Israel's winemaking history goes back to 3000 BC, and today there are more than 300 wineries in the country - from those producing millions of bottles yearly, to the boutiques making just few thousand. Exports of Israeli wines continue steadily growing year after year. It is a vibrant and highly successful industry with a variety and quality that will surprise those who have not visited Israel recently.
The high mountains of the Galilee and volcanic elevations of the Golan Heights are rich with volcanic soil, and are ideal for winemaking because of their hot summers and snowy winters.
And so, we've travelled with a very nice American couple to the high Galilee Mountains (over 900 m above the sea level) to visit four different wineries to taste wine and meet the winery owners and winemakers. Learn about their winemaking methods and the region's winemaking history.
Dalton Winery, one of the most famous and popular in Israel, is a relatively large winery, with an annual production of around 1.2 million bottles. Unusually, though, for this size of winery, they grow over 90% of their grape requirement in their own vineyards. Their wines present a large scale of types, tastes and prices, exactly what is expected from a big and successful enterprise.
Adir Winery is family-owned and operated mid-size winery producing about 200,000 bottles of wine a year. The Winery benefits from years of agricultural precision, along with a true, hands-on, knowledge of the land and wine production, from planting through growing, selection, harvesting, crushing and bottling the wine.
The Kerem Ben Zimra boutique winery produces only 30,000 bottles a year and their wine are highly estimated in Israel and abroad. Ben Zimra series is of high quality and aroma and offers a unique combination of tastes. Kerem Ben Zimra wines are easy to drink and offer a highly pleasurable experience. These wines combine a blend of tastes to produce a light and enjoyable flavor suitable for many occasions.
Na'aman Winery is a relatively small boutique winery built and owned by the film director Rami Na’aman, who has chosen to leave the comfort of the Central Israel in order to follow his love and knowledge of the best wines making, at the Far North of the country. All Na'aman Winery wines are not only tasty and of the superb quality. They also bear an artistic musical touch and convey an outstanding cultural message.
