Since biblical times, Israel has been engaged in the manufacture of wine. It is currently the only country in the Middle East to do so commercially and professionally.
Before the modern era—and we are talking about two thousand years ago—wine production in Israel was primarily for religious rites, with quantity being more essential than quality. Because of several military occupations, the industry never entirely took off until the end of the nineteenth century, experiencing ups and downs (and even disappearance) along the way.