Cremisan Cellars

On Wednesday, my group went to Cremisan Cellars. Cremisan is on the border between the West Bank and Jerusalem, with the main building officially in Jerusalem and the storeroom on the other side of the parking lot in the West Bank. The long winding road to the monastery is just past one of the coordinating offices between Israel and the Palestinian Autonomy.

The main monastery building, which dates from the last century, has stone floors, worn shiny with use and scrubbing, and high arched ceilings. The walls are several meters thick, providing defense against winter chill and summer heat. Prominently pictured on walls throughout are Pope John Paul II and Don Bosco, founder of the Silesian order, to which the monastery belongs.

Our grapes are taken from three Religious communities vineyards; one of them is located on the plain by the Mediterranean sea, the second one is on the Palestinian at 300m. above sea level and the third is at 750m. on the Judean mountains , these grapes turn out to become our red, white, sweet, dry, sparkling wine ant natural wine distillates.

The walk there:

The winery:

Enjoying the view

Layne and Anne tasting the wine

Leah and I enjoying the white wine

Always looking at the camera

While Bocce ball is a precision sport, traditionally played on natural soil or asphalt courts, I learned to play Bocce ball with pinecones and a few friends.

A game can be conducted between two players, or two teams of two, three, or four. A match is started by a randomly chosen side being given the opportunity to throw a smaller ball, the jack (called a pallino, or a boccino in some areas), the side that first attempted to place the jack is given the opportunity to bowl first.

Once the first bowl has taken place, the other side has the opportunity to bowl. The teams switch off bowling and the team with the closest bocce ball to the jack wins.