Located near Gdera just south of Tel Aviv, Meishar is a small winery located 58 meters above sea level and just 30 miles from the Mediterranean Sea.

It’s proximity to the sea is reflected in the sandy, gravely soil that characterizes Meishar’s vineyards. For this reason, Zeev Smilansky, the founder and winemaker of Meishar, favors using “Saltcreek” rootstock for his vines. These roots need little irrigation, even in the scorching heat of summer, for they reach deep within the soil to find water on their own, sometimes as far down as 10 meters. 

A chemical engineer by training, Zeev founded Meishar in 1992, with its first harvest in 1995. Today, Meishar is still on the smaller end of boutique Israeli wineries, producing 7,000 bottles a year. But for such a small winery it cultivates a wide variety of grapes. Across its 6-acre vineyard it grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Muscat, and Mourvedre. 

Zeev credits the size of his vineyard with why he is able to produce such fine wines. By keeping his growing operations small he says he is able to cultivate only the finest of grapes and ensures that each crop is harvested only in its prime. His pride in the quality of his vines is evidenced in his decision to leave his wine mostly unfiltered, allowing the full depth of flavor of each grape to be savored.