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Israeli Wine Growing Regions

The country is divided into five vine-growing regions:

• Galil (Galilee) - the region most suited for viniculture in Israel due to its high elevation, cool breezes, marked day and night temperature changes and rich, well-drained soils (most suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay)
• Judean Hills - surrounding the city of Jerusalem, and with a cool climate due to the relatively high elevation, this area has proven excellent for viniculture (most suitable for Chardonnay grapes)
• Shimshon (Samson) - located between the Judean Hills and the Coastal Plain
• Negev - drip irrigation has made it possible to grow grapes in this semi-arid desert region (most suitable for Merlot grapes)
• Sharon plain - located near the Mediterranean coast and just south of Haifa - surrounding the towns of Zichron Ya’akov and Binyamina - this is the largest grape growing area in the country
• Golan Heights - In the north of Israel, the Golan Heights is a growing wine production region, particularly along the Syria border.

Israel’s main wine growing areas remain the traditional coastal regions of Sharon & Shimshon, but the best quality wines are coming from the Upper Galilee, Golan Heights, Judean Hills & Ramat Arad. The soils are Terra Rossa on the coast, limestone on the hills, sandy clay in the south and volcanic in areas of the north. There are approximately 4,000 hectares of vineyards, which makes Israel one of the smallest of all wine producing countries. However there are a surprising number of microclimates that lie between the snow covered Mount Hermon in the northern Golan & the Negev Desert in the south, which allows for the production of many varieties of grapes. The volcanic basalt soil, the relatively cool climate and the night-day temperature differentials of the Golan Heights (within the Galil region) have proven ideal for the production of premium quality wine grapes.

Israel is known for its advanced agriculture & technology and these come together in the vineyards. Whether it is the use of meteorological stations in the vineyards, the latest drip feed methods or planting vineyards in the desert, the Israeli viticulturist is up to date and always experimenting.

© 2009 Israeli Wines.