OUR story
We are winemakers and storytellers who love this land and the pioneering spirit which spurred its founders. Our identity is rooted in the rows of vines that will continue to bear fruit for the generations to come. Everything we do, from the creation of exceptional wine to the cultivation of extraordinary experiences, is with the ultimate intent of reconnecting society to this land, its people, and its history.
Bat Shlomo Vineyards serves as a bridge between the past and present, honoring those who established the tradition of winemaking in Israel, while celebrating the innovative approach that has come to represent the industry today. At The Farmhouse, we have created an intimate yet immersive experience encapsulating this journey and the values it represents.
Where History Comes Alive
In 1887, the great Jewish benefactor and Zionist visionary, Baron Edmond de Rothschild, first visited the land of Israel intent on establishing a path to economic prosperity through agriculture. In founding two nearby villages, the Baron set into motion a reawakening of an Israeli wine industry which had been dormant for 2,000 years. The first village, Zichron Yaakov, was named in memory of the Baron’s father Jacob. The second, Bat Shlomo, meaning daughter of Soloman, was dedicated to his mother, the Baroness Betty de Rothschild.
The village was born from the Baron’s dedication to creating strong and resilient Jewish farmers, and a means to economic prosperity in the land of Israel.
Betty was a prominent woman in French society who championed a number of philanthropic causes. Among her many entrepreneurial endeavors, she founded organizations committed to advancing the education of women as well hospitals in both Jerusalem and Paris. She did not struggle with her Jewish identity, unlike many Jews of her status in her day, but rather considered it a source of pride. She showed time and again her deep devotion to the Jewish People. Her strength of identity and passion exhibited as a social entrepreneur are reflected in the fabric of Bat Shlomo.
The village was born from the Baron’s dedication to creating strong and resilient Jewish farmers, and a means to economic prosperity in the land of Israel. Two years after founding Arbeiter Shulla, a training school for farm workers, its graduates settled in Bat Shlomo, building 13 homes made of stone and one synagogue. The Farmhouse, originally constructed in 1889, is one of these lasting treasures. Today, visitors to the original moshava can walk down the single road where the original homes still stand, a testament to an era of Israeli history that forever shaped the country’s identity.
Planting the Vineyards
We use a sustainable method of growing to create a bio-diversified environment which heavily minimizes the use of spraying. We grow a cover crop, letting the weeds between the grapes grow to promote a full ecosystem in our vineyard. The predators eating the pests, along with erosion control, means we have to spray considerably less. The cover crop adds nitrogen and nutrients to the soil. Through the years, the cover crop returns back into the earth to create a natural compost that organically fertilizes the soil.
The estate Vineyards
Bat Shlomo Vineyards has been an innovative leader in the Israeli wine industry as the only winery to use egg-shaped concrete tanks to ferment its wine. The porosity of the concrete allows micro-oxygenation, while offering excellent insulation that keeps the wine at a cool and steady temperature, changing the kinetics of the fermentation. The curved walls circulate the lees inside the tank, breathing life into the wine.
All of our wines have been honored by Robert Parker’s, Wine Advocate, consistently scoring among the best wines in the Middle East. Acclaimed wine critic Mark Squires has most recently heaped praise on our Chardonnay and Betty’s Cuvee. In 2019, Bat Shlomo Vineyards was honored as one of only two Israeli wineries invited to the Matter of Taste event, in Switzerland.
Bat Shlomo Vineyards innovates with egg-shaped concrete tanks that enhance fermentation, using curved walls to beautifully circulate the lees and elevate the wine.
