Wine Trails and Tales

1 - Château Kefraya 
Located in the West Bekaa Valley, the large estate of Château Kefraya has been the Bustros family’s property for generations. The castle was built in 1946 on an artificial hill used by the Romans to observe their troop movements. Founder and visionary Michel de Bustros carried out major works to plant Château Kefraya’s vineyards on those rolling hillsides. Today, Château Kefraya is present in more than 40 countries over five continents. Located 61 km away from Beirut, in West Bekaa Valley.

2 - Château Ksara 
Château Ksara was founded in 1857 by Jesuit priests, who produced the country’s first dry red wine. It is the oldest and most popular wine in Lebanon. Château Ksara produces approximately 3 million bottles annually, exported to 42 countries all over the world. The wines of Château Ksara have a unique character, best described as a ‘rare balance of dry fruitiness, of delicacy and coarseness, and of freshness and vigour’. Located 59 km away from Beirut, in Zahlé, next to West Bekaa Valley.

3 - IXSIR 
Cultivated with respect to sustainable agriculture, IXSIR’s vineyards are spread over the mountains of Lebanon on calcareous-clay and limestone soil, from Batroun to Jezzine, benefiting from the unique microclimates Lebanon has to offer. IXSIR’s vineyards reach an altitude of 1,800 m, making them the highest in the Northern Hemisphere. Located 58 km away from Beirut, in Batroun.

4- Chateau Trois Collines

One of the newest wineries and vineyards in Lebanon is Château Trois Collines.

The terroirs were discovered by pure accident in 2009!

When the domain was first bought, it was intended to be used for a stone quarry near the further end of the Bekaa. The founder completely changed the purpose of his land after one of the experts did an on-site observation when he was working on installing machinery and making plans to start digging. Rather than continue mining, all operations were halted, and other issues took precedence! In order to identify all the criteria and choose the best grape types and rootstocks for this new industry of vinegrowing and winemaking, weather data covering the previous ten years was collected along with soil analysis.

Lebanon's organic wines are sourced from 120 hectares of formerly barren soil in the far northeast of the Bekaa Valley, 1,600 meters above sea level.