Ramat Negev

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Country of Origin: Israel
Location: Nitzanei Sinai
People: Zadok Family, Owners

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In 1980 Alon and Nira Zadok left their home and along with five other young friends, moved and established an agricultural settlement near the Egyptian border, in the Negev desert´s wilderness. With no infrastructure whatsoever, the group struggled to establish a village and learned firsthand the art of desert agriculture. Yet after numerous agricultural attempts they realized that the Negev isn't in fact a barren place where nothing can be grown.

What they learned then is now common knowledge – the Negev has great agricultural potential. For example, the scorching sun helps the growth and photosynthesis of the vines while the cold temperatures at night contribute to the vines being very hardy. Growing in sandy and loamy conditions with controlled amounts of water and little fertilizer, the vines enjoy rapid growth, and since the vineyards are isolated from other vineyards they do not suffer from nearly as much diseases or pests, meaning the there’s almost no need to use herbicide or pesticide sprays.

Alon’s love for wine was inherited from his father, who used to make wine at home. With the support of his wife, Nira, Alon pursued his passion by enrolling in a wine course taught by Yair Heidi and Barry Sasselov. He later advanced his education with Dr. Yair Margalit of Margalit Winery and completed a winemaking program at Soreq Winery. Inspired by his growing expertise, Alon brought his entire family together to establish a new wine venture, leading to the creation of the Negev’s first family-owned boutique winery: Ramat Negev.

From the day the winery was established in 1997 through 2010, Alon was the main winemaker of Ramat Negev. As of 2010, Yogev Zadok, Alon’ eldest son, serves as the head winemaker of the winery. Alongside his wife Eden, Yogev lives in the village of Kadesh Barnea, also known as Nitzanei Sinai, near the winery’s vineyard. The couple’s passion for winemaking led them to study Oenology for three years at the Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences at the University of Florence in Italy. During their time abroad, they gained practical experience and completed an internship at the renowned Antinori Winery, one of Italy's most prestigious wine estates.

Their education and experience have profoundly influenced Ramat Negev’s wines, which embody a refined, Italian-inspired style. The wines crafted by Yogev and Eden reflect a focus on elegance and balance, with lower alcohol content and a more prominent expression of fruit and grapevine characteristics. Their style emphasizes the natural flavors of the vineyard over the aging process in barrels, resulting in wines that are less ripe and more elegant.