With over 38 wineries in Jerusalem hills here are options for 4 places that offer great wine near the Old City
Rooftop, Mamilla
The Rooftop restaurant is located on the 8th floor of the Mamilla Hotel. Sitting in the open air in summer and in winter, large windows protect you from the weather. However, you can still enjoy the magnificent scenery of the old city's walls, the Tower of David, churches and monasteries, the French Hospital, and the Notre Dame hotel. I have chosen to arrive in the early evening to enhance my experience.
The restaurant presents two wine menus with an extensive choice of Israeli wines carefully picked by the hotel's sommelier. The main menu consists of 130 Israeli wines from various wineries in Israel, starting in the Golan Heights and the Galilee, through Samaria, Binyamin, and Judean Hills to the Negev. Wines on the menu are divided by wine regions of the vineyards and not by wineries' names. The small wine menu offers a smaller selection and wine-by-the-glass if you wish to explore several wines.
The wines on this menu are replaced once every few weeks. If you are still contemplating on which wine is suitable for the dish you ordered, Elisha, the hotel's sommelier, will happily advise you or select the wine for your satisfaction. Click here for more info and reservations at the Rooftop
The Winery Bar, Mamilla
The WINERY wine bar in Mamilla hotel operates daily from the afternoon to the early evening. You can enjoy the hotel's unique atmosphere while relaxing over a glass of a prestigious Israeli wine offered on the wine menu. The bar offers tutored wine tastings for individuals or groups of ten participants and more. You can choose from three tasting choices - three, four, or five wines. All tastings are led by a professional sommelier. Enjoy!
Contact the front desk of Mamilla Hotel for booking wine tasting
Cheese and Wine Restaurant at the Notre dam
Cheese and Wine Restaurant is located in the Notre Dame Hotel, in front of the new gate at the entrance to the Christian Quarter in the Old City. The restaurant menu offers nearly 50 imported wines and local wines. It is recommended to visit the place in December, to absorb a little of the holiday spirit and atmosphere. The scenery surrounding the place is spectacular. Sparkle lights twinkle in every direction you look. Order a glass of red wine with some aged imported cheese platter, enjoy the view and capture the moment. An absolute delight.
Info and reservations to the Cheese & Wine restaurant
Jerusalem Wineries Visitor Center at the Montefiore Windmill
The visitor center is located inside the Montefiore Windmill in the historic Mishkenot Sha'ananim neighborhood, the first Jewish neighborhood outside the old city walls. Inside the windmill are a small, intimate visitor center and a wine shop where you can enjoy wine tastings or buy wines. The open terrace under the open sky has a spectacular panoramic view of the old city's walls and Ben Hinnom valley. You can enjoy tastings of three or six wines, professional wine workshops, or just sit in front of the magical scenery, sip chilled wine with a fine boutique cheese platter and relax at the end of the day.
Click here for reservations, wine workshops and more at the Jerusalem Wineries visitor center.
