Israeli Drought Increasing Costs for Wine in Passover Celebrations
In Wine Talk: A Matter of Price, Adam Montefiore despises the widely held notion that Israeli wine is more expensive than that obtained from other wineries around the world. Montefiore quips that people can access a broad variety of Israeli wine products at a fair price by focusing beyond the brands showcased at wine tasting events. It should be noted that Israeli wineries expose wine lovers to their best wines at global exhibitions to increase their brand image and presence in the global market. While Passover celebrations have become a costly affair because of the drought effects, Montefiore indicates that there are plenty of quality wines that are more affordable than the brands showcased at the international wine tasting events by the Israeli companies. Although shifting the public’s perspective from this realization may be a challenging ordeal, Montefiore believes that the exploration will voice the consumer concerns and lower the cost of wine in the country.
By reading this article, I learned that over thirty countries produce more wine than Israel, a move that indicates its declining capacity to produce wine. In the medieval world, wine was discovered in China before spreading to other parts of the world. Although technology is largely attributed to the growing production of wine in other countries such as South Africa, the largest vineyards in Italy, Spain, and France, is associated with religious beliefs that led to the inclination towards sacramental wine. Importantly, Montefiore exposes the reader to mind-blowing facts that enhance his or her understanding about wine production and the impact of external factors such as drought. He demonstrates how wine production is an expensive business idea, which sees vineyards benefit from their first-sold bottle after seven years. Before the seven-year period is over, vineyards are expected to grow quality grapes and maintain the production process by embracing sustainable business practices that reflect on the organization’s ability to meet the changing needs of individuals.
Montefiore indicates that wine production in Israeli is seen as a rich man’s activity and idealism as opposed to being a wise financial investment. Historically, wine has always been consumed for its intoxicating impact that allows individuals to create memories with their peers. Unlike vineyards that receive government support, Israeli vineyards undergo a series of challenges that influence the outcomes of events in their surroundings. From this realization, the high cost of production is conveyed to the buyer who prefers other cheap options that suit his or her needs. Given the nature of the market to adjust to consumer demand, retail stores and supermarkets in Israeli stock cheap quality wine, which provides consumers with a bargaining power over the vineyards retailing expensive wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Mount Hermon Red are some of the best-selling wines in Israel, which feature prominently in every household’s dinner table during the Passover celebrations and Rosh Hashana. A bottle of these wine brands costs the consumer NIS 20, a low pricing strategy that is believed to maintain the changing consumer needs.
The article criticizes newspaper articles and other publications for always focusing on the award-winning wine brands that fetch a considerably higher price than the average quality wine. Given the influence of the media on the perspectives of individuals, many people are attracted by the glamor surrounding the publicized wines, distracting them from other quality wine brands. Notably, Montefiore believes that many people purchase wine not to consume it but to show the world they are drinking the award-winning wine brands (Montefiore). From this realization, the ordinary people are not attracted by the glamor surrounding the publicized wine products since they only purchase wine to have a good time. In this case, the article urges individuals to shift their mindset from the publicity created by the media and explore the broad wine market where they can access unlimited quality wine products at an affordable price. By understanding the best practices that should be used by organizations to sustain the demand for their wine products, it becomes easier to overcome different challenges that affect the focus of individuals towards wine products in the market.
This article has improved my understanding of religious views in Israeli and how wine plays an important role during the Passover celebrations and the Rosh Hashana. Even though many people around the wine purchase wine for its intoxicating impact, wine consumption in Israel is largely influenced by the religious celebrations, which have a significant impact on the views held by individuals towards life. However, the marketplace may not align its interests with the religious views because of aspects such as operating costs, which have a huge impact on a business’s ability to sustain its existence in the market. From this observation, the Israeli consumer has a higher bargaining power than the vineyards because of their ability to dictate the nature of approaches used by vineyards to maintain their operations in the market. Wine brands in Israel should shift their allegiance to meet the local consumer needs before expanding their vision to take over the global wine market.
Works Cited
Montefiore, Adam. “Wine talk: A matter of price.” 26 October 2017. The Jerusalem Post. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/wine-talk-a-matter-of-price-508497. 31 December 2020
