Resilience in the Vineyards: Israel’s Wine Industry Emerges Scathed but Strong
- adam029
- Mar 17
- 12 min read
Updated: Mar 20
By Joshua E. London
For much of the world, the war in Israel seems practically over. While active combat has receded from the headlines, its impact on the nation, its people, and its wine industry remains deeply felt. The scars of war are evident everywhere—from the lives lost to the devastated vineyards of the Northern Galilee to the disrupted sales and tourism that many wineries rely upon. Yet, amidst the trauma, the Israeli wine industry is demonstrating remarkable resilience and an unwavering commitment to rebuilding stronger.
The war that began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas invaded Israel from Gaza, unleashed a cascade of violence on multiple fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, Iraq, Yemen and Iran. Israel’s wine industry was not spared. “Sales across the industry fell drastically in the first three months, especially restaurant sales,” noted Adam Montefiore, a well-known Israeli wine writer and columnist. “These are lost sales you don’t get back. Wine tourism also obviously stopped completely.”
“For one month, we didn’t sell any wine at all,” concurred Eli Ben- Zaken, owner of the Domaine du Castel and Razi’el wineries. “It took some time before sales resumed more normally.”
The Galilee and the Golan Heights, which together account for over 40% of Israel’s vineyards, were hit particularly hard by daily Hezbollah bombardments. Wineries went into emergency mode, and visitor centers closed, cutting off a critical revenue stream. “I don’t believe there’s been a wine region anywhere in the world that’s had the sustained attacks like the north of Israel endured,” Montefiore said.
The devastation was not only financial but also deeply emotional. “Look, psychologically, we’ve been very much affected,” Ben-Zaken noted. “The State [of Israel] was not there on the 7th of October, [20]23. What was happening in the settlements around Gaza is beyond comprehension… people waited for hours, sometimes over a day to be saved by the army. Then the state infrastructure didn’t function. Near total paralysis. It took over a month for the government to get out of the shock.”
Balancing the need to speak honestly with a desire to project strength, many in the industry seemed to be navigating complex emotions. “In some senses, we’re now kind of sweeping under the rug 15 or 16 months of terribleness,” noted Jacob Ner-David, co-founder of the Jezreel Valley Winery nestled in Kibbutz Hanaton in the Lower Galileein northern Israel. “But you have to look forward and plan for a better future. I think the shockwaves and repercussions of what we endured will still be felt for a long time to come.”
Wineries on the Front Line: Loss and Survival
The impact on specific wineries was stark. The Avivim Winery in Moshav Avivim, in the Upper Galilee, for example, was completely destroyed in March 2024 by Vulcan missiles from the Lebanese village and Hezbollah stronghold of Maroun al-Ras. The winery facility took a direct hit from two missiles—the fourth time it had been hit by Hezbollah fire since the war began.
Established in 1995 by the Biton family, the Avivim Winery burned down. Over 300,000 bottles of wine were lost. The estimated rebuilding cost is at least $10 million.
“A day didn’t go by without attacks here,” Meir Biton, Avivim’s owner and managing director told JNS (Jewish News Syndicate). Due to their proximity to the Lebanese border, there was essentially no advance warning of missile attacks. “First, there would be a shriek and an explosion, and then seconds later the alarm would go off,” Biton said.
Others, like Ari Tannenbaum of the boutique Tabernacle Winery, managed to avoid direct hits and, indeed, suffered no real damage at all, but not without harrowing experiences. “The bombs started falling and you’re just feeling the ground vibrate,” Tannenbaum recounted.
“It was only the next day when I came back that I saw the crater where the bombs fell and saw the remnants of shrapnel.” Fires from both Hezbollah rockets and Iron Dome interceptions became a common and “very surreal” sight for Tannenbaum as he commuted between his 150-dunam parcel of vineyards in the Golan and his winery an hour and 15 minutes away in the Western Galilee.
The devastation of the landscape from ecoterrorism was profound. What was once a ruggedly beautiful region turned into a scarred landscape. According to Segev Yerbam, CEO of the Galilee Development Company, which represents 35 agricultural kibbutzim in the Upper Galilee and the northern Golan Heights, “hundreds of hectares of farmlands, orchards, vineyards, forests and nature reserves were consumed by fires.” Though the ecosystem will recover, the financial and emotional toll will take much longer to heal.
Some vineyards were destroyed, others were damaged. “Each fall of a rocket or rocket debris within a vineyard caused typically 10x10-meter radius damage to the vines and to the expensive trellising and irrigation systems,” noted Montefiore. Agriculture fields are considered by Israel to be open areas, so Iron Dome and related technologies generally do not intercept these projectiles. If they do, shrapnel from Iron Dome interceptions can also cause fires in the vineyards.
Dalton Winery’s Perseverance
Amidst the chaos, some, like Alex Haruni of the Dalton Winery, chose to continue working. “War brings uncertainty, and uncertainty brings indecision, and indecision brings inertia,” Haruni explained. His strategy was to push forward, equipping staff with flak jackets and installing a portable bomb shelter. The 2024 harvest at Dalton unfolded under Hezbollah’s rocket and drone attacks, with Druze pickers braving the fields even as the threat loomed large and loud.
Keeping Dalton operating throughout the war “has been challenging,” Haruni noted, “but we have continued to move forwards and innovate,” and in doing so, “we adapted to the situation rather than letting the situation dictate terms to us.
“The most nerve-wracking part of the day,” Haruni said, “was usually the drive to and from work when the smell of smoke and cordite lingered pervasively in the air.” Part of the daily routine was to prepare the winery “as if we were not coming back tomorrow.”
That uncertainty of not knowing when he and his team “might suddenly be unable to continue working safely at the winery” forcedthem to plan for the potential of prolonged absences. Haruni made sure that Dalton’s wine tanks were full, and the barrels were topped up.
As a form of added insurance Haruni also arranged for Dalton’s inventory of wines to be transferred to a safer location in central Israel, away from the violence and uncertainty of the north. Just in case all hell broke loose in the Galilee.
Some contingencies cannot be accounted for, however. “We lost our vineyard in Misgav Am completely,” Haruni stated bluntly. “It was destroyed. It was our pinot gris vineyard.”
Haruni sounded a somewhat philosophical note: “I have been in this game long enough to understand the power of nature over humanity and I’m still hopeful that the vineyard will recover, but this is one of the premier vineyards of our top-tier whites—it is a terrible blow to us. We’re trying to negotiate a longer-term deal with the banks to rebuild there, but it’s a long process. Other vineyards were simply abandoned because we couldn’t access them. Too dangerous. The impact of that won’t be fully understood until 2026 or later.”
Labor Shortages and Displacement: The Human Cost of War
Not every winery suffered physical damage, but the entire industry was impacted by the dictates of the war effort—from reserve duty call-ups to forced evacuations to emergency security perimeters.
“Harvest 2024 was very challenging for everybody,” Jezreel’s Ner-David explained. “There were vineyards which you simply couldn’t get to, because of security and safety concerns, and there were obviously still many people called away to miluim [IDF reserve duty]. So everybody was shorthanded.”
The Recanati Winery, which had just moved from central Israel to the Dalton Industrial zone in 2022, faced significant hurdles. “One of our biggest issues was coping with the lack of manpower,” said Kobi Arviv, Recanati’s winemaker. “Palestinian Arabs and foreign workers from Thailand had been our primary labor force in our vineyards,” he explained, “and Thai workers all left after October 7, and the Palestinian workers weren’t allowed in due to the security situation. This was a very big challenge for us at harvest time.”
The Carmel Winery, Israel oldest and one of its largest, experienced labor shortages as well, as did Yatir, its sister winery in the northeastern Negev. “It was our biggest challenge,” said Etti Edri, export manager for both wineries. “Like everyone else, many of our workers were drafted to the IDF to support the war efforts.”
“Even now, in 2025,” said Dalton’s Haruni, “we still have four people from our team on reserve duty in the military,” which is 10% of Dalton’s workforce. “It’s a huge strain. One of our guys started working in August, and because of his army service I think I’ve only seen him for maybe about 30 days total since he started working for us. The disruptions don’t just stop when the fighting slows down.”
Forced evacuations continue to be a problem for many winery employees. Roughly 61,000 people were forced to evacuate from northern Israel because of the daily rocket attacks. Many Israelis, a fair number of winery workers amongst them, found themselves “living like refugees in their own country,” noted Montefiore. According to Ner-David, “the actual number of displaced people was closer to 100,000, as many of those living just outside the security zone felt compelled” to move as well. The army may have determined they were “safe,” he explained, but “they sure didn’t feel secure.”
Following the ceasefire agreement late last year, the government asked residents to return. Yet many displaced families still live in temporary housing, and the slow return to normalcy has left a mark. “There are still tens of thousands of Israelis who cannot return to their homes,” Montefiore said, “not in the north and not in the western Negev.”
Hope Amidst Uncertainty: A Fragile Recovery
Despite these challenges, a spirit of collaboration and unity emerged within the wine community. “The war created a sense of common purpose, of a shared goal,” said Itamar Alperin, international marketing and sales manager for the Barkan Winery, one of Israel’s largest producers. Wineries opened their doors to others and hosted events, he said, and provided support to those hit hardest by the war. “This spontaneous activity demonstrated resilience and sense of unity, and felt like a really positive development.”
Ben-Zaken’s Castel and Razi’el wineries helped spearhead much of this cooperation and support. “We are very well established,” he noted, “and we are basically doing fine; we’re not really suffering—we had a little trouble here and there, and one rocket in our vineyards, but thankfully no damage. So we have been trying from the beginning to help out the smaller wineries and growers in the areas most badly hit by the war. We hosted tastings and events and did as much as possible to help others.”
Despite the positive developments and the appearance of calm, significant concerns remain across the industry.
“As Israelis, we are probably living through the most difficult time the country has ever suffered,” said Ben- Zaken. “It is very hard to maintain enthusiasm while the hostages remain in captivity and the country continues to endure great uncertainty and terrible strife between the left, right and center. My biggest worries are not about my business, which is fine, but about my country.”
Echoing Ben-Zaken but expressing a more bleak mindset, some industry insiders, speaking candidly but off the record, conveyed some harsh realities that continue to cast a long shadow—namely that Israel is not yet in a truly stable or secure place. Terrorism and attempted attacks have resurfaced, with reports emerging in the news seemingly every other day. There’s a sense among some that while Israel’s military campaign in the north against Hezbollah has “been a big success,” the campaign against Hamas in Gaza has been “a bit of a disaster.” That “Hamas is still there” and “hasn’t been destroyed,” and the fate of the hostages remains unresolved.
Yet when conversations shifted from politics and security back to wine, the atmosphere lightened noticeably. There is still hard work ahead, but optimism for the future remains strong.
Looking Ahead
“On the plus side,” noted Ner-David, “Israel has a ceasefire in place right now. So, we’ve finally reopened our visitor center again, after being closed for like 16 months.
“Everybody else in the north is reopening too,” he added. “Thank God, people really seem to want to come back. So that’s the good news.”
“We’re licking our wounds somewhat and trying to move forward,” said Haruni. “We had a significant drop in yields this year and we’re going to have to make that up somehow, on top of everything else, but we’re heading forward, and things are looking optimistic.”
Domestic wine consumption is holding steady, several insiders told me, with retail sales slightly up though restaurant sails remain fairly static. “Until the hostages are returned,” suggested Recanati’s Arviv, “I think many people don’t want to really celebrate, or drink a lot of wine outside of their homes. In Israel, many still associate drinking wine with celebrations rather than regular dining. It’s not yet part of our culture, unfortunately, to just drink wine because we love wine.
“Once the hostages are freed and the war feels over, I think Israelis will resume celebrating with wine more fully.”
Diaspora Consumers
Throughout the crisis, the support from Jewish communities worldwide played an important role in keeping Israeli wine on the map—both in the kosher and—at least in America—in the broader mainstream market as well. Industry leaders are now looking ahead with a renewed sense of purpose and optimism.
“At the height of the crisis, the support from Jewish communities around the world was incredible,” explained Itamar Alperin, Barkan's International Marketing & Sales manager. “In the kosher market, there has long been a powerful connection between Israeli wineries and Jewish communities—not just in the U.S., but globally.” Despite the challenges, he said, importers and distributors in the U.S. “worked tirelessly to keep Israeli wine on the map.”
As the industry emerges from the conflict, Israeli wineries are looking to keep that connection vibrant and hope to grow export markets even stronger. “Even in the non-kosher market,” said Alperin, “there’s some renewed momentum,” and he’s working with the Israeli government on organizing events to showcase Israeli wine “in places like Singapore and Austria” to reach broader audiences, “not just the Jewish market.”
There are some, however, who worry that the war may lead to diminished supply which, in turn, may create unwanted opportunities for competition. As Ben-Zaken, among others, explained, the global reduction in wine consumption may create additional problems for Israel.
European wineries, facing declining demand, may target the kosher market as a new opportunity, potentially creating short-term competition for Israeli wineries in the kosher space. “Most wine producers in Europe—especially France and Italy—are suffering with a lot of unsold stock,” Ben-Zaken noted, “and I worry they will see the kosher market as an opening, as a way to solve their problem.”
This sort of short-term market upset already happens cyclically, he explained, every seven years when shemitah reduces Israeli exports and many kosher consumers abroad turn their attention to European wines. That opening creates opportunities for competition. The fear is that such competition may have a heavier impact for the industry as it emerges from the war.
“I hope people will understand the difference between a wine that comes from Israel and a kosher wine made in Europe at an otherwise non-kosher winery but perhaps at a reasonable price,” Ben-Zaken emphasized.
With Israel’s war-related reductions in supply and increased costs of production, along with lower yields for the 2024 vintage, Diaspora consumers may seek to quench their thirst outside of Israeli wine. “I worry this will be our strongest competition for the attention of kosher consumers outside of Israel,” Ben-Zaken said.
One Israeli producer told me anonymously: “I think it’s human nature, that Jewish consumers don’t think about the kosher wines coming out of non-kosher wineries in France and Italy as opportunism, but… as the Israeli wine industry emerges from this conflict, our traditional export markets may prove a critical element for us.
Resilience and Innovation
Despite the devastation, the Israeli wine industry is united in its determination to build back stronger. The message from winemakers is clear: Now is the time to support, invest and grow.
The industry is doubling down on innovation. Israeli winemakers continue to embrace native and Mediterranean grape varieties better suited to Israel’s unique climate, moving beyond traditional Bordeauxstyle blends and searching for a distinctly Israeli identity.
“When we sent our 2017 argaman to Decanter magazine,” recalled Ner-David, “it was a risk—nobody there had tasted this grape before. But it paid off. We scored 96 points and a gold medal. The following year, our 2019 vintage scored 95. We established a baseline then and are eager to steer attention and conversations back to the wines.”
Ben-Zaken sees a similar evolution. “The whole level of quality in Israel is constantly going up,” he said. “We benchmark against global standards, and we’re seeing improvement every year. The industry is, in my opinion, doing very well because we have a young generation of winemakers—well trained, with lots of talent, and lots of energy.”
A renewed commitment to tourism is also key to the recovery. Dalton’s visitor center is seeing a steady return of guests, for example, and others hope to keep the flow of tourists steady. “Wine tourism is crucial—it’s one of the best ways for people to connect to Israeli wine beyond just a bottle on a shelf,” said Ner-David. “When people visit, they can really understand our story.”
The industry is calling on supporters abroad to step up. “Buying Israeli wine isn’t charity—it’s trade,” said Haruni. “That’s what Israel needs.”
Montefiore put it even more directly: “Buying Israeli wine is a mitzvah—it makes a real difference. You’re keeping Israel’s profile up and directly contributing to the survival of the industry.”
Despite the hardship, the industry is looking ahead with determination and vision. “We’ve been through crises before, and we always come back stronger,” said Alperin. “This time will be no different.”
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