4 Questions With Amichai Lourie of Shiloh Winery

Dovid and David from KosherWine.com touring Shiloh Winery with producer Amichai Lourie.

Shiloh Winery, founded by Dr. Mayer Chomer in 2005, contains a 40-acre vineyard nestled in the historic Judean Hills. Their logo, the bull, is derived from the symbolic reference to Joseph whose descendants lived in that region in biblical times.

With his round spectacles, dapper style, and eloquent manner of speech – Vintner Amichai Lourie’s countenance seems more like a college professor than a rugged pioneer; but he’s a little bit of both. With his vast knowledge of Torah, Jewish history, and winemaking, Amichai enlightens everyone he encounters on matters ranging from the intricate laws of Maaser (tithing), to the science behind the soil’s impact on grape production.

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Amichai and learn more about Shiloh Winery and his personal connection to the land.

I like to do whatever I can by myself. I’ll make my own wine, bake my own matzo, grow my own vegetables, whatever I can. And of course, I like to do things that are connected to the land.

Wine is so special when you think about it. Most things that you do nowadays, it’s all about the instant gratification. With wine, you must be patient. You have to work the land and then you wait, grow the grapes and then you wait, process the grapes and then wait some more, more waiting while the wine ages, and then more waiting while the bottled product matures - it takes a lot of patience. When you do something that takes a lot of time to produce, you enjoy the end result even more.

After thousands of years that we weren't in Israel, we finally returned to the land, that’s a miracle. It’s truly amazing! How do you know when the redemption is happening? There’s a prophecy in the book of Yechezkel that describes the land coming to life - that's when you’ll know redemption is near. That is happening now. When Mark Twain visited Israel in in the late 19th century, he described a desolate landscape, there was nothing. You look at pictures from that time period and you’ll see empty mountains, dry fields, nothing. You know that the geulah is coming when the land starts to flourish. Just look around, it’s happening now! When you taste Israeli wines, not just Shiloh Winery, but Israeli wines in general, there is inherently something special about that. I think that ‘something special’ is our connection to the land.

It’s a lifestyle. It surrounds you every moment of every day. I feel it especially when I visit my greenhouse and tend to the vegetables, or when I walk through my vineyards; I feel it always.

Want to start shopping? View the full Shiloh Winery collection below:

Did this interview pique your interest in visiting the historic region, and touring the Shiloh Winery? Visit their website for more information.