This is the second part (although first chronologically) of our trip yesterday. Kibbutz Ga’aton is just next to Yehiam and is named after the small river Ga’aton which drains out from the low mountains of the Western Galilee, down the Ga’aton Street in Nahariya and into the Mediterranean Sea.

We had researched about this wine maker just briefly before leaving the house and had to ask for directions once inside the kibbutz. A kind “native” told us to follow him and led us to a humble, ivy-covered building.

The winery

A sign on the front door displayed the winery’s name and logo, a symbol of its first creation, the passionfruit wine.

Front doors

We were eager to open the doors and escape the smell of the cows, sheep, chickens or whatever it was the provided us with the odour that assailed our nostrils so vigorously. Once inside, the delicious smell of passionfruit cleared through us and we eagerly sought out the management. To our intrusion, the management whose name is Gideon happily broke off from his duty and began to give us his short tour and story… And he said it in English. Gideon showed us to his main room where he had a few bookshelves displaying the goods, the fruit of his labour.

Display bottles

Next Gideon asked us if we wanted to see what he was currently making, a passionfruit wine (the one we smelled when we came in). He took us to his “kitchen” and showed us the vat of passionfruit juice.

Vat of passionfruit

He stood there as we inspected his workroom and told us how he used to be an orchard-grower. Now he is retired and decided to make fruit wines as a sort of profitable hobby. But he likes to keep things small. A few years ago he shipped pallets of wines to England, France and the USA but he prefers to sell locally.

Gideon speaks

After a few minutes he took us back to the main room where he offered us to try samples. We were waiting for this! He sat us down and wheeled out a cart with a bottle of each of his wines; passionfruit, cherry, pomegranate, lychee, almond, honey apple, honey orange and some blends.

Sample time!

Gideon then walked away and continued with his work. Shortly after, while we were still sipping on the numerous alcoholic beverages before us at our own little open bar, another family came in and he began the tour over again, in Hebrew. In conclusion, I liked the pomegranate wine the most and the honey wines the least.

Orange Honey wine

We purchased a few bottles, and one to give as a gift to a family we know who just moved into a new house. Gideon wishes us a safe drive back and showed us how to get out, and that is when we went to Yehiam and the Malka Beer plant (see previous post).