Ein Teina: The Land, the Family, the Wine

From a spring shaded by fig trees and ancient olives, through landscapes marked by a Byzantine mound, to fruit-laden trees and grazing sheep – this is the heart of the Golan Heights. Here, on its sloping hills, a special vineyard flourishes, nurtured by the land's natural gifts, with a small boutique family winery close by.

This winery is the culmination of a journey for a family deeply connected to this place since 1975, their lives interwoven with raising sheep, pressing olive oil, and baking breads. The dream of a winery, a sanctuary within this beauty, took root during evening walks collecting sheep amidst vibrant raspberry bushes, its spirit then shaped by the family's explorations around the world.

Founded in 2004 by Yotam ben Zvi, Ein Teina Winery emerged from a period of passionate experimentation. For several seasons, Yotam explored vintages with the renowned nearby Golan Heights Winery, gaining invaluable familiarity with numerous vineyard plots across the Golan and Upper Galilee. The winery's name itself, Ein Teina, meaning "Fig Spring" in Hebrew, honors the adjacent spring and creek. Through this hands-on experience, Yotam honed his processing techniques, adapted to ever-changing conditions, and cultivated the expertise and insights necessary to craft high-quality wines.

From a modest first harvest of 900 bottles in 2004, Ein Teina's dedication to exceptional wines saw production grow to 4000 bottles by 2009, and continues to expand today. Their hand-picked grapes come from carefully selected rows within the Golan's and Upper Galilee's finest vineyards. Embracing the uniqueness of each growing season, every vintage offers its own distinct blend. 

The spirit of family truly permeates Ein Teina. Even the youngest members are learning the rhythms of the vineyard and the cellar, ensuring a legacy of winemaking for generations to come. A testament to their bond, all generations, from the most senior to the youngest, can be found working together in the vineyards and winery.

The location of the winery, the Golan Heights, a volcanic plateau in the north of Israel, possesses exceptional winemaking potential. Its high elevation, rich volcanic soil, and black basalt stone are considered ideal for cultivating grapes capable of producing high-quality wines.

This unique terroir, characterized by significant temperature variations between seasons and elevations stretching from 1,300 to nearly 4,000 feet, allows a remarkable array of grape varieties to flourish. Here, classic Bordeaux grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot thrive alongside Rhône stars like Syrah and Roussanne.

It is within this distinguished region that the Ein Teina boutique winery experience truly begins. Yotam ben Zvi's deep roots and knowledge of the Golan's viticultural landscape were developed through his early work with a large local winery before establishing his own.

Ein Teina meticulously selects the finest of each varietal to ensure each bottle of their wines on your table will be a delight. This dedication results in their magnificent red blends, expertly balanced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Moreover, Ein Teina boldly crafts exceptional single-varietal wines, including their intensely flavorful Cabernet Sauvignon and a truly groundbreaking pure, unblended Roussanne – a testament to their commitment, as this challenging grape is rarely presented on its own.

Their Roussanne truly deserves special mention. Just a year ago, we introduced its very first batch to the U.S. market, making it a rare find for American palates. What makes it even more exceptional is that this is a pure, unblended Roussanne – a true rarity in the wine world. Roussanne grapes are notoriously challenging to cultivate and are often used in blends to add complexity. However, Ein Teina takes a bold approach, proudly showcasing this unique varietal on its own.

Here's the magic: to achieve its perfect balance, the winemaker employed a fascinating technique, utilizing two harvests of the same Roussanne grapes. The first harvest yielded grapes with lower sugar levels, crucial for the wine's bright acidity and structure. Two weeks later, a second harvest brought riper grapes bursting with varietal character and intense aromas. The result is a perfectly balanced profile, featuring refreshing acidity alongside a touch of ripeness, achieving maturity without overwhelming tropical characteristics.

Another magnificent wine is Talia’s blend, named after a woman who created it. Indeed, all members of the ben Zvi family invest their unique talents in crafting these beautiful wines, a true collaborative effort. A testament to the winemaker's artistry, particularly a woman's touch, Ein Teina Talia’s Blend embodies both elegance and power. Imagine a symphony of ripe fruit flavors – dark berries, blackberries, even a hint of licorice – accented by a touch of spice. The wine's full body is supported by fine tannins, leading to a smooth, lingering finish. French oak aging adds subtle whispers of vanilla and toasty warmth.

A shipment of Talia's Blend, heading to NYC!

These are just a few of Ein Teina’s spectacular wines, each of which invites you to discover the artistry of this family-run estate.

Israel's climate, though in the Middle East, is distinctly Mediterranean, heavily influenced by the winds, winter rains, and humidity carried by the proximity of the Mediterranean Sea. These winds play a crucial role in Ein Teina's vineyards, providing vital ventilation and a cooling effect that moderates temperatures and reduces humidity during the long, hot, dry summers and short, cool, rainy winters.

The higher elevations of the Golan Heights, where Ein Teina's vineyards are situated in the Southern Golan (with its tufa and basalt soils) and the Upper Galilee (with its volcanic, gravel, and terra rossa soils), benefit from cooler temperatures and a longer growing season. At times during winter, these elevated vineyards are covered in snow. These temperature fluctuations throughout the year are crucial for the vine's cycle and the eventual complexity of the grapes.

The family's dedication to the land extends to their meticulous harvest practices. Beginning typically in July and extending through October, grapes are hand-picked from specific rows within their carefully selected vineyard blocks, ensuring only the finest fruit is chosen – a task often involving all family members working side-by-side.

Each vintage is unique, with each year's blend determined by the circumstances of each plot. Therefore, the wine differs from year to year. Yet, Ein Teina's style remains consistent: balanced and approachable wines with a signature concentration of fruit from the basalt soils.

The region faces ongoing challenges with water scarcity during the hot season, requiring careful drip feed irrigation, and fluctuating temperatures. Ein Teina's skillful approach to canopy management showcases a deep understanding of how to protect their precious fruit from the intense Israeli sun. This critical practice involves strategically managing the vine's leaves and shoots to provide optimal shade and ventilation, preventing overexposure that can damage the grapes and impact their quality.

Reinventing Israeli winemaking in the 21st century in this unique and demanding region requires immense hard work, but the resulting wines are undoubtedly worth the effort.

Ein Teina may not be the biggest winery in the region, and their reputation often spreads through word of mouth rather than traditional advertising, but the wines of the ben Zvi family possess a heart and soul born from their deep connection to the land and their passionate dedication. From hand-picked grapes to the final cork, each meticulously produced bottle captures the unique character of the land and the winemakers' spirit, presenting the very essence of their terroir and its people.

Only until the end of May, Ein Teina wines can be purchased with a 30% discount using the promocode FigLeaf.