Inside Vitkin Winery’s 2025 Unforgettable Harvest

A drought year wasn’t supposed to reward restraint—but 2025 had other plans. At Vitkin Winery, we walk the rows with winemaker Assaf Paz and discover how a parched winter, scrambled ripeness windows, and a nation holding its breath forged wines with unusual clarity and nerve. When irrigation couldn’t fix stressed vines, an old, dry-farmed Carignan did: deeper roots, stronger canopies, and, shockingly, higher yields. The lesson is simple and radical—let the vineyard do the talking, and you’ll hear terroir more clearly than any dial you can turn.

We dig into the moments that defined the vintage: Macabeo arriving before Gewurztraminer, Argaman sprinting just behind Pinot, and decisions made by mouth and nose when spreadsheets said wait—Assaf shares where he trusted instinct over numbers and why certain lots earned time in the barrel. The glass tells the story—Riesling held on lees and released late for texture, a high-altitude Chardonnay with zero malolactic that rebukes butter for mineral precision, and Grenache Blanc grown on a stony, unforgiving site to capture salinity and lift. A tiny Tanat, fermented in a single open bin, becomes a symbol of the year: scarce, personal, unforgettable.

We also step outside the cellar door. As hostages returned home, a quiet weight lifted across the team. Rival wineries swapped scarce clarifying agents and enzymes—no invoices, just trust—proving that when the work matters, production stands together. And through it all, Pinot Noir taught restraint that sharpened the whole lineup: not lighter, but clearer; not louder, but truer. Wine here is more than flavor; it’s a message in a bottle about land, craft, and resilience. If you’ve wondered how Israeli terroir can be both tough and graceful, this is your pour.

Enjoy the conversation, then share it with a friend who loves wine made by touch and time. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: when would you trust your gut over the data?

Contact Assaf Paz at Vitkin:
Turtle Bridge, Alexander Stream, Kfar Vitkin
Waze: “Vitkin Winery”
tel. +972-9-8663505
fax. +972-9-8664179
WhatsApp: +972-54-4866350
Email: info@vitkin-winery.co.il
Mailing Address: PO Box 267, Kfar Vitkin, 4020000

And please stop by and visit:
Open Sun.-Thur. 09:30-17:00
Fridays 10:30-15:30
By appointment

Chapters

• 0:00 Opening, Context, And Intent
• 0:55 Vitkin Winery And 2025 Preview
• 2:43 Market Openness And Blanc De Carignan
• 5:52 Drought Reality And Irrigation Limits
• 10:35 Dry-Farmed Carignan’s Surprise Strength
• 14:14 National Mood And Post-Press Resolve
• 16:45 Riesling Patience And Release Philosophy
• 18:43 Harvest Word: Unforgettable And Why
• 20:55 Ripeness Chaos And Vineyard Presence
• 24:06 Instinct Versus Numbers In Picking
• 26:31 Solidarity Among Wineries
• 29:06 Grenache Blanc Site, Salinity, And Style
• 33:08 Food, Simplicity, And Local Sourcing
• 36:10 A Small Tanat That Stole Hearts
• 38:16 New Plantings And A Crisp Chardonnay
• 42:40 Terroir-Sensitive Varieties Over The “Fantastic Four”
• 47:12 Team, Reserve Duty, And Harvest Urgency
• 50:20 Pinot Noir Humility And Clarity
• 55:18 Mentors, Bordeaux, And Craft Lessons
• 1:02:05 Wine As Statement And Israeli Journey
• 1:15:51 Closing And Subscribe CTA