The Top Spots to Visit & Taste Some of the Best Wines in Israel

At 1,200 meters above sea level, with a temperate climate and extremely rich soil, the Golan is home to about a dozen actively producing wineries. Many would argue, however, that the Golan Heights Winery, located in the small town of Katzrin, is the finest in the region – if not, nationwide. With Napa-native Victor Schoenfeld at the helm, the winery has been consistently winning some of the international wine industry's top honors since its inception in the mid-80's with its high quality, yet very affordable wines.

Another aspect that sets the Golan Heights Winery apart from the rest is its socially conscious focus. The winery cultivates Odem, a strictly organic vineyard and donates proceeds from their Gamla series to help preserve endangered species in the Gamla Nature Reserve. The Golan Heights Winery also provides courses for those in the hospitality industry, to help educate those working with wine, and by extension, the Israeli public, about the many aspects of wine culture – from wine history to the production process and proper degustation. Pelter Winery, a family-operated estate with a decidedly contemporary approach, is also a standout in the region. The winery owner, Tal Pelter, sees his winemaking as “a balance of experience, skill and intuition,” and aims to create distinctive wines that echo the vineyard's rustic, intimate character. Despite its small size, the winery produces 80,000 bottles a year.

Golan Heights Winery, 04-6968435, golanwines.co.il

Pelter Winery, 052-749207, pelterwinery.com

While rumors of water turning into wine have been rampant in this area for centuries, any viticulturist in the Galilee will tell you, it takes a lot more than hocus-pocus to create a wine worth drinking. It starts with the soil. The rocky volcanic soil of the Galilee, coupled with its cool night breezes, produces a superior grape – and consequently, some of the more distinguished wines coming out of the country.

There are many renowned wineries located in the Galilee Region, but, without a doubt, the best place for a traveler to stop by is the Galil Mountain Winery. Located just 300 meters from the Lebanese border, the winery's stunning visitor's center is worth the trip alone. Built into the landscape in a thoughtful and organic fashion, you can sip the winery's 14 premium varietals and blends while taking in breathtaking views, overlooking the entire Galilee.

Galil Mountain Winery, 04-6868740, galilmountain.co.il

Rothschild’s legacy lives on in the Mount Carmel region, where Romanian and Lithuanian Jews settled in 1882 and quickly took to winemaking, under the patronage of the Baron. Today, the region boasts a high density of wineries – many of which are run by descendents of these immigrants, including the Tishbi Estate Winery, the most developed of the group.

Following a 100-year tradition of grape growing started by his great-great grandfather, who was commissioned by Rothschild himself to plant some of the first modern vineyards in Israel, Jonathan Tishbi founded the contemporary estate in 1984 and continues to run the winery with his wife and their grown children.

Tishbi's charming visitor’s center, spacious retail space/tasting room and delicious kosher dairy café overlooking the vineyards, make the Estate a fantastic place to visit and learn a bit more about wine.

The winery produces four excellent lines of wine as well as a phenomenal (and pricey) brandy.

While Tishbi has developed into one of the larger producers in the region, Somek Winery represents the other end of the spectrum – a true boutique operation run by Barak Dahan, on the same family estate where his great-grandfather cultivated grapes back in the day. The scale of his operation creates truly intimate wines, blended to perfection by this fifth generation winemaker. Also in the Binyamina region is the family-owned Margalit Winery, founded in 1989. Since the 80 cases of its very first 1989 vintage, the production has never ceased to grow, with a current annual output of approximately 2,500 cases. Wine connoisseurs and loyal customers flock to the picturesque winery to taste and buy the new releases. The rest of the wine is distributed to fine restaurants and quality wine shops in Israel and abroad.

Tishbi Estate Winery, 04-6288195, tishbi.com

Somek Winery, 050-5346490, somek-winery.co.il

Margalit Winery, 054-6285666 or 050-5334433, margalit-winery.com

Since King Solomon’s reign, winemakers in the Judean Plain have been producing the good stuff for both sacramental and recreational purposes. After such practice, the many larger wineries of the region have definitely got it right, but nestled among the breathtaking views of the Judean Hills, its two young, boutique wineries that are making a solid name for themselves: Tzora Vineyards and Flam Winery.

Flam is known for their innovative approach to winemaking. With a distinguished product line that could be called Mediterranean in style, the winery's wines boast intense colors, fruity aromas and finely integrated oak.

Tzora is one of the few small-scale kosher wineries in the country, and is known to be one of the leading  'terroir'-driven wineries. With wine made exclusively from the grapes of their three terraced vineyards outside of Jerusalem, Tzora's wines express a rich palette of flavors and complexities that reflect their origin vineyards, and are named accordingly.

Tzora Vineyards, 02-9908261, tzorawines.com

Flam Winery, 054-2113324, flamwinery.com

Deep in the heart of the Negev, a small handful of wineries have taken Ben Gurion’s call to heart and are working hard to make the dessert bloom. Among them, the Yatir Winery, located at the foot of the archaeological site of Tel Arad, restores the tradition of winemaking to an area whose ruins have uncovered more than 180 ancient wine presses. The winery functions as a cooperation between the area’s grape growers and the Carmel Winery, producing upwards of 120,000 bottles each year.

Yatir Winery, 052-8308196, yatir.net/en

Vitkin Winery, a family run operation located in Kfar Vitkin, has been producing some of the most exciting wines coming out of Israel since its inception in 2002. Apart from the two small vineyards planted on the winery's land, their main stock of grapes comes from vineyards all over Israel.
The winery's specialty is producing truly distinctive wines from the kind of varietals that haven't yet reached their potential, including Carignan, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Cabarnet Franc, Johannesburg Riesling, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, and a few other surprises. Despite the winery's experimental approach, they still manage to bottle over 40,000 bottles per harvest.

Vitkin Winery, vitkin-winery.co.il