Israel

oday, in a reflection of how far the country has advanced from biblical times to the present, the Israel Professional Enology Organization recently published its “Land of Israel Wine Map” detailing the country’s 15 regions “divided by topography, soils and climate.” These 15 growing areas are comprised from north to south fall into six larger regions: Golan Heights, Galilee, Central Mountains, Coastal Plain, Judean Foothills and Negev Highlands.

From the Golan Heights region in the north through Galil appellation in the Sea of Galilee area to the sandy soils of the Coastal Plain east of Tel Aviv to the green valleys of the Judean Foothills to the Negev Desert areas in the South, Israel is all about diversity in topography, soils, and microclimates.

While traditional Kosher wines helped establish Israel’s wine industry beginning in the late 1800s—and whose production continues today—there are dozens of innovative bottlings from newly planted vineyards across the country. Boasting a variety of notable microclimates from the Central Mountain growing area at 3,300 feet altitude to the humid, hot Sea of Galilee region to the fruitful groves of apple, pear and wine grapes in the Golan Heights, Israel boasts a multitude of diverse grape-growing climates.

Viewed as the most beautiful wine region in Israel, the Galilee is in the mountainous north, where it is sub-divided into the Upper and Lower sub-regions. Together, the two sub-regions account for approximately 25% of Israel’s total wine production, according to the Wines of Israel website. In contrast, the Golan Heights wine region—which accounts for about 18% of the country’s wine production—is known for its volcanic soils and “was first planted in 1976,” according to Wines of Israel.

Beginning east of Haifa, the Central Mountains wine region follows the mountain spine south to Jerusalem and includes the sub-regions: Mount Carmel, the Menashe Hills, the Shomron Hills, and the Judean Hills; altogether they account for 11% of Israel’s wine production. Next, in the Coastal Plain, where it is hot and humid, Baron Edmond de Rothschild first planted grape vineyards in the 1880s. Situated between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Judean Foothills wine region is notable for its many small vineyard locations; today it is Israel’s biggest contributor to the country’s wine production, totaling 27% of the country’s volume. At present, the Judean Hills “appellation” is considered at the forefront of quality production, possessing some of the most highly esteemed wineries in Israel. In the Negev Highlands, where vineyards were first developed in the 1990s, this region accounts for only 4% of Israel’s total wine production.

For any wine-focused visit to Israel, we can offer a private, expert tour of the northern Golan Heights as well as for the Judean Coast, a historic wine region of the country, where Baron Edmond de Rothschild first planted vineyards in Rishon Le Zion in 1882.

To round out any visit to Israel, local, we will conduct expert private guides for in-depth religious and cultural tours to many Jewish, Christian and Islamic religious shrines. All told, from the Dead Sea and Masada to the desert regions where archeological discoveries are still being made, we can tour a multitude of significant historical and religious sites that will inspire and enthrall.

From synagogues, churches and mosques in Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem to dining in great restaurants and shopping in the country’s wonderful outdoor-indoor food markets across the country, there is so much history here for we can offer you, your friends and family to visit with a capital ‘H’.

Lastly, we can offer private visits to Israel’s internationally renowned museums, including the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and Yad Vashem in Tel Aviv and the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem, among others.