Sde Boker Winery: A Desert Wine Pioneer in Ben-Gurion Country
What happens when a failed agricultural experiment becomes the beginning of a new dream?
At Sde Boker Winery, the answer is a small, personal winery that helped write an early chapter in the modern revival of Negev wine. Established in 1999 at Kibbutz Sde Boker, the winery grew from the determination of agronomist and winemaker Zvi Remak—an immigrant from California who believed that the desert could produce not only agricultural raw materials, but wine with a character of its own.
The setting adds another layer to the experience. The winery stands in the landscape most closely associated with David Ben-Gurion’s vision for the Negev, only a short distance from the modest desert home of Israel’s first prime minister. Here, history, Zionist idealism, experimental agriculture and contemporary wine tourism meet in one remarkably compact place.
From California to Kibbutz Sde Boker
Zvi Remak was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. After completing a degree in agronomy and crop science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, he immigrated to Israel in 1980 and settled at Kibbutz Sde Boker with a garin—a mission-driven group of young immigrants.
For thirteen years, including six as orchard manager, Zvi worked closely with the kibbutz’s agricultural landscape. When Sde Boker began experimenting with wine grapes, he wanted to take the project beyond cultivation and learn how to transform the fruit into a finished local product.
In 1995, Zvi returned to California with his family for a year. He studied grape growing and winemaking at Napa Valley College and gained practical experience working in wineries. Back in the Negev, he combined that knowledge with his understanding of desert agriculture and established Sde Boker Winery in 1999.
A dream that survived a failed experiment
The winery’s story did not begin with easy success. During the 1990s, an experimental vineyard was planted on kibbutz land to test whether quality wine grapes could be irrigated with the brackish water found beneath parts of the Negev.
The experiment did not produce the hoped-for result—grapevines required better-quality water—but the setback strengthened Zvi’s determination to make wine in the region. Rather than abandon the idea, he adapted. Today, the winery works with Negev grapes sourced from vineyards in the Mitzpe Ramon and Ramat HaNegev areas.
That willingness to learn from failure is central to the Sde Boker story. Desert agriculture rarely follows the easiest route. It demands observation, experimentation and the patience to revise an idea without giving up on the larger vision.
Red wines shaped by the Negev
Sde Boker Winery specializes in small quantities of handcrafted red wine made from locally grown Negev grapes. Its published portfolio includes Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon—varieties well suited to producing expressive, structured wines under the region’s intense sun and cool desert nights.
The wines are made in a deliberately small-scale style and aged in barrels. Zvi’s involvement historically extended across the complete process: working with the vines, monitoring ripeness, overseeing harvest, fermentation and maturation, and finally bottling the finished wine.
Malbec has become one of the particularly interesting wines to taste here. Its fruit-forward character offers visitors an accessible introduction to the way familiar international grape varieties can take on a distinctive identity when grown in the Negev.
More than a tasting: a window into Sde Boker
A visit to Sde Boker Winery is as much about conversation and place as it is about the wine. Guests can taste and purchase the winery’s wines while hearing the personal story of Zvi, the early vineyard experiment and the development of winemaking in the desert.
The visitor space also presents a broader taste of the region. According to the current regional profile, it offers a café, light refreshments and a shop featuring local products such as kibbutz olive oil, food products, wooden artwork and wines from additional Negev wineries.
This makes the winery an appealing stop within a wider Sde Boker day. Ben-Gurion’s Desert Home is nearby, as are desert hiking routes, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, the dramatic views of the Zin Valley and other landmarks of the central Negev highlands.
Wine in the landscape of Ben-Gurion’s vision
Sde Boker occupies a special place in the Israeli imagination. David Ben-Gurion believed that the future of Israel was inseparable from the development of the Negev, and he chose to make his home on the kibbutz after leaving national office.
The winery does not need to borrow that story; it quietly continues it. Zvi’s path—from California to a young Negev community, from orchard agriculture to a failed experiment, and from Napa studies back to a small desert winery—reflects the same culture of initiative and persistence.
For visitors, the result is an experience that connects a glass of wine with a larger regional story: how people choose to live, cultivate and create in a landscape that offers few shortcuts.
Why Sde Boker Winery belongs on your Negev journey
Sde Boker Winery is an intimate encounter with one of the people who helped pioneer the modern Negev wine movement. It offers neither the scale nor formality of a large commercial estate—and that is precisely its appeal.
Here, visitors can meet the human story behind the bottle, taste red wines produced from desert-grown grapes and place the experience within one of Israel’s most meaningful historical landscapes. It is a natural stop for wine lovers, curious travelers and anyone exploring the vision and reality of life in the Negev.
Plan your visit
- Location: Kibbutz Sde Boker, Ramat HaNegev
- Nearby landmark: Approximately two minutes from Ben-Gurion’s Desert Home
- Experience: Wine tasting, winery story, wine purchases, café or light refreshments and local products
- Wines currently highlighted: Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon
- Suitable for: Adults, couples, independent travelers and organized groups
- Current hours published by Negev Desert Wine: Sunday–Thursday 09:00–16:00; Friday 09:00–14:00; Saturday 10:00–16:00
- Groups: By advance appointment
- Kosher: Listed as kosher by Negev Desert Wine; certification and implications of Saturday opening should be reconfirmed directly
- Accessibility: Listed as accessible by the Israel tourism profile; reconfirm specific requirements in advance
- Telephone: +972-50-757-9212
- Email: sdebokerwinery@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sde_boker_winery
- Regional profile: Negev Desert Wine
Opening hours, food options, tasting formats, prices, accessibility and kosher status may change. Please contact the winery before visiting, especially for groups, holidays or a visit on Saturday.
Discover Sde Boker Winery with the Negev Wine Card
Sde Boker Winery is a participating partner of the Negev Wine Card. Use your card to meet a pioneer of desert winemaking, taste locally produced Negev wine and add a deeply personal encounter to your journey through Ben-Gurion country.
Discover the Negev Wine Card