 However, with the emergence of the new world in wine making, Israeli wine makers sought new varieties of grapes, thus in 1971 Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, the first varietal wines from Israel, were presented in the United States market.In the early 1980s, the wine industry in Israel fell upon hard times, but in the second half of the decade, wine became more popular and demands for quality stimulated tremendous improvements in the varieties of grapes being grown, the cultivation of new growing regions and the updating of fermentation and production techniques.Over the past few years, new wineries have been built, the existing wineries have been renovated and a new team of wine makers have been employed.