The Beit Shemesh-Yehuda Plains Partnership 2000, through the Committee for Economic Development, encourages the development of leading projects and programs in the area of economic development and job creation. Each year, tens of thousands of tourists from Israel and the Diaspora visit a variety of attractions in the Region, including the famous Wine Route and the festivals that take place all year round. Partnership 2000 plays an important role in the labeling of the Region and in its transformation into a prosperous tourist center.

  
For the seventh year in a row, the Wine Festival took place in the Ein Hemed National Park on September 22-24. Prior to the Festival, each of the wineries in the Region launched their new wines.

Taking part in the main event were some 25 boutique and large wineries. About 2000 visitors attended the event. They got to taste the variety of excellent wines produced in the Region and purchased several hundred bottles of the Region's best wine. The Festival is a central event for the famous Wine Route which was established with the ongoing investment by Partnership 2000 in human capital and infrastructure.

  
Today, the Wine Route numbers over 30 wineries that market quality wine in Israel and provide dozens of jobs in the Region. They also attract thousands of visitors each year. Partnership 2000 continues to work on behalf of the development of the wineries sector.

Recently, 12 vintners visited the Partnership community of Washington where they learned about the local wine industry and examined the options of exporting wine from the Beit Shemesh-Yehuda Plains Region to the US.

 Comments about the Wine Festival