Tanya Winery was established in 2001 by Yoram Cohen as a family owned and run winery. Today, Yoram is majority owner and the Winery’s Wine Master. The Winery is named after Yoram’s daughter Tanya. The word “Tanya” appears hundred’s of times in the Talmud when introducing a text related to the teaching of the sages.
The Winery is located in Ofra in the Binyamin Region north of Jerusalem at an altitude of 900 meters above sea level. The modern city of Ofra is named for the Biblical City located in the area inhabited by the ancient tribe of Binyanim (Benjamin), Jacobs youngest son, as mentioned in Joshua 18:23. Numerous ancient wine presses, some dating back 3000 years, carved in the stony regions surrounding the Ofra area serve as incontrovertible testimony to its centrality in the ancient wine making process. In the tradition of fine winemaking, the grapes which grow in the Winery’s vineyards are harvested in optimal ripeness, fresh from the area’s cool evening temperatures, placed in small containers, and dealt with only by hand.
Upon reaching the Winery, the grapes enter the crusher at a cool temperature of 10 degrees Celsius which liberates the juice from the fruit. The juice is then left with the grape skins for several days prior to the alcoholic fermentation, which lasts 12-16 days. After the period of initial fermentation, the wine is aged in French oak barrels for periods ranging from fourteen to twenty four months until it is bottled. The wine then remains and ages in the bottles for several additional months in the Winery’s cellar.
The Winery, which bottled some 800 bottles in 2002, primarily for family and friends has greatly expanded to its present capacity of 30,000 bottles per year. The excellence of the various wines produced by Tanya Winery has been recognized by the international wine community which has awarded it a total of nine medals over the last 12 months; including five gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze medal.
