Fine wines from Lebanon
1st Jan 2015 Drinks
Wines from Lebanon have been produced for thousands of years. Here's why they're finally falling back into fashion.
Archaeologists have found grape pips that are evidence of winemaking in Lebanon, dating back to 8000BC.
Despite being so well-established, Lebanese wine has, for millennia, flown beneath the radar. That is until two decades ago, when a new generation of winemakers revived old vineyards and wineries, and started pushing it onto a global stage.
A vineyard in Lebanon
Lots of the country’s vines are located in the Beqaa Valley, 20 miles east of Beirut, where the high altitude, plentiful rainfall and hot sun make a perfect growing climate.
The area is particularly well-known for producing full-bodied red wines, which pair perfectly with strong lamb flavours—particularly a dish which is laced with a harissa spice blend, which runs through a lot of Middle Eastern dishes.
Out of the nine million bottles of wine produced each year, only a small amount make it out of the country and onto supermarket shelves—but it’s a start. A perfect nod to the Levant for the Easter table.
