The Israel Wine Company offers you the best of Israeli boutique wines. See
Our Expertise for how our wines are chosen. Our reviews, as well as yours are
included under each wine. As well as stories and videos from each winery.
These wineries are our 'Wish List. Not all are distributed by us yet...
somek
Somek means 'blush' in Hebrew. This small winery in the heart of what some call Israel's wine town, Zichron Yaakov, is run by the perfect wine team partners. Barak, a 5th generation farmer in the area has been growing grapes since he can remember. Hila Ben Gera, has a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Rehovot and a master's degree in enology, which she earned in Australia. Together, they are making some amazing wines and are on the forefront of Israel's small boutique, professional and powerful winery trend.
All the vineyards at Somek are estate grown and are cared for meticulously. Barak's ancestors were some of the first grape growers in Israel. They were trained by Baron Rothschild when he brought grape-growing to Israel in 1885. Barak's family used to sell all their grapes to the largest winery in Israel (Carmel). Now, the best blocks are kept to make superb wines. They make Chardonnay, Merlot, Carignan and a red blend.
When I was there, we tasted in their tractor shed, which has been converted into a winery. They have a cooled room for barrels and bottles, another room with tanks and a covered, outdoor tasting table. Just off the main promenade in Zichron, Somek is a great place to visit for a very personal tour in Israel.
