Argaman () is an Israeli

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

grape. It is a crossing of Souzão and

Carignan Carignan (; also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Medite ...

.T. Stevenson, ''The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia'', pg 438, Dorling Kindersley 2005 The intention was to produce a variety of wine grape with good rich color, which had been a problem in Israeli wine. Roi Spiegel of the

Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research The Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute (), previously known as the Agricultural Research Station of the Jewish Agency for Israel, is an Israeli agricultural research center. It serves as the research arm of the Ministry of Agric ...

and Shlomo Cohen of the Israeli Wine Institute created the Argaman (lit. "crimson") with this purpose in mind. After hundreds of attempts and micro-vinifications, successful wines were produced from it. Barkan Wine Cellars is one of the wineries that uses the variety. According to ''

The Oxford Companion to Wine ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' (''OCW'') is a book in the series of Oxford Companions published by Oxford University Press. The book provides an alphabetically arranged reference to wine, compiled and edited by Jancis Robinson, with contributio ...

'', the Argaman is used primarily for low quality

jug wine "Jug wine" is a term in the United States for inexpensive table wine typically bottled in a glass bottle or jug. Historically, jug wines were labeled semi-generically, often sold to third parties to be relabeled, or sold directly from the wi ...

s.J. Robinson (ed), ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' Third Edition, pg 364–365, Oxford University Press 2006 However, Segal Wines, produced from Argaman grapes grown in a vineyard in the

Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee (, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; , ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Part of the larger Galilee region, it is characterized by its higher elevations and mountainous terra ...

, has won prestigious awards, among them a gold medal at the

Bordeaux wine Bordeaux wine (; ) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city, the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde; the Gi ...

competition. In addition, Jezreel Valley winery won a silver medal at Terravino 2012 with a red blend which includes Argaman. A red wine blend that contains Argaman, the Jezreel 2014 Adumim, has earned 93 out of 100 points by the

Wine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast Companies is a New York based company that engages in the wine, e-commerce, information, education, events, media, and travel markets.Covel, Simona, ''The Wall Street Journal'' (October 2, 2008)Wine Enthusiast Looks to Win Over ...

.Jezreel 2014 Adumim Dry Red (Israel)
/ref> Jezreel Valley Winery is one of the leading revolutionaries in the resurgence of Argaman and has successfully bottled a single varietal Argaman which is rich, spicy and complex. In the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards th
Jezreel Argaman
was awarded 96 points, the highest rated Israeli wine of that vintage.

References

{{reflist Israeli wine Agriculture in Israel Red wine grape varieties

See also

References