Most wine history books agree that there is no doubt wine was first made in the Middle East. Noah, Naboth, Christ, St. Paul, the great Roman Temple at Baalbeck, are all but few of the evidence that support this fact. Theories even exist to suggest that a large number of red and white grape varieties were distributed as far as Europe by the Phoenicians from what is now Lebanon, and are ancestors to many of the grape varieties today. And so it was that in 1888, the Touma Family established one of the first wineries and distilleries in Lebanon in the small town of Kab-elias of the Bekaa-Valley to produce wine and Arak Touma, the national Lebanese drink. Continuing in the success, tradition, and experience gained by the Touma family with their Arak Touma, the Heritage Winery was established and released its first modern wines in 1997.

Second Visit Chateau ksara, the country’s oldest winery, began life in 1857 when Jesuit FATHERS inherited and began farming a 25 hectare plot of land to produce Lebanon’s first non-sweet red wine. In doing so they laid the foundations of Lebanon’s modern wine industry. Chateau Ksara Winery, which derives its name form having been a fortress, or ksar, during the Crusades. Today the site is a winery which makes a variety of wines, ranging from red, sweet, dry white, and rosé, and even Arak, the national Lebanese drink.

Lunch Stop at a Local Restaurant

Last visit will be at Chateau Rayak  Learn about the production of wine by a family that maintains traditional methods while using state of the art technology to create a variety of wines from the grapes of the Beqaa Valley