The Ella Valley Wineries grow nine varietals. They spread across various growing areas, which are suited for each varietal.

One of the key components in producing high-quality wine involves growing the grapes within an area that enables both the characteristics of each varietal and those of the area to be expressed.

Varietals Grown in our Vineyards
Red Wines
• Merlot
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cabernet Franc
• Petite Syrah
• Syrah
• Pinot Noir

White Wines
• Chardonnay
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Muscat Alexandroni

Factors Taken into Consideration when Selecting Each Varietal and Its Growing Area
Some varietals exhibit the regional characteristics more strongly, while others exhibit their own characteristics more strongly. The changes can seen in the color, flavor and taste, and determine whether a particular wine can be considered a clear representative of the varietal's nature or of the region's components.

The Ella Valley Wineries are committed to producing top-quality wines, which exhibit a good balance between these two elements. A wine that does not fulfill the varietal - and the regional-related criteria - to the best of its abilities is not released by the winery.
For example, Pinot Noir is a sensitive varietal, which responds dramatically to the changes in the weather. If the grape does not mature gradually and gently, it will be impossible to produce a top-quality wine with clear varietal-related characteristics, from this particular Pinot Noir crop. Therefore, although the winery grows excellent Pinot Noir grapes, we only release this wine in the years when the conditions enable the production of a perfect Pinot Noir wine. The winery released a limited series of Pinot Noir as part of the 2005 vintage, which won a number of prizes, and we are considering releasing another limited series as part of the 2008 vintage.