Pinto Winery: A Family Vision Taking Root in the Negev Desert
Pinto Winery: A Family Vision Taking Root in the Negev Desert
Can excellent wine really grow in the desert?
At Pinto Winery in Yeruham, the answer is found in every glass. Founded in 2020, this family winery was created with an ambitious vision: to demonstrate that the Negev’s demanding climate, combined with modern desert agriculture and careful winemaking, can produce wines of outstanding quality and character.
Pinto Winery is more than a wine project. It represents the Pinto family’s long-term commitment to Yeruham and to the wider Negev—a region increasingly recognized for its creativity, resilience and distinctive desert terroir.
“In the Negev, the creativity and pioneering vigor of Israel shall be tested.” — David Ben-Gurion
A vineyard shaped by the desert
The winery’s grapes come from the beautiful Yeruham Vineyard, planted by the Pinto family together with local growers along Nahal Shualim, just outside the town. Here, vines grow in an environment of intense sunlight, dry air and dramatic temperature differences between day and night.
The vineyard includes varieties chosen to suit the local conditions and express the character of the desert. Rather than trying to imitate a European wine region, Pinto Winery seeks to create wines that belong unmistakably to the Negev.
That sense of place can be discovered across the winery’s varietal wines and its premium Holot (“Sands”) series. Its portfolio has included Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosé, Grenache, Shiraz and Malbec, alongside red and white blends that bring different aspects of the desert landscape into the glass.
Precision, ambition and Yaakov Oryah
To translate this vision into wine, the family recruited Yaakov Oryah as head winemaker. Widely regarded as one of Israel’s leading and most original winemakers, Oryah brings a thoughtful, precise approach to the grapes grown in this unusual environment.
The result is a fascinating meeting between pioneering desert agriculture and meticulous modern winemaking. Pinto’s wines are designed to express both the individual grape varieties and the particular qualities of the Yeruham terroir.
Visiting Pinto Winery
Pinto Winery’s visitor center welcomes individuals, couples, families and groups. A guided visit introduces guests to the winery, the Pinto family story and the challenges and possibilities of making wine in the desert.
Depending on the experience selected, visitors can enjoy guided tastings from the winery’s varietal and Holot ranges. Tastings may be accompanied by local-style refreshments such as cheeses, spreads, bread and olive oil from the vineyards—turning a winery stop into a relaxed Negev experience.
For wine lovers, it is an opportunity to explore how familiar varieties change when grown under desert conditions. For visitors discovering Israeli wine for the first time, it is an accessible introduction to one of the country’s most exciting emerging wine regions.
Why Pinto Winery belongs on your Negev journey
A visit to Pinto Winery connects wine with a much wider story: the development of Yeruham, cooperation with local growers, agricultural innovation and a family’s belief in the future of the Negev.
It is exactly this combination of people, landscape and flavor that makes the winery worth discovering. Come for the tasting—and leave with a new understanding of what can take root in the desert.
Plan your visit
- Location: Yeruham, Negev Desert
- Experience: Guided winery tour, wine tastings and light food accompaniments
- Suitable for: Individuals, couples, families and groups
- Kosher: Yes
- Opening hours currently published by the winery: Monday–Thursday, 10:00–16:00; Friday, 10:00–15:00
- Guided tour times currently published: 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00
- Advance reservation: Required for tours and recommended for tastings
- Reservations: +972-54-763-5451
- Website: pintowinery.com
- Instagram: @pinto_winery
Opening times, tasting formats and prices may change. Please confirm directly with the winery before visiting.
Discover Pinto Winery with the Negev Wine Card
Pinto Winery is a participating partner of the Negev Wine Card. Use your card to include an authentic desert wine experience in your Negev journey and discover the people and flavors behind one of Yeruham’s most inspiring wine stories.