Almost two decades ago, Teperberg Winery moved to its modern and advanced residence near Kibbutz Tzora. It was already clear back then that this family winery, founded in 1870, was aiming high.
One might expect a longstanding family winery, spanning five generations, to strictly preserve tradition. However, at Teperberg, alongside maintaining the existing, they look ahead, with innovation and freshness breathing life into all the wine series.
We recently saw this in the creative releases of the Inspire Art series, which connects winemaking with Israeli art, and now it’s the turn of the winery’s high-end varietal series: Essence, which has been renewed with two wines from a different world.
Essence is a series of wines that places the characteristics of the vineyards and grape cultivation at its core. So far, the series has included classic Bordeaux varietals, and now two new red wines from varieties associated with the Piedmont region of Northern Italy: Dolcetto and Barbera, have been added.
And just like Inspire Art, the Essence series is starting to look, more or less, like an enjoyable playground for the winemakers. “Two wines with different approaches and a focus on delicacy, freshness, and youth,” says Shiki Rauchberger, the winery’s chief winemaker.
Once again, we’ve seen that the combination of the winemakers' creative freedom, the resources at their disposal, their senses, and their knowledge, creates wines that are creative, accessible, and enjoyable.
Teperberg Meets Piedmont
“The Essence series is a varietal series that brings the classic Bordeaux varieties,” says Shiki. “Here, we’re refreshing the series a bit, changing the very classic character with new varieties and a completely different winemaking style.”
“We didn’t initially know that Dolcetto would reach the level it has after planting 10 dunams in a vineyard near Alonim in the Golan Heights. We are always looking for new things, future ideas, and conducting experiments with new varieties and new methods.”
“The vineyard didn’t yield good results in its early years, so we went to Piedmont in Northern Italy to learn about the variety. We had a feeling that maybe it would suit us, and we decided to go with it,” says winemaker Danny Friedenberg. “In Piedmont, they laughed at us a bit, asking, ‘What do you intend to do with this variety?’ And there, we learned a lot about growing concepts and cultivation methods—it was a great school for us.”
“The character the variety brings and its varietal profile are so different from what we’re used to. Today, Essence, the winery’s high-end series, has both the classical Bordeaux varieties and a different varietal profile with another winemaking approach.”
“I fell in love with these light wines. The processes here are very different, much more delicate, aging in large wooden vats, and more. So far, we’re producing a very small amount of this variety—only 6,500 bottles.”
“The variety itself is very productive,” adds Shiki. “In the first three years of cultivation, we learned how to thin the grapes differently. It was a fascinating and interesting journey, until we formed the cultivation philosophy.”
“Manual harvest, cluster separation, grapes that aren’t crushed but go straight to the fermentation vat, and only using the free-run juice. We wanted to focus on good acidity, which is very characteristic of this variety.”
“The Barbera variety grows in the vineyard on the slopes of Judea,” explains Danny. “We’ve only known Barbera until now in rosé wines. Its high acidity is very suitable for rosé.”
“Now, as a red varietal wine with delicate extraction and aging in wooden vats, it has good acidity, a lighter character, and a nice spice.”
Teperberg Winery, Essence Dolcetto 2023
A dry red wine made from 100% Dolcetto grapes sourced from a vineyard in northern Golan Heights, at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level. A light and fresh wine, soft and refreshing, with aromas of red fruits, pomegranates, strawberries, and a slight greenness. Medium body and refreshing.
A summer or Tel Aviv winter wine. It’s best served chilled to a temperature of 16-18°C.
Price: NIS 100.
Teperberg Winery, Essence Barbera 2023
A dry red wine made from 100% Barbera grapes sourced from a vineyard in the Ayalon Valley on the slopes of Judea. A light, fresh, and floral wine, with aromas of red fruits and herbs, medium body with good acidity, and a refreshing and delicate finish.
A fun and pleasant wine. This red wine can also be enjoyed in the hot Israeli summer, after a light chill, of course.
Price: NIS 100.