In the last ten years, technology has helped Israeli wine-makers improve quality and earn global recognition. Kosher wines can now be produced without traditional "mevushal" methods, whereby wine is boiled and pasteurized to remove impurities. In 2011, the wine world took note. Israel's two largest exporters, Golan Heights and Carmel, each won prestigious awards- "Best Wine Producer in the World" (Vinitaly)  and "Best Red Rhone Varietal, over GBP10" (Decanter World Wine Awards). To mark this week's Israwine Expo 2012, it is worth reviewing recommendations from the 2012 edition of "Rogov's Guide to Israeli Wines", the definitive source about Israeli wine. The lists below are in honor of Daniel Rogov, wine critic at Haaretz since 1984, who recently passed away. As he noted in his own obituary, "Wine and food to me are not simply things that enter our body. They are a reflection of our anthropology, history, psychology, social needs and, of course, pleasure".

Supermodel Bar Rafaeli enjoying Israeli Wine