The 11th Wine Fair in Rosh Pina

The 11th wine fair in Rosh Pina will take place between the dates 17-18.5.2023. Thirty wineries will participate in the fair that will present live performances, lectures, food stands and more. The two days of regional celebration will host at the fair the best wineries of the Galilee, the Golan and the valleys that will present fine wines from the northern terroir, alongside Galilean food stands with an emphasis on local agricultural produce. Among the wineries participating in the fair: Terra Nova Winery, Na’aman Winery, Alber Winery, Meron Winery, Julia Winery, Bazelet Hagolan Winery, Gohar Winery, Galil Mountains Winery, Golan Heights Winery, Carmel Wineries and many others.

The fair will host in a special tent wineries presentations and wine experts for panels and discussions about the wine industry. The evenings will be entertained by Maqmat, the band from the Eastern Music School, with world-wide music combined with ancient musical instruments. DJ Uri Hadar will play music throughout the event. The Latin Power band will play live Latin magic on the first night, and the ummagumma band will perform with a rock party on the second.

The fair will be held on Wednesday-Thursday, May 17-18, between 19:00-24:00 hrs in the wine fair complex, Rosh Pina. A ticket to the fair includes a glass of wine and unlimited tastings from wineries participating in the fair. For more details and to purchase tickets access Galil-golan website (direct link); for a special price of NIS 80 use coupon code N2023 (valid through 10.5).

What to do in Rosh Pina?

There are many things to do in Rosh Pina – visit the galleries, the synagogues and ancient sites at the restoration site, go up to the observation point at the lookout Mitzpe Nimrod, sit for a wine tasting and a cheese platter at Gohar wine yard, or have a meal at Shiri Bistro. Aside from this, Rosh Pina is a good starting point for trips in the Galilee and Golan, including 4×4 tours, hiking trips, etc.

It is always a pleasure to spend time at the restoration site in Rosh Pina – the steep pedestrian-only streets surrounded by old stone houses with blue doors and windows and colourful geranium flowerpots. The must visit sites here include the residence of Professor Mer, the Schwartz Hotel, the clerk’s house and the synagogues. The old houses are now the home of coffee shops and galleries including drawings, ceramics, clothing, paper art, tinkering and carpentry, and even “The Well” of local delicacies – spreads, sauces and more.

Rosh Pina, photo by T. Sharon

It is highly recommended to go uphill to the “Mitzpe Nimrod” lookout. The lookout was built by Hazi Segev in memory of his son Nimrod who fell in the Second Lebanon War. This is the place where Nimrod liked to hang out and relax, and nowadays is a well-kept observatory which commemorates his memory with magical corners and a spectacular view.

What to eat and drink?

First thing first, if you are here because you like wine, you will want to visit Gohar Winery. A small but surprising family winery in a well-groomed yard. Here you can sit on a platter of cheeses or pastries and order wine tastings. One of the popular wines here is a red-white blend, a round and happy wine!

There are many places to dine in Rosh Pina, one of them is Shiri Bistro that has a nice view and fine food. We ate there a selection of dishes, all of which are excellent: salads, quiches, and pastas. All the dishes are made from fresh Galilean ingredients, seasoned with good taste and delicacy. Out meal was accompanied by wines from Dalton Winery; the Pinot Gris was my favourite.

Shiri Bistro, photo T. Sharon

In Rosh Pina there are many local tour guides. One special way to get to hidden places is on a 4×4 trip. We tasted part of a trip where we reached hidden springs and crossed varied fields and orchards, all with Michael Harari (050-843-4012) as our guide.