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An Interview with Malkiel Hadari of Gito Winery
- Aug 18, 2020
by Noa Ben-Tsvi, with notes by Gregory Aubrey
Welcome to Gito Winery
Malkiel Hadari, a high tech professional, had a dream to produce his own wine. He started a winery in his home in the Gil Amal neighborhood, and became fascinated with the process. "My dream is to have people come to my winery for their Shabbat and Holiday wine shopping."
One of the most interesting home boutique wineries in Israel operates from an ordinary-looking house on the sleepy Golomb Street, nestled in the Gil Amal neighborhood on the outskirts of Hod HaSharon. Malkiel Hadari, a high-tech professional, and his wife Dina are the people behind Gito winery. "My dream is that Hod HaSharon residents will stop by our winery for a Friday or Holiday bottle of wine", says Malkiel.
Malkiel Hadari, 67, was born in Hod HaSharon, where he still lives. His way to wine production was no accident: they made wine and alcohol in his grandfather's house. "I've always loved and enjoyed wine", says Malkiel. "My wife, Dina, didn't drink when we met. I'd buy expensive bottles, way over our budget. Dina didn't like it and would comment on it. This gave her a wonderful idea: she signed me up for a winery school in Soreq. I surprised her and signed her up also. This way we came to know and love the world of winemaking. We took more courses on winemaking and entrepreneurship. Eventually, we decided to start a winery at our home. All this happened years ago."
"I went after my dream. Although it sounded crazy at the beginning, the family supported me immediately. I've converted the bedroom, the garage, and the patio into a winery. It became a family business when my three sons were helping, especially during days with heavy traffic, harvesting, and bottling. The ongoing work, however, is done by my wife and myself. I am very satisfied when I see people having fun drinking my wine."
Malkiel lives an unusual life. At the crack of dawn, you can find him driving to check on his vines in Kfar Pines, some 30 miles to the north. Then he drives to his office, at SAP, in Ra'anana - more than 30 miles to the south. "The cloud is my high-tech world. I move from that world to the earthy world of winemaking. I love high-tech. It's a world that’s ever-renewing, but so is winemaking. I find winemaking fascinating and full of surprises. I just love being in an interesting and renewing environment. I always dreamt of making wine, and I truly followed my dream."
"I make three types of wine: red, white, and rosé. There are two types of red and two types of white. I export the wine to the US, to Kfar Etzion, and to Wine Temple and Kos Braha (cup of blessing), both in Jerusalem. I’m sourcing my grapes from the Galilee and Gush Etzion, until my grapevines will be ready in two years."
"I work with Syrah, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Marselan and Grenache grape varietals for red wine. For white wine I use Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon"
"I like to blend the grape varietals and ferment them during the wine-making process. This way, the raw material becomes my personal production. I produce wine traditionally, the way they did it in ancient times, and combine it with modern knowledge. I go along with the wine, and it's possible that the taste will change a little from one year to the next. But I believe that this is what nature provides... wine is comprised of an array of tastes and smells, which requires a lot of work in the winery. However, the most critical aspect starts with the vines. Good grapes are the basis for good wine. To me, what’s most special about my wine is that it’s so Israeli."
"What makes my wine Israeli? My wine is crafted using local varietals, which are accessible and suitable for the Israeli climate. These varietals are light and lend themselves to wines with lower alcohol content - refreshing during our hot days. We're not in Europe, and this wine expresses “Israeliness”. This is my wine attitude, even though I believe that there isn't a right or wrong when it comes to wine."
Thank you to Noa Ben-Tsvi for this amazing and informative interview with Malkiel! Below we take a look at some of Gito's wines and what they bring to the table.
Gito Wines
The Reds
This beautiful and elegant red wine from Gito Winery is a powerful and fruit-forward blend of Syrah, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Marselan. The palate bursts with rich, red fruit flavors and delicate spice notes, with grippy tannins and pleasant acidity that make it the perfect wine to pair with meat. We recommend decanting this wine for up to an hour to let the wine breathe.
This red blend from Gito Winery is harvested from grapes grown in the Judean Hills and Galilee. The Cabernet Sauvignon offers structure and acts as the backbone to this wine, with the Syrah lending spice and red fruit. The blend is completed with Sangiovese culminating in a rich wine with complexity that is balanced and unique. This wine can be enjoyed now and will age gracefully for years to come.
This blend of Merlot and Petit Verdot offers a well balanced and fruit-forward wine that is best expressed when paired with juicy meat cuts, such as ribeye or hanger steak, and goes well with a seasoned hamburger. This full-bodied wine opens with red fruit on the nose and shows hints of cedar and spice, with the smooth silky tannins that are in harmony with the medium acidity, leading to a medium-plus finish. If consumed before 2021 it is recommended to decant for 1 hour before serving. This wine can age through 2026.
The Whites
Gito's Lavan 2016 is a 100% Chardonnay wine with crisp minerality and balanced acidity. Aged in oak barrels on its lees for 6 months, this wine is a fine example of classical Chardonnay winemaking styles with balanced fruit and oak. Expect citrus notes on the nose with bread and butter in the taste profile.
The Shenhav 2017 is a Chardonnay and Semillon blend with chalky minerality and crisp acidity. The Chardonnay is aged in French oak barrels on its lees for 6 months and the Semillon is aged in stainless steel on its lees for 6 months. This wine is a fine example of classical winemaking styles with balanced fruit and oak. Expect citrus and floral notes on the nose with lemon zest and brioche in the taste profile. This wine pairs great with fish or poultry.
The Gito Uphaz, a white Bordeaux blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, is winemaker Malkiel Hadari's expression of Israel's grapes blended in the old world style to produce a wine that will improve with age. Unoaked, this small batch production of wine is aged on its lees in a stainless steel tank for four months, giving it a crisp refreshing taste that offers stone fruit and minerality with a hint of brioche and honey. If stored properly, this wine will develop interesting and complex flavors with age.
