Although the terms wine and vino are traditionally defined as beverages made solely from grapes, “fruit wine” or sheichar in Hebrew, can be produced from any fruit with a sufficient natural sugar content, or by adding sugar or honey to the nectar.

The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is considered one of Israel’s oldest fruit species. Originating in Persia (Iran) and the Himalayan region, pomegranates, it is believed, were first cultivated in the Middle East some time around the Bronze Age. The Bible also describes Israel as a land blessed with seven fruits and grains (shivat haminim): “A land of wheat and barley, and [grape] vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and [date] honey.” (Deuteronomy 8:8)

From the Bible, and through paintings and sculptures of the Middle Ages and ancient Greek mythology, it seems that the pomegranate has been given a special status among fruits.

A symbol of health, happiness, prosperity, royalty and fertility, some even claim that it helps to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. While I am far from being a scientist or a doctor and don’t claim to know much about the health properties possessed by the wines, it’s hard to ignore the growing pomegranate trend. Over the past decade, pomegranates have become increasingly popular – they and are used in a wide variety of food, beverage, medical and even cosmetic products.

There are currently several Israeli producers offering pomegranate-based wines, and while I still prefer a good glass of dessert wine at the end of a meal, there are a couple of pomegranate wines that are definitely worth trying.

Established in 2003 by the Nachmias family, the Rimon winery is known as the first Israeli winery to commercially produce wines based exclusively on pomegranates. All the wines are made using traditional winemaking techniques without the addition of sugar or any other sweetener; hence, the liquid is fermented and then aged in oak barrels, as one would do when producing wine.

Rimon currently offers four pomegranate wines of different styles: dry red, dessert, a port-style wine and the winery’s latest – a sparkling “Champagne-style” pomegranate wine.

I enjoyed the dessert wine, but my favourite is Rimon’s port-style beverage. It’s aged for 18 months in barriques, and the result is a rich, concentrated liquid showing very distinctive pomegranate aromas and flavours that linger on the palate. Served alongside a chunk of blue cheese or fruit-based and chocolate-based desserts, this one will definitely impress your guests.

Another suggestion is the sweet pomegranate dessert wine from the Granada winery. Situated in Moshav Gan Hadarom and managed by brothers Ovadia and Avraham Kashi, the winery currently produces both a dry and a dessert pomegranate wine. With production levels at approximately 28,000 bottles per annum, Granada’s version is made from a pomegranate variety known as “wonderful” and should be served slightly chilled. Dark ruby in colour, the wine is well balanced and, as expected, offers sweet, succulent fruity aromas and flavours.

Enjoy!