Samaria Regional Council head Gershon Mesika sent his congratulations to the owners of the Har Bracha winery for two medals won in 2013 DECANTER competition held in Britain.  Shira and Nir Lavie established their own winery in the Samaria region ten years ago, when they realised other wineries in the country were interested in buying the grapes they produced.  This young winery took a silver medal for its 2011 Petit Syrah and a bronze for its 2009 Highlander Cabernet Sauvignon Gold.  With over 14,000 wines from 52 countries in the competition, this is no small honour.

Har Bracha, which produces about 30,000 bottles a year, is now one of seven wineries in the Samaria region.  As farmers realise the perfect mix of altitude, climate, and soil available for grape-growing, wine production has become more popular there.

Two northern area wineries also earned much-coveted Regional Trophies; the Adir winery in the Galilee and the Yarden Golan Heights winery in the Golan Heights.