Israel Finally Has a Wine Map. Now Comes the Hard Part.

Wine map of Israel (Israel Wine Regions, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Israel Wine Grape Council (2026))

My Washington Jewish Week column from September looks at Israel's new official map of wine regions. I start with three glasses of Pinot Noir from Burgundy, the Sonoma Coast and Central Otago, because the whole point of a map is that place shows up in the glass, and the new regional profiles make that case for Israel too: the Upper Golan gets 650 to 1,200 millimeters of rain a year, the Negev Highlands about 50.

I also walk through what the 85 percent rule does and does not guarantee, why naming a region on the label stays voluntary with "Israeli wine" as the lawful default, and the origin records a winery must keep if it does. The map is not finished and is not meant to be, and the winemakers I asked see it as a good first step.

Read the full column in Washington Jewish Week: Israel Finally Has a Wine Map. Now Comes the Hard Part.