Yarden Mount Hermon Moscato

Yarden Mount Hermon Moscato is a lightly sparkling, semi-sweet wine from Israel's Golan Heights, made from Muscat Canelli grapes at 6% ABV in a 750ml bottle. Produced by the Golan Heights Winery — named New World Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2012 — this Moscato has earned consistent critical recognition, including an 89/100 score from Wine Enthusiast for the 2014 vintage.

Quick Facts: ABV: 6%  |  Origin: Golan Heights, Galilee, Israel  |  Style: Semi-Sweet, Lightly Sparkling  |  Producer: Golan Heights Winery

Production & Heritage

The Golan Heights Winery was founded in 1983 on the volcanic plateau of northern Israel, where elevations range from 400 meters to nearly 1,200 meters above sea level. The winery has accumulated over 50 international awards since 1987, with medals at France's Citadelles du Vin and Challenge International du Vin among them. Mount Hermon Moscato is produced entirely from Muscat Canelli grapes grown in the Golan Heights' distinctive volcanic basalt soils. Cold fermentation is deliberately stopped early to preserve the grape's natural residual sugar and aromatic intensity, yielding a naturally low-alcohol wine with gentle effervescence — no secondary carbonation is added.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with ripe peach and apricot, followed by rose petal and honeysuckle. Beneath those primary fruit tones sit quieter notes of pineapple, lemongrass, and a faint hint of mint.

Taste: The palate enters with juicy white peach and mango, supported by a fine, persistent effervescence that lifts the fruit across the mid-palate. Orange zest and tangerine peel provide citrus contrast, while floral undertones of lavender and violet emerge toward the peak. The sweetness is present but balanced by bright acidity rather than feeling cloying.

Finish: The finish is medium in length with a spun-sugar quality that recalls cotton candy, tapering off with a clean citrus note. A subtle mintiness and soft floral echo linger in the final moments.

How to Drink Mount Hermon Moscato

Serve well chilled, ideally between 4–7°C (39–45°F), in a tulip-shaped glass that concentrates the aromatic bouquet. This wine is best enjoyed on its own or as part of lighter mixed drinks. A Moscato Spritz — with a splash of soda water and a slice of peach — amplifies the wine's natural effervescence without masking its fruit character. A White Sangria built on this Moscato as the base works particularly well, as the tropical fruit profile complements fresh-cut melon and citrus. For a simple warm-weather cocktail, a Moscato Mule — substituting the wine for vodka alongside ginger beer and lime — plays off the wine's mint and citrus undertones.

Best For

• Warm-weather brunch gatherings where a lighter, lower-alcohol option is welcome
• Introducing wine newcomers to aromatic, fruit-forward styles without high alcohol
• Pairing with spicy Asian or Middle Eastern cuisine that demands off-dry sweetness
• Dessert course at a dinner party as a lighter alternative to heavy fortified wines

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Mount Hermon Moscato taste like? It delivers ripe white peach, mango, and orange zest flavors with floral notes of honeysuckle and lavender, balanced by lively effervescence and a spun-sugar finish. The sweetness is restrained by citrus-driven acidity, keeping the wine fresh rather than heavy.

How does Mount Hermon Moscato compare to Asti Spumante? Both are sweet, sparkling wines made from Moscato-family grapes, but Mount Hermon Moscato is produced from Muscat Canelli grown in volcanic Golan Heights soil at high elevation, giving it a more pronounced tropical fruit and herbal character. Asti Spumante, produced in Piedmont, Italy, tends to lean toward stone fruit and white grape flavors with a more overtly bubbly mousse.

Is Mount Hermon Moscato good for beginners? At just 6% ABV with approachable sweetness and bright fruit flavors, it is one of the most accessible wines for people exploring the category for the first time. The gentle effervescence and low alcohol make it easy to enjoy without requiring any particular tasting experience.

Where is Mount Hermon Moscato made? It is produced by the Golan Heights Winery, located on the volcanic Golan Heights plateau in northern Israel's Galilee region. Vineyards sit at elevations between 400 and nearly 1,200 meters, benefiting from an extreme Mediterranean climate with significant diurnal temperature shifts.

What foods pair well with Mount Hermon Moscato? Thai green curry, where the wine's sweetness tempers chili heat; fresh fruit tarts with stone fruit or tropical fillings that mirror the wine's aromatics; creamy goat cheese with honey, which echoes the floral and honeyed notes; spiced Middle Eastern pastries like baklava for a regional pairing; and seared scallops with a citrus glaze, where the wine's acidity cuts through the richness.

What sizes does Mount Hermon Moscato come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format.

Is Mount Hermon Moscato worth the price? It positions as an affordable, everyday semi-sweet wine that over-delivers on aromatic complexity for its price tier. Consistent Wine Enthusiast scores in the 86–89 range across multiple vintages confirm it as a strong value within the Moscato category.

Why Mount Hermon Moscato?

What separates this Moscato from the crowded field of mass-produced sweet sparklers is its origin: Muscat Canelli grapes grown on ancient volcanic basalt soils at elevations that few Moscato vineyards in the world can match. That terroir — combined with the Golan Heights Winery's early-stopped cold fermentation technique — produces a wine with genuine aromatic depth rather than simple sugar-water sweetness. The 2014 vintage earned 89 points from Wine Enthusiast, and the wine has maintained scores in the upper 80s across multiple releases, demonstrating vintage-to-vintage reliability. For a 6% ABV wine at an accessible price point, Mount Hermon Moscato delivers a level of complexity and sense of place that most competitors in the category simply do not attempt.