How did it all start?
It all began somewhere in the 70’s in Strasbourg, France, when Moshe was studying physical therapy and met Anne, a member of a long standing Alsatian family. Moshe, upon visiting her family, was struck by their strong bond with the land and the surrounding nature. He became exposed to the world of wine, its rich culture, homemade wines, and was captivated. Moshe remained for seven years in Alsace, building his family with Anne.
They then decided to move to Israel to continue producing quality wine there. In 1998, they established a winery in Jaffa – from which the winery takes its name. After a few years the winery moved to be closer to the vineyards in the Ha’ela Valley, considered to be the “Israeli Provence”. The winery is now located in the village of Neve Michael, an area rich in the history of wine making for thousands of years and is now considered part of the “Wine Route of Israel”.
Producing wine at the Jaffa Winery combines tradition and knowledge resulting in wine which is unique to the valley and the winery. The winery therefore uses grapes grown in the valley at vineyards owned by the winery.
The Production Proces
The grapes are harvested during the night and arrive when they are still cool to the winery where they are destemmed and gently crushed. They are then ready to enter the fermentation stage which is so important in determining the ultimate quality and nature of the wine. The fermentation is done in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures and lasts for approximately 10 days. The winemaker then decides if the grapes will move to a soaking process to separate the juice from the skins to obtain more liquid. The wine then goes through a second fermentation process, called malolactic fermentation, which lasts for a full month. The wine then moves to the aging process, which is also critical to determining the ultimate quality of the wine. The aging process lasts between 12-20 months and is carried out in barrels, some from France and others from the US.
This results in a wide range of flavors which then converge into a small number of wines in the bottling process. The bottling process is also crucial with strict attention paid to avoiding excess pressure and exposure to oxygen.
The Winemakers
Anne and Moshe are professional physiotherapists and both work in medical facilities, while devoting their spare time to the winery. The constant demands of winemaking have made way for the joy of creation and an insatiable quest for knowledge. Moshe, who started out as a winemaker in France, never ceases to study and improve his know-how. Family visits to France always include study tours and professional courses. In Israel too they never miss an opportunity to learn about the latest winemaking news and trends.
Anne, a talented cook, plays an important role in creating the wine blends. Another source of great pride is the fact that both Sophie, a “Tadmor” graduate and Stephan, a graduate of the Agriculture Faculty in Rehovot, have joined the winery.
