Yalla! Bring on the Lebanese Wine

Known as the land of prosperity for centuries, Lebanon, holds some of the world's richest wine history - over 7,000 years! The Phoenicians were known for sailing and excellent trade merchants exporting highly coveted items such as cedar, linens, murex and wine. The Ancient Romans and Greeks would toast to Phoenician wine at feasts and celebrations.

Lebanon has varying climates and geographical terroirs. The majority of grape varietals grown today originate from France after their colonization from the 1920s to 1943. Although many of the indigenous vines are seldom grown, there are five primary regions used today to produce wine. The most well known wine region is Bekaa Valley, home to the Baalbek temples including the Temple of Bacchus (dedicated to the Roman God of wine). Bekaa Valley has hot, dry summers with cold, wet winters situated between two mountain ranges which make ideal conditions for grapes to grow.

If you haven't been to Baalbek - it rivals the likes of the Colosseum in sheer magnitude and worth a trip.

There are two Lebanese wineries I'd like to highlight.

The first is Domaines des Tourrelles with a 2019 Vieilles Vigne Cinsault. The winery was established in 1868 and is still family run today. The grapes were grown from 50 year old vines, organically and hand-harvested. Vieilles vignes means "old vines" in French, which is a term generally used for vines that are at least 35-50 years old. This indicates a lower yield and higher concentration of flavor in the grapes themselves which is great for a wine like Cinsault when intended to be a standalone wine.

The Cinsault grape is commonly found in the South of France and is frequently used for blends when grown in larger quantities. Other regions include South Africa and throughout the Middle East due to it's drought resistant nature.

The characteristics of this wine are well-balanced making it a good to pair with versatile flavors. I found this to be a very pleasant wine, its not too light or too tannic. There were strong notes of red fruit.

The second winery is Ixsir with a 2014 Grande Reserve Red x Khaled Mouzanar. This winery is based in Batroun in Northern Lebanon and utilizes vineyards from across Lebanon. They've won awards for their eco-friendly, sustainable farming practices and grow 12 different grape varietals.

Ixsir created a series of wine called Grape Tapes which tells the story of the wine (in French) along with the music of Khaled Mouzanar.

This is a full-bodied red wine with a blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah aged in oak barrels. This was a pleasant wine to drink with medium alcohol, red and black fruit such as black cherries and plums, spice, a bit of cedar and just enough tannins for a nice finish.

Overall, these were both really good wines which could be enjoyed over a charcuterie board with friends and family. I hope to be able to visit both wineries one day!

Please share below some of your favorite Lebanese wines! 🍷

Sahha! (Cheers)