Weiss Halivni Wine

2015 Merlot

admin — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 19:58:12 +0000

Shmitta…No pruning, no plowing. The wine belongs to all.

We started with 1200 kilos of grapes from Netiv Avot and 700 kilos from Susya.

The press began erev Yom Kippur. By Rosh Chodesh Shvat, after the second filtering, we had 490 and 330 liters.

After Pesach we bottled about 1000 bottles total.

Today, erev Pesach 2017, about half of that is still around.

Under the supervision of the Gush Etzion Religious Council, this is wine with Kdushat Shevi’it!

2009- Merlot

admin — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 11:11:14 +0000

The harvest was on the 23^rd of Elul (relatively late) and we were blessed with 100 kilograms of grapes. As we bottle some of the wine the day before Purim we had a total of 74 liters of wine. The remaining bottling process was conducted in honor of our daughter Gavriel Miriam’s wedding to Shlomo just before Passover. Reviews on the wine were excellent and its too bad we only have a few bottles left for a special occasion.

Merlot-2014

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:58:08 +0000

On the 2nd of Elul we began crushing the 900 kilograms of merlot grapes from our Netiv Avot vineyard in Gush Etzion. On the 16^th of Elul we harvested and crushed 800 kilograms of our Susya merlot. We merited the special help of yeshiva boys from the Eitz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem (Rabbi Mendel Horowitz). At the time of pressing we had 629+458 liters, respectively. In the end of Cheshvan we filtered and lost 5.4%, and at the end of Tevet we filtered again and lost 2.2%. After more filtering and addition of oak chips in Adar, we separated tithes (including to the poor). We bottled in Eyar and in honor of our 7th year of wine-making have re-designed our labels. L’Chaim.

2013 – Merlot Netiv Avot

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:57:01 +0000

On the 5^th of Tishrei, Meni Gertler from Nativ Avot brought us 480 kilograms of his organic merlot. Wine bottled from this year (and future years, G-d willing), went out to the public with the label “Oz V’Anava”, representing Weiss-HaLivni’s Nativ Avot merlot. These bottles can also still be purchased. It a delicious wine, with an especially deep-purple color, and an alcohol content that does not disappoint.

2013 – Merlot

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:54:52 +0000

This year we made wine from both our original field in Susya as well as another 3 dunams of merlot that reached its 4^th birthday (thus being permitted according to Jewish law). So, we are talking now about a total of 500 vines of merlot in Susya. A week before Rosh HaShana we harvested the original vineyard and were blessed with 587 kilograms. On the 9^th of Tishrei we harvested the new field and were blessed with 40 kilograms (the deer had a good time this year). After three natural filtering processes, on the 23^rd of Adar Sheni we ended up with 724 bottles of merlot (including Nativ Avot, see further). The 2013 vintage is currently available for sale. It has a relatively “fruity” flavor and a medium to high alcohol content (14.1 %). We have had good reviews thus far, and the ageing potential appears to be very good.

Cabernet Sauvignon – 2012

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:52:47 +0000

On the 27^th of Elul Meir Deirlicht of Susya brough to us 200 kilograms of organic, cabernet sauvignon. Unfortunately, this would be the last year that we would merit to make wine from this vineyard as the local arabs uprooted the vineyard later that year. At press time, we had 139 liters of cabernet. A few days prior to Purim we separated tithes and began bottling as usual in honor of the holiday. The remaining bottle from Meir’s “lost vineyard” waits by us for a special occasion to be enjoyed.

Merlot – 2012

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:51:20 +0000

We harvested our merlot on the 19^th of Elul with a brix level around 24. We had enough grapes to fill-up 520 liters of stainless steel vats. On the same day we also received for the first time organic merlot grapes from our friend Meni Gertler in Nativ Avot, Gush Etzion (100 kilograms). At the time of pressing we had a total of 295 liters of Susya merlot, and 47 liters of Nativ Avot merlot. A few days before Purim we separated tithes and bottles a portion of the wine in honor of the festive meal. The rest of the wine we bottled just prior to Passover. In total we bottled 540 bottles of excellent wine (including cabernet, see further on). A few people still have a few personal bottles.

Meir Merlot – 2011

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:49:18 +0000

Also on Rosh Chodesh Elul, our friend Meir Deirlicht from Susya, requested that we make wine from his 50 kilograms of organic, cabernet sauvignon grapes. Two days before Rosh HaShana we pressed and in the end we received 16 bottles of a straight cabernet sauvignon and 71 bottles of a merlot-cabernet blend. Although both wines were excellent, we decided that in the future we would go with straight varieties only.

Merlot – 2011

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:47:23 +0000

On Rosh Chodesh Elul we harvested our vineyard in Susya with a brix level ranging between 24 to 29. We were blessed with 255 kilograms. On the 15^th of Elul we pressed and continued fermenting. We filtered naturally (as usual) three times until the bottling procedure. In the end, we merited 140 bottles of merlot, and another 71 bottles of a merlot-cabernet sauvignon blend (see further on). Tithes were separated including 19 bottles to a Levi and an honorable sum of money to the poor. Reviews on both wines were excellent.

Merlot – 2010

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:43:04 +0000

With high brix in the field hovering around 25, we harvest on the 16^th of Elul. A respectable quantity of 220 kilograms began primary fermentation that lasted 11 days till Erev Rosh HaShana when we pressed. On Erev Purim we bottled all 156 bottles of wine (just enough for the chag). 15 bottles were happily given to a local Levi. We received many compliments regarding the wine from 5770, and we still have 2 bottles for a rainy day.