Harvesting Hope: Charting A Path To Recovery For Israeli Wineries

Israeli winemakers, farmers, and producers are confident that conditions will begin to show signs of recovery in the coming months following years of uncertainty, and continued conflict with terror groups in the northern and southern parts of the country.

Across the country, winemakers have seen production plummet as demand for wine fell to an all-time low following the outbreak of conflict with Hamas terrorists in Gaza, and the Iran-backed terrorist group, Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Besides seeing record-low demand, labor shortages caused by the war meant that some wine farmers had to complete harvests with a skeleton staff, oftentimes relying on only a couple of workers to assist in collecting grapes during the short harvest season.

Farms that were located in military zones were often besieged by drones and rocket blasts, leaving many to abandon their homes and farms and leaving production facilities dormant. In the early days of the war, more than 70,000 civilians were evacuated from the Golan and Galilee regions following the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) deeming the area unsafe.

The region alone is responsible for roughly 40% of Israel’s wine production and sees well-known vineyards, such as Galil Mountain Winery located only 180 meters from the Lebanese border fence.

Some have seen entire vineyards destroyed in the months following the outbreak of the war. In 2024, the owner of Daltôn Winery, Alex Hurani said that entire vineyards, often located near the border or within conflict zones, have been completely destroyed in blasts or fires caused by terrorists.

The challenging economic circumstances have meant that in the last couple of years, many local winemakers have had to rely on international support efforts to continue harvesting, producing, and selling their wines.

Hitting The Market, Internationally

In the wake of uncertainty, Israeli winemakers are boasting about their wines abroad and looking to capitalize on international support.

The Kosher Food & Wine Experience (KFWE), an event hosted recently in East Rutherford, New Jersey, helped highlight the importance of supporting Israeli-based businesses, including winemakers who have struggled through precarious economic circumstances.

I have attended the event for several years (including last year) and was curious to see how sentiment is holding up. Josh Rynderman, founder of ESSA Wine, was one of the vendors at the event. Located in South Africa, Josh told me that despite the devastating conditions, sales haven’t decreased since the war and that a consortium of loyal kosher wine drinkers in the U.S. has demonstrated its continued support throughout.

However, political relations between the U.S. and South Africa have taken a turn for the worse in recent months, following President Donald Trump’s remarks on possible land appropriation laws the South African government has planned to introduce.

Trump’s administration has since brought the discussion to the table of imposing tariffs on wine imported from South Africa. None of that fazes him. Rynderman states, “The discussions of potential tariffs on South African wines are concerning, but ultimately, it is not something I can control. Our wines are very reasonably priced, so in the event of any tariffs, I do believe we would still have a competitive offering.”

Those comments seemed to echo the general mood of the vendors.

These types of events remain a key foothold in the Israeli food and wine industry, helping to support Israeli-based businesses and promote the advancements the wine industry has made, despite the challenging circumstances under which they have operated in recent years.

Gaining Global Recognition

Back in Israel, wine producers in the Judea Wine Region -the only officially recognized wine region in Israel- have gained more international recognition for their work in advancing the country’s wine industry, both domestically and abroad.

The Judea region, which is the area that stretches from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv is responsible for more than half of the country’s wine production output. Annually, this region produces more than 26 million bottles of wine and has about 40 wineries operating in the region.

In a recent ceremony, hosted by the Tourism Ministry, the Judean Wine Region, along with the Negev Wineries Club obtained exclusive international recognition for its wine routes and heritage from the Council of Europe, including Emanuela Panka, President of the Iter Vitis Federation.

The Negev Wineries Club is an organization dedicated to the advancement and innovation of Israel’s wine industry and was founded by the Mirage Israel Foundation in 2020. The club sees 51 wineries located in the Negev Desert, which spans 60% of Israel’s land area.

This award is presented in an effort to boost the Negev region’s agritourism while establishing it as an international wine destination.

The Negev region is not only important in boosting tourism in the area, but new research is helping uncover the historical context of the region’s viticulture and how this will have an influence on modern winemakers.

The research was carried out by the University of Haifa’s School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures in 2024. Since then, researchers have been able to publish their findings in the peer-reviewed journal, Horticulture.

Such research will help winemakers native to the region better understand techniques they will need to invest in to boost production and help create more sustainable practices in an area that sits on the fringe of the desert belt.

Elsewhere, an Israeli wine gained worldwide recognition after featuring on the Top 100 Wines, a culmination of wines from around the world that are tasted and scored by a panel of experts. The Judean Hills wine landed a spot at #95, and is currently the only Israeli wine that features on the Top 100 list.

The wine, which was grown and produced by the winemakers at Flam, has notes of red current, blackberry, dried flower and earthy tones. The wine scored a 92 point rating, and is part of Flam’s White Label collection, with only 850 cases made.

Takeaways

Israeli winemakers are forging through an unprecedented time having to navigate war and looking to advance the country’s wine industry. The last couple of years have presented numerous challenges, and some winemakers have lost entire vineyards to fire and war-related activities.

This year could perhaps bring new hope for winemakers, as international support continues to help cast more light on Israel’s unique, and growing wine industry. Throughout the uncertainty, winemakers have remained optimistic, and that once the dust has settled, the country’s wine industry will continue to gain the international recognition it deserves.