About kadesh barnea

 Kadesh – Barnea, a small Moshav (farm community), is Located 70 kilometers southwest of Beer Sheva, on the Egyptian border in the western Negev region in Israel.

 The Negev region is a world apart – it’s a timeless desert, peaceful and serene, full of light and space, dramatic sunsets and a dry pleasant climate.

Kadesh barnea is also known as the place were The Israelites stayed for 40 years during the Exodus from Egypt, and it is located near an important station on the ancient Incense Route used by Nabatean caravans.

Today, Kadesh barnea, with 38 pioneer families, is leading the development of the agriculture in the Negev. With technological innovation we use the local water to produce the best cherry tomatoes in the world, a wide range of flowers exported all year long to Europe, vineyards, melons and baby potatoes, grown with brackish water, recycled from 'bubbles' covered tanks for intensive fish cultivation, and more.

About the wine maker

Shaking hands with Alon Zadok doesn't leave a doubt; you're talking with a real farmer.

Alon was born in moshav Geulim in the Sharon to a farmer's family and used to help his father to produce homemade Yemenite Arak and wine in the traditional ways.

1987 Alon married his wife Nira and moved to kadesh barnea.

1995 he took his first professional wine course and falls in love.

Since then Alon has broaden his knowledge via different wine studies, both privet and official (ministry of agriculture).

1997 despite the difficulties and the skeptic prospects around, Alon insist and plants the vineyard on the send dunes of kadesh barnea.

2000 – Alon starts to produce wine in his own winery.

About the vineyard

The Kadesh barnea vineyards located right in the middle of the desert were the Nabatiens of Nitzana grow grapes 2000 years ago. With a mixture of professional care and great passion we continue were they stopped. 
The grapes grow on the sandy Desert soil which creates perfect conditions. As we gather experience in this unique environment we learn to appreciate the contribution of the desert terroir and climate to the quality of the grapes.

We grow four different varieties of vine grapes, cabernet sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet frank. Every year in February, we thin out the grapes in the vines in order to get quality grapes. The vintage starts in the middle of September with the merlot, two weeks later the cabernet sauvignon is ready for the harvest. The vineyards are only 500 meters far from the winery, so that the grapes transported right away to the winery without any delay.

About the winery

Kadesh Barnea winery was established with high standards equipment and technology.

Recently we added a new temperature-controlled barrel room.

Our motto is "while making wine, take your time" (Alon Zadok).

The winery is kosher since the 2003 vintage under the supervision of rabbi Swisa from the rabbinate of Ramat-Negev.

At the moment the winery produce 10,000 bottles a year. In the next few years, we are going to enlarge the production up to 100,000 bottles.

About the wine

The fairy tale is that Alon drinks most of the wine he produces….that was almost true in the first year, when he had only 2000 bottles.

The winery produces at the moment two different kinds of quality wine.

Red South - Cabernet Sauvignon and Red South - Merlot.  

The wine is aged in French and American oak barrels, and has its own special exotic character.

Cabernet sauvignon 2003 was aged for 18 months and has an alcohol content of 13.5.0%. The wine has a smooth and pleasant taste with firm tannin which makes it a good candidate for aging in the bottle.

Merlot 2003 was aged for 13 months and has an alcohol content of 14.0%.

The wine has a soft fruity taste and it’s a very pleasant and promising wine.

Daniel Rogove tasted our wine