In the ongoing competition between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Jerusalem may not have the beach but it does have lovely cool air in the evenings. Next week, take advantage of this cool air to attend one of the summer’s best events: The Wine Festival at the Israel Museum, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
The Festival is not only for wine snobs (like me). More than 25 wineries will operate stands including both large Israeli wineries like Tepperberg, Binyamin and Carmel, and smaller boutique wineries like Tanya, Yaffo, and Matar (one of my personal favorites from Ein Zivan in the Golan). It’s a great way to taste a lot of different wines without buying whole bottles and figure out what kind of wine you like.
Drinking wine at the Israel Museum
The outdoor setting of the Israel Museum is lovely and offers plenty of space for the crowds who come. Pro-tip: Try to arrive even before the festival opens in the evening as it gets more crowded as it gets later in the evening. Take public transportation or a taxi. Each guest gets a glass (which you can also keep) which you use at each of the different stands. There is also live music each night and various food stands as well.
So grab a few friends and make a night of it. It’s a great way to enjoy a Jerusalem summer evening, and if you don’t know much about wine, it’s a great way to start. If you do know about wine, you’ve probably already bought your ticket.
The festival will be held on August 5, 6, and 7 from 19:00 to 23:00
Entry only from age 18
Tickets cost 130 shekels per person and can be bought at https://bit.ly/Wine-Festival-JLM-2025