The Carmel Mountain range, east and south to the port city of Haifa- home to the breathtaking Baha'i temple and gardens, was one of the first regions to be cultivated with wine grapes in the new era. Here Baron Edmond de Rothschild established the Carmel Winery, in the town of Zichron Ya'acov. The area which was once volume oriented, has medium-heavy soils, and a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and humid winters.

The main variety of this area is the Carignan, showing high quality wines from older vines with low yields. Also grown with good results are Grenache, Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah (Duriff).

The historic Carmel Winery, Binyamina, Tishbi, Margalit, and quite a few boutique wineries (e.g Somek) are well worth a visit.