The Wine
The 2008 Golan Sion Creek White exhibits bright lime and tropical fruit notes, rounded out with hints of fresh herbs. The wine’s touch of residual sweetness and fresh character make it inimitably drinkable.
Golan Sion Creek White is best drunk young and fresh, within two years of the vintage date. We enjoy this wine with foods with a bit of spicy bite to them, such as Indian or Mexican, or alone as an aperetif.
The Harvest
A relatively warm, dry winter preceded the 2008 vintage season. Very low rainfall caused great worry until a cold wet April delivered enough rain to bring the seasonal total to 90% of normal. The relative cool continued to the end of July, delaying the start of harvest by about ten days. Near perfect conditions then prevailed until almost the end of the vintage when, on the 15th, the first of five October rains hit. The precipitation (five times the October norm!) delayed to November the final 8% of harvest.
The 2008 Golan Sion White is made from a blend of varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, White Riesling and Gewurztraminer. All the grapes come from vineyards in the cool northern Golan Heights. A cold fermentation in stainless steel preserves the natural vibrant character of these varieties.
Analytic data
Brix 24.8
% Alcohol 13.0
Acid(gr/L) 6.2
Ph 3.14
Sweetness SEMI DRY
Growth Area
The Galilee (or Galil) is the most northern, and generally considered the best, appellation in Israel. The highest quality area within the appellation is the Golan Heights (or simply the Golan), the coldest region in Israel. The vineyards on this volcanic plateau rise from 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level to 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) and receive snowfall in the winter. The Golan Heights Winery is located in the town of Katzrin, in the central Golan.