American-born Victor Schoenfeld, the chief winemaker at the Golan Heights Winery in northern Israel, has been named wine person of the year for 2014 by Poland’s leading wine magazine, Czas Wina.
Previous winners of the Czas Wina award include Hugh Johnson, the renowned British wine critic, and Michel Rolland, an influential wine expert.
Schoenfeld, who was born and raised in Rancho Palos Verdes, in Los Angeles County, graduated from U.C. Davis with a degree in enology (fermentation science) in 1988. As an undergraduate, he worked at Preston Farm and Winery in Healdsburg, Sonoma Creek Winery in Sonoma and Baron Wine Cellars in Israel. He also was an intern enologist with Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa, and then worked for Chateau St. Jean in Kenwood.
He joined Yarden’s Golan Heights Winery in 1991. Under his leadership, the winery has won numerous awards, including a Wine Spectator Top 100 Wine of the Year in 2008 and Wine Star Award from Wine Enthusiast (both firsts for an Israeli winery).
Schoenfeld is a pioneer in the application of new technology and winemaking techniques, such as sophisticated meteorological stations, precision viticultural analysis, advanced irrigation management and green practices (organic farming, composting and wind-generated electricity).
This year, the Golan Heights Winery became Israel’s first to use grapes that were harvested from vines developed and grown in their own independent nursery. Previously, according to an IMP Media report, vine seedlings were imported from leading wine growing countries and sold to wineries across Israel.
Schoenfeld traveled to Poland to receive his award; he used his time there to expand Polish awareness of the Israeli wine industry, in part by hosting wine tastings in Warsaw and Krakow. — j. wire reports