CLIMATE: Mainly Mediterranean. Long, warm summers without rain; relatively short and cool winters – wet except in the south where semi-arid & desert conditions prevail, a few incidents of snow on higher mountains; Very short Autumn & Spring.
SOILS: Volcanic in northeast, mainly sandy red soils on coastal plain, chalk and limestone in northern & central mountain ranges, mainly loess in the Negev.
GROWING SEASON: between late February to October. Harvest between late July to early November.
LAND UNDER VINE: Approx. 55,000 Dunam = 5,500 Hectare*
WINE REGIONS (official map is currently outdated - no update since 1977).
Official Wine Regions are:
Galil (Galilee): sub regions include Golan Heights (in practice), Upper Galilee, Nazareth, Kana, Tabor (the last three actually constitute the Lower Galilee region).
Shomron (Samaria): sub regions: Carmel, Sharon, Shomron Mountains.
Shimshon (Samson): sub regions: Dan, Adulam, Latrun (the region covers the central inner plain and Judean Foothills).
Judean Mountains (Hills): sub regions: Bet El, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron.
Negev.
HARVEST (quantity in Metric Tons for 2015)*: 42,557
BEST VINTAGES: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014,
VARIETIES (percentage of total Metric Tons for 2015)*: Cabernet Sauvignon – 19.49%; Carignan – 12.59%; Merlot – 10.92%; Shiraz/Syrah – 7.58%; Petit Verdot – 6.41%; Muscat Alexander – 5.18%; French Colombard – 4.36%; Argaman – 3.82%; Chardonay – 3.77%; Sauvignon Blanc – 3.65%; Petite Sirah (Durif) – 2.84%; Emerald Riesling – 2.07%; Malbec – 1.70%; Muscat Canneli – 1.50%; Tempranillo – 1.50%; Cabernet Franc – 1.30%; Gewurztraminer – 1.20%; Grenache – 1.12%; Viognier – 0.83%; Mourvedre – 0.83%, Muscat Hamburg – 0.76%; Ruby Cabernet – 0.66%; Barbera – 0.62%; Pinot Noir – 0.55%; other varieties less than 0.5% each.
NUMBER OF WINERIES: approx. 300 (of them approx. 60 commercial)
5 Largest wineries:
1. Barkan
2. Carmel
3. Golan Heights
4. Teperberg
5. Arza
Most prominent wineries: (alphabetically listed): Amphora; Barkan; Bazelet Hagolan; Binyamina; Carmel; Castel; Chateau Golan; Clos de Gat; Dalton; Flam; Galil Mountains; Golan Heights; Gush Etzion; Margalit; Recanati; Sea Horse; Sphera; Tabor, Teperberg; Tishbi; Tulip, Tzora, Vitkin, Yatir.
CAPITAL (USD) 2015**: 240,000.
CONSUMPTION (estimated) ***: 5-6 liters per year per person.
IMPORT: share of total wine market**: Approx. 20%
WINE STYLES MARKET SHARE***: Red – 63%; White – 16%; Sweet (including semi-sweet, desert& sacramental – 11%; Sparkling – 8%; Rose – 2%;
EXPORT:
CAPITAL (USD) 2015**: 39 million (including spirits). (Approx. 20% of produce).
MAIN TARGET COUNTRIES: 1. USA, 2. France, 3.UK, 4. Canada
EXPORT BY CONTINNENT (percentage)**: North America (64%), Europe (25%+), Asia (7%).
Sources:
* Israeli Wine Board data
** Other official data
*** Estimated