Israel’s Shiloh Winery: Modernity, Quality & History

By: Decanter Staff

Shiloh Winery was founded in 2005 in the heart of the Biblical Central Mountains. This is the mountain ridge that runs down the spine of Israel, overlooking the coastal plain. The land is sparse and Biblical looking. Three thousand years ago the Ancient Israelites settled here and Shiloh was the place where the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant were kept. It preceded Jerusalem as the most important worship site of the Israelites.

The grapes planted here were blessed, with winemaking being the main occupation and wine as the mainstay of the economy, as well as the main export. Archaeological findings and ancient wine presses abound in the region, giving witness to a bountiful winemaking past.

Shiloh is a place that resonates with meaning for Israelis and Jews worldwide, but it is also the Holy Land to Christians everywhere. The importance of wine here, was why wine became equally fundamental to the religious ritual in Judaism and Christianity as well as a bedrock of western civilization. The winery of the same name planted vines here once again, making wines like their forefathers.

The Shiloh vineyards are located in the Judean Hills region, north of Jerusalem. They are of high altitude, from 650 to 900 metres above sea level. Soils are very shallow terra rossa clay, on a bedrock of limestone. The land is very stony, making planting vineyards a major undertaking here. The vineyard sites are bathed in the Israeli sun, but with cooling winds coming from the Mediterranean Sea in the west. There is none of the humidity that there is elsewhere in Israel and the high elevation ensures cold nights and a longer growing season.

There is even snow during the winter months. The high elevation, Mediterranean climate and hot sun mean that the region is a winemaking paradise.

Amichai Louria is the face of the winery. Winemaker, winegrower and a keen amateur chef, he likes nothing more than growing his wine and matching it with food. He has roots in the United States and returned to Israel young, growing up fascinated by wine. He studied winemaking and turned his hobby into a profession.

The wines have had an astonishing record of gaining medals, trophies and high scores. In the main Israeli competitions, the winery has been winning first place (gold medals) in the red wine categories year after year. Soon, the wine started to garner international recognition at the highest level. The highlight was this year in the Decanter World Wine Awards, one of the most important wine competitions in the world.

Shiloh became the first Israeli winery ever to be awarded two Decanter World Wine Awards Gold Medals in the same year. The Shiloh Mosaic Exclusive Edition 2017 and the Shiloh Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 both scored 95 points, providing further evidence to the wine quality of Israel, the Judean Hills Region and Shiloh Winery itself. And that’s not all. Shiloh Winery was awarded a further seven silver medals, with all of these award-winning wines credited with over 90 points, a telling result of the overall quality of the winery’s offerings.

Shiloh Winery produces 250,000 bottles a year. The portfolio ranges from the entry-level Privilege, Shor varietals, Legend – a selection of interesting blends, Secret – award-winning varietals and the flagship Mosaic wines. Shiloh wines are exported all over the world and are in demand from wine lovers and connoisseurs alike.