it's not. You don't feel it in the throat going down, it's just nice, it's refreshing, I agree.

Yaacov Ben Ami 25:05

I was learning to love high city with Rosé wasn't natural for me, so I just I'm adding each year more and more meaning harvesting sooner, so I'm learning too, ok do you want to try the white first, or is it if you'd like?

S. Simon Jacob 25:36

I want to compare the acid. I forgot it's an orange wine.

Itzik Stern 25:42

I think this is very interesting because I found orange wines that have a little bit more acid but somewhat lacking in personality. Yeah, I wish this is very interesting because I found orange wines that have a little bit more acid but somewhat lacking in personality.

S. Simon Jacob 25:50

Yeah, no, I wish this had more acid. The flavors are awesome.

Yaacov Ben Ami 25:56

I'll tell you what With the acid in this wine. I didn't want to add acid because I don't like the flavor of added acid. It's bitter in an annoying way. It's a trade-off.

S. Simon Jacob 26:20

The flavor is much better. I like this flavor very much.

Yaacov Ben Ami 26:24

I think with orange wine it's a balanced orange wine. It's not oxidated or such things. That happens when you ferment white with the skins. They get to a stage when the advanced fermentation gets oxidized and it's a thing that you have to learn how to keep it before it oxidizes in the last stages of fermentation. Not oxidized. It's white with body. It needs food. I like it with blue cheese. I think it's. I'm enjoying it with the cheese.

S. Simon Jacob 27:10

Yes, with other flavors.

Yaacov Ben Ami 27:12

With the bone. Yeah, yeah, protein.

S. Simon Jacob 27:15

Yeah, protein, I agree.

Yaacov Ben Ami 27:17

Ten months in oak is really on the envelope. It's not very expressive.

S. Simon Jacob 27:28

I think it's just for structure this is 10 months, I know, wow, so it's not. You're right, it's not oaky at all, it's nice, it's just lovely, it's full. It's not overly acidic. The only concern I have with it it's not overly acidic. The only concern I have with it not having more acid is how long it will, how long it will last.

Yaacov Ben Ami 28:00

I'm curious, I don't know.

S. Simon Jacob 28:02

I know.

Yaacov Ben Ami 28:03

It can go a long way, but I really don't know. It's the first time I'm doing it with orange Orange. My last one was only two months in the burls, I thought it was enough, but this one, 10 months, and I think it could go more easy. Yep, but I want to take it out. And I think it could go more easy, yep, but I want to take it out. It's interesting.

S. Simon Jacob 28:34

It's a Viognier 52% and a Chardonnay 48%. Very cool, it's definitely interesting. It's worth very much worth trying. Thank you, it's really good.

Yaacov Ben Ami 28:46

Okay, reds Red Samim Right Bordeaux blend. Thank you, it's really good. Okay, reds Aray Besamim Right Bordeaux blend. Four varieties, 24 months in barrels.

S. Simon Jacob 28:54

Aray Besamim is a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot, Absolutely juicy.

Yaacov Ben Ami 29:12

Yeah, this wine was made for the red fruit juiciness, the red notes of pomegranate red notes of pomegranate, pomegranate, spot on.

Itzik Stern 29:33

Wow, it is.

Yaacov Ben Ami 29:37

Even the bitterness and 24 months in oak birds were amazing. That's why it happens the way because of the Ashwita I don't make wine, ashwita at all, I skip this year and I decided to keep the wine. I usually age wine for one year, for months. This one was beginning of a new era in the wine industry. One year is not enough anymore, because this is the outcome of two years. So I was amazed with the, with the wine, and decided that one year is not enough, and today I have wine from 2023, still aging and will be in the barrel, I think, at least until the end of the year.

S. Simon Jacob 30:44

This is a 2021. It was bought in 2023 and it's one year in the bottle.

Yaacov Ben Ami 30:47

There's a 2021.

S. Simon Jacob 30:47

It was butter when it's green and it's one year in the butter and it's 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 17% Petit Verdot and 13% Merlot.

Yaacov Ben Ami 31:03

Wow, this is delicious, thank you, I think a Bordeaux blend is a must with every winery. Wow, this is delicious, thank you. I think a Bordeaux blend is a must at every winery because it's like, if you play guitar, this one is the song you must know how to play. So a Bordeaux blend is just like that, but I think that it's not my well, it's actually.

S. Simon Jacob 31:37

Not your love.

Itzik Stern 31:38

That's not what represents you. Yeah, exactly, I was actually surprised to see that you have a Bordeaux blend, because it's so not your style.

Yaacov Ben Ami 31:46

Because, like I said, it's something that I know how to do and I want to do it. You do it well.

S. Simon Jacob 31:53

So the one that you're most proud of is this the Merkava. It's got a.

Yaacov Ben Ami 32:00

It's a blend that before I did it I didn't see it anywhere, but then I saw two or three. One doing the same. Maybe for me I didn't see it anywhere, but then I saw two or three one-wheeler doing the same. Maybe for me, I don't know. But I think it's a unique combination of varieties, syrah and Petit Syrah combined together, although the name suggests that it's relatively close to each other. But they're not. Syrah is very different from Petit Syrah. Syrah is more round, ph is usually high and the flavors are ripe, and Petitsira is usually high acid, hard flavors, hard tannins, not round at all and aggressive grape when it comes to flavors, and the combination of both is just like a car accident.

S. Simon Jacob 33:19

So this is really your favorite of your wines.

Itzik Stern 33:26

It's our flagship wine, okay, your favorite of your wines. It's our flagship wine. Okay, I love how you describe your flagship wine as a collision the car accident.

S. Simon Jacob 33:34

That's amazing. That's what I think of it this is one of my favorite Syrahs.

Yaacov Ben Ami 33:41

Thank you.

Itzik Stern 33:42

Really what? It's amazing yeah.

S. Simon Jacob 33:45

Absolutely amazing. It's one of my favorite Syrahs. I told you I didn't like it at the beginning and now I love Syrah and wow, this is a great blend. This with chocolate chip cookies would be an absolute killer. Interesting.

Itzik Stern 34:00

Love it.

S. Simon Jacob 34:00

15.5% alcohol you don't understand, love it 15.5% alcohol.

Yaacov Ben Ami 34:11

You don't know it, it's just there. It just spices up the wine and it doesn't feel like high alcohol wine At all. So the name El Kava is not about kabbalah or anything. It's about finding a new name for the word blend, like combining two or more ingredients, sophisticated way of saying it. So um is actually a a name for a blend. That's the origin of the name.

S. Simon Jacob 34:54

There are other people who use that.

Itzik Stern 34:56

No.

S. Simon Jacob 34:56

No.

Itzik Stern 34:57

Generally, it's an msakh right.

Yaacov Ben Ami 34:59

Msakh, yeah, but Merkava meaning for in the blending meaning of it, so it's In the landing meaning of it, so it's making it a good name for a flagship wine, I think.

S. Simon Jacob 35:13

Yep.

Yaacov Ben Ami 35:16

I think it also transports you Another dimension. So the wine is sold mostly here in the winery.

S. Simon Jacob 35:22

Yep, I was going to ask you how do you get a hold of it?

Yaacov Ben Ami 35:25

I sell in only one shop in Jerusalem.

S. Simon Jacob 35:28

Which one?

Yaacov Ben Ami 35:29

Kosher Bracha.

S. Simon Jacob 35:30

Kosher Bracha. Oh, okay.

Yaacov Ben Ami 35:32

It's the only wine shop I'm selling to.

S. Simon Jacob 35:35

I love Aviatar. I love Aviatar Me too. He's the best.

Yaacov Ben Ami 35:43

Cool. I like to work with only people that I like. So when I give wine to a dealer, to a distributor, thank you. So it's very important for me that he will talk to his customers. He will introduce the wine. He can tell something about the wine. He has an added value. Not he will introduce the wine. He can tell something about the wine. He has an added value, not just the wine on the shelf. So it's very important for me. I make very little amount of bottles per year, so it's important for me that people that buy the wine get the story, get the personality out of the bottle that they just bought. So that's what I'm working with. I think that wine should tell where it's coming from, especially when it comes to the people. So just buying another bottle of wine is nice, but it has a story behind it.

S. Simon Jacob 36:53

Even more so. And he does, he tells that story.

Yaacov Ben Ami 36:57

He tells the story. It has this intimacy In the store. It's very small. You get there and feel like in a cave, surrounded with wine bottles.

S. Simon Jacob 37:07

It's actually like a showroom, because you don't really buy from there, though you can. You can take off the shelf. His storage in the back is really where he keeps his wine, but instead of having a big store with all the bottles, he's got like a little jewelry box that you pick these jewels off of the shelves. No, but this is exactly Eviatar. Eviatar is my playlist guy for wine. He goes to many different boutique wineries and he recommends based on me. I mean, he knows what I like and what I don't like and he'll suggest.

Yaacov Ben Ami 37:51

Makes it more personal.

S. Simon Jacob 37:52

It's hugely personal. It's exactly what I like. And you know what People who come to Israel always ask me about wine. Okay, because I've got a following of people who like wine and if they're coming anywhere near Jerusalem or Israel, I always say here's Eviatar's number. You call him up, tell him what price range you're willing to pay and he'll give you six bottles, 12 bottles, whatever you like. And the truth is that of those bottles, I would bet there isn't. I would bet, if there's one that you're not thrilled about, maybe one bottle out of 12. But all the rest of them you'll love. And how did he do that? He's amazing. So he's an amazing person.

Itzik Stern 38:41

I've seen people come in and say they're looking for wine in the price range and you would say, okay, what are you eating?

S. Simon Jacob 38:46

for dinner this evening. What are you using? He's exactly who you want selling your wine, exactly who you want selling your wine.

Yaacov Ben Ami 38:55

Exactly who you want selling your wine 100 me too, me too that's why some people don't yeah, because he's so special, he's such a special person, so um I I agree I really believe that, uh, the person behind the counter, the one that says the wine, should be able to be himself, to give his personality with the wine. There's another business that I work with, onega Bika. He makes. He offers all the production of Jordan Valley, starting from dates and honey and olive oil and tea mixtures, and my winery as well. I had a statement it's from the Jordan Valley, so it's important. So I work with them, I love to work with them. Yeah, you know what? Yes, I would, I'd like more. So I work with them, I love to work with them.

S. Simon Jacob 39:56

Yeah, you know what? Yes, I would, I'd like more.

Yaacov Ben Ami 39:58

Please take what you want.

S. Simon Jacob 39:59

No, I want to try this one more time again, because now it's opened. This is so satisfying, excellent, excellent.

Yaacov Ben Ami 40:19

What do you charge for these bottles 150, 180, 130.

S. Simon Jacob 40:26

They're not cheap, but no, no, that's okay.

Yaacov Ben Ami 40:28

I can't afford selling you less. Took me time to understand it. It's not good for me to sell it. The local Karim probably less. What can I do?

Itzik Stern 40:46

But there are wines that cost just as much and are half as good, so I think you're absolutely fine with your price.

Yaacov Ben Ami 40:53

Sidrat Abayit, my home series in English.

Itzik Stern 40:57

Yes.

Yaacov Ben Ami 40:58

It sells for 110.

S. Simon Jacob 41:01

Yep.

Yaacov Ben Ami 41:02

All of them White, rosé and red.

S. Simon Jacob 41:05

The white is what.

Yaacov Ben Ami 41:07

It's a blend of roussan and chardonnay. Okay.

S. Simon Jacob 41:10

Roussan, wow Roussan is amazing. I know you're really playing with a lot of different varietals. Great, I love it. I love Roussan.

Yaacov Ben Ami 41:18

Roussan is amazing. It can be easy. A single variety wine, Like Syrah. It just fits the Israeli taste, Israeli flavor. I think it's a perfect match.

S. Simon Jacob 41:34

Have you ever tried to do anything with Marzalan Marzalan?

Yaacov Ben Ami 41:40

this year was the first 24 harvest. I actually added it to Merkava.

S. Simon Jacob 41:50

Because it's very, very interesting and I've tasted some amazing wines with Marcella. I've even tasted a single varietal with that and it's just crazy, absolutely crazy.

Yaacov Ben Ami 42:03

I wasn't planning on using it. But I came to the vineyard and he had Marcella and I saw the grapes. They were this big, yeah, tiny, that's it. Very condensed and structured flavor. You could taste the wine in the grapes, so I knew at the point that it was going to be part of my kava. I just knew it.

Itzik Stern 42:27

So the 2024 kava is Syrah, petit Syrah, morsalah Mm-hmm.

S. Simon Jacob 42:32

You wait until that comes out. You're going to say thank you for doing that. Thank you, kadash Baru, for introducing me.

Yaacov Ben Ami 42:40

It tastes great.

S. Simon Jacob 42:42

Yep.

Yaacov Ben Ami 42:42

It's in the barrels now Aging, but I think it will be a very interesting addition to this blend.

S. Simon Jacob 42:54

Is there a way we could taste it? Is it possible?

Yaacov Ben Ami 42:58

It's not Merkava yet, it's not blended yet.

S. Simon Jacob 43:01

Oh, it's a separate.

Yaacov Ben Ami 43:04

Now it's a blend of Marcellin and Petit Syrah. Okay.

S. Simon Jacob 43:07

Do you want to taste it? I would love to. I'd love to. I'd love to experiment. It's just my craziness, cool. Do you have time, are you okay?

Itzik Stern 43:19

Yeah, I blocked after 12. What I blocked after 12. Yeah, I want to look at the wine?

S. Simon Jacob 43:26

Yeah, I do, yeah, you know what? Come on let's go, let's see if he lets us in. Maybe he'll let us in.

Itzik Stern 43:53

You see what it was. Okay, maybe he'll let us. Actually, it would be cool if I told you a tiny bit about. Actually, it would be cool if I told you a tiny bit about his engineering capabilities, aside from being an agronomist.

Yaacov Ben Ami 44:02

This is actually fascinating yeah this is my winery, my home winery no, bruch Hashem.

S. Simon Jacob 44:11

you know what? I've seen bigger wineries, but I've also seen much smaller wineries, so, but I love this. This helps a lot.

Itzik Stern 44:25

So, basically because Yaakov is a one-man show, you've got this whole lever pulley system.

S. Simon Jacob 44:31

Yep, it's great.

Itzik Stern 44:32

It lifts the barrels up over there, moves the vats Wow, it's actually barrels up over there moves the vats.

S. Simon Jacob 44:36

Wow, it's actually really really cool. Come, come, come I smell that you're going to love this what.

Yaacov Ben Ami 44:51

I smell that you're going to love this.

S. Simon Jacob 44:55

I'm glad I brought up Marcelin.

Itzik Stern 45:00

By the way, I just want to tell you.

S. Simon Jacob 45:01

Yeah.

Itzik Stern 45:02

The first time I ever came here.

S. Simon Jacob 45:03

Yeah.

Itzik Stern 45:03

I was in reserves in Milouin, nearby in Rochelot.

S. Simon Jacob 45:07

Yeah.

Itzik Stern 45:07

And I was texting with Yoko and I said I want to come see the wine and he said, okay, come down, now's a good time. I said, okay, I'm just going to find a place to throw in some laundry. And then I'll come and he goes, forget about it just come to your laundry here, and that's when I realized this is really a home winery. It's great you do your laundry, you drink your wine. It's great, it's great, it's great.

S. Simon Jacob 45:56

It's a hafnasa tochem to its fullest. You're saying what I'm thinking.

Itzik Stern 45:58

It was Will Ferrell who once said I just blew my own mind.

S. Simon Jacob 46:10

Wow, and that's so early, early, early, early.

Yaacov Ben Ami 46:13

Okay, this is the kicking part of the wine. It kicks hard, it has rough tannins, lots of acid. And the Syrah is the opposite of it, just the opposite. It's round, fruity, very Plums, plums. That's when you get your car accident yeah.

Itzik Stern 46:39

That's the car accident when you blend what we're having here with the syrup. That's what I love about it.

S. Simon Jacob 46:45

This is wow. You know what the marzipan makes it more. It adds to the whole. It makes it more. It adds to the whole, it makes it.

Yaacov Ben Ami 46:58

It actually softens the petizia. Yeah, the petizia is yeah.

S. Simon Jacob 47:04

It makes it rounder, it just makes it much better. I think it's going to be amazing. But this is great, but it's going to be absolutely crazy.

Yaacov Ben Ami 47:16

Exactly, mm-hmm. I think it's going to be amazing. But this is great, but it's going to be absolutely crazy. Just by looking at the Maserano, I knew it was part of the Merkava. I thought maybe put it in the Kutroim, but it's not.

Yaacov Ben Ami 47:30

Merkava it looks like a bus. It looks like this. It was very concentrated. It had to be metal. If I will grow my winery, it will grow from 3,000 to 5,000. Like you see, I don't have room for it. I can't build anymore in my house. I don't think I will move to another place, which means bigger production. I don't want to make it a wine factory. I think I will stop enjoying it ok so I think I will stop enjoying it.

Yaacov Ben Ami 48:19

Okay, so I think the best value I can get is branding. Branding Benjamin Winery, the Quality Boutique Winery, home winery, that's the best.

S. Simon Jacob 48:44

Okay Dreams for next year, other varietals you want to play with.

Yaacov Ben Ami 48:56

I have only 10 or more. I think the main effort will be on quality and maybe growing a little more, but really just only if it will be necessary Do you want to make any high-end whites. When I'm saying quality, I mean gear. Okay, I should gear Cooling.

S. Simon Jacob 49:32

Cooling sleeves Cooling yeah.

Yaacov Ben Ami 49:36

Cooling sleeves. So this will be my next challenge, I think when I have the good production units, so I will be able to make it. Now I make it homestyle but I think very good, you know, to make it it excellent. I need the extra gear for this and I don't have it yet. I don't think it. In these conditions I can make really good high quality white, because I know high-end whites need special care with cooled fermentations, which I don't have now. What I make now is made by air conditioner Temperatures which are good enough, but not for high-end.

S. Simon Jacob 50:32

So, yes, I'm not for high end.

Yaacov Ben Ami 50:33

So yes, I'm aiming for this place. I know I can make it, but not under these conditions.

S. Simon Jacob 50:44

Yaakov, thank you very much for letting me come and tasting and thank you for being on the Kosher Terwa. I really thank you very much and thank you, itzik for the connection.

S. Simon Jacob 50:57

Yeah, me too. Me too, I'm all about that. This is Simon Jacob, again your host of today's episode of the Kosher Terroir. I have a personal request no matter where you are or where you live, please take a moment to pray for our soldiers' safety and the safe and rapid return of our hostages. Please subscribe via your podcast provider to be informed of our new episodes as they are released. If you are new to the Kosher Terwa, please check out our many past episodes.