Cremisan

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Country of Origin: Palestine
Location: Cremisan Valley, Bethlehem
People: Salesian Monastery, Owner | Fadi Batarseh, Winemaker
Viticulture: Practicing Organic

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Established in 1885 by Italian priest Father Antonio Belloni, Cremisan is located just outside Bethlehem on the West Bank, near Jerusalem. The estate is beautiful with green, terraced hills among ancient olive trees that produce high-quality olive oil.

Originally founded to support orphanages and provide work opportunities for the local community, Cremisan remains true to its humanitarian mission. The winery is still operated with the support of Salesian monks and continues to fund educational and charitable initiatives.

Cremisan was the first winery in the area to champion indigenous Palestinian grape varieties. Under the direction of Head Winemaker Fadi Batarseh, the winery conducted groundbreaking research that identified 21 distinct grape genomes native to Palestine. From this work, Cremisan now focuses on four key native grapes: Hamdani, Jandali, Dabouki (white), and Baladi (red), cultivated organically in the al-Khader area.

Modern winemaking equipment was introduced in 1997, and internationally renowned enologist Riccardo Cotarella has since joined the team, bringing global expertise and acclaim.