Assaf Winery blends rich wines, rustic cabins, and farm-fresh fare into a village experience

Every branch of the family tree is rooted in this venture.

Assaf and Hadassa Kedem laid the foundation for the winery in 2004 in the greenhouses of Kidmat Zvi, a tranquil agricultural settlement. Driven by a long-held dream of creating a wine village run by the entire family, they chose this location for its serene beauty and fertile potential. Years before founding the winery, Assaf began producing red wines alongside the family’s orchards, eventually becoming a pioneer in Israel’s boutique wine movement with his first venture, Bazelet HaGolan.

As the winery has grown, so has the family’s connection to it. Gradually, the children found their way into the business in their own time, carving out roles that play to their individual strengths.

Assaf and his son Oren, who are winemakers and winegrowers, marry old-world techniques and modern approaches to viticulture. Hadassa handles customer relations and group tours, embodying the warmth of the winery’s welcome. If you’re lucky, she’ll tell you the story of how she and Assaf met in their youth.

Adi, the winery’s chef, is the creative force behind Didi’s Kitchen, which began as a tapas-style restaurant and transformed into a high-end delicatessen featuring locally sourced fare, which includes cheeses, chocolate delights, breads, pastries, and, of course, bottles of vino.

Karen runs the boutique cabins and visitors center, curating a stay that wraps every guest in comfort. Shahar brings the visual identity of the winery to life, overseeing construction, branding, and storytelling across social media.

Tomer splits his time between the vines and the road, co-managing vineyard operations and marketing Assaf wines throughout Israel. Rounding out the team is Lidor Shoukroun, who has been part of the family fold for eight years and now serves as general manager, guiding marketing and operations with heart and a hands-on approach.

However, one bottle, the Shiraz, carries a tale as rich as its flavor. It honors Assaf’s father, Aharon, a long-time Mossad agent who served in the elite Caesarea unit from the 1950s to the 1970s. Most of his covert work took place in Germany. Since 2006, this wine series has served as a tribute to him and his fellow agents, offering a taste of history along with the fruit of the land.

In 2015, the family built the first two boutique cabins. Today, six dot the wine village and are designed for couples with the option to add an extra bed. Each cabin is stocked daily with curated delicacies from Didi’s Kitchen and unlimited wine. And in the morning, a picnic basket is hand-delivered to the door, brimming with local cheeses, breads, vegetables, granola, and treats.

For those who require a refill during their stay, all they have to do is ask. It’s all part of the experience, designed to make the escape into comfort and nature feel effortless.

A weekend stay for two in the summer costs NIS 4,000 to NIS 4,800. A mid-week, two-night stay for a couple can be booked for NIS 3,600. Adding an extra bed for an additional person costs NIS 400 per night and should be requested in advance.

Like many in the region, the winery has had to adapt due to current events, from limited local staff available to visitor numbers dropping. But this has no any impact on the hospitality, which is impeccable.

The Kedem crew plans to reopen the on-site yoga studio, and hinted at continued growth for the wine village, always with the same guiding principle: family first.