“When people come out here, they think it’s Yellowstone,” winemaker AY Katsof tells me last week over a glass of his Settlers Winery Queen Jane, a light, rose-style wine. Katsof has given me my choice of the cowboy hats strewn around his bar, filled with his local wine, guitars, and memorabilia from Mandatory Palestine. He established the winery in 2011 with his family, after moving from Los Angeles and serving in the Israeli army. Watch our full interview on the C14 Israel Debrief on Youtube.
Location: Settlers‘ is in the Jewish community of Esh Kodesh, in the Judea (Binyamin) region of Israel, 70km (43 miles) east of Tel Aviv. It’s about an hour drive from Tel Aviv. Accommodations: The property features four guest cabins with balconies, with sweeping views overlooking the local vineyards and hills. My cabin had a jacuzzi on one side of the balcony and a seating area on the other side.
4+Best time to go: The bar is open on Thursday and Saturday nights – I went on a Thursday night and stayed over until Friday. While the kitchen opens at 9:30pm, the place started to fill up around 11:00pm, with people telling me they were there from Tel Aviv, New York, Petakh Tikva and Raanana, not only from the local area.
4+Locals and visitors filled the stage singing Hebrew and English songs on guitars, drums, and even a handpan. The party went until around 3:00am, but I managed to get a good night’s sleep in the cabin to the sound of the crickets.
4+The cabins are relatively spacious, and can comfortably host a couple. They are set up with a bedroom behind sliding barn doors, and a living room with a kitchenette, a small table for two, and a couple of armchairs. There’s a kettle and instant coffee in the room, but no creamer. The sink has a copper netilat yadayim cup for Jewish ritual handwashing. The cabin also has an empty mini-fridge in the kitchenette, and an open closet with a couple of shelves and hanging space, leading to the bathroom.
4+As part of my visit, I got a ride on the ranger (pictured above), into the vineyards overlooking the Jordan Valley where Katsof grows his grapes. On the way we passed IDF reservists, jumping gazelles, and a beautiful sunset.
4+For more on the Settler Winery and Lodge click here. Sophia Tupolev was a guest of the property.