Ella Valley Winery has begun exporting non-kosher wine to the US, and predicts a sales turnover of $10-15 million in this market, winery general manager Danny Valero told “Globes” today.
Valero said the Ella Valley Winery would invest $2m in export promotions. “Until now, we’ve exported 40% of our production to the kosher market on the US East Coast, which has an annual sales turnover of a few million dollars. We took the strategic decision to expand our target audience to the non-kosher market in the US, which constitutes a major export market.”
Founded in 2001, the Ella Valley Winery is owned by an American-Jewish businessman who keeps his identity confidential. The vineyard planted its first vines in 1998 three locations: the Ella Valley, Kibbutz Netiv Halamed Heh, and Moshav Ness Harim. The winery produces over 200,000 bottles a year, half of which are sold domestically, and half exported to Europe, Australia, and especially the US. The winery has 20 employees, which rises to 100 during the harvest.
Valero said, “The winery’s owner is Jew who resides in the US, and asked that his identity be kept confidential. We honor his wishes.”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on September 14, 2005