Lotem Winery

Lotem Winery sits at Kibbutz Lotem in the Lower Galilee, about 47 km (roughly 45 minutes by car) from Haifa. Its roots go back to 2002, when Yaniv Kimchi began making wine at Ma'ale Tzaviya; production moved to Kibbutz Lotem around 2009, and the official site dates the current winery to 2010 (sources conflict slightly on the headline year). Today Lotem is widely described as Israel's leading and largest organic winery — a joint venture by winemaker Yonatan Koren and Yaniv Kimche, with Ido Sirkin as viticulturist. The winery's guiding philosophy is "interfere less, receive more": minimal-intervention winemaking, with a signature practice of playing music to the wine during fermentation and aging. The grapes come mainly from the organic Tzivon vineyard near Mt. Meron. The winery is certified organic (IQC) and certified vegan, but deliberately not kosher-certified. Wines include Nebbiolo (a signature varietal, including a "Nebbiolo 500"), the Allegro blend (Cabernet Sauvignon / Cabernet Franc / Nebbiolo), a Solo Cabernet Sauvignon, an orange wine ("Old Shnorkel"), and a Pet Nat natural sparkling. On site there are wine tastings (three tasting routes), guided cellar and production tours, and a restaurant/café on a wood deck with Sea of Galilee views. The menu features cheese and charcuterie platters, antipasti, organic vegetables, spreads and salads, plus grilled meats; Yonatan Koren runs the culinary side himself, and weekends can feature meat and vegetarian menus and occasional live music. Booking is strongly recommended: visitors have repeatedly reported long waits, or being turned away when arriving without a reservation, especially on weekends.