Kosher Wines From the Shomron
Israeli Wines
For this third post on my Israeli wine journey, I didn’t have to go far. In fact, I barely left my backyard.
After covering the likes of Bet El Winery and Castel, this time I visited a small, passionate winery just up the hill from where I now live - in the Yishuv of Yitzhar, deep in the Shomron mountains. The winery is called Ben Porat, and it’s much more than a place that makes good wine. It’s a snapshot of the return to our land, a taste of something ancient, rooted, and real.
A Vineyard in the Yishuv, Not a Vineyard Estate
This isn’t a polished, modern visitor center with a gift shop and tour guide on payroll. Ben Porat Winery sits right inside the yishuv - its vines growing along the sides of homes, surrounded by dusty roads, stone houses, and stunning mountain views.
When you visit, you’ll meet Jews of all kinds - Chassidic men with long peyos and beards, dati leumi families, and young workers with a gun on one shoulder and a pruning knife in the other. Some spend the morning learning in the yeshiva, and the afternoon tending to vines or pumping juice from grape to tank.
There’s something raw and real about it - a rustic, grassroots operation, where passion and faith are just as important as fermentation and aging.
Why “Ben Porat”?
The name comes straight from the blessing of Yaakov to Yosef, in Bereishit (Genesis) 49:22:
“Ben Porat Yosef, Ben Porat Alei Ayin...”
(A fruitful son is Yosef, a fruitful son by a spring...)
This isn’t symbolic - this is the land of Yosef. His kever (tomb) is just down the road. The vineyards literally grow in the territory of Yosef’s inheritance, and the owners of the winery feel deeply connected to that legacy. You feel it in the way they speak about the land. You see it in how they work it.
Meet the Winemakers: Ariel & Elyakim Ben Shitrit
Brothers Ariel and Elyakim Ben Shitrit began making wine as a hobby in 2003. Ariel also runs a construction company — but his heart clearly lives among the vines.
What started with just a few barrels for friends and neighbors has grown into a serious boutique winery, producing around 15,000 bottles a year, with plans to scale up to 80,000 - all from their own grapes. No imported grapes, no shortcuts.
Hands-On in the Hills
I had the chance to jump in during their last harvest of the season, clipping Cabernet Franc grapes off the vines with sticky hands and sun on my back. Their vineyard also grows Sangiovese, Shiraz, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon - all grown right here in Yitzhar, with minimal intervention and maximum intention.
After the harvest, we walked down to their brand new winery - simple, but state-of-the-art, and filled with the smell of fresh fermentation. Ariel poured us wine straight from the stainless steel tanks, each glass brimming with freshness and promise.
We tasted a range - reds, whites, and even rosé - and each one carried the flavor of the land: warm days, cool nights, stony soil, and something more spiritual you can’t quite name.
What I Took Home
Before leaving, I grabbed two bottles to bring home for Shabbat:
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Shoham Red – A smooth, easy-to-drink blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Light on the palate but layered and thoughtful.
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Yayin Signon Port – A sweet, rich dessert wine at 17% ABV, perfect with chocolate cake or just sipping slowly on a cool Friday night.
Both bottles cost me less than 200 shekels, which is pretty remarkable for small-batch, handcrafted Israeli wine.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a polished wine tour experience, Ben Porat might not be what you’re expecting. But if you're after something real, rooted, and full of heart, this is it.
Ben Porat Winery is more than a winery — it’s a piece of something larger. It’s the land of Yosef HaTzadik, being worked by his descendants with faith, strength, and joy. The vines grow right alongside the homes of families who believe deeply in the mission of returning to and rebuilding the Land of Israel — not just spiritually, but literally, one vine and one bottle at a time.
So if you find yourself in the Shomron, especially around harvest season, stop in. You might get to help cut grapes, sip wine straight from the tank, and meet people who are building something with their hands and their emunah.
Ben Porat Yosef — may the blessing continue to grow, ripen, and pour. 🍷
