minsta

A visit to the Laviim winery

Pabio November 1, 2024

In the heart of Hadera is Laviim Winery, known to many for three main landmarks: the power plant, Hillel Yaffe Hospital and “Sami in the Square”, a restaurant that has not lost its charm and once symbolized the entrance of the city.

I met Shoval Lavi, 37, winemaker of Laviim Winery, at his home in Hadera, where several pressing questions were on my mind: Will there be an attack on Iran? Did I pack everything in the emergency bag? And why the hell is Waze insisting that I be in Beirut again? These questions accompanied what has now bizarrely turned into a journey to Israel’s “northern border”, culminating in a fascinating encounter with a novice winemaker.

Winemaking and starting a winery have been Shoval’s dreams since he began exploring wine tasting as a teenager. But it was two close friends, both agronomists, who instilled in him a love of agriculture. For Shoval, wine represents a connection between the worlds he cherishes: land, agriculture and wine.

Shoval holds a bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University and a master’s degree in winemaking and grape cultivation from the same faculty. He works as an agricultural advisor for a company that trains agricultural students from Africa and Asia.

When his father died relatively young, Shoval realized what many forget: his dreams of producing wine would not come true.

Family and wine

Three years ago, he bought equipment, sourced grapes and produced 1,200 bottles of wine. Today his thoughts turn to the future, and a year ago he planted a biodynamic vineyard in Nir Yafeh, between Megiddo and Ein Harod.

The vineyard includes four grape varieties: Chenin Blanc, Carignan, Grenache Noir and Malbec, some intended for the cellar and others for sale. Despite the turmoil around us and the fact that Shoval is actively serving in the reserves as a gunner, he seems very optimistic. His warm demeanor and the smile that adorns his face throughout the interview indicate that his energy is fully invested in his family and in wine.

The Laviim winery (credit: courtesy of the winery)

The past year, in the shadow of war, has had a significant impact on Shoval winemaking. On the one hand, it struggled to produce wine, except for one type; on the other hand, it was a good year for activities that are often wrongly left aside: marketing, familiarization with the market, etc. Besides, there are still a few bottles left from the previous harvest, which yielded 2,500 bottles, so there is plenty to drink.

Shoval’s big aspiration is to create a winery with a visitor center where he can welcome people and introduce them to his wines and ciders. It is, for him, the ultimate way to share what he does with others.

Knows what he’s doing

The advantage of a small winery is that Shoval can pursue what he loves and what suits him each year. Like the vine, it adapts to the conditions of the year: “This year for example, 90% of the wines I will drink are whites. Last year I connected a lot with the reds. It’s hard to say which grape or style I particularly connect with.”

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On the shelves, there is a dry white wine made from Gewürztraminer with a touch of Riesling, red wines made from grape varieties including Carignan and Malbec, and a rosé which contains a blend of most of the grape varieties used by Shoval. Each wine has a particular name or concept, but the unique labels, with fascinating graphics, cannot be overlooked.

The labels are designed by Shavit Lavi-Erlich, Shoval’s sister, creating something modern alongside traditional wine concepts. The surname Lavi appears in letters and tendrils on the label, alongside a technical map that resembles a sketch, detailing aspects of the wine such as its color and technical characteristics: pH, alcohol percentage, use in barrels, aging, etc.

The resulting design changes from wine to wine and from year to year, creating a stunning and intriguing effect. Interpretations of each label are available on the winery’s Facebook page. If it was a bottle that I didn’t recognize in a wine store aisle, I would certainly look for it out of curiosity. Shavit also designed the labels for the cider.

According to Shoval, wine should express its inherent qualities rather than the attributes of the winemaker. Thus, he prefers to minimize interventions on the grapes during the winemaking process. For example, he rarely adds acid to wine, thereby solving problems that arise during blending.

He only uses barrels for one wine, but as I mentioned, his taste evolves a lot, and his methods will certainly change over the years. Still, it’s clear that there’s someone here who knows what they’re doing.

The Laviim winery (credit: courtesy of the winery)

The first Laviim

Dvir: A red wine named after his late father, the first he made from Carignan grapes. His father never had the chance to taste this wine, but Shoval thinks he would have loved it.

Midbari: A red wine made from Marselan and Cabernet Franc grape varieties from the northern Negev region.

Wine in color: A wine that Shoval’s son “invented”. When Shoval asked his son what type of wine he wanted him to make, he replied, “Orange.” Shoval blended Gewürztraminer and a little Riesling to create a dry, aromatic white wine that fools the palate since, by all accounts, it is “dry,” but the mouthfeel is that of an off-dry wine. It’s not an orange wine per se, but to deepen the color, the Gewürztraminer grapes were macerated on their skins for eight hours.

The Dreamer: A rosé with a magnificent salmon color inspired by winemaker Sasson Ben-Aharon. This wine includes most of the grape varieties that Shoval uses to make its wines, with the blend changing from year to year.

Or: An exciting wine, the only one produced last year and the only one aged in old wooden barrels. Made from Malbec grapes harvested in August 2023, this wine is named after Shoval’s friend Or Akuni, who was tragically murdered along with her parents on October 7 at Kibbutz Netiv Ha’asara. Or worked with Shoval in teaching and traveled to see his parents for the holidays. The result is already known. The wine was symbolically bottled on October 7 of this year. Of this wine, 550 bottles were produced, and “despite the painful history, the wine creates pleasant memories.”

Ciders: All are named after family members. Reut’s Ferment is named after Shoval’s wife, flavored with rosebuds, cinnamon and sage; Shavit’s Ferment is named after its sister, made with hops used in beer; Carmel’s Ferment is made from apple and pomegranate; and Negev’s Ferment, named after his daughter, contains hawaij.

Wines and ciders can be ordered via the Laviim Winery Facebook page or at various fairs.

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