Evyatar Cohen is a wine entrepreneur.
Having worked in the business for many years, he is the owner and operator of JLM Wines, the Kos Shel Bracha wine store – a favorite among Katamon’s discerning denizens – and the Israeli wine subscription service Wine Box. Always ready with a recommendation at every price point, you can count on Cohen to steer you toward a good vintage – even in the three bottles for NIS 110 range.
Having recently returned from miluim (IDF reserves), he had to get back to running his business right as the alcohol-filled holiday of Purim approaches, with Passover and its “four cups” not too far away.
Ahead of the holiday, In Jerusalem sat down with Cohen to discuss his work and what it’s like running a small wine business with Purim and Passover on the horizon.
How did you get into the wine business?
Getting into wine was actually a student job for me, originally. I started working at the shop that I now own. It was just a random job. That was the first time I was really exposed to wine. Then I left the store to go study at university and do a few other things. [Eventually] I noticed that the store was up for sale again, so I bought it. Once I did, I realized, ‘Wow, I should probably study more about wine.’
Wait, you weren’t really into wine before?
No. When I did start studying it, though, I really got into it. That’s when I really started enjoying it. I own a vineyard now, and I make wine for fun. I’m deeply involved.
What is it like coming back to the business after reservist duty?
I knew it would be different. But once I got back, I saw just how much I [had] missed. Like, when you’re away, you know you’re missing something, but you don’t know what you’re missing.
The world just kept moving forward, so there was a lot of stuff to catch up on, both on the family level and the business level. Even the simple things, like customers and which new wines were released. Everyone has been through something.
Do you have a special relationship with your customers?
My shop is very small, so I have a personal relationship with a lot of them. It’s a neighborhood store, and I have a lot of repeat customers (In Jerusalem editor Erica Schachne among them).
Has the war been a challenge to business?
There are two sides to it. First thing, I was away. During the first stage of the war, I had my nephew and some others help keep the shop open 50% of the time. With the initial shock, I think people didn’t want to drink wine. Wine isn’t like most alcohol, which people drink [in order] to forget. Wine is a very pleasant thing. It’s more about happiness than sadness. Plus, people often seemed to feel guilty about doing something joyous [in light of the situation]. So people drank less at the beginning.
But over time, things went back to normal.
This wouldn’t be the first challenge to your business. What happened during COVID-19? How did you handle it?
We were allowed to stay open during the pandemic because we are classified as “food.” I would be doing deliveries on my bike all the time.
Tell me about your wine subscription service, Wine Box. You have a list of wines, along with songs to listen to while drinking them.
People get wine from us [delivered] at their door once a month. We try to make it more of an experience, so we pick a song that we feel has the same vibe. Wine is hardly ever an experience by itself; it’s always contextual, relating to something. The vibe is part of it, and that’s where the music comes in. Plus, I like music as well, so it’s fun for me. I expose people to new wines and new music.
What’s work going to be like for you in the lead-up to Purim?
Thankfully, very busy. I’ll be packing orders all day. On the website and on my WhatsApp, people also send me new orders. People also come to the store for the romantic side of wine, the pairing and tasting. Then, up until megillah-reading on Purim itself, there will be a lot of schlepping boxes.
What about Passover?
People actually buy wine for Passover more than they do for Purim. In general, people tend to be far more organized for Passover. They know where they’ll be and have Seder, whereas Purim sees a lot of last-minute shopping.
People also host each other more during Passover than they do during Purim. Either way, they’re both busy times for me.■
For more information, visit jlmwines.com/. For the Wine Box subscription service, visit winebox.co.il/