From the perspective of the international community it was characterized as a “low-key” war in the north since October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started sending RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) over the border from Lebanon. But for businesses, residents and particularly wineries of the north it was most certainly not low-key; rather, it was constant shelling over the past 12 months. In recent weeks, damage to vineyards have been caused by Iranian short range missiles with quite a big payload (which likely caused the crater seen in the photo above, in a Dalton vineyard).
Affected heavily by the war with Lebanon are Dalton Winery, Tabernacle Winery, Adir Winery, Matar Winery, Lueria Winery, Recanati Winery and Golan Heights Winery/Yarden. Please prioritize the purchase of these brands for Yom Tov shopping and beyond.
“Not one day has passed when the whistle of missiles or their explosions have not been in our ears,” said Alex Haruni, CEO of Dalton Winery. As a result, Dalton will produce 100,000 fewer bottles of wine this year. Their typical production is 1.2 million bottles a year.
“At the winery, we have sirens probably three times a day. We find ourselves running to the mamad [bomb shelter],” said Ari Tannenbaum, head winemaker at Tabernacle Winery. “But we are proud that the country ensures the security of the citizens of the north. We are also proud of the extreme quality of the harvest this year. Everyone is excited for the wine; of course we wish it would not happen again under these conditions.”
Because of Israel’s need to root out Hamas and work on hostage rescue in Gaza 120 miles to the south, it was said that the military needed to place all of its attention there for the 11 months following the October 7, 2023 incursion into the Gaza envelope. As a result, many northern residents were evacuated from their homes or had to endure frequent sirens and high-risk travel. Foreign agricultural workers, many from Thailand, were warned by their own government to leave the region. It was only last month that Israel’s home-front command placed a priority on making the north safe again for residents and returning all evacuees from the north home.
Winery staff in the north have shared many concerns over the past year regarding the safety of their employees, the protection of their grapes, and the risks to their property and personnel by making wine in what continues to be an active war zone. These well-appointed, previously busy tasting rooms have had few if any guests, and multiple vineyards have lost portions of their vines due to fire from rockets and short-range missiles. 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.
Haruni said that Dalton lost 30 dunam of pinot gris grapes due to fire in a vineyard caused by enemy missiles. “We also lost 70 dunam of vineyards, about seven hectares, due to the proximity to the border, which made it impossible to farm. There was planted cabernet and merlot.”
To increase safety and security, Dalton invested in an extra (third) bomb shelter and made flack jackets and helmets available to its staff. “It was miraculous that we managed to have a harvest at all … and that no one was hurt. It is a testament to the dedication of our staff that we made it through,” said Haruni.
Recanati Winery is 7.7 kilometers from the Lebanon border, so they were also not evacuated, “but we are still in the range of RPGs. Those you cannot do anything about,” said Efi Kotz, Recanati’s visitor center manager and sommelier, on the podcast “Kosher Terroir,” hosted by Simon Jacob.
“We are at the edge of their range. They [RPGs] can go up to eight kilometers so we don’t hear a lot of sirens, but how do you define a lot? If we have two or three sirens in a week, that’s a lot. The saddest part of the entire thing is we have gotten used to it,” said Kotz.
Tannenbaum, at Tabernacle Winery in Tzuriel, shared that his winery is six kilometers from the Lebanon border. “It’s accessible to get to the winery and the Home Front Command allows travel to the winery. Tabernacle vineyards have been accessible to the winery, and the harvest was completed successfully. Sixty percent of the winery’s fruit has been already fermented, and 40% will be finished by the end of Sukkot.
“From me, with the perspective of a farmer or a winemaker, someone who is working in the vineyards and in a winery, is that we have experienced some direct hits from rockets. We have lost a couple of vines due to the rockets falling. These are places where I, where the farmers and workers can be found; we are all affected by this.”
