In the debate of Old World wine producers versus the New World producers, Lebanon falls in the ancient wine producer category. The Phoenician civilization in Lebanon (1550BC-300 BC) were thought to be among the first traders of wine based on ancient wine amphorae, clay vessels, found in 2700 year old shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea. Fast forward to modern Lebanon, it’s believed that there are more than 75 wineries in the relatively small Lebanon (10,452 km2) and the number is on the rise.
Chateau Musar may be the first producer that comes to mind when you mention Lebanese wine internationally. That is thanks to the great Serge Hochar who put Lebanese wines on the map. It all started when Chateau Musar 1967 was picked in 1979 at the Bristol Wine Fair in UK as the “discovery of the fair” and awarded the top prize. Hochar was later named “Man of the year” for Decanter Magazine. He remained an inspiration and an icon in the wine world all his life.
The Bekaa valley is home to most of the wineries and vineyards in Lebanon. It is the center of the wine industry in Lebanon and it’s only fitting that it is the home to the best preserved Roman temple Heliopolis dedicated to the god of wine Bacchus. It is a long narrow plateau with an altitude of 1000m/3820ft and located between two mountain ranges called the Lebanon Mountain range and the Anti Lebanon Mountain range . It enjoys dry sunny summers with cool nights and consistent rainfalls in the winter.
The two biggest wineries in Lebanon Chateau Ksara and Chateau Kefraya are located in bekaa and they’re responsible for more than 50% of the wine production in Lebanon.
Grape varieties grown in Bekaa include Cinsault Carignan Grenache and recently more international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, Viognier among many others. .
Other hot spots for wineries in Lebanon include mainly Batroun, the home of a growing number of boutique wineries like “Ixsir” and “Atibaia”, Mount Lebanon, Chouf and the South of Lebanon.
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