I often get asked how I choose the wineries that I write about. The answer since COVID at least has been the same – I write about those that invite me to taste. It’s really that simple – I’m easy like that. And so a few weeks ago, I got a text from Eli Shiran asking me to taste through his new releases and here we are.

A few things to note off the bat, I have known Eli for a number of years. He has attended a number of RCC’s and we have had other dinners and tastings together. I consider him a friend. I think it is important to fully disclose that. I can say honestly though that it really does not impact the way I feel. I have always been up front with Eli about what I like and don’t like about his wines and have expressed that freely on this blog.

The next thing to note is that his wines and by extension his winemaking have improved year after year. I think that’s something worth noting – so when people look at a group of wines and you see a clear trajectory, you can say hey – I like where this winery is going, it might be worth joining them on that journey, as things are getting better and better. That is certainly the case here IMHO.

The last thing to note is on the other side of the coin. Something that has NOT been getting better and better with Shiran is the pricing. It is very hard to justify the price tag on a number of wines. I have had this discussion NUMEROUS times over the years with Eli. I understand his position; as a boutique winemaker with limited scale, his costs are higher, and therefore in order to be profitable, he needs to charge more. While I understand the argument, it makes no difference to me as a consumer if a producer’s production costs are higher – if that doesn’t add to the overall quality of the product being produced  so that it is now that much better than anything else on the market.

For instance, if I develop my own recipe for a cola and source all of the very best ingredients from my local health food store – using the absolute best Madagascar vanilla, hand milled unrefined raw cane sugar, locally sourced hand drawn spring water, etc. and then spend weeks cooking and refining and processing until I have an absolutely incredible bottle of artisanal cola – and it tastes significantly better than Coke – assuming Coke is your baseline standard for cola at an 88 point score and this comes in at a whopping 95! How much is that one liter bottle of artisanal cola worth? Let’s say it’s twice as good as coke – so $2? But – it cost at least $15 to produce! And let’s say you can ramp up and get to some sort of boutique scale and that production cost can come down to $10 – so in order to make a profit, a $20 wholesale price (marketing, transportation, etc.) is about right – and then you have a distributor’s markup and then final retail price – is somewhere at $35. Would anyone pay $35 for that bottle of cola? No. And while exaggerated, that’s my argument against justifying the price of a bottle of wine with the cost of production. Ultimately, it has to be in line with the market for the same product’s quality level or else you are just marketing a label.  Now, there are other arguments for the cost of a specific wine – but ultimately, I need to judge these wines within the quality category they fall – and that is where boutique wineries often fall short. There are other wines of similar quality at (far) more attractive prices.

Having said all of that, I really DO like some of these wines – and, I think the Israeli prices might even be justifiable in some cases.  So, let’s get things started: