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Fruit of the vine, work of human hands...
Table wines and Communion wine produced by the Salesians of Don Bosco
Imported into the UK by 5th Gospel Retreats, all the wines are produced and bottled in the Cremisan cellars. The Cremisan winery lies on cool, wooded slopes just outside Bethlehem and the area was terraced in the 19th century by the Community to enable the planting of vines, olive and fruit trees.
For over a hundred years the Salesians have combined traditional Italian methods of wine-making with viticulture suitable to the Holy Land to produce a range of well-made, distinctive table wines at reasonable prices.
Bro. Ermenegildo Lamon is Cremisan's Master of Wine. He arrived at Cremisan from Italy in 1949 and has been responsible for the winery since 1967. With over 40 years' experience, he must be the world's expert in wine production in the Holy Land.
Cremisan wines are organically produced. The vines are cultivated without pesticides and chemicals, they are pruned by hand and the grapes are handpicked.
The annual production of wine is now just under 200,000 litres. Most grapes come from the vineyards at Beit Gemal, 36 kilometres west of Jerusalem; some also come from the vineyards at Cremisan and from local farmers. The workers in the vineyards are Palestinians from the Bethlehem area who often stay with the Salesians for several weeks, particularly in the pruning and harvesting seasons. Together the vineyards and winery support the livelihoods of many Palestinian families.
The production and sale of Cremisan wines support the work of the Salesians in the Holy Land. To see more about the work of the Salesian priests, brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, take a look at the Salesians in Bethlehem page.
5th Gospel Retreats is the sole UK importer of Cremisan wines. They are available by the case or half case, single or mixed.