by Sybil Kaplan
Photographs by Barry A. Kaplan
Tishbi Winery Restaurant
Derech Haaliya
Binyamina
For the restaurant:
Phone -04 638 0434
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m..
For the winery:
Phone 04 628 8195
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 8:a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday, 8:a.m. to 2 p.m.
Recently, our good friends suggested we take a drive to Zichron Yaacov and visit the Tshbi Winery Restaurant for lunch. We were excited, although the 2 1/2 hour drive each way can be tiring.
As background--Michael and Malka Chamiletzki came to Zichron in 1882 from Lithuania. Michael had been commissioned by Baron Edmund de Rothschild to plant vineyards. They settled in Shefeya. When Chaim Nachman Bialik was hosted by them in 1925, he suggested the family change their name to Tishbi, "resident of Shefaya in Israel."
The family has harvested grapes for four generations, but it was not until 1985 that Jonathan Tishbi founded the winery, near Zichron Yaacov.
Today, Jonathan and his son, Golan, a winemaker, oversee the grape-growing process and vineyard management, as well as the harvest and wine bottling.
Near the winery is the restaurant with outdoor and indoor dining. Outdoor has wooden tables and benches with a grapevine covered roof.
Indoors, where we sat, is a long family wooden table with wooden chairs. Opposite the table, along one wall is a unit of 21 places with wine types. These seem to be lower priced wines. Above is a shelf with 5 rows of wine glasses ( NIS 50 each). At the end of the shelf is a cabinet with more wines.
There is also a cabinet with unusual preserves such as apricot Riesling, apple, orange, fig or onion cabernet. Also there is olive oil to buy.
Opposite the family table is a bar and glassed desserts.
In the second room is a bar for sitting and ice creams--chocolate blends, pecan, banana-nuts-chocolate, raspberry, grapefruit, white chocolate, vanilla and rose water lychi.
Back to the restaurant menu--there are 7 first courses (NIS18-68) like feta with tomato and basil and beer pastry and camembert. There are 6 main dishes, mostly fish (NIS 80-152); 3 pastas (NIS 49-60); 7 open face stone baked pizzas (NIS 48-62; 5 salads (NIS 58-68) and cold and hot beverages plus desserts.
I thought the covering for the napkins and silverware was particularly unique--a paper holder with all of the products available listed.
When you've had your fill of lunch (the portions are very large), the next building is the Tishbi Winery Visitor Center, Wine Chocolate Shop.
There are 28 high stools for sitting around the tasting bar. On the room's walls, 2 cabinets have wines and one has preserves and other things. Another cabinet has baking chocolate bars with cocoa, NIS 58; rubs, NIS25; 7 kinds of preserves, NIS 25; olive oil, NIS43 and 29.
Vahlrona chocolates are in a display case along with gift boxes of chocolates and glaces. The lower part of one wall has 21 kinds of individual chocolates, available by the bag.
On the opposite part of this large room are the distilling tanks and a large display of pottery such as trays, dishes, cups, mugs, bowls and more.
Although we were out for a day of fun, I couldn't resist writing about the restaurant and winery to share.
