Yatir Winery was launched internationally at Vinitaly in March, but has already succeeded to export their wines to seven countries. Canada, England, France, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Switzerland have all ordered the premier label Yatir Forest, and the second label: Yatir Cabernet Merlot.

In addition Yatir Forest has won two silver medals at international wine tasting competitions, which represents a good start considering their first wines were only released this year.

Yatir Winery is a joint venture between Carmel Winery (50%) and the Gadash wine growers from Yatir Forest (50%). The winery was built in 2000 as part of Carmel’s strategy to return both to the vineyard & to small scale winemaking. 

The first label called‘ Yatir Forest 2001’ is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, which comes from the high altitude, cool climate Yatir Forest in the southern Judean Hills. The wine was aged for 16 months in French oak.

Yatir Winery is situated in the north east Negev, near Tel Arad, an archaeological site with 3,000 years of history, and next to the Ramat Arad vineyard which supplies Carmel’s single vineyard wines of the same name, which is 500 meters above sea level.

The four vineyards of Yatir Forest, Israel’s largest forest are only 10 minutes away, but they are up to 900 meters above sea level in the southern Judean Hills.

The winemaker is Eran Goldwasser, who studied at Adelaide University and worked in both South Australia, for Southcorp, and Western Australia, before returning to Israel to work for Carmel. He has handled this project from the early days.

Most of the finest boutique wineries in Israel are not kosher – but the wines of Yatir are kosher and kosher for Passover.