By Jules Polonetsky
The Negev Desert is the last place most people imagine fine wine being made. Its arid landscapes conjure sun-bleached rock, acacia trees clinging to survival and heat so fierce it seems more likely to bake a clay pot than coax a grape into ripeness. And yet, the Negev has become one of the most surprising wine regions in Israel, home to award-winning labels and visionary winemakers who are rewriting the rules of viticulture.
This is not as radical as it seems. As Adam Montefiore, one of Israel’s leading wine writers, points out, the Nabateans were growing vines in the Negev 1,500 years ago, leaving behind ancient wine presses and terraces. What we are seeing now is a revival, though with modern tools: drip irrigation (an Israeli invention of the 1960s), innovative water management and a belief that the desert itself can give wines a singular identity. The result is rows of vineyards rising from gravelly sands, flanked by rocky ridges and camel trails. It is the paradox of wine sprouting in a place of scarcity that makes the Negev both improbable and alluring.
Momentum behind this renaissance is supported by the Merage Foundation Israel, which has worked in the Negev for over 25 years. Five years ago, Merage President David Merage, a founder of the business that created the supermarket success Hot Pockets snacks, and his wife Laura made wine and wine tourism for the Negev a strategic priority.
In a statement, David Merage told me, “Our vision has always been to unlock the Negev’s enormous potential as a true growth engine for Israel. Inspired by the ingenuity, pioneering spirit, and unity that define this nation, we see the Negev not as a remote desert, but as a global stage for innovation, resilience and prosperity. The Negev Wine Consortium is part of this broader vision: to position the region as an international destination for wine, agritourism and cutting-edge research.”
The region’s wineries have expanded dramatically — from just 12 members of the Negev Wine Consortium to more than 55 today. Wine has become not only an industry but also a way to draw visitors, sustain families and root communities in the desert.
Yatir Winery, established in 2000 in partnership with Carmel, is the undisputed flagship of Negev wine. Its vineyards sit on the edge of the Yatir Forest at elevations of 600 to 900 meters. Cool nights temper the desert’s heat, producing grapes of surprising balance and elegance. Ancient wine presses discovered nearby remind us that this isn’t a new idea, just one reborn.
Chief winemaker Eran Goldwasser, trained in Australia, brings both rigor and imagination to Yatir’s portfolio. The winery’s Bordeaux-inspired blend, Yatir Forest, is a benchmark Israeli red, consistently earning critical praise abroad. Yatir has also deepened its bond with the desert through its new Darom label, meaning “south” in Hebrew, which explicitly celebrates the Negev, drawing fruit from local vineyards and rooting the brand firmly in the region’s identity.
Pinto Winery, founded in 2018 in Yeruham, represents the entrepreneurial spirit of the desert’s new generation. Winemaker Ya’acov Oryah is known for his imaginative Mediterranean-style blends.
Nana Estate, near Mitzpe Ramon, has earned attention for its fresh and elegant whites — especially chenin blanc and grenache — crafted by winemaker Dana Benny. Its loess soils and cold nights make for wines of balance, and its desert hospitality has turned it into both a vineyard and an experience.
Ramat Negev Winery, run by the Zadok family, brought the region international acclaim when its Exodus Grand Reserve, a blend of Petit Verdot and Malbec, won a Platinum Award at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards. Yogav Zadok, who trained in Florence, now leads winemaking, giving the wines a mix of Italian elegance and desert boldness.
These four wineries and Midbar winery, located in Arad with vineyards near the Ramon crater, are the only Negev wineries exporting to the U.S. at present, but Merage hopes to help many others begin exporting as they expand production.
Many of the Negev’s finest wines are whites — viognier, sauvignon blanc, and chenin blanc that show dazzling freshness despite the heat. This paradox — that the desert produces some of Israel’s most elegant whites — has become one of the region’s signatures.
The Oct. 7 attacks reshaped the Negev and its wine community. Tourism initially collapsed, replaced first by solidarity visits and later by visitors coming to see the Nova festival site and devastated kibbutzim. Irene Benjamin, Negev AgriTourism project manager at Merage and manager of its Negev Desert Wine initiative, told me that the most powerful story is how bereaved families have turned to vineyards and winemaking as acts of remembrance.
The Stern family, whose brother Oren was murdered, transformed a hobby winery and brewery into a professional winery, brewery and visitor center, naming their project after him. Tom Carbone, who lost his mother and close friend Dror Or, a Be’eri cheesemaker, now crafts wine and cheese in memory of Or and other victims. The Pauker family, whose grandfather, winemaker Gidon Pauker, was killed and whose kibbutz vineyard was the site of attacks, has transformed Pauker’s effort into a commercial one, with the help of other Israeli winemakers who want to ensure Pauker’s wines continue to be made.
The establishments also provide a way for visitors to support the local economy, since most tourists visit the devastated kibbutzim and then leave without spending any money locally.
The Negev wineries, supported by Merage Foundation Israel, are now pushing to be recognized as an official appellation. Plans are underway for rules requiring at least 85% of grapes to be grown and wine to be produced in the region. “For the winemakers,” explained Benjamin, “this recognition would boost both tourism and economic sustainability.”
Yatir brings prestige and history; Pinto and Nana embody youthful energy and experimental whites. Ramat Negev has carried the desert onto the world stage with its award-winning Petit Verdot-Malbec blend. And the families making wine in memory of loved ones show that vineyards can also be monuments.
As David Merage said, “What is happening here is nothing short of transformational — an ecosystem where agriculture, science and entrepreneurship converge to create opportunity and inspire the world. The Negev stands as proof that even in the most arid landscapes, we can cultivate abundance and shape a vibrant future for generations to come.”
L’Chaim! ■
Jules Polonetsky is a Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 3 Certified wine expert who writes for the Wine and Whiskey Globe when not occupied with his day job as CEO of a tech policy think tank. He is a former consumer affairs commissioner of the city of New York.
