The Judea Appellation of Origin and Iter Vitis together to create the Wines of the Bible Wine Route. A new unique cultural project promoting dialogue and peace
Thanks to the agreement among Iter Vitis, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and the Matte Yehuda Regional Council Tourism Department a new amazing product is now available under the umbrella of Iter Vitis.
The "Judea" wine region is located in the center of the state of Israel between the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
The region is divided into two subregions: Judean Hills – which includes the mountain ridge in the east, and Judean Foothills – which includes the strip of slopes and hills facing west towards the Mediterranean Sea.
The regional rock bed is composed of sedimentary calcite rocks and layers of marlstone, upon which are laid mostly Terra Rosa and Rendzina soils.
The Judean region is well known from ancient times as a region extolled for growing wine grapes.
Numerous historical and archeological evidence points to a rich past of vine growing, wine production and trade, beginning from the late Neolithic period. Echoes of the region referred to as “Wine Country” from the dawn of time are also to be found in the bible.
There are three known valleys in the region, each valley identified with its own unique biblical character and biblical story.
In the northwest, the Ayalon Valley, mentioned in the book of Joshua with the conquest of the land of Israel.
To its south, the Sorek Valley, mentioned in the book of Judges in the story of Samson the mighty.
The southernmost valley is the Ella Valley, familiar from the story of the battle between David and Goliath.
Throughout these valleys are remnants of the ancient local wine producing industry which was annihilated with the Muslim conquest of the seventh century. Following the founding of the state of Israel, and especially since the nineties of the twentieth century, wine grape plantings have been revived and expanded. Today, these mountains and valleys are again abundant with vines, and throughout the region, alongside a rich rural tourism industry, are planted approximately 1,500 hectares of wine grapes.
The “Judea” wine region is endowed with an ideal combination of conditions for the cultivation of wine grapes and is characterized by a variety of unique growing zones suitable for both red and white grape varietals.
A prominent and fundamental characteristic in our warm region are the river valleys. The river valleys slice the region cross wise and assist in cooling the grapes, by transporting the cool air gliding down from the mountains during the early morning hours and moving the afternoon breeze rising up from the sea.
As a result, the vineyards of the Judean Hills are mostly planted on terraces built on the inclined slopes of the mountains; throughout the Judean Foothills most of the vineyards are planted within the dry riverbeds (wadis).
The winter – relatively cool – and the rain quantities, provide a suitable basis for the vineyards towards the growing season. The notable difference between day and night temperatures assists in slowing down the fruit maturation and in maintaining acidity in the grapes.
The fruit obtained in the Judean region is precise, displaying prominent varietal characteristics. The wines of Judea – red and white – are characterized as elegant, serene and reserved, with an aroma and taste profile of scrub and Mediterranean herbs. The wines show earthly tones, customary with vineyards planted on calcite soils, and are well balanced with tannins.
In August of 2020 the applications filed for Appellations of Origin for the Judean wine region were approved – bestowing on the region the title of first official wine appellation in Israel.
The regional wine bottles are labeled with a unique mark, indicating and guaranteeing that the wines were produced from quality grapes grown within the boundaries of the “Judea” wine region or one of its sub-regions: “Judean Hills” and “Judean Foothills”.
Come and experience the first internationally recognized wine region of Israel and enjoy the variety of wines produced within, the diverse culinary tastes, the archaeological and heritage sites and the tourist and agricultural attractions which the region has to offer. Come and taste the wines crafted by scores of boutique wineries, producing wines of many styles and from an assortment of varieties
Follow the Wines of the Bible footsteps: myth, history, archeology, landscape and vineyards
