Israel has a long history with wine, basically dating back to the very beginning.
Wine is mentioned many times in the Bible. In the book of Deuteronomy, also known as
Devarim, the fruit of the vine is listed as one of the seven species by which the land of
Israel is praised.

Wine was also used in the Temple service in Jerusalem. There are many biblical laws
involving wine and Jacob blessed Judah with an abundance of wine. There are also many
references to wine throughout the Talmud, which is a detailed discussion of Jewish
religious law and theology.
Recently, The Israel Antiquities Authority discovered in the outskirts of the town of Yavne,
located south of Tel Aviv, an ancient winery dating back 1,500 years. Amongst the
discoveries were five huge wine pressess, four warehouses and even kilns for producing
wine jugs.

No Water, No Problem
Wine in ancient times was consumed for several reasons, not just simply for pleasure.
Wine was used in Israel as part of religious ceremonies, as a source of nutrition as well as
a safe source of hydration, since water sources were often contaminated. Israeli wine was
also known to be exported to Rome during the Roman period.

The year 630 c.e. (common era) marked a new era of Muslim control in Israel,
accompanied by the disappearance of viticulture in Israel. Intoxicating substances,
including wine, are prohibited under Muslim law, thus limiting grapes for the sole purpose
of eating.
Between the years 1099 and 1187, Israel was under the rulership of the crusaders,
allowing a temporary return of viticulture. However, Muslim rule returned and wine
production again stopped.

Israel’s Wine Revival
In the 19 th century, as more Jews returned to Israel, the need for wine in religious
ceremonies increased. A resident of the Old City of Jerusalem, Yitzchok Galina-Shor, saw
a need for a commercial winery. Fortunately, his brother in-law had obtained the necessary
liscense from the Ottoman goverment required for a winery. They became known as the
Shor Brothers.

The Shor Brothers winery opened in the year 1848, located in what is today the Muslim
quarter of The Old City of Jerusalem on Haggai Street. Interestingly, the back wall of the
wine cellar was the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, which is the holiest place in the
world to the Jewish people. The Shor brothers decided to line up the barrels adjacent to
the wall, as a reminder not to touch the wall. Grapes were obtained from local markets and
the wine was sold in small barrels.

In 1870, the Mikveh Yisrael School of Agriculture opened in the city of Jaffa.
Run by Charles Netter, the school was opened to educate young Jews with the goal of making the  desert bloom and establishing farming villages all over Israel. Amongst the school grounds were vineyards and two great wine cellars.
This was seen as the return of viticulture to Israel. The school focused on the development of European varietals, whose cuttings were
eventially used to plant the vineyards in the city of Rishon LeTzion.

Israeli Wine Industry Today
Many credit a French Baron as the person who started the modern Israeli wine industry.
In the 1880’s, Baron Edmond De Rothchild generously sent money for the purchase of lands,
economic development, education and health care.
Already the owner of the winery Chateau Lafite in France, Rothchild sent his own experts to help develop a winery in
Rishon LeTzion in 1882, the Carmel Winery. Carmel is still around today. In fact, it’s the largest producer of Israeli wine.
Rothchild also helped opened a winery in Zichron Yaakov, a town named for his father, on the southern side of Mount Carmel in 1889.
Originally varieties from the Bordeaux region of France were grown.

About 100 years later, in the1980’s, the Israeli wine industry began to boom, as production
greatly increased and quality winemakers from around the world came to Israel to share the most up-to-date technology and techniques.
Israeli winery quickly became known outside of Israel, winning international awards and gaining many loyal customers.
Today, there are about 300 wineries in Israel.