{"id":2188,"date":"2023-09-07T10:19:40","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T10:19:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meron-winery.com\/?p=2188"},"modified":"2023-09-14T12:14:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T12:14:10","slug":"israels-six-wine-growing-regions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meron-winery.com\/en\/israels-six-wine-growing-regions\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel\u2019s Six Wine Growing Regions"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Israel, a tiny country about the size of New Jersey, has an amazingly vibrant wine industry.
Over 300 <\/span>wineries, big and <\/span>small, are <\/span>recognized <\/span>internationally,<\/span>\u00a0 many award-winning.
How is it possible?\u00a0 \u00a0One <\/span>reason<\/span>\u00a0is that Israel has six major regions ranging from mountainous, coastal plains and desert, each<\/span>
with their own unique terroir and microclimate. Let\u2019s take a closer look.
<\/span>
The Galilee<\/span><\/strong>
Located in the far north-western corner of Israel, near the Lebanese border, the Galilee is filled with lush<\/span>
forested hills and green valleys. Although only developed as a wine region since the mid-1990\u2019s, it<\/span>
comprises 25% of Israel\u2019s viticulture. High elevations and a cool climate are ideal for growing grapes.<\/span>
The upper-Galilee, which is mountainous, rocky and forested, has heavy well-drained volcanic gravel and<\/span>
terra rossa soils. Altitudes ranging from 1,200 feet to 3,500 feet make for wide seasonal shifts.<\/span>
The lower-Galilee, which includes Mount Tabor, has mixtures of volcanic and limestone soils ideal for<\/span>
wine grapes. Its altitude ranges from 600 feet to 1,300 feet, giving it a temperate Mediterranean<\/span>
climate. Its humidity and winds make it special for growing grapes.
<\/span>
The Golan Heights (aka The Golan)<\/span><\/strong>
Located in the north-east of Israel, the Golan Heights is a volcanic plateau, rising to 4,000 feet,<\/span>
comprised of the upper, middle and lower regions, each with their own microclimate. First planted in<\/span>
1976, the wineries of the Golan Heights drew international attention and quickly produced award-<\/span>
winning wines. Today 18% of Israel\u2019s viticulture comes from the Golan Heights, also simply referred to as<\/span>
the Golan.<\/span>
The soils are ancient, with volcanic tuffs and basaltic soil. Rainfall is between 32 and 42 inches annually.<\/span>
High elevations, cool breezes coming from the snow-covered Mount Hermon and soils combine to<\/span>
produce award-winning grapes.

<\/span>The Central Mountains<\/span><\/strong>
Encompassing the spine of the country, starting from Haifa, running south through Israel, the Central<\/span>
Mountains have four subregions:<\/span>
Mt. Carmel<\/span>
The Menashe Hills<\/span>
The Shomron Hills<\/span>
The Judean Hills<\/span>
High elevations with winter snow, Mediterranean breezes, warm summers and soils make it a first-class<\/span>
region for vineyards.<\/span><\/p>

The Mt. Carmel Region, first planted by Baron Rothchild in the late 19 th century, has a Mediterranean<\/span>
climate, annual rainfall between 16 and 24 inches, soil comprised of mixtures of clay terra rosa and<\/span>
limestone. Elevations range from sea level to 500 feet.<\/span>
The Shomron Hills have been planted with vineyards since the 2000\u2019s. Elevations range from 2,300 feet<\/span>
to 2,800 feet, make it cooler than the Mt. Carmel region. Its shallow soils on a limestone base are great<\/span>
for growing grapes. The Menashe Hills are next to the Shomron Hills and have similar characteristics.<\/span>
The Judean Hills, reaching towards Jerusalem, were planted in the early 1990\u2019s. It has terra rossa soil on<\/span>
a base of limestone. Elevations ranging from 1,650 to 3,300 feet, and its cool Mediterranean breeze<\/span>
with its warm days and cool nights, are a plus for these vineyards.
<\/span>
Coastal Plains<\/span><\/strong>
Vineyards in the Coastal Plain were first planted by Baron Edmund de Rothchild in the 1880\u2019s, due to its<\/span>
proximity agricultural areas. Its soil is alluvial and mixed with sandy clay loams. Low in elevation, with a<\/span>
hot and humid climate, it is more suited for citrus and strawberries.
<\/span>
The Judean Foothills<\/span><\/strong>
This region produces 32% of all Israel\u2019s grapes, which is not surprising considering is has basically one-<\/span>
third of the country\u2019s wineries, many of them small. The Judean Foothills has a history of wine dating<\/span>
back 3,000 years. These wineries are located in the rolling hills between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with<\/span>
elevations reaching up to 1,700 feet.<\/span>
The soil is deep and chalky with clay loams on a bed of limestone, excellent for growing wine grapes. It<\/span>
has a mild Mediterranean climate, cool air coming down from Jerusalem in the morning, which forms<\/span>
fog lasting late in the morning.
<\/span>
The Negev Highlands (aka The Negev)<\/span><\/strong>
Located in the Negev Desert, which encompasses half of Israel, the Negev\u2019s first vineyards were<\/span>
cultivated in the 1990\u2019s, has elevations that reach up to 3,000 feet, and soils of sandy loam and loess. It<\/span>
has extreme daily temperature changes, typical of a desert, very hot days and cold nights. An extremely<\/span>
arid region, with minimum rainfall totaling between 2 to 4 inches annually, it is a testament to Israel\u2019s<\/span>
agricultural ingenuity.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Israel, a tiny country about the size of New Jersey, has an amazingly vibrant wine industry. Over 300 wineries, big and small, are recognized internationally,\u00a0 many award-winning. How is it possible?\u00a0 \u00a0One reason\u00a0is that Israel has six major regions ranging from mountainous, coastal plains and desert, each with their own unique terroir and microclimate. Let\u2019s …<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s Six Wine Growing Regions<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nIsrael\u2019s Six Wine Growing Regions - meron winery<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/meron-winery.com\/en\/israels-six-wine-growing-regions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Israel\u2019s Six Wine Growing Regions - meron winery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Israel, a tiny country about the size of New Jersey, has an amazingly vibrant wine industry. Over 300 wineries, big and small, are recognized internationally,\u00a0 many award-winning. 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