Wine Enthusiast – October 2019

38 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | OCTOBER 2019

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LEBANON LOVE

BEIRUT

Both ancient and

modern, this city has

world-class wine,

food and nightlife.

To borrow from Charles

Dickens, Beirut is a

tale of two cities. Its

capital, Lebanon, is

messy, erratic and

prone to power outages

and gridlock. Yet, chic

restaurants, rooftop bars

and garden hideaways

harbor one of the world’s

greatest food and wine

cultures. Throw in its

Mediterranean weather,

and you just might

extend your stay.

—Lauren Mowery

Go Deep into

Wine Country

The Lebanese wine industry refl ects the

dichotomy of the country. Its history

extends 4,000 years, yet it’s fl edgling

in modern techniques. Native grapes

Obaideh and Merwah grow alongside

international varieties like Cinsault,

Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon

Blanc. For wine lovers, Château Musar

in Ghazir, less than 20 miles north of

Beirut, is an icon of Lebanese wine.

Famous producers Château Ksara and

Château Kefraya offer excellent hospi-

tality services in the Bekaa Valley, about

1½ hours southwest of the city. Tour

the former’s pretty grounds and taste

a selection of its wines at the bar or

tuck into traditional foods at Kefraya’s

restaurant, a satisfying respite from

traffi c-choked roads. Founded in 1868,

Domaine des Tourelles produces

old-vine Cinsault, one of Lebanon’s

most promising grapes.

DESTINATION

Atibaia

Em Sharif Restaurant

Downtown Beirut