Rocky landscapes, green and brown, sheep and goats grazing, stone terraces, vibrating towns, new and old together, green western side, dramatically barren brown, beige eastern side, ancient agriculture, traditional food rooted in thousands of years, an area of conflict and co-existence of Muslim, Christians, Samaritan and Jews. Central Mountain is a mosaic of cultures, historical events, legends, contradictions and beginnings, with hope for a better future for wine and for the people living there. Ancient wineries alongside newly established wineries, producing wines that reflect their owners’ philosophy in red, white, rose and orange. Welcome to Central Mountain!

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Becoming a Distinct Wine Region

Generally speaking, Israel is a small narrow country, with a diversified topography. There is a mosaic of mountainous areas, hills, valleys, Mediterranean plains, rivers and a desert. For many years, the several different mountainous areas in the center of Israel were bundled up for wine purposes, in spite of their distinct differences.

 

Recently, thanks to the evolution of Israel as a wine country, more professional attention is given to the various sub-climates and terroirs. Finally, Central Mountain has been recognized as a "stand-alone" wine region, due to its uniquely distinct characteristics.

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Location & Topography

Central Mountain stretches north to south in the central middle of Israel, between the Mediterranean and the Jordan Valley. It is mostly mountainous, with valleys curved in the limestone soil. Central Mountain is often referred to as the mountain “spine” of Israel.

 

An imaginary line along the highest hilltops in the middle part of the area is called the “Watershed Line'' because the rain-bearing clouds are blocked by the mountaintops, shedding the rain on the western slopes of the mountains. As a result, there is a stark difference between the green, fertile, rocky mountains, soft hills and valleys of the western side, and the barren, brown, beige, dry, dramatic eastern slopes. 

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Altitude is between 900 meters and 1,300 meters. Winters are cold and rainy, with occasional snow and temperatures of -3 to 12 Celsius. Summers are dry and hot. The air is slightly moderated on the western side by a cool Mediterranean breeze, yet hot and dry on the east side, as the terrain drop sharply over 1.5km down to minus 400 meters below sea level to the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley. Temperatures range between 15- 45 Celsius and the air is heavy with minerals of the Dead Sea.

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Ancient History & Religions

The region has been populated for thousands of years, a major agricultural area. It is part of an ancient major trade route from Mesopotamia (“Babel”, today’s Iraq) to Egypt, the two major ancient empires. Several towns and villages where travelers could rest and trade developed over time.

 

The area is mentioned so many times in the (Bible) Old Testament, that the visitor’s imagination is automatically filled with thoughts of ancient times and visions of many important biblical events.

 

In Central Mountain Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac to God, Joseph’s jealous brothers sold young Joseph to a merchants’ convoy on its way to Egypt, the conquest of the Land of Canaan by Joshua and King Saul was inaugurated. This was home to many prophets and judges and the King's Seat until King David established Jerusalem as the ever-lasting capital of Judea and of the Hebrew people and built the Temple in Jerusalem.

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The history of Central Mountain is also entwined with the history of Christianity, as Jesus walked along the rocky terraced slopes, green valleys, olive groves and ancient vineyards, surrounded by His faithful disciples, giving sermons on route to Jerusalem, not far from Bethlehem.

 

Central Mountain is also home of the Samaritans, and the location of Mount Gerizim, their most holy place.

 

Central Mountain in Modern Times

Fast forward to our days, the area is multi-religious, with a population consisting of Christians, Muslims, Samaritans and Jews. A large part of the area is under the control of the Palestinian Authority, with prospering cities like Shechem and Ramallah, and villages that have existed for centuries. A smaller part of the area is under Israeli regime, with villages established more recently. 

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Modern Wines & Whiff of Ancient Past

Deeply rooted in ancient agriculture, vineyards and olive trees grow on rocky terraced beds of rich limestone soil, often cultivated by hands, following ancient methods and traditions. Most wineries produce wines from the traditional international varieties, as a starting point.  

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Yet, the interesting discovery is that, in such a relatively small area, at least 80 distinct ancient indigenous varieties were identified, having survived through hundreds and thousand of years. In recent years, there is an ongoing process of experimenting with the ancient varieties and learning their unique characteristics. Gradually, it becomes possible to find fascinating wines produced from the local Jandali, Hamdani (also called Marawi), Dabouki and Bituni.

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Few of these wines are included in wine menus of Micheline star restaurants worldwide. 

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These wines not only reflect their terroir in the best possible way, considering how ancient they are, but also provide us with a unique “timeless” glimpse of the wines enjoyed by the prophets, kings of the ancient world, Jesus and His disciples, and the ancient Roman emperors. A whiff of the past in a wine glass. 

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Typically the wineries are small to medium size boutique wineries, family owned, reflecting the philosophies and backgrounds of their Christian or Jewish owners and winemakers. The biblical “flavor” is ever-present, in the magnificent views, in the design of wineries, in the production methods, and most importantly - in the varieties used.