Or Haganuz: the hidden light of wines from the Upper Galilee
One of Israel’s hidden gems is the Or Haganuz winery, founded in 2005 in the Upper Galilee at the foot of Mount Meron, not far from the city of Tzfat, a historic center for the study of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). Located in the Chasidic community of Or Haganuz, the winery is also near the traditional burial place of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a 2nd-century sage traditionally associated with the “Zohar,” a foundational work of Kabbalah.
The winery and its community aim to deepen their connection to the Land of Israel through both physical cultivation and spiritual purpose. “The winery is not simply a commercial enterprise,” said Aharon Ziv, a founder and the head winemaker for the past 10 years. “It’s part of our community’s core mission.”
Or Haganuz is rooted in the teachings of Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag (1885-1954), known for his monumental Hebrew commentary on the “Zohar.” Ashlag taught that by transforming selfish desires into selfless giving, we can help reveal “or haganuz” — the hidden light of creation — long concealed by God until humanity becomes ready to receive it. In 1989, Rabbi Mordechai Sheinberger, Ashlag’s son-in-law, established the village as a religious cooperative designed to live out this ideal. “The community was built on the principle of ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’” said Ziv.
A winemaker’s journey of memory and faith
Ziv’s winemaking has roots in family memory. His father, who passed away when Ziv was a child, had built a small cellar at home for producing wine. “When I moved to Or Haganuz and built my house, I recreated that cellar, so I could make wine, too,” Ziv said.
He began by making small batches at home. Then a friend approached him with an offer of surplus table grapes. “We hand-harvested them and put the must into plastic tanks. I didn’t know how to make this much wine, and the grapes were all wrong, but we persisted.
“It turned out horrible,” he laughed. But the next year they tried again — this time with proper grapes — and the wine was good.
At a fund-raiser for the local Talmud Torah, donors received gifts of Ziv’s bottles. The feedback was so positive they decided to produce more until, in 2005, the community established Or Haganuz Winery. Ziv studied at the Golan Heights Winery and continues to hone his craft.
The wines: Amuka, Marom, Orot
Or Haganuz produces table wines under three main labels, plus a line of dessert wines.
The Amuka (“Deep”) series — reflecting both literal valleys and deep spirituality — includes a delicious 2024 Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay (labeled as Amuka Blanc) bursting with citrus, kiwi, jasmine, and cherry and finishing with a delicate edge of almond and orange blossom. The Amuka Gewürztraminer 2024 has aromas of rosewater, lychee, tropical fruit, and a silky palate lifted by bright acidity.
Marom means “height” and has a connotation of spiritual loftiness. This line’s name refers not only to the high-altitude vineyards but also the wine’s elevated quality. It includes the popular Elima blend. The 2023 Marom Cabernet Sauvignon is dry, rounded, and beautifully balanced with well-integrated tannins, while the 2021 Marom Blend offers a deeply satisfying, long finish.
At the pinnacle is Orot, meaning “lights,” a nod to the kabbalistic concept of divine emanations. The 2020 Petit Verdot is inky and elegant; the Orot Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve (Namura) 2019 is a full-bodied wine offering layers of black cherry, cassis, plum, and roasted red pepper with aromas of violet, chocolate, and fine toasted oak.
Sweet revelations: Har Sinai
Among the winery’s successes are their Har Sinai (red) and Har Sinai Hazahav (white). They use late-harvest Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, flash-freeze the grapes, then gently heat them over an olive-wood fire, before aging in barrels for 12 months. The result is a full-bodied red wine, layered with aromas of raisins, cherries, plums, and coffee grain, unfolding into rich flavors of dark chocolate, balsamic, and toasted oak.
The Har Sinai Zahav 2023 is a late-harvest sweet Gewürztraminer with a striking amber-orange hue and an aromatic depth of roses, lychee, orange peel, and toasted nuts, with a rich, slightly viscous palate of lychee, vanilla, and quince.
At Or Haganuz, producing wine is a devotion, said Ziv. “Wine can still amaze and induce wonder.”
— Royal Wine Corp.