Lebanese Fine wine

Lebanon is one of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions, with a viticultural history stretching back over 5,000 years to the Phoenicians. The modern era of Lebanese wine was originally shaped by French influence during the colonial era but, in reality, owes its emergence on the global stage to the astonishing efforts of one producer – the legendary Château Musar.

Lebanon: Bold flavours & spicy blends

Despite – or perhaps because of – the challenges posed by the country’s long-running civil war, from the 1970s, Château Musar became something of a cult icon by defying such conditions to crafting ageworthy, Bordeaux-style wines with a distinct Lebanese character. Musar’s success paved the way for other premium producers to emerge, and in the last couple of decades or so, Lebanon's wine industry has modernised significantly, The Bekaa Valley remains the heart of production, which is dominated by red blends reflecting a Rhône or Bordeaux influence via various amalgamations of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan and Grenache.

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2018 Château Musar Rouge, Serge Hochar, Bekaa Valley

Renowned Lebanese wine regions

The Bekaa Valley sits at the heart of Lebanese wine production, its high-altitude vineyards (900–1,200m above sea level) yielding sunny days and cool nights, and a fine balance of ripe fruit and herbal freshness. Sheltered by the mountains, its limestone-rich soils harness welcome acidity in both red and white grapes, most of which make the arduous – and sometimes dangerous – journey to Beirut, and the wineries of leading names such as Ksara, Massaya and the pioneering Château Musar.

Lebanese wine FAQs

What are the main grape varieties of Lebanon?

Château Musar sets the tone here, via its signature red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan. Such a blend, being a marriage of Bordeaux and Rhône varietals, is unorthodox on the international stage, but not unusual in Lebanon, where Syrah and Grenache are also often incorporated into the mix. While single varietal wines are produced, blends tend to be more popular, often lent a certain Mediterranean flair via rich fruit and spicey and/or earthy complexity. There’s also a growing focus on white wines, largely made from traditional native varieties – notably Obeideh and Merwah – which combine a generous roundness with lively minerality.

Why is Château Musar so important to Lebanese wine?

Musar stands tall among Lebanese producers as a pioneering presence, emblematic of the trials and tribulations that many producers have historically had to overcome – and still contend with – in order to produce wines and get them to market. Though founded in 1930s, it was in the 1970s that Musar came to wider prominence, under the leadership of the charismatic Serge Hochar, the second generation family owner. His indefatigable efforts in navigating the country’s long-running civil war – often in the face of extreme danger when it came to harvesting and transporting grapes in the face of nearby conflict – so as to find new, overseas markets, saw him named as the first entrant in Decanter magazine’s Hall of Fame. By the time he died in 2015, he had set the blueprint for a whole new generation of winemakers to follow in his footsteps.

Lebanese Wine Producers

While today’s Lebanese wine scene plays host to a number of quality producers, for years it was dominated by the pioneering Château Musar, which was founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar. Under his son Serge, a mercurial presence who drove a tireless drive for international recognition, Musar became something of a cult icon through the 1970s and ‘80s, crafting its deep, ageworthy red blend that reflected a Bordeaux feel but with a distinctly Lebanese character that provided a certain exoticism to many consumers, not least in the UK. Musar’s success paved the way for other premium producers to emerge over the last couple of decades, including names such as Château Ksara, Domaine des Tourelles and Massaya (the latter part of the same stable as Southern Rhône stalwart Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe).