The historic winery was established in 1882 by Baron Edmund de Rothschild, owner of Chateaux Lafite-Rothschild of Bordeaux, who built wineries in Zikhron Yaakov and Rishon Lezion. During the 1950's the Rothschild family handed the winery over to the Winegrowers Union, who owned the majority shares until 2013, when it was sold to a group of private investors. Today the winery holds three production centers in Zikhron Yaakov, Alon HaTabor and Ramat Dalton, after the Rishon Lezion historical site was shut down in 2016. A preservation project is planned. Vineyards are spread out throughout the country. Carmel runs the Wine Culture Center at the Zikhron Yaakov winery, which offers guided tours, workshops and tastings. Carmel is currently undergoing a major shake-up after descending for the first time to be Israel's second largest producer.