Lavie Liqueurs

Lavie Liqueurs was established in 2011 in Judea. Owned by partners Amotz Teperberg and Asher Bentolila, Lavie Winery makes premium liqueurs inspired by the bountiful harvest of Israel.

Lavie

Lavie Liqueurs

Lavie Liqueurs was established in 2011 in Judea. Owned by partners Amotz Teperberg and Asher Bentolila, Lavie Winery makes premium liqueurs inspired by the bountiful harvest of Israel.

Asher Bentolila's Remarkable Journey of Aliyah and Wine-Making

When Jewish people make aliyah (return to the land of Israel), the country seems to have a way of weaving their past experiences and knowledge into something new and ideally suited to them. This was true for Asher Bentolila.

Born in France as a youngster, Asher was part of Bnei Akiva (a religious Zionist youth movement.) He made aliyah in 1982 with Bnei Akiva. His first port of call in Israel was at Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu, where he worked in agriculture and learned Hebrew.

Not one to sit on the sidelines, Asher volunteered to be a soldier in the Israel Defence Forces. He served as a lone soldier in the respected Nahal combat unit. Following his army service, Asher returned to France as a volunteer with Bnei Akiva in Bordeaux. In an auspicious wink to his future, Asher worked at some famous wineries making kosher wine for the local Jewish community.

From Baker to Winemaker

When Asher returned to Israel, he studied Food Science, and in 1988, when he completed his studies, he had the good fortune to marry his wife Veronique. They have been blessed with three children and, as of this count, four grandchildren!

Asher settled into family life and began work with an established and well-known Jerusalem bakery, Berman’s Bakery. While employed at Berman’s Bakery, Asher took a wine-making course to build on his knowledge learned in Bordeaux. He embraced wine-making as a favored hobby in his spare time. Soon, his home became his winery!

A winery in North Israel approached him and requested that he make a high-quality chocolate liqueur for them, which was a challenge he gladly accepted. In true pioneer style, he succeeded, and the seeds of his future business were sewn. And, of course, his first batch was made in his home!

Asher found that his experience in the food industry and his knowledge of winemaking allowed him to develop the chocolate liqueur. He continued playing with the recipe; some were failures, and others were good until he finished his final recipe for his famous chocolate liqueur. The liqueur even went on to win an international prize!

Asher took a leap of faith and decided to turn his small home-based winery into a full-fledged business. As a resident of the Judean community of Efrat, he knew he wanted to create his company in Judea. Asher sought to reflect on his life through his work. The name Lavie means “la vie’, to life in French, and in Hebrew, it means “lion,” the symbol of the tribe of Judah, creating a perfect synergy between where he began his journey and where he has established his home, on the land of his forefathers.

As a religiously observant Jewish man, there was no question for Asher that he would create kosher liqueurs that everyone could enjoy. His boutique factory boasts two separate production areas that allow him to create dairy and parve liqueurs. According to Jewish dietary laws, parve liqueurs may be enjoyed with a meat meal, whereas dairy-based liqueurs may not.

Through trial and error, Asher has mastered recipes that have universal appeal. He makes the most delicious caramel, chocolate, and white chocolate dairy liqueurs that are Lev Haolam family favorites! They pair beautifully with coffee and ice cream desserts!

His parve liqueurs are based on local Israeli ingredients. He has a wonderful range of fruit-based liqueurs. His cherry, blackberry, and orange liqueurs are delicious and popular for Shabbat and celebratory meals in Israeli households.

Lavie Winery location

After fifteen years in business, Asher has never waivered from his commitment to using only the highest quality ingredients and components, including sourcing a signature dark glass bottle for his liqueurs. His commitment to quality is reflected in ingredients and machinery and in the process of producing each liqueur. He makes everything without compromise in a precise way, as a tiny error could ruin an entire batch!

While Asher has welcomed a partner, Amotz Teperberg, Lavie is still a family business. His wife and son work with him, and it’s no secret that their warmth and love find their way into their drinks! It is their secret ingredient!

Asher has participated in several Lev Haolam surprise boxes, and he says that the collaboration has had a significantly positive impact on his business, “Thanks to Lev Haolam, our products make it to many more countries and places, and amazing people who support Israel all over the world. For that, we are very, very thankful.”

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