The Golan Heights Winery, whose chief winemaker is U.C. Davis graduate Victor Schoenfeld, has become the first Israeli winery to capture the grand prize at Italy’s leading international wine competition.
Founded in 1983 in Katzrin, the Golan Heights Winery beat out 3,720 wines from more than 1,000 producers in 30 countries to take home the so-called “Wine World Cup” — the Gran Vinitaly Special Award.
Schoenfeld’s wines are marketed under the Yarden, Gamla and Golan labels.
It was the first time that the grand prize was given to an Israeli wine-maker, although the Golan Heights Winery had already won Grand Gold Medals at Vinitaly in 2004 and 2006. — jta