Surprise alley: Berry's wine and Anat's liqueurs

Anat and Berry Ben Ezra, owners of the Hasimta Winery, celebrated 48 years of marriage when Koby met them. The couple looked like their years together only helped them soar higher than they’d imagined. Their daughter Kedem and a sleepy Basset Hound (as slow as a delayed fermentation, but utterly charming) were with them, adding warmth to the meeting.

Berry is the winemaker at Hasimta, a small winery tucked in an alley in Ramat Hasharon, producing around 1,000 bottles annually. His wine is hard to come by unless you're connected with the Israeli Air Force, have an insider contact, or visit a fair like the one at Sorek Winery. But trust me, it’s worth the search.

Anat is the creative force behind "Anat's Jams," a small but internationally recognized company producing liqueurs and preserves. The two met while serving in Unit 757 of the Israeli Air Force, and their bond has blossomed into a shared love of winemaking and jam production.

Twice a year, veterans of Unit 757 gather at the Ben Ezras’ home. The winery opens its doors, and wine flows freely. The unit even has its own special blend called "757," and since this year, a Magnum bottle bearing the “Iron Swords” emblem stands proudly in the unit’s club.

Berry and Anat pursued different paths over the years, but today, they work together in the jam business. Berry was born in South Africa, moved to Israel at 15, completed high school, a pilot course, and military service before studying mathematics and computer science. A career in tech followed until he gradually reduced his work commitments last year to focus on Anat’s enterprise. Though farming is no mystery to him—his father, a farmer both in South Africa and Israel, unfortunately passed away young, just as he was establishing Israel’s first mushroom-growing farm.

"Maximizing the Flavor and Aroma of the Ingredients"

Anat, an Air Force veteran as well, initially started a catering company, where she and her partner crafted jams as unique gifts. It was only a matter of time before liqueurs joined the offerings, and when Berry took up winemaking, the combination was a natural fit.

Years ago, working as an assistant to Rachel, a chef at "De La Paix" and "Il Pazzo" restaurants, I saw how every fruit was transformed into jam or filling, often wrapped in a pastry roll. I’d joke that Rachel could turn aluminum foil into jam. With Anat, the story is different: she uses only the finest fruits for her liqueurs and jams, which easily outshine others in their authentic flavors. After winning the approval of "Lechem Erez," she formalized her business, setting up a factory under the brand “Anat’s Jams.” Today, she supplies jams to additional labels as well.

Anat’s reputation reached as far as a major French-Jewish importer, who orders her fig confit—a special recipe that took a year to perfect. "The trick is to maximize the potential of every ingredient," Anat explains. "Over time, you learn each ingredient requires a unique process to bring out its full taste and aroma."

Enjoying the Process at His Own Pace

Anat and Berry’s passion for wine dates back to their early days as a couple, when travels in Europe brought them to wine tastings (she samples; he drinks). In 2003, for Berry’s 49th birthday, Anat surprised him with a wine course at Sorek Winery. The “wine bug” bit him, and by 2006, he had established a small winery in their yard. While he still considers it a hobby, their daughter Kedem nudges him toward expanding further.

In my experience, tasting his wines on different occasions, it’s clear he takes his “hobby” very seriously. A meticulous winemaker with a tech background, Berry tracks everything in Excel, yet embraces his role as a small-scale producer. He uses glass demijohns and small stainless steel containers, experimenting with red and white grape varieties from vineyards in Karmi Yosef, Kidmat Zvi, and Zichron Yaakov, occasionally tweaking his grape sources. In 2012, he won a medal for Best Homemade Winery at the annual TerraVino competition.

His daughter pushes him to expand production, but Berry enjoys creating at his own pace, ensuring he never tires of the process. His wines carry playful names like Cabernet with a Twist, Shiraz with a Wink, and Petit Sirah with a Smile. The competition is on for the most delightful label.

Hundreds of Liqueurs Each Year

Both in winemaking and liqueur production, Anat and Berry enjoy experimenting with unconventional flavors. For instance, at the last Sorek Winery fair, a basil liqueur wowed the crowd.

Anat produces hundreds of liqueurs annually in diverse flavors: lemon ginger, lemon verbena, mint, spiced Irish espresso, and passion fruit, among others. New customer requests constantly arise, and Anat works to meet them.

Producing liqueurs is no easy task. Each fruit or herb requires a unique process to extract the best flavors and aromas. A perfectionist, Anat grinds many of the spices herself and doesn’t rest until she finds the optimal recipe. Running a small business is challenging, but with Berry now fully on board, there’s no shortage of sweetness to go around.

My recommendation: Sip the wine, follow up with a liqueur, and enjoy the exquisite jams with meat or cheese. Anat will make the best pairings—just bring the blanket and picnic basket!