When we talk about the great wine regions of the world, we usually mention France, Italy, Spain, etc. but we would never think about it Lebanon, and yet this is the part of the world where wine has been produced for the longest time.
The country of majestic cedars and snow-capped mountains, Lebanon has been the center of the wine industry since the dawn of civilization. From there the secret for the elaboration of the nectar of the vineyard spread to Babylon and Egypt. Later the Phoenicians would make it reach the confines of the Mediterranean. Canaan wine, transported in amphoras, was highly prized by the wealthiest in Athens, Carthage, and Rome.
Today the wine is still made in numerous vineyards throughout the country, but mainly in the bekaa valley (Ksara, Château Kefraya and Massaya) and in the region of mount lebanon (Château Fakra and Château Musar).
The Ksara natural winery is a cave discovered by the Romans who began the construction of a series of tunnels that today have an ideal temperature (11º to 13º C) for the conservation of wine. Outside, extensive fields of vineyards surround the cave. Ksara's wine, awarded several times, has been described as robust, dry and fruity, with a strong personality.
Located in the heart of Lebanon, in the Bekaa Valley, the vineyard of Chateau Kefraya it extends for 300 hectares to the foot of Mount Lebanon, 20 km. south of the city Speak up. The vineyard is planted on a succession of terraces and hills with very steep slopes on clayey soil. Its wineries are the most modern in the country and its wines have received great praise from specialized international critics.
There are more renowned wineries in Lebanon: massaya, a French-Lebanese company located in Tanail; Chateau Fakra, one of the greenest areas of the country, where the thousand-year-old "Temples of Fakra" are located; Caves Nakad, a small vineyard that started working in the 20s under the French protectorate; Clos St Thomas, a recent vineyard located in Kab Elias with an export-oriented production; Château Mussar where a red wine is produced that could easily be compared with the best French wines. Its cellars are located in Ghazir, near Beirut.
In the Bekaa Valley, the vineyards are located at an altitude of more than 1000 meters, sheltered from the weather by the mountains that run parallel to the Mediterranean coast. The Bekaa Valley is free of pests and frost, with long mild summers, rainy winters, and an average temperature of 25 degrees. An ideal oasis for the oldest vineyards in the world.