Each weekend from November 30 through December 22, wineries will offer a taste of their wares at the 20th annual Yehuda Regional Council Wine Festival.
Celebrating the diversity of the wineries in the grape-rich Judean hills outside Jerusalem, the festival opens on the evening of November 29 at the Yad Hashmona Country Hotel, where 33 participating wineries will offer unlimited tastings for an admission price of ₪60.
Each weekend there will be events at various wineries, including live concerts, guided tours, nature walks in the vineyards, conversations with winemakers and vintners, culinary events and sports activities.
Seahorse, Kedma, Kerema, Ella Valley, Zafririm and Gizo wineries are planning to launch new wines during the festival.
Among the other participating wineries are Yavne, Rogelit, Kela David, Hans Sternbach, La Terra Promessa, Nevo, Flam, Tzora, Clos de Gat, Soreq, Bravdo, Rama, Aharonof, Yehuda, Anatot, Yaffo, Kela David, Srigim and Hadar.
The Yehuda Regional Council also is celebrating the process of being declared an official wine region, thereby gaining worldwide recognition just like Tuscany in Italy or Burgundy in France. On each Friday the council will offer a tour of three wineries for ₪100 per person.
For more details and registration for tours, contact the Tourism Department of the Yehuda Regional Council, (02-995-8650). The festival website is in Hebrew but there are English descriptions of the wineries.