Yatir Planted Vines and Harvested Gold

Winemaker Eran Goldwasser represents a new generation of young Israeli winemakers who believe "wine should express its origin."

By Avi Roth

Years ago, contradicting experts who firmly believed and argued that trees don't grow in such arid soil, Joseph Weitz (the father of forestation in Israel) walked the grounds of the southern Hebron Mountains poking his walking stick in the ground and made a promise; "We will grow a forest here." he said. The experts were obviously wrong. Plantings begun in 1964 and today this coniferous forest ecosystem became the largest planted forest in Israel with 4 million trees that grow on 6,500 acres between the northern edge of the Negev desert and the southern slopes of the Judean Hills, Yatir Forest.

Besides trees, wolves, eagles and hyenas, there is something else in this forest: grape vines. On gentle slopes at an altitude of 650 - 900 meters above sea level, the vine is divided into small lots and parcels surrounded by the forest. These are the vineyards of Yatir winery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I visited the winery during my June trip to Israel. I heard about their Gold Medal success in the 2005 Challenge International du Vin in Bordeaux and wanted to meet the team behind such a prestigious award. While tasting some of the Yatir wines at Israwinexpo 2006 poured by Bruno Darmon assistant winemaker, and after talking with Yaacov Ben Dor, General Manager, I realized that something quite extraordinary is happening at this winery.

I asked Eti Edri the winery coordinator if a visit after the show would be possible. She agreed and I found myself cruising through Beersheba, the capital of the Negev Desert, to Tel Arad a distance of 1 hour and 40 minutes drive from Tel-Aviv.