Rothschild’s Vision of Israel: Fine Wines From Bat Shlomo

By Elizabeth Kratz

Baron Edmond de Rothschild, z”l, who passed away in 1934, was a figure of profound importance to Israeli agriculture and winemaking, in addition to being part of the famous French-Jewish banking family dynasty. In fact, it was his early vision and creation of the “first aliyah” in 1889 that led to what would become the village of Bat Shlomo, which houses a boutique winery, and the nearby cities (formerly villages) north of Tel Aviv of Zichron Yaakov and Rishon LeZion (home of one of Israel’s earliest and largest wineries, Carmel). This Carmel region was the focus of his initial investment in the Zionist project, which led to a truly lasting legacy.

Rothschild first visited then Ottoman-occupied Palestine in 1887, intent on establishing a path to economic prosperity through viticulture. In founding the nearby villages, he began a reawakening of winemaking, which had been dormant for 2,000 years during Arab, Ottoman and British occupation; in fact, an ancient wine press is visible in the stunning back garden and event space behind today’s Bat Shlomo winery tasting room and guest house. (Arabs and Ottomans famously pulled up many of the wine-grape vineyards in Israel during their occupation because they don’t make wine, and replaced them with olive trees.) While the first village, Zichron Yaakov, was named in memory of the baron’s father, Jacob, the second, Bat Shlomo (daughter of Solomon), was dedicated to his mother, Baroness Betty de Rothschild. Her stylish profile cameo is visible on all the bottles the eponymous winery produces today. 

Tasting room

The baron, who also owned Château Mouton-Lafite Rothschild in Bordeaux, was focused on the idea of training olim to become strong and resilient farmers, with goals of creating both a market for artfully made French-style wines and a means to economic prosperity. The initial group of farm workers came from Poland, escaping rising antisemitism there. These workers all arrived in the region by 1889.  

Two years after founding Arbeiter Shulla (the Worker’s School in Yiddish) a training school for farm workers, its graduates settled in Bat Shlomo, building 13 homes made of stone and one synagogue. On the baron’s death, the homes passed to the workers and subsequently to their descendants. The farmhouse is one of these lasting treasures, where the Bat Shlomo tasting room and guest house is situated today. Visitors (such as my family) to the original moshav can walk down the single road where the first homes still stand, a testament to a special era of Israeli history. The road is surrounded by flowering plants and ends with a majestic view of the valley below, where vineyards and other plantings can be seen from above. A Haganah outpost is also situated at the end of this road, which provides panoramic views of the valley.

Ari Erle

In 2010, high-tech entrepreneur Eli Wurtman partnered with Napa Valley-based winemaker Ari Erle to found Bat Shlomo Vineyards, purchasing the farmhouse from one of the descendants of the original Rothschild olim. While Wurtman and Erle replanted the fields on the southern slopes of Mount Carmel, the winery also has vineyards in the northern Golan, and Erle makes the wines there. The winery now produces more than 60,000 bottles a year.

Born and raised in Northern California near Napa Valley, Erle moved to Israel after high school and was drafted to the elite Paratrooper (Tzanchanim) Brigade. After finishing his bachelor’s degree from The Hebrew University, he studied winemaking at the University of California, Davis and earned a degree from the Napa Valley College.

Erle worked for many years in Napa Valley at some of its most prestigious wineries, returning to Israel with his family when his children were young. Because of the initial Rothschild vision of French winemaking, Erle uses classic French varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, sauvignon and merlot in the Bat Shlomo wines, but indulges his passion for native varieties with his own label, made in the same winery with grapes grown in the north. That label, “Ari Erle Winemaker,” features wines made primarily from native Israeli varieties like dabouki and bittuni. They are currently made in small quantities and are not exported, so one would have to either visit the winery or order them online in Israel to taste these delicious wines (visit https://www.arierlewinemaker.com/shop). Erle gifted me with a delicious and unique “vinobier,” a fascinating mix of wine and beer fermented together, made with Bat Shlomo cabernet sauvignon grapes and a wild ale made by Shapiro Brewery.  

Erle’s method of winemaking is innovative and clean, with as little intervention as possible. Even with the French oak barrels he uses, he ensures that the aromas imparted are neutral and adds only a portion of “new oak” barrels each year to keep these influences in the background. Much of the grapes and other agricultural items grown in Bat Shlomo and its northern vineyards are as organically produced as possible. Erle is also notable for using egg-shaped concrete tanks to ferment wines. In an interview, Erle explained he thinks his white wines benefit from the porosity of the concrete that allows micro-oxygenation, while offering excellent insulation that keeps the wine at a cool and steady temperature. This method also allows lees (spent yeast cells) to circulate as well, bringing a creamy texture to the wines, most notable in the chardonnay.

At the winery’s beautiful outdoor tasting room, it was an honor to taste six wines as part of Erle’s collection, all of which are imported by Red Garden and available locally. The Bat Shlomo Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is crisp and refreshing, with high acidity and bright aromas of grapefruit, lemon and tart green apple. The Bat Shlomo Chardonnay 2023, aged in neutral French oak barrels for 10 months, is as different from the sauvignon blanc as any white wine can be, with notes of yellow and baked apple, white strawberry, spice and tropical non-citrus fruit; this wine also has notes of cream prominently at the finish, evidence of lees contact. The Bat Shlomo Rosé 2024 is an absolute pleasure, made primarily of grenache grapes and with a pale salmon color. The wine has a high, zippy acidity, aromas of strawberries, raspberries, stone fruits and citrus, and a lovely dryness that I find typical of rosé made from grenache.

Bat Shlomo’s three current red vintages are extraordinarily impressive. The Bat Shlomo Regavim 2021 is named for the Regavim youth program volunteers who help at Bat Shlomo often for half of their day. The program places at-risk youth on farms alongside their studies; these students most often join elite units in the IDF and sometimes return to work at the winery. The current winery manager is a graduate of the Regavim program. The wine’s blend changes annually but is often a Bordeaux-style blend including cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, cabernet franc and tempranillo. It is aged for 14 months in French oak barrels. This is a delectable red wine with aromas of fresh raspberries and red plums with a smooth and balanced long finish.

The Bat Shlomo Collage 2020 is an extremely limited production; just under 2,500 bottles were made. This wine is a blend of 50% malbec and 50% merlot. It is made from the local vineyard in Bat Shlomo, on the steep, limestone slopes of the Hurshan hills. The two varieties were planted next to each other, with a small fig tree separating the two blocks.

“The marriage of the crispy, refreshing cranberry, raspberry and blackberry of the malbec with the minty, earthy thick texture of the merlot creates a special culinary blend that is precise for the Israeli heat and Mediterranean cuisine,” said Erle.

Finally, the flagship wine is the Bat Shlomo Betty’s Cuvée. I tried the 2023 edition which is composed primarily of cabernet sauvignon (75%) with 11% petit verdot, 9% cabernet franc and 5% merlot. The wine was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels. This classic Bordeaux-style blend represents the finest that Israeli wines have to offer. Elegant, velvety and full of bright notes of red and black fruit, the wine has beautiful acidity and tannins and a notable smooth balance in character. I have been privileged to try many vintages of Betty’s Cuvée, and while the wine varieties often change subtly as does the time in barrel, it is always a triumph of winemaking and a true tribute to the Rothschild legacy of French winemaking.

As this region is beautiful and offers a unique look at the early history of Israel, those wishing to enjoy an overnight stay with a curated culinary experience can do so. The Bat Shlomo tasting room and guest house is open for individuals and events. Learn more at https://batshlomo.com/