Lechaim “To Life” of This People: Israeli Wines

By Ari Bussel

Translation by Peloni

The owner of the Five Stones Winery, Ilan Hasson, was last week in Los Angeles to promote and taste his wines. In the picture (right) in a wine total which is in Pico

Once there were very few wineries in Israel.  They predate the modern state of Israel.  One can see the remains of holding tanks and wineries in Rehovot and Rishon Le-Zion, Zichron Yaakov and elsewhere, children playing among the well-kept remains.  Among the well-known ones (in terms of name recognition, not necessarily quality, and in no particular order): Carmel Mizrahi in Rishon LeZion and Zichron Yaakov, Binyamina Winery at the foot (south) of the Carmel Mountains, Barkan Wineries on the way from Rehovot via Mazkeret Batya and Hulda to Jerusalem, and others.  Not very many, and wines about which one would not be writing home or buying at the airport as a souvenir

Then Israelis in the country discovered the potential inherent in wineries, each with a unique story to tell, and the golden age of wine in the country has begun. Agricultural areas were uprooted and vines were planted instead: for example, along both sides of the freeway leading from the coastal plains to the hills of Jerusalem; throughout Judea and Samaria, across the Golan Heights and down to the Jordan River Valley, and more and more. Everywhere there is a piece of land with a unique micro-climate, and thus we were reminded that the vine is one of the Seven Species with which the land is blessed from Biblical to present times.

The public in the country was so supportive and excited that every wine that reached the consumer – be it young, experimental, deep and powerful or glitzy – was greeted with great enthusiasm, immediately snatched up and disappeared. Prices were sky-high, but in Israel everything is extremely expensive, so no one was particularly bothered or impressed by it. Maybe this was part of the lure – very high prices and very limited availability. Israeli wines were super fashionable, they became a hit.

The problem was that when output is very limited and the local market devours everything that comes along, there is no incentive to export. And when there is no incentive to export, there is no safety net when the wheel turns; which in business is bound to happen — when domestic consumption falters or interest declines and fades away, or when various unexpected blows befall Israel (missiles from Iran, captives in Gaza, the halt in the arrival of Jews and Israelis to the country, and so on).

The transition in Israel was from a small number of wineries to an industry of many hundreds of wineries, including some producing very fine wines, to the glory of the State of Israel. It was a wonderful opportunity, a fine tool to tell Israel’s story, even to bring in more tourism and foreign exchange.

But since almost no one troubled oneself to invest in the future and to export, the markets abroad simply did not exist (and that was when the world still tolerated Israel and agreed to her mere existence). Of course there is the kosher wine market overseas, but it is an almost exclusive market limited to Jewish communities around the world.

Israel needed to graduate to the next chapter of its wine business development, and the potential was there. I argue that Israel has developed – in a very short period of time, but after thousands of years of evolution – a selection of wines worthy of attention, among the finest in the world. What makes Israel’s wines so unique are the accompanying stories, which take one back to the stories of the Bible as well as to the land of the Jewish forefathers. Wines are not a modern invention to Israel, and they have not yet been claimed by others as theirs (as is the case with the Olive Tree, Watermelon, Falafel, Hummus and almost anything else … even the holy Temple Mount). In short, the development of modern Israeli wines has created a new tool; if Israel only realizes the potential and uses that laid before it ready.

Nowadays any attempt to promote something connected to the Land of Israel, her institutions or people is truly dangerous and must come with a health warning: “May be hazardous to the Consumer by association!” For years Israel Haters and Detractors have been throwing away and sabotaging the sale of Israeli products (for example, Ahava products from the Dead Sea, Bamba snack food, or frozen chopped spices at Trader Joe’s, a leading US specialty food chain, and more). Only Israeli wines were spared, apparently because they were isolated, thus protected. Israeli wines were only to be find in ghettos – intended for religious communities and not for the regular consumer.

Today, not only is it more difficult – if not close to impossible – to market Israeli wines because of hatred toward Israel and everything connected to her, but the strength of the shekel hampers any attempt to export. Business owners in the country became accustomed to enormous profit margins, to immediate returns, and truly not to working very hard. But in life one must invest, labor, see beyond the tip of one’s nose and take risks. One must simply… work. And the fruits will come, and they will be glorious, sweet and beautiful. And perhaps then we will enjoy life and be grateful for what we have even more, because what comes with great labor is appreciated more.

Victory Wine from Tura Winery

Now, when things are difficult and nothing is taken for granted, the winery owners have come to their senses and understood that export is essential. For example, the owners of Tura Winery, which is in the “Occupied-Occupied territories” (meaning Judea and Samaria; for all of Israel is purportedly “Occupied”) are a husband and wife whose children and grandchildren serve as combat soldiers, and who, like the rest of Israel, have gone through multiple gates of hell since October 7, 2023.

In November 2025, when representatives from Christian media around the world convened in Israel’s eternal capital, the winery served its wines at a luncheon at “The Balcony of the State.” (I am not sure this was an especially wise idea, since Evangelicals refrain from drinking, but one can never know what the outcome of any action might be, even if the target audience does not drink. The idea was returning to work the Land of Milk and Honey, going back to the roots and Biblical value – and this is a message Christian Zionists embrace wholeheartedly.)

One of the wines is unique, and we begin with the name: Victory. Israel did not exactly win (yet), but it turned out that the younger generation is a Generation of Lions. They sacrificed everything to defend Israel and the Jewish people, they stood up roaring in the face of extinction and they continue fighting – determined and unwavering. They were the inspiration, and the winery owners tell that they “assembled a blend from the best barrels in the winery’s cellars. The grapes were harvested from the winery’s older and select plots. The wine aged for about two years in new French oak barrels.

“Victory wine was created out of respect and appreciation for IDF soldiers and for the victory of the Israeli spirit. It symbolizes the strength of the fighters and of the entire people, who succeed in overcoming every challenge thanks to faith, courage and determination. Every bottle is a symbol of hope and victory of the spirit and the good that drives us forward, even in the most difficult times.

“The wine is dedicated to raising national morale and strengthening faith in our power as a people. It expresses our ability to continue and renew ourselves, out of faith in the inner victory and in the national strength that always leads us to a better future.”

These are the words of Vered and Erez Ben Saadon, the couple who owns the winery. They talk about “raising the national morale” and work toward that goal. From the depths of despair, there was always deep conviction in the right of our way, of our right to exist and to live safely and securely in our ancient homeland. Ben Saadon’s example is utterly simple: They combined reality (children and grandchildren serving and fighting) with livelihood (wines in the winery they established) and say to the world:

Israel is not committing genocide. Israelis are not the new Nazis. We did not steal the land. Jerusalem is our eternal capital. The Bible did happen. And God’s Miracles happened in ancient times and at present day. Come visit us and see for yourselves. Witness God’s Miracles on your own right here in Israel. Raise a glass with us to the life of this people—the people of Israel forever! AM ISRAEL CHAI! [Maybe I am saying this, but I see it in their love and efforts; they poured their soul into this fine celebratory wine.]

Yehoram Gaon sang to the words of Haim Hefer and the melody of Dubi Zelter:

Raise a glass and drink now without being ashamed
Before the youth who stood facing the fire
To the sons of Yemen, to the sons of Algiers, to the sons of the Yekkes—
To the members of Bnei Akiva and to the members of the discotheques

And we all join him with full force:

Ah…
To the life of this people, this people,
This people,
How good it is that it is such,
That it is such!
To the life of this people
How good it is that it is such!

L’chaim!