The story
The wine bug caught Gadi Sternbach in 1971. He spent most of that year shepherding in Britain and some of it traveling through the European wine countries. On these trips, he visited wineries and vineyards, tasted wines, ate at rustic restaurants and stayed at country inns. Thus was born his dream: to plant a vineyard, to make wine, to host and to cater.
He abandoned shepherding soon after returning to Israel and began guiding tours in the Sinai. After studying geology, he established the first company offering trekking tours in the Sinai and became a tourism entrepreneur.
The dream was postponed but not forgotten. Eventually, Gadi and his wife Shula came to Givat-Yeshayahu with the goal to make the old dream come true.
The Janaba vineyard was planted in 1996 and first harvested in 2000. The wine farm, named after Gadi’s father, does all the stages of wine making, from planting to marketing.
Emanuel Madar (Manu) was born in Jerusalem and grew up with wine. In the house of his parents, immigrants from France, wine was a part of life. After his release from the army, he joined a bartender’s course, where he first encountered the world of winemaking. The next summer, he worked during the wine harvest at a boutique winery on the shore of Lake Geneva. There he finally decided to become a winemaker.In the winter of 2003, Manu joined Gadi in pruning the vineyard. From here one thing led to another and Manu became partner in the winery. In the summer of 2003, before the harvest, the partners traveled to Europe and imported wine manufacturing equipment. They then used all the crop of the Vineyard and produced some 7,500 liters of wine.
Meanwhile Manu has graduated in agricultural science in Rehovot and is now studying for a master degree in enology in Bordeaux.
The philosophy
The Hans Sternbach Vineyard believes in Terroir. It believes, that the grapes should be in the forefront, that Good wines always begin with good grapes and that the special character of a wine results from the unique and mysterious combination of the topography, soil and climate of the vineyard and of the cultural traditions, associated with the methods of its cultivation and vinification. Therefore they grow their own grapes and do not mix together grapes from odd origins to make wines of obscure character.
Facts and Wines
The Janaba vineyardis planted in brown alluvial soil rich in pebbles, on the right bank of the Hakhlil Valley, not far from where it flows into the Ella Valley at the foot of Tel 'Azeqa. The vineyard grows presently only Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2009 further areas of Syrah, Petit-Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc will be planted.
The vineyard makes three generic wines:
-
Janaba Reserve– This wine comes from the lower part of the vineyard. It gets 3 weeks of skin contact and is aged for up to 24 months in mostly French barrels, (half of it in new barrels) and for additional 8 – 9 months in the bottles before launching
-
Hakhlil Valley - comes from the higher part of the vineyard, undergoes two weeks of skin contact, one year in one harvest old barrels and 8 – 9 months in the bottles before launching
-
Ella Valley– A young ('nouveau') house wine, which is separated from the Hakhlil Valley on completion of the alcoholic fermentation and starts to get sold upon completion of the malolactic fermentation. It is served directly from a stainless steel tank to jugs and glasses in the vineyards' restaurant and to people who come to buy it with their own containers.
The wines are sold only on the farm.
Honorable Mentions
Terra Vino Tel Aviv, 2006:
Janaba Reserve 2003 – Silver Medal.
Hakhlil Valley 2003 – Double Gold Medal
Panama Vino, Panama, 2006:
Janaba Reserve 2003 – Double Gold Medal
Hakhlil Valley 2003 – Gold Medal
Mujeir Alige (women’s choice), Mendoza, Argentina, 2006:
Janaba Reserve 2003 – Gold Medal.
Hakhlil Valley 2003 – Gold Medal
Vinalies internationale, Paris, 2007 - Janaba Reserve 2003 – Silver Medal.
Zarcillo, Spain, 2007 - Janaba Reserve 2003 – Silver Medal.
Vinus, Mendoza, ArgentinaJanaba Reserve 2003 – Gold Medal
Location: Giv'at-Yesha'ayahu
Bottling Volume: 8700 bottles + 1000 l. nouvo in bulk per year.
Best: Janaba Reserve 2003, Hakhlil Valley 2003 and Hakhlil Valley 2005
Kosher: No
Visiting the winery: Open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays 10 am – 5 pm.
On other weekdays, Visits only on advance notice.
On the premises there is also a rustic Mediterranean restaurant Open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. 10 am to the departure of the last customer.
On other weekdays, meals for groups and events, (minimum. 10 participants), on advance notice
Phone: 02-9990162, 052-3859926; Fax: 02-9911703; E-mail: sk-gadi@zahav.net.il