Jerusalem Winery
The Exceptional Terroir
of the Judean Hills
The notion of terroir is a geographical area based on interactions between the natural environment, the quality of the land, the climate and human factors that build a set of knowledge and practices. The vine extension began in Israel or, more precisely, in the land of Canaan several thousand years ago. At the time of Josue’s conquest of Israel, viticulture was maintained. Still, the development continued and extended to many other territories that King David and his successors encouraged. The mountains of Judea and Galilee developed the vine culture and became places of elaboration of wines. Thousands of production sites are carved into the rock from this period. The production became industrial despite the rudimentary means, and the wines of Israel were exported in the Mediterranean basin and were particularly renowned in Rome. The choice of the best land, cultural practices, and grape varieties adapted to the place of production required centuries of observation, trial and error, and research.
Over the Time...
Since the return to Zion and over time, techniques and empirical knowledge have developed, and the good soils likely to support the vine have been listed by Israeli winegrowers. In the last 45 years Israel listed the good soils likely to support the vines. Some very favorable to vine cultivation allow the production of prestigious wines. This is the case with the vineyards of Jerusalem Winery, all located in high elevation and benefiting from a dry and hot climate on deep and dense clay-limestone soils. A wine made from grapes harvested on the plots of Jerusalem winery acquires organoleptic properties, a unique character, and typicality that will not be found in any other wine, even made with grapes from identical grape varieties, and this is thanks to the terroir of the hills of Judea around Jerusalem. Jerusalem Winery guarantees, thanks to its exceptional terroir with snowy winters and hot, dry summers, the quality and, above all, the inimitable character of the wine and its origin.
Understanding the Terroir
The term terroir brings to mind the types of soil, subsoil (geology, pedology, hydrology), geographical space (topology) and climate (macroclimate, microclimate, vintage effect), grape varieties, and rootstocks (botany) which ultimately characterize the quality of the harvest and the winegrower who must take into account all these natural elements to manage his vines and best express his terroir. These land, and human factors are called terroir factors. Soil and climate are the components, the most important natural factors that characterize wine-growing terroirs, and the organoleptic properties of wines.
“Qu’est-ce que le vin ? C’est un corps vivant où se tiennent
en équilibre les “esprits” les plus divers, les esprits volants
et les esprits pondérés, conjonction d’un ciel et d’un terroir.”Gaston Bachelard
