Visiting Flam Winery

If I had to describe Flam Winery in one word, it would be elegance. In a few words: elegance, balance, and precision. Recently, the winery quietly celebrated its quarter-century anniversary with modesty and uncompromising professionalism. We visited the winery, spoke with the founders, and tasted exquisite wines.

Flam Winery is located in the heart of the Forest of the Martyrs in the Judean Hills, overlooking the Jerusalem mountains and surrounded by lush vineyards. In 1995, Golan Flam went to study winemaking in Italy. Two years later, he met his brother Gilad in Tuscany, where they decided to pursue their dream of establishing a winery, a dream they wove with their mother, Camellia. The winery was founded in 1998, but this was no sudden venture; the Flam family has a deep-rooted connection to wine. Their father, Israel Flam, was one of the pioneers of the modern wine industry in Israel and served for many years as the chief winemaker at Carmel Winery.

Their goal was to produce high-quality Israeli wines that reflect the local terroir. Believing in the terroir of the Judean Hills, the winery has vineyards in Eshtaol, Givat Yeshayahu, and Even Sapir.

Flam's wines have a distinct style—elegant, balanced, clean, restrained, and precise, with respect for the fruit and the characteristics of the different grape varieties. Golan, the winemaker, believes that wine is grown in the vineyard and, with this philosophy, meticulously manages and tends to the vineyards with his agricultural team, with minimal intervention in the process.

Visitors to the winery can enjoy a quality hospitality experience by appointment, including guided wine and cheese tastings. It’s also possible to get a picnic basket from the winery and enjoy it amidst the enchanting nature of the Forest of the Martyrs.

How are you affected by the difficult times we’re all experiencing?"Fortunately, compared to the winemakers in the north, we’re in paradise here," answers Gilad Flam. "We should be happy, but it’s clear that we all feel the tough times, like everyone else."

25 years is quite a long time"We started around the age of 26 and have completed a full journey in the wine world since 1998," says Gilad. "This journey included establishing a winery in a garage, buying grapes from the north because there was no other choice, moving to the area because we wanted to 'create' regional wines, and it was really tough to plant grapes in the area and buy land due to local bureaucracy.

"We did everything, and we deserve a badge of honor after this complete journey. And yet, we haven't finished the journey, and many things are still happening, even though we already feel old compared to the young guys making wine today.

"If you had asked me 26 years ago if a lot of young people would come to drink wine at the trendiest place in Tel Aviv, Teder, in 33-degree heat, I wouldn’t have believed it. Wine was elitist back then; most people didn’t know what they were talking about.

"There wasn’t the education and the young sommeliers who do an excellent job today. Seeing the crowd that came to Teder, with the current dialogue and level of knowledge, was truly moving. The industry has changed, and many things have improved. From our perspective, we can see the interesting agendas and the industry’s ability to embrace so many styles of wine, not just traditional ones."

How did the COVID-19 period affect you?"COVID-19 helped a lot; it brought many visitors to the wineries. Before COVID, older visitors came, the hardcore wine enthusiasts, who would schedule visits in advance and come in groups.

"Since COVID, we have many young visitors who come to visit, sit and enjoy the view of the vineyards, learn about wine, taste cheese, and also go down to the vineyards for explanations. It's no longer like visiting a café; it’s visiting a place that’s purely about wine.

"We love hosting and sharing our story, and the young people appreciate it. Our event center is very well-kept, and it’s very important to us that the place and the culture of hospitality are professional.

"We have a broad vision for the winery; we want Flam to remain very unique. We don’t want to chase quantity and lose quality in the competition. We produce between 160,000 and 180,000 bottles a year and don’t want to grow more to maintain quality."

"The decision we made after the complete journey was to take the growth into our own hands. We have the vineyard in Mata and the vineyard in Even Sapir. In Givat Yeshayahu, we bought a property, and we’re about to expand there. We realized that you can't do both; you have to decide whether to expand or focus on what you have. And not forget that we also have an import company.

"This was a fundamental decision because, in essence, we could sell more wine, but we decided to stop here and focus on what we have, with a long-term view. We don’t want to go crazy because we’re no longer young and want to enjoy the journey. Not doing everything and juggling it all."

Do you have successors in the family?"The kids, who are at the age of starting their military service, love the winery and the work. We won't push them into it; we'll let them choose, but it looks like it will happen," says Golan. "I also heard my father say that he works at the place he loves most in the world," adds Gilad. "And we’ve achieved that." And even now, their father comes to the winery several times a week because he enjoys it.

"We’re on the eve of a historic harvest, the 2024 harvest," says Golan Flam. "We started the process with long-term contracts in the Galilee, but we realized there’s an amazing region here, and in 2010 the situation changed, and the Judean Hills began to become very dominant.

"We decided to grow grapes in the area. After long processes, we planted a vineyard in Even Sapir, bought land in Givat Yeshayahu, and started planting there too. We’re investing a lot of effort in the region. Essentially, we’re entering a crazy period like a rebirth.

"We’ve finished 25 years, and we’re in a period of renewed growth, trial and error, processes, and experiments. For the next 25 years, we’ve bet on the Judean Hills and Givat Yeshayahu with new and different experiences. The upcoming harvest is supposed to be fascinating. We’ve been working on the new plantings, contracts, and bureaucracy for ten years, and the next harvest will finally yield interesting first results."

Flam, Blanc 2023

"Two Sauvignon Blanc plots planted in Givat Yeshayahu near Adullam Park, planted in 2021, with the first yield this year. Also, Sauvignon Blanc from a slope at Ela Junction, a plot we’ve been working with since 2011. And 7% Chardonnay to soften and round it out," says Golan.

It is fresh and mineral with citrus and floral aromas, sharp and precise, clean and dry. A magical wine. Price: NIS 115.

Flam, Camellia 2023

"This year, the grapes come from Givat Yeshayahu, no longer from Mata. Chardonnay from a plot in Givat Yeshayahu, its first harvest. I hope this plot will accompany us for the next fifty years," says Golan. "The 2023 harvest was very rich with a lot of volume. There’s also 26% Sauvignon Blanc to refresh the wine."

A fresh wine with green apple and citrus blossom aromas, dynamic in the mouth, and full of different layers, both on the nose and in the mouth. The finish is long and complex. Price: NIS 165.

You talk about 50 years. Maybe it will be impossible to grow vineyards in the area due to global warming."It could very well happen; we feel the warming every year. I’m afraid it will happen, or they will start growing completely different varieties that can withstand the high heat."

Why are there more blends and fewer varietal wines at the winery lately?"I’m diving into the world of blends," says Golan, "and it’s magic. The division into dozens of barrels and the search for the blends is fascinating." Gilad adds: "Finding the balance after tasting each plot alone, adding plots to one another, knowing what to combine with what is crazy."

"You need to have some connections in your brain to know how to lift a less good plot with another plot that will elevate it. It’s fascinating."

Flam, Classico 2022

"In Classico, year after year, I look less for the bombastic," says Golan. "It started with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and today it includes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec, and whole-cluster Carignan.

"The barrels are mostly 300 liters to neutralize the wood volume a bit and feel more of the fruit." Indeed, the fruit stands out and is abundant in this wine, as is the seasoning, balanced acidity, and restraint in barrel use makes the wine’s texture accessible and very friendly. Price: NIS 119.

"We said if they can release a white album, we can release a white label. It was stressful at first; we didn't know how it would be received. People were looking for what was in the wine. But it was well received and created curiosity."

"It was wonderful because when people bought the wine, we understood that customers trust us after all these years. It was also well received in restaurants; sommeliers like it. And it stands out a lot on the shelf." A soft and refined wine, very present on the palate, elegant and spiced, fresh and gastronomic. Price: NIS 165.

Flam, Noble 2021The wine will be released in a few months. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot. A wine for long distances with many years ahead of it. Very vital, with rich and concentrated aromas, aromatic and spiced, rich and fresh fruit, yet elegant and velvety. An impressive wine. Price: NIS 380.