Marawi (grape)

Marawi, also known as Hamdani, is a white grape variety indigenous to the Southern Levant. Menahem de Lonsano mentioned it as one of the wine varieties available in Jerusalem in the 17th century.[1]

In the 2010s, researchers at Ariel University undertook field work to locate ancient indigenous grape varieties mentioned in historical sources, including the Marawi grape, which had survived as a table grape.[2] In 2014, two wineries released wines made from this grape: Recanati winery, which produced an initial batch of around 2,480 bottles presented internationally,[3] and Cremisan Cellars, located in the Cremisan valley between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which made wine from Hamdani and Jandali grapes grown in the Hebron and Bethlehem areas.[1] The effort was noted as among the first commercial releases using grapes believed to have ancient roots in the Levant,[3] and wine commentators described the project as a significant step in reconnecting contemporary viticulture in the region with its historical past, as indigenous varieties had largely been supplanted by European grapes in previous centuries.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Jerusalem Post, Wine Talk: Grape expectations, 29 March 2016
  2. ^ Sales, Ben (2015-10-29). "Israeli researchers make wine from Bible-era grapes". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  3. ^ a b Haaretz, Will an Ancient Grape Revolutionize Israel's Wine Industry?, 26 October 2015
  4. ^ "Indigenous Wine and Settler Colonialism in Israel and Palestine - MERIP". Middle East Research and Information Project. 2022-05-11. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
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