Lebanon is among the oldest sites of wine production in the world. The Israelite prophet Hosea (780–725 BC) is said to have urged his followers to return to Yahweh so that "they will blossom as the vine, [and] their fragrance will be like the wine of Lebanon". The Phoenicians of its coastal strip were instrumental in spreading wine and viticulture throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times. Despite the many conflicts of the region, the country has an annual production of about 600,000 cases of wine. Recently the sector has been witnessing an unprecedented growth. The number of wineries went from 5 in 1998 to over 30 nowadays.
History
Vitis vinifera evidence from ancient Rome shows wine was cultivated and then domesticated in Lebanon, at least two thousand years before Alexander the Great. While some people believe it arrived from the South Caucasus via Mesopotamia or the Black Sea trade routes there is no record to support such a claim. Vines grew readily in the land of Canaan, the coastal strip of today's Lebanon, and the wines of Byblos (Gubla, Gebal, Jubail, Jbeil) were exported to Egypt during the Old Kingdom (2686 BC–2134 BC). The wines of Tyre and Sidon were famous throughout the ancient Mediterranean, although not all the cargoes reached their destination; Robert Ballard of Titanic fame found the wrecks of two Phoenician ships from 750 BC, whose cargo of wine was still intact. As the first great traders of wine ('Cherem'), the Phoenicians seem to have protected it from oxidation with a layer of olive oil, followed by a seal of pinewood and resin - this may well be the origin of the Greek taste for retsina. The philosophers Zeno of Citium and Chrysippus of Soli are both said to have enjoyed their wine, in fact the latter died from overindulgence.
Those who drink wine will find a lot to like ... The 250-bottle wine list includes Spanish, French and Italian varietals, along with a small selection of Hungarian, Greek, Portuguese and Lebanese wines.
So, they've always managed to find a way to continue, but it's not without its challenges,” May Matta-Aliah, a Lebanese-born wine educator, based in New York and who runs her business In The Grape, explained to The NewArab.
Young winemaker Tommy Grimshaw takes cues from grower champagne for his English sparkling wines ... £9.25 The WineSociety, 12% ... £24 The Great Wine Co, 13%. Opulent and aromatic Lebanese white ... £17 The Wine Society, 13% ... £15 Wright’s Wines, 0%.
The two talents have crafted a coursed menu highlighting the influence of food and family on both Cajun and Lebanese cultures, including a welcome cocktail, wine pairings and courses including mezze, ...
There’s also a 60-seat, full-liquor bar and a much-expanded menu of Lebanese wines, desserts, meze and kabob entrees, plus live belly dancing on Fridays and brunch that should launch in December.
Bashir Boumjahed’s Lebanese recipes go back generations, but the food he’s serving at his new Charleston pop-up, Hummus, is well suited for present day dining ...Beers and wine are sourced from Lebanese producers.
Wine lovers will appreciate the uniquely curated list of small-produced Mediterranean and island bottles ...Pair a bottle of Lebanese red wine with the Australian Wagyu sirloin shawarma or olive-crusted rack of lamb.
A participant in Dine Out Delray Restaurant Month, AmarMediterranean Bistro is a sit-down Lebanese restaurant ... Add a red or white Lebanese wine for a $12 upcharge. The WineRoomKitchen & Bar ... Add three wine pairings for a $20 upcharge.
Medawar shared with Xinhua that "overall, the sales outlook is promising, with Lebanese wines notably popular among Chinese consumers." ... Initially, Lebanese Signature focused on raising awareness of ...
Medawar shared with Xinhua that "overall, the sales outlook is promising, with Lebanese wines notably popular among Chinese consumers." ... Initially, Lebanese Signature focused on raising awareness of ...
This past December it was the wine world that was amazed when Daniel and his brother Georges sold their eponymous winery, DAOU Vineyards, to the Australian wine concern TreasuryWine Estates (TWE) for a reported $1 billion ... I wanted to make wine.
(The restaurant expects to open by mid-September.) Its $75 three-course, prix-fixe menu begins with a welcome glass of sparkling wine and a Wagyu samosa with chimichurri bearnaise ... Add a red or white Lebanese wine for a $12 upcharge.
Over 40 food vendors offer a wide variety of excellent foods ranging from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds including Italian, Polish, Greek, Vietnamese, and Lebanese. Tastings of wine and spirits will be available at local winery and distillery booths.
He also commended the efforts of the Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and its employees in recent years for promoting and marketing Lebanese wine in both domestic and international markets.
Sun Sentinel
31 Oct 2024
Sun Sentinel
31 Oct 2024