Indigenous Grapes of the Levant: Dabouki, Hamdani, Jandali & Baladi

Dabouki, Hamdani, Jandali, and Baladi have been cultivated in the Levant for thousands of years. References to Jindali and Hamdani appear in Talmudic literature dated to around 220 AD, and the 16th-century scholar Rabbi Menachem de Lonzano mentioned them in his writings. These varieties survived the Ottoman Empire not as wine grapes but as food crops, valued for their sweetness as fresh table grapes, raisins, grape molasses known as dibs, and as the base for arak distillation. Palestinian Christians and Jewish communities continued making home wine from them throughout the Ottoman period.

• Possible reference to 'Jindali' and 'Hamdani' in Talmudic literature, circa 220 AD
• Survived the Ottoman period primarily as table grapes and arak bases, not wine grapes
• 19th-century Jerusalem wineries including Shor and Teperberg sourced these varieties from Arab vineyards
• Dabouki was widely cultivated in Hebron and the southern coastal plain before a sharp decline from the 1960s onward

By the mid-20th century, these varieties had nearly vanished from commercial viticulture. Competition from seedless grape varieties from the 1960s, followed by devastating phylloxera outbreaks in the 1980s that cut Levantine wine production in half, pushed indigenous grapes to the margins. The revival began in earnest in 2008 when Cremisan Wine Estate, a monastic winery in Beit Jalla founded in 1885, released the first commercial Palestinian wines made from indigenous grapes. Israeli academic research accelerated from the 2010s onward, with Ariel University identifying over 120 unique Levantine varieties. Ongoing replanting research continues at Hebron University.

• Phylloxera in the 1980s reduced Levantine wine production by half and triggered a replanting shift toward international varieties
• Cremisan Wine Estate's 2008 release marked the first commercial indigenous Palestinian varietal wines
• Recanati Winery became the first Israeli winery to release a varietal Marawi wine in 2014
• Dr. Elyashiv Drori's research at Ariel University identified 120+ unique varieties; Fadi Batarseh's genetic analysis identified 21 distinct Palestinian cultivars

The heartland of these grapes sits in the Bethlehem and Hebron regions of the West Bank, with vineyards positioned at 800 to 900 meters elevation on terra rossa and limestone soils over rocky terrain. This altitude provides cooler temperatures and extended hang times that allow better ripening in what is otherwise a warm Mediterranean climate. Scattered plantings also exist across the Judean Hills, Judean Foothills, Mount Carmel area, Jezreel Valley, Lower Galilee, and the Zichron region. Crucially, these are dryland-farmed vineyards cultivated without irrigation, shaped by centuries of adaptation to drought and mildew stress. The traditional training system is the Hebron Overhead Arbor pergola.

• Vineyards sit at 800-900 meters elevation on terra rossa and limestone soils
• Dryland farming without irrigation; varieties have developed strong drought and mildew resistance
• The traditional training method is the Hebron Overhead Arbor pergola system
• Palestinians grow the bulk of indigenous grapes; Israeli wineries frequently source fruit from Palestinian farmers

Dabouki is a white variety producing dry whites with citrus, melon, peach, apricot, honey, and floral or herbal notes; it is also the preferred base for arak distillation and has been used as such for over 500 years. Hamdani and Marawi, genetically very similar but distinct varieties, yield whites with citrus aromas of lime and grapefruit, peach and apricot notes, a mineral and slightly saline character, and a medium body with a lengthier finish. Jandali produces more aromatic, tropical and floral whites with moderate acidity. The classic Hamdani-Jandali blend draws comparisons to Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay, offering apple, citrus zest, custard, and floral notes. Baladi is the sole red variety among the group, delivering light to medium-bodied wines with cranberry, raspberry, sour cherry, pomegranate, herbs, and black pepper, with tart acidity reminiscent of Sangiovese. These grapes also appear as Pet-Nat sparkling wines and orange or amber wines.

• Jandali has softer berries and produces lighter wines; Hamdani has harder skin and higher sugar levels, producing stronger wines
• Hamdani-Jandali blends draw stylistic comparisons to Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay
• Baladi is compared stylistically to Sangiovese: light to medium body, tart acidity, red fruit and herb character
• All four varieties also appear in Pet-Nat, orange wine, and arak production formats

Cremisan Wine Estate in Beit Jalla remains the pioneer and most prominent Palestinian producer working with these varieties. Other Palestinian producers include Kassis Winery in Birzeit, Taybeh Winery, and Philokalia Winery. On the Israeli side, Recanati, Feldstein, Gvaot, Barkan, Segal, Jezreel Valley, Teperberg, and Vortman wineries have all released wines from indigenous Levantine grapes. Production volumes remain limited relative to international varieties, positioning these wines firmly as a niche category. A broader cultural and political debate continues between Israeli and Palestinian producers regarding the historical and genetic ownership of these varieties, with both communities claiming deep connections to the same ancient vines.

• Cremisan's 2011 Star of Bethlehem Hamdani-Jandali scored 16.5 from Jancis Robinson at the 2013 London tasting
• Multiple indigenous Levantine wines have scored 90+ points in international publications
• Palestinians grow the majority of indigenous fruit; Israeli wineries frequently source from Palestinian farmers
• Production is small-scale and niche relative to the international variety-dominated regional market