The Gaza war’s toll on Israel’s economy, and Israeli society, has been felt in any number of ways. Joshua London looks at how it affected the country’s robust viticulture:

“Sales across the industry fell drastically in the first three months [of the war], especially restaurant sales,” noted Adam Montefiore, a well-known Israeli wine writer and columnist.

The impact on specific wineries was stark. The Avivim Winery . . . in the Upper Galilee, for example, was completely destroyed in March 2024 by Vulcan missiles from the Lebanese village and Hizballah stronghold of Maroun al-Ras. . . . Over 300,000 bottles of wine were lost. The estimated rebuilding cost is at least $10 million.

Agriculture fields are considered by Israel to be open areas, so Iron Dome and related technologies generally do not intercept these projectiles. If they do, shrapnel from Iron Dome interceptions can also cause fires in the vineyards.

Domestic wine consumption is holding steady, several insiders told me, with retail sales slightly up though restaurant sales remain fairly static. “Until the hostages are returned,” suggested [one winemaker], “I think many people don’t really want to celebrate, or drink a lot of wine outside of their homes.”

Yesterday, the Iranian foreign minister flew to Geneva to meet with European diplomats. President Trump, meanwhile, indicated that cease-fire negotiations might soon begin with Iran, which would presumably involve Tehran agreeing to make concessions regarding its nuclear program, while Washington pressures Israel to halt its military activities. According to Israeli media, Iran already began putting out feelers to the U.S. earlier this week. Aviram Bellaishe considers the purpose of these overtures:

The regime’s request to return to negotiations stems from the principle of deception and delay that has guided it for decades. Iran wants to extricate itself from a situation of total destruction of its nuclear facilities. It understands that to save the nuclear program, it must stop at a point that would allow it to return to it in the shortest possible time. So long as the negotiation process leads to halting strikes on its military capabilities and preventing the destruction of the nuclear program, and enables the transfer of enriched uranium to a safe location, it can simultaneously create the two tracks in which it specializes—a false facade of negotiations alongside a hidden nuclear race.