Harvesting World Class Grapes in Israel

JERUSALEM, Sept. 10, 2008 — -- Eli Gilbert Ben-Zaken, the founder of Domaine du Castel, one of the world's most prominent wineries, had a gut feeling that Monday was the perfect time to harvest his grapes.

"I imagine a lot of the smaller wineries are harvesting with a scientific method and not a gut feeling. But, we are definitely operating under a gut instinct," Ben-Zaken told ABCNews.com. "The decision of the day of the harvest is so important. It's irreversible and it's going to be what you're getting for the next two years."

On that gut feeling, about 45 students, Israeli soldiers and Thai workers woke up at 3 a.m. to handpick the ripe grapes at Ben-Zaken's kosher winery in the Judean Hills in Moshav Ramat Raziel, just west of Jerusalem.

The harvesters, who typically wake up at 6 a.m. and work until the late afternoon or evening, represent a broad swath of cultural backgrounds all coming together to produce the kosher wine.

"Today is special," Thai worker, Phuwanai Sriboran, 46, told ABCNews.com.

Having grown up in Thailand working closely with sugar cane and rice, Sriboran came to Israel three-and-a-half years ago to make more money for his family.

"I didn't only come to live on a Kibbutz and for the landscape and the view," he said. "I want to learn about the culture in Israel."

Sriboran doesn't have to venture far from the vineyard to have a cultural experience. The winery is located on the same hills that produced wine in biblical times.

"The wine that was made here thousands of years ago was made to be drunk at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem," Ben-Zaken said. "I don't know exactly what kind of wine they were making, but to make a wine in the same area that is being spoken of in the Bible we can see such a strong link."

More than just a connection to the past, Ben-Zaken explains that Israel's ability to produce world-class wines also speaks to the state's modern, sophisticated culture.

"It's not just the wine itself that can be appreciated," he said. "It shows that this country is not just about suicide bombers and terror, but that it understands culture. It shows a different side of the country."