When you consider renowned wine regions around the world, one thing is clear. Experts will tell you the wine from that region is great because of the special terroir of that location — that is the soil, the elevation, the weather, the number of sunny days, the wind, rain and other factors that contribute to the development and ripening of the vines that grow well there. To leverage and protect the brand value of those regions, local rules and national laws have been developed to mandate the use of the appellation, the special name for the wine region. The rules often specify which grapes can be grown, rules for irrigation, how dense the vines can be planted. Most importantly, they specify what percent of the grapes in a bottle must be from vines grown in that appellation.
As a newer wine producing country, Israel is only recently developing appellation rules to more formally recognize areas like the Negev, the Golan Heights, Judean Hills and the Galil as appellations. Champions of this effort have been four prestigious wineries in the Judean Hills: Flam, Castel, Tzora and Sphera, who have labeled themselves the Judean Hills Quartet.
My favorite of this group is Flam, a family enterprise shaped by deep academic and practical roots in viticulture. The story begins with Israel Flam, the family patriarch. In 1968, he became the first Israeli graduate of the viticulture and enology program at the University of California, Davis. His early exposure to modern vineyard science and cellar techniques placed him among the pioneers of contemporary Israeli winemaking. Flam later served as head winemaker at Carmel, the country’s largest and most influential winery at the time, and his experience helped set the foundation for the next generation.
The current Flam leadership consists of siblings Golan, Gilad and Gefen, supported by their mother, Kami. Each plays a distinct role in shaping the winery. Golan, today the head winemaker, absorbed the academic approach of his father but developed his own identity through international training. After completing his undergraduate studies in agriculture at the Hebrew University, he earned a master’s degree in oenology at the University of Piacenza in Italy. His time working in Tuscany, particularly at the Carpinto estate, proved transformative. There he observed the close and continuous relationship between vineyard and winemaker that defines classic European estates. That model would later inspire the Flam family’s long term vision.
Golan also trained in Australia’s McLaren Vale, where he learned the complexities of working in warm climates. This experience prepared him for the particular demands of Israel’s Mediterranean environment. When he returned to Israel in 1998, he and his brother Gilad, who had studied management and marketing, set the early framework for Flam Winery.
The critical financial and structural architecture of the winery came from their mother, Kami. A skilled businesswoman, she built the model that allowed the winery to launch successfully. She assessed economic feasibility, raised capital and created an integrated system that included a wine import business known as The Grapevine. When the winery expanded, Kami became its finance and export manager. Their sister, Gefen, later joined as marketing manager. The result is a tightly coordinated family enterprise with distinct professional competencies. A few years ago, the three children named the winery’s new high quality white wine Kamilia, after their mother, as a special birthday gift.
During its first 15 years, Flam sourced high quality fruit from the Galilee and from select plots in the Jerusalem mountains. The winery quickly gained recognition for elegant, balanced wines that avoided excessive oak and favored clarity of fruit. The Reserve series and the red flagship, Flam Noble, became well-regarded in Israel and among kosher consumers worldwide.
Over time, however, Golan sought deeper precision. He wanted a vineyard relationship that would allow long-term insights into soil, microclimate, and vine behavior. In 2014, Flam identified a historic amphitheater of agricultural terraces in Moshav Even Sapir, in the Judean Hills. Although beautiful, the site presented significant challenges. Soil depths varied sharply, terraces were partially collapsed, and the terrain was rocky. Rather than flatten the land, the Flam team committed to preserving ancient stone terraces and minimizing damage to local vegetation. They worked with agronomist and viticulturist Noa Maoz to design rows, select varieties for each plot, and maintain ecological sensitivity.
Planting began in 2019. Today, the Even Sapir vineyard covers roughly 50 acres and sits among caves, springs, native herbs, and wildlife. Each plot is farmed individually. As knowledge accumulates, the team increasingly understands how to use each component in blends that reflect the site’s signature character.
The move toward blends rather than varietal bottlings reflects a broader shift among Judean Hills producers. Instead of emphasizing a single grape, winemakers build layered profiles from multiple plots and expect customers to trust the winemaker on what is in the bottle. An example of the success of this “trust me” philosophy is Flam’s new wine with a simple white label and few other details. This wine, first created almost by accident when Syrah from Even Sapir ripened early, became an international favorite and reinforced consumer trust in the winery’s new direction. The current white label blend is actually 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petit Verdot, 25% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Carignan — but you won’t find those details on the bottle.
A New Chapter for Kosher Wine
By this year, Flam Winery committed fully to Judean Hills fruit. The winery ended its external grape purchase agreements and discontinued its varietal Reserve series. This step represents one of the strongest terroir-based commitments in the kosher wine world. It signals a future in which site identity, not simple grape labeling, defines quality.
For kosher wine consumers and for the broader market, Flam’s decision is a significant benchmark. It strengthens the position of the Judean Hills as a world class region and affirms that Israeli wineries can pursue ambitious, ideology-driven viticulture.
Jules Polonetsky is a wine and spirits education trust level 3 certified wine expert who edits a wine education website at kosher-wine.org. He is a former consumers affairs commissioner for New York City.
