MAIN Wine Middle East Israel

Boasting one of the oldest wine traditions on earth, grape vines in the Middle East were being cultivated as early as 4000 BC. Old Testament references, and Egyptian historical records, point to the use of grapes for wine making beginning around 2500 BC.

The golden age of winemaking in the region lasted until after the fall of the Roman Empire, when Islam forbid the use of alcohol and the great Middle East wine industry began to wither on the vine. Centuries would pass before wine making would make a comeback.

It was only in the late 19th century, as Jewish settlers began to gravitate toward Palestine that wines began to appear again. The establishment of the first wineries in the area, encouraged by Baron Edmund de Rothschild, began the rebirth of the wine industry in Israel.

The industry only began to grow in earnest in the 1970's, when interest in world class wines began to deepen. With vineyards and wineries now dotting the landscape, the sweet kosher wines that are associated with Jewish religious ceremonies are no longer the signature wines made here. Today, dozens of boutique wineries, along with more than a dozen major wineries (producing millions of bottles annually) are helping to put Israel on the world wine map...

Israel Agriculture - Wineries - Links to the country's major wineries including Golan Heights, Carmel and Barkan Wine Cellars - leading to official sites, most presented in English and Hebrew.

Israel Wines - Extensive info on the wines, wineries, regions and growth of the wine industry in Israel along with news, reviews and feature articles. In English and Hebrew.

Strat's Place - Israeli Wine - The motherlode, with a treasure of archived articles on its history, production and related tourism, plus more on kosher wines, a survey on Israel's best wine stores, Israeli wine growing regions and more...

The Israeli Wine Revolution - A good selection of articles on modern and Biblical wine making in the region, i.e.,. What Makes a Wine Kosher and Israel's Wine Regions and the individual winery reviews are very descriptive. Also surf around the rest of the site for lots of other off-the-beaten-track tourist info, courtesy of Gems in Israel...

Israel's Wine Awakening: Where Antiquity Merges with the Present - Reviews of many of the wineries and wine growing regions of Israel in a well written travel article. Ride along as they visit and interview the new breed of winemakers in the region.

Israeli Wine - Polished, Poised and Not Just for Passover - The Wine News feature takes an in depth look at the wines, wineries and wine regions of Israel.

The Blossoming of Israeli Wine - New Quality From An Ancient Wine Growing Region - Reviews of many of the wineries and wine growing regions of Israel in a well written travel article. Ride along as they visit and interview the new breed of winemakers in the region.

also see related feature article -> Wines & Vines Thrive in Israel

also see in Wine -> Kosher Wine | Wine History