The first symbolic moment of the year in which the shelves packed with red wines make way for a celebration of transparency and white freshness is the Shavuot holiday.
Shavuot is not just the holiday of cheeses, it is also the money–time of white wines and rosé wines, those that know how to carry an entire evening with elegant lightness.
This year, I chose to flip the priorities: No longer a wine chosen 'beside' the quiches and cheeses, but wines with character, precise acidity, and a color scale ranging from pale gold to deep pink, which can become the real story on the holiday table.
The rich pastries and cheese platters will compliment the wine, emphasize its fruitiness, and create the perfect balance between the dairy fattiness and the freshness bursting from the glass.
I went on a short journey among the vineyards to find the bottles that will make your white holiday much more refreshing.
La Belle Angele White 2025
La Belle Angele, so they say, was a famous figure at the beginning of the 20th century. Her known beauty, elegance, and joie de vivre served as inspiration for French Impressionist painters.
This is a white wine from Grenache Blanc and Marsanne grapes, possessing a young and fresh character, and pleasant aromas of citrus fruit and flowers. Kosher. The price: NIS 55.
Moreshet, White 2025
A private label created at Arza Winery for the Akkerman Spirits company. A medium–dry wine, a combination of Marsanne, Viognier, and Gewurztraminer from the vineyards of Kfar Tavor and Har Bracha.
A delicate wine with aromas of white flowers, kiwi, and melon. The price: NIS 55.
Barkan Winery, Allure, Viognier 2025
The grapes were harvested in a secluded plot in the Galilee, at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level, and the bottle is designed to impress.
The wine has fresh aromas of white blossom and orange summer fruits. In the mouth, the wine is crisp and light, with balanced and refreshing acidity. The price: NIS 58.
Teperberg Winery, Inspire, Colombard 2024
From the veteran winery that has been doing wonders in recent years, comes a dry white wine of the Colombard variety, the grapes of which come from the Mevo Horon vineyard in the Judean Foothills.
It has aromas of white flowers, citrus, and tropical touches, alongside emphasized acidity and a light to medium body. A fresh, sharp, and very enjoyable wine. The price: NIS 70.
Carmel Wineries, Appellation, Gewurztraminer 2025
A medium–dry white wine produced from Gewurztraminer grapes grown in vineyards in the Galilee region. Prominent aromas of lychee, roses, and baked quince provide a fresh and balanced drinking experience.
The beautiful label is decorated with the Persian fallow deer, a species from the deer family that is, oh dear, in danger of extinction. The price: NIS 70.
Teperberg Winery, Essence, Chardonnay 2024
A dry white wine produced from Chardonnay grapes from two vineyards in the Judean Mountains and the Judean Foothills. It has rich aromas of peach and apricot, alongside touches of lemon zest, oak, almonds, and honey.
In the mouth, a balanced wine is revealed, with a medium body, delicate acidity, and a round and long finish. The price: NIS 85.
Carmel Wineries, Single Vineyards, Chardonnay Mevo Beitar Vineyard 2024
A dry white wine based on Chardonnay grapes harvested from the Mevo Beitar (Ein Kobi) vineyard in the Jerusalem Mountains, planted on ancient terraces.
An elegant and harmonious wine with rich and fresh aromas of ripe melon, loquat, and yellow plum with hints of sage, chamomile flowers, and toasted sesame. It is full and balanced with emphasized fruitiness alongside minerality and delicate saltiness, and a long, balanced finish with pleasant acidity. The price: NIS 90.
Recanati Winery, Chardonnay Tel Phares Vineyard 2023
From Chardonnay grapes originating from the Tel Phares vineyard in the Golan Heights, an elegant and gastronomic wine was created, possessing great depth, rich in flavors, and complex. Aromas of stone fruits, floral notes, and delicate minerality. The texture is velvety and caressing. The price: NIS 109.
Raziel Winery, Raziel White 2025
A charming and elegant blend composed mainly of Roussanne grapes and a little Viognier.
The wine has aromas of yellow stone fruits, alongside a tight, elegant texture full of flavor and a fresh finish. This is an excellent example of the new style of high–quality Israeli white wines, focusing on mouthfeel and not just aroma. The price: NIS 130.
Sphera Winery, Blanc de Blancs 2022
The sparkling wine of Sphera Winery, produced in the traditional method from the Chardonnay vineyard in Givat Yeshayahu.
A charming and precise dry wine, possessing aromas of green apple, yeast, and mineral acidity built on a beautiful texture. A long, gastronomic, and balanced finish. The price: NIS 280.
Recanati Winery, By the Glass, Gris de Marselan 2024
From Marselan grapes coming from vineyards in Shadmot Dvora in the Lower Galilee and Tel Phares in the Golan Heights, the winery created a wine with pure fruit characteristics, fresh acidity, and plenty of floral and fruity aromas, with a perfumed envelope of delicate citrus. The price: NIS 109.
Flam Winery, Rosé 2025
In the charming 28–year–old family winery, they created from Syrah grapes integrated with Cinsault, Carignan, and Malbec grapes, from vineyards in the Judean region,
A wine with a delicate hue, aromatic, dry, and gastronomic, aromas of light red fruit, balanced acidity, and crispness and minerality in the mouth. The finish is fruity, spicy, and long. The price: NIS 129.
Miraval Winery, Rosé 2025
Miraval Winery is the fruit of a collaboration between the famous Perrin family from the Southern Rhône Valley (which also owns the illustrious Château de Beaucastel winery) and Brad Pitt, the even more illustrious Hollywood star.
On the grounds of the beautiful estate Pitt purchased in Provence, about four hundred dunams of vineyards are planted, and the excellent wines produced by the Perrin family present a distinct Provençal character.
This is a dry rosé with a distinct Southern French character. A fresh and complex wine, with delicate and pleasant aromas of strawberry, roses, and blossom. And it is also Kosher. The price: NIS 139.