Darom By Yatir
(New York, NY/Israel, JUNE 20, 2022) — If Israel is “the land of milk and honey,” the Negev (desert) region should rightly be called “the land of milk, honey, and wine.” Many people don’t know that wine grapes were grown in the southern region by Nabatean tribes as early as the second century BCE. Unlike other regions of the country, the Negev’s climate and conditions have always made cultivation a particular challenge.
Today, however, the Negev region is a famously intriguing location for the production of unique, superb wines, and the new DAROM wine brand showcases the Israeli desert wine region in all its glory. DAROM wines are created from quality grape varieties grown in selected vineyards in the south of Israel, where intense desert conditions result in unique and distinctive blends.
DAROM is a new brand from the renowned Yatir Winery, developed by its respected and talented winemaker Eran Goldwasser. He has been producing award winning and coveted wines for Yatir for more than 20 years. DAROM holds its own, with distinct flavors, characterized by refreshing, accessible grapes based on beloved and familiar varieties from select vineyards in the south. These vineyards enjoy a dry, cold desert climate at night, which creates a unique terroir. Growing and cultivation conditions are perfect for the grape varieties from which Darom wines are produced.
Darom by YATIR addresses wine consumers who want to invest in affordable quality wines, and who enjoy wine on a frequent basis—not just on special occasions—and are open to exploring new and exciting varietals.
The Darom LOGO represents the anemone flower that blooms in the Negev and covers a significantly wide area, with a beautiful red blossom from mid-January to the end of February, as the red anemones’ blossoms are at their peak during this period.
“The south is an integral part of the history of the Jewish people and their connection to vineyards there have bloomed and flourished in the region since the dawn of history. It is a wonderful natural habitat in terms of climate and soil, and many high-quality local varieties can be cultivated here. We are proud to lead Israel’s southern wine trend with the Yatir, and now with the new Darom brand,” says Yacov Ben Dor, CEO of Yatir Winery.
The launch of the Darom by YATIR is a milestone. After Yatir boutique wines of the south were launched 20 years ago, the brand grew into a coveted line of wines in Israel, with international recognition as well. Ben Dor describes Darom as the “younger brother” of Yatir.
Winemaker Eran Goldwasser of Yatir Winery says, “DAROM by YATIR’s wines are connected to the dynamic history of the soil, and the unpretentiousness accompanying them is felt in every sip. The tasting notes offer a lighter character, with fresh fruit flavors.
Harvest in southern vineyards began in the second week of August and ended at the end of September. According to Goldwasser, “The season was preceded by a cold winter with average rainfall for the region, except for March, which was unusually cold and rainy. Spring was intense—a combination of cold and frequent spells—and the summer was pleasant without extreme heat waves. The ripening was continuous and flawless.”
In the first stage of the launch, DAROM will include a series of boutique wines including three wines:
DAROM WHITE 2021:
This is a dry white wine derived from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes from the vineyards in Mitzpe Ramon and Ramat Arad located in the southern desert of the Negev. The wine was fermented in stainless steel vats and matured for 4 months in concrete vats.
It’s an elegant white wine whose distinct fruit flavors are cool and fresh. The wine displays a bright, golden color, and possesses fruity, fresh, and juicy flavors, with slightly herbaceous aromas. It is expected to continue to mature well in the bottle over the next decade. Darom White is a wine with a distinct presence that pairs well with food but can also stand on its own, serving as an aperitif.
Alcohol percentage is 12%. To enjoy the wine to the maximum, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature of 10ᴼ-12ᴼC (50ᴼ-54ᴼF).
DAROM ROSÉ 2021:
This dry rosé wine is produced from 34% Grenache, 33% Zinfandel, and 33% Red Muscat grapes from vineyards in the southern Judean Hills and Ramat Arad. The wine was fermented and matured in stainless steel vats for 4 months.
The result is an elegant rosé whose distinct fruit flavors maintain tasty freshness. It has a bright pink color with fruity, fresh, balanced, and slightly tart flavors. The wine presents refreshing aromas of strawberries and rose blossoms.
Darom Rosé 2021 merges wonderfully with a variety of Mediterranean cuisines, a combination that creates a real celebration for the palate. It is suitable for serving as an aperitif and is a perfect accompaniment to Mediterranean-style first course dishes.
Alcohol percentage is 11.5%. To enjoy the wine to the maximum it is recommended to serve it at a temperature of 8-10 degrees 8ᴼ-10ᴼC (46ᴼ-50ᴼF).
DAROM RED 2020
This dry red wine produced from 61% Shiraz, 20% Zinfandel, 12% Marselan, and 7% Grenache grapes grown in regions of the south and the southern Judean Hills.
The varieties were gently fermented for a short period, mostly in stainless steel vats as well as concrete and large open wood containers. The wines were then aged in concrete and large wooden vats (foudres) for a further 9 months.
With its distinct garnet color, blackberry, plum, and pepper aromas, and juicy ripe fruit flavors, this medium-bodied wine displays fruity and balanced acidity with rounded tannins and a long finish. It makes a perfect accompaniment to light meat dishes and Mediterranean cuisine.
Alcohol percentage is 14% Alcohol. To enjoy the wine to the maximum it is recommended to serve it at a temperature of 8-10 degrees 8ᴼ-10ᴼC (46ᴼ-50ᴼF).
