Chosen Bites: Land of milk and honey and. . . grapes

This Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrate in style with a refreshing sparkling wine cocktail; bubbles just instantly make the drink festive.

By LAURA FRANKEL

MAY 10, 2011 14:28

wine 311 (photo credit: courtesy) — wine 311

(photo credit: courtesy)

It is good to have connections and I am blessed to know some amazing people all over the globe. One of the most interesting friends I have is a wine maker in Israel. A winemaker is part artist, part chemist and part madman or woman. It is a fascinating job and needless to say the end result is delicious.

I was fortunate enough to visit the winery and have a behind the scenes tour with my friend and I got to see the inner workings of the wine business. I was so impressed with the winery and the job of a winemaker that I became instantly jealous and wondered why the job of winemaker was never part of my own childhood dreams. Who says to their parents "When I grow up I am going to be a winemaker." Israel is blessed to be a perfect place to grow grapes for not only eating but also for wine making. The rich soil and microclimates in the North are ideal. No wonder Israel is consistently changing stereo-types about kosher wines. The growing techniques and care of the grapes by the wineries is cutting edge and a model for many wineries around the world.

This Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrate in style with a refreshing wine cocktail. I like to use a sparkling wine for this cocktail. The bubbles just instantly make the drink festive. I like to use fruit juices or nectars that are freshest and in season. For this cocktail I recommend mango puree.

Celebration Cocktail

Serves 6-8

1 750 ml. bottle of Israeli sparkling wine2 cups mango puree¼ cup fresh lime juiceDash of pomegranate syrupIce

1. Mix all of the ingredients together and pour over ice. Serve immediately.