Kosher Wines From the Shomron Israeli Wines

Kabir Winery – Why You Won’t Find Them on Store Shelves

Dovid Schwartzberg | October 26, 2025

This visit was my wife Batsheva's idea, she's a licensed Israeli tour guide and loves finding hidden gems close to home. She packed me an itinerary through our own backyard in the Shomron, and we spent the day touring Elon Moreh.

Standing on Sacred Ground

On the slopes of Har Kabir sits Kabir Winery, a boutique gem rooted in one of Israel's most historic regions. The area is rich in Biblical history, Avraham journeyed here from Ur Kasdim toward Shechem through Elon Moreh. Yaakov passed through while fleeing Esav. From here you can see Har Bracha and Har Eival, the two mountains where the 12 shevatim would later stand. Yehoshua built an altar here so the nation could serve Hashem. It's incredible to stand among vineyards growing on the very soil where our Avot once walked.

From Barren Land to Flourishing Vineyards

Kabir Winery was founded in 2007 with just seven dunams of Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, they cultivate over 150 dunams of vineyards with more than 20 grape varieties, producing about 15,000 bottles a year.

For years, this land lay barren, Arabs didn't grow grapes since they don't drink wine, until Jewish pioneers returned to Samaria and began replanting and rebuilding. Elon Moreh was the first settlement, and from there the land began to flourish again.

The Partnership: Eliav and Itamar

Eliav Hillel, the founder, grew up helping his saba farm. When he asked what to plant, his grandfather said, "Grapes will grow well here". He took that advice to heart. After the required four years of letting the vines rest per halacha, he needed a winemaker, that's where Itamar Weiss entered the story.

Itamar had spent 30 years in high tech. After completing a job for a food chain, they gave him a pallet of premium wines from Ramat Hagolan Winery as a token of gratitude - Cabernet and Merlot from 2006. The wines were outstanding, better than anything he later found in stores. That sparked his passion: he bought 100 kilos of Cabernet Sauvignon from a local vineyard, made wine behind his house, and the rest is history.

When Eliav went searching for a winemaker, Itamar's name came up, and the partnership that became Kabir Winery was born.

A Complete Destination

Today, the winery has expanded into a full visitor experience: a visitor center, dairy restaurant, tzimmers (couples' suites), and tours on EZriders or club cars through the vineyards, where you can even spot ancient 2,000-year-old wine presses.

Into the Cellar: The Art of Oak

When I visited, Eliav walked me through the vineyards and new additions, while Itamar led me into their cellar. There I noticed different oak barrels, French, American, and Hungarian. Each gives the wine its own personality:

French oak – fine grain, slow flavor release, adds spice and elegance.

American oak – wide grain, quick flavor release, brings bold vanilla and coconut.

Hungarian oak – medium grain, balanced extraction, gentle spice and smooth tannins.

The timing of barrel aging also matters, the longer the wine rests, the more flavor and depth it draws from the wood.

The Tasting: Single Varietals and Bold Choices

Then came my favorite part: tasting. I started with a Tannat, a rare single-grape wine since most wineries only use Tannat in blends. Itamar believes in letting each grape speak for itself, and he's right. The Tannat was light and smooth, though he explained it can be much heavier depending on the process.

Next, I tried a Cabernet Franc, rich aroma, full-bodied, and elegant with no harsh aftertaste.

Finally, I asked to try their Port wine, aged for four years. It had a sweet, nostalgic note that reminded me of sweet lukshen kugel from my childhood in Borough Park.

Taking It Home

I couldn't leave empty-handed, I bought two bottles: a Touriga Nacional (a rich, fruity, rare variety) and the 4-year Port, for a total of 230 shekels.

Kabir's wines aren't sold in stores, they believe true quality should go straight from their temperature-controlled cellar to your home. At around 110–120 shekels a bottle, the wines aren't cheap, but they're well worth it for the quality and care behind each drop.

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