It is well known that ideal growing conditions for the cultivation of wine grapes lie in the two geographic strips between 30-50 degrees south and north of the equator.  Israel is ideally situation in the Northern Hemisphere strip.  Israel, like other 'long' countries such as Chile or Italy, enjoys a variety of microclimates.   While the northern region gets much rain and even snow in the winter, just a few hours away, Israel's southern region is very arid with desert conditions.   This range in microclimates supports many grape varieties, which can grow on several different types of soil, yielding excellent results.  More than 90% of the Israel's vineyards lie in the Shomron, Samson & Galilee regions. The sub regions with the youngest vineyards are the Upper Galilee & the Judean Foothills.  We encourage you to explore the various wine regions and to sample their unique wines.

In general we can say that most of Israel benefits from a Mediterranean weather pattern, except the south which is an arid desert.  However, local variations in climate are influenced by seasons, region, and altitude.

The advantage in traveling in a small country like Israel is that within just a few hours you can be in an entirely different wine region.  Deciding when to visit depends on what you want to see and your tolerance for hot/cold weather.  Similarly, harvest time in Israel generally commences at the end of July, beginning of August, and ends in October, occasionally stretching into November.