The grapes on the vines are deep purple and delicious to pluck and eat. But these juicy perfectly round Concord grapes that we grow in our own tiny vineyard in Israel are meant to be turned into wine. First we carefully clip the bunches of grapes from the vine. We gather them and wash the grapes many times – which may ruin the musk but we feel is essential anyway. Now the fun part: bring in those little feet.
Two pairs of dainty feet get a good scrubbing. And the stomping begins. It actually is harder work than it looks and the little girls work hard smashing those grapes so there will be sweet preservative-free grape juice for the Sabbath.
Grapes are harvested in Israel from August to September, and then the wine making process begins. In these photos and short film, we feature a teeny tiny boutique winery in Rehovot. This year’s grapes yielded two bottles of pure heavenly Concord grape juice.
If you visit Israel in late August or September, you can join a wine making workshop and create your own label!
The 4th Eilat Spring Migration Festival will take place on March 18-25, 2010.
Migrating birds in Israel
Hundreds of birdwatchers from all over the world are expected to flock, once again, to Israel’s southernmost resort for the 4th Eilat Spring Migration Festival, which will take place March 18-25, 2010. The festival, which is organized by the Israeli Ornithological Center of the SPNI and the International Birding and Research Center Eilat, offers birders the opportunity to combine the spectacle of spring migration at its best with a relaxing vacation in the warm spring sunshine of Eilat on the Red Sea.
Birdwatching Festival in Israel
Every spring, the skies of Israel fill with the sight of 500 million birds, migrating north from the warmer climates in Asia and Africa to Europe – a paradise for birdwatchers. Israel’s unique strategic location, the only land bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa, provides the migrating birds with a large variety of habitats and the warm air currents they need for perfect soaring conditions. This makes Israel one of the most exciting and accessible regions for bird watching in the whole of the West Palearctic.
The Israel Ornithological Center, which operates three bird watching centers in Israel and aims to protect the region’s biodiversity through activities with birds, has recorded more than 540 different species of birds in Israel at various seasons in the year, with over 400 occurring annually – and this despite the fact that the country is only 500 km long.
Birdwatching Festival in Eilat, Israel
The week long festival includes day and night birding tours to all the best sites in southern Israel, many bird related activities, presentations, talks and more. Guests are hosted in the Isrotel Agamim Hotel, where the opening banquet and evening activities will take place. A special Birders Pub will help birders quench their thirst from the long days in the field.
Can you imagine a honeymoon yurt in the desert? You do not have to be honeymooners to stay in this romantic vacation yurt in Israel! The yurts, imported from Kazakhstan, are air conditioned and fully furnished with a spacious bed, jacuzzi for two, mini bar, cable TV, and a full bathroom. The surrounding area offers desert agriculture tours, winery tastings, archaeology explorations, spa treatments, jeep trips, camel rides, and bike adventures.
The grapes on the vines are deep purple and delicious to pluck and eat. But these juicy perfectly round Concord grapes that we grow in our own tiny vineyard in Israel are meant to be turned into wine. First we carefully clip the bunches of grapes from the vine. We gather them and wash the grapes many times – which may ruin the musk but we feel is essential anyway. Now the fun part: bring in those little feet.
Can you imagine a honeymoon yurt in the desert? You do not have to be honeymooners to stay in this