The brand name "Makoko" is the nickname of Avraham Shalev, a veteran farmer and winemaker from the 1960s, the father of Shay Shalev the winemaker. When Avraham was a teenager, he received 2 cows as a gift and his affinity for being a farmer began immediately with growing fodder (wheat, barley, clover, etc.) to feed them. Avraham's decision in the 1960s to plant vineyards was based on his love of the land, the understanding that Mazkeret Batya is an area abundant in vineyards and wine, and the knowledge that Baron de Rothschild's advisors had planted many vineyards in Mazkeret Batya.