The story of wine and a winery is many things. It can be the story of a land, a people, a family, a vineyard, or a single person. The biography of Domaine du Castel begins with the story of Eli Ben-Zaken and his family in Egypt.
Ben-Zaken was born in Alexandria in 1944. In 1958, his family moved to Milan. Little could they imagine that many decades later, Ben-Zaken’s wine would become so influential in Israel. As author Adam Montefiore writes of Ben-Zaken and his wine: “He was the first in Israel to mark the region of origin (appellation) on the wine label. Israeli wines were up until then mainly New World-style varietals, with a strong nod to California. Ben-Zaken did not name varieties on the front label at all and made the wines in a traditional European, Old World way.”
“He was the first in Israel to mark the region of origin (appellation) on the wine label. Israeli wines were up until then mainly New World-style varietals, with a strong nod to California. Ben-Zaken did not name varieties on the front label at all and made the wines in a traditional European, Old World way.”
Adam Montefiore
After growing up in Europe, Ben-Zaken and his wife and family immigrated to Israel, initially settling in Haifa. By Passover of 1971, he arrived in Jerusalem and moved to the city’s Kiryat Moshe neighborhood. He served in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and by 1980 had become an entrepreneur, opening the Mama Mia Italian restaurant on Hillel Street, with its signature fresh pasta.
“This was the time Eli first began to taste and drink wine seriously,” the author notes. He learned about wine through the restaurant and traveled to France, where he visited the country’s famous wine-growing regions, such as Bordeaux and Burgundy.
He began planting grapes in 1988 at Ramat Raziel, the moshav that he had moved to, and choose Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. “He decided to become a hobbyist, amateur winemaker, and make wine,” the author states. It began with picking the grapes and inviting friends and family to help. “He used dustbins to make the wine; de-stemming was done by hand and the grapes were crushed by a young girl treading on them like in the old days.”
In the beginning, he produced 600 bottles and chose the name Castel, which in itself is an interesting choice. The Castel Fort from the Crusader era sits atop a small hill overlooking Route 1, near Abu Ghosh. It was a strategic position in the War of Independence, and still is.
Bringing to life the story of wine and the person behind it
Montefiore is an excellent storyteller, and in Dumaine du Castel he brings to life the story of a wine and the person behind it. The book also contains many interesting references to the shifting history of Israeli wine, as the industry has come into its own. For instance, he points to the winery boom of the 1990s.
“Eli is a real pioneer of the modern rebirth of the Judean Hills,” writes Montefiore. “The region was dismissed by the Israeli wine industry as difficult to care for, owing to the predominance of small terraced plots that were hard to access.” By 2001, the winery was on its way to its current status.
“The Castel Grand Vin 1997 and the C Blanc du Castel 1999 were both selected as ‘Wines of the Month’ by the esteemed Decanter magazine.” The winery continued to achieve success in the following years, and Montefiore’s excellent narrative brings the reader rapidly up to the present, discussing how Ben-Zaken’s family played a key role in the business.
The book is strongest when it conveys the story of a man with a vision and how he was able to pursue that goal over the years. We forget sometimes the very human story behind things we enjoy, like good food or wine. This is also the story of aliyah and the history of Israel since its founding. In many ways, Ben-Zaken’s life, from the 1940s to today, contrasts with the growth of the country in general and its success globally.
Wine is one of the key industries that have been uniquely successful and is growing in its recognition locally and globally. Israeli wine is so entwined with the country and the landscape, the Land of Israel itself and the history here, that reading about the story of one winery and its founder is a unique glimpse into this country and its people and what is being produced here.
The biography of Domaine du Castel is packed with historic photos, as well as delightful pictures of grapes and wine, and the process involved to produce the wines. This accessible volume makes one yearn to taste these wines and enjoy the clean air of the Jerusalem Hills, making this a successful wine-producing region.
DOMAINE DU CASTEL THE BIOGRAPHYBy Adam S. MontefioreAR Print House191 pages; NIS 145