Israel's Efrat Wine Cellars was recently accepted as a member of the Meritage Association. Efrat Wine Cellars and Kuitpo Vineyards from Australia are the association's first non-North America members.
Earlier this year, the Meritage Associationvoted to accept memberships from outside North America. Meritage Association chairman, Michaela Rodeno. "It's thrilling that the domestic success of Meritage wines has inspired winemakers from all over the world."
The Meritage Association was founded in 1988 by vintners making wine in the Bordeaux tradition. A group of North American vintners, frustrated with limitations on varietal labeling requirements, set out to create a special name for high-quality blends of Bordeaux varietals. The word "meritage" was coined to identify hand-crafted wines blended from the traditional "noble" Bordeaux varietals including: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot and Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Vert.The association's membership now numbers 120 wineries.
Efrat Wine Cellars was established in 1870, and is Israel's oldest winery. The company exports quality kosher wines to the USA, Argentina, South Africa, England and Australia.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on Sunday, March 27, 2005