In the chaos they left behind, 1,000 bottles of their 2022 Nir Oz Red – a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, and syrah – sat untouched in an underground bomb shelter.
By Shula Rosen
Just weeks before the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, Gideon Pauker had proudly marked the 17th harvest of his homegrown wines at Kibbutz Nir Oz. A founding member of the small community near the Gaza border, Pauker produced his wines with fellow kibbutzniks and lifelong friends Gadi Mozes, Chaim Peri, and Yoram Metzger.
That October morning, 79-year-old Pauker was killed in his saferoom. Mozes, Peri, and Metzger were kidnapped to Gaza.
In the chaos they left behind, 1,000 bottles of their 2022 Nir Oz Red — a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and syrah — sat untouched in an underground bomb shelter.
Today, Pauker’s grandson, 25-year-old Gal Pauker, is reviving that legacy.
With the help of prominent Israeli boutique winemakers, he has transformed his grandfather’s passion into a full-fledged commercial winery. “We thought we were just saving his wine,” Gal told The Times of Israel. “But it turned out the wine is helping save us. It’s keeping us going.”
The original winery never sold its wines; bottles were shared among family and friends.
But in 2024, Gal and his father, Raz Pauker, scaled up. They produced 3,500 bottles, added a white and a rosé, and built a new barrel room in a trailer. Each label now bears an etching of Gideon walking through his vineyard.
On a warm June day, Gal, his girlfriend, and his father welcomed visitors under the shade of the modest winery’s new tasting area, offering cheese platters and espresso beside replanted vines — in the very fields terrorists had stormed.
Gal recalled receiving his grandfather’s final message from Australia: three emojis — a wine glass, a rose, and a heart.
Hours later, Gideon bled to death beside his wife, his hands wounded as he tried to keep the terrorists out.
After the attack, Israeli winemakers offered to help. “When we entered the shelter, I could still smell his wine,” Gal said. With guidance via WhatsApp, he learned to care for the 2023 barrels.
Together with his father, Raz — who never drank wine — Gal planted new vines both in Nir Oz and in nearby Ein Habesor.
“He always said I wasn’t part of the family because I didn’t drink wine,” Raz said, smiling. “Now I’m helping preserve his life’s work.”
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