Lebanese Wine, by Paul Rudge, Reubens Wine Store

Lebanon is said to be the ancient home of the vine and it is quite certain that wine production has played an important role in the indigenous culture for centuries. Lebanon is a paradise for grape growing with its limestone soils, high altitude vineyards and near perfect climatic conditions.

However, as most will be aware, the recent history is that of a beautiful land, torn apart by civil war and destruction due to its borders with Syria and Israel and a uniquely complex communal make-up. Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims, Christians and Druze are the main population groups in a country that has been a refuge for the region’s minorities for centuries.

Although the history of wine making goes back thousands of years to the Phoenicians, modern wine making began in the mid 1800s when French Jesuit monks planted the Cinsault grape variety from Algeria, at what is now Chateau Ksara, in the central Bekaa Valley.

Further French varieties followed, like Grenache and Syrah. The French influence between the World Wars promoted a culture of wine drinking and French is widely spoken fluently throughout Lebanon. In the last 20years, more French varietals have been planted;Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Muscat, Chardonnay, Semillon to name but a few. It is impossible to imagine the constraints and difficulties the Lebanese winemakers have to work under. In 1975 Lebanon descended into a 15-year civil war that raged until 1990, which impacted dramatically on the wine industry. The current Syrian conflict which began in 2011 is still causing border tensions between the two countries with over one million Syrian refugees having fled into Lebanon.

Thankfully for us, the conflicts have, over the years, produced determined, forward thinking, positive winemakers and characters like Gaston Hochar at Chateau Musar, have kept winemaking alive. Chateau Musar has blazed a trail for the Lebanese wine industry and is a fantastic ambassador. Their wines enjoy iconic status around the world and have inspired a new generation of winemakers wanting to emulate and surpass Musar.

One such winemaker is Akram Kassatly of Chateau Ka, who like many of his counterparts has a tragic story to tell. Having graduated in oenology from the university of Dijon, he returned to Lebanon in 1973 and built his winery in the central Bekka valley.

During the civil war the winery was completely destroyed. However, Akram never forgot his dream of making wine and in 2005 he built Chateau Ka. Today, it is one of the best equipped wineries in Lebanon. So if you are looking for something different to drink this weekend, why not give these two wines from Chateau Ka a go?