Lebanon

Question 1

Lebanon:
Largest Producers

Answer 1

Chateau Ksara: ~2,500,000 Bottles (est. Jesuit missionaries)
Chateau Kefraya: ~1,500,000 Bottles
Chateau Musar: ~700,000 Bottles

Question 2

What year was Domaine Tourelles established?

Answer 2

1868

Lebanon’s oldest commercial winery

Question 3

Bekaa Valley rests between what two mountain ranges?

Answer 3

• Mount Lebanon: from Mediterranean, up to 2,500 m
• Anti-Lebanon: Syrian border

(two most significant mountain ranges in Lebanon)

Question 4

What year did Serge Hochar brought Château Musar to the Bristol Wine Fair?

Answer 4

1979

• Resulted in new attention towards Lebanon
• Praise of critic and auctioneer, Michael Broadbent

Question 5

Number of wineries were in operation at the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War, in 1975?

Answer 5

4

• Château Ksara
• Château Musar
• Domaine des Tourelles
• Château Nakad

Question 6

Lebanon

Number of wineries today

Answer 6

Over 50

• compared to 35 in 2010

Question 7

What are two indigenous varieties are used to produce Château Musar Blanc?

Answer 7

• Obeidah
• Merwah

Question 8

How is Arak aged?

Answer 8

in cloth-covered clay amphorae

Question 9

How is Arak traditionally served?

Answer 9

It’s cut with two parts water to one part spirit

Question 10

What varieties are used to produce Musar Rouge?

Answer 10

a. Cabernet Sauvignon
b. Cinsault
c. Carignon

Question 11

What are Lebanon’s 4 major wine-making regions?

Answer 11

a. Batroun
b. Beqaa/Bekaa Valley
c. Mount Lebanon
d. South Lebanon

Question 12

What is Bekaa Valley’s soil?

Answer 12

Clay-limestone

Question 13

What is Domaine de Tourelle’s premiere red bottling?

Answer 13

Marquis des Beys Red
dry-farmed 50/50 split of Syrah and Caberent Sauvignon

Question 14

What is Domaine de Tourelle’s premiere white bottling?

Answer 14

Marquis des Beys White
Dry-farmed Chardonnay

Question 15

What is Domaine de Tourelle’s premiere Syrah offering?

Answer 15

Syrah du Liban

Question 16

What are Chateau Musar’s offerings?

Answer 16

Chateau Musar: Blanc, Rose, Rouge
Hochar Père et Fils Red - second wine
Musar Jeune

Question 17

What is Chateau Musar’s second wine?

Answer 17

Hochar Père et Fils Red: Four years in the making, Hochar Père et Fils Red is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from a single vineyard near the Bekaa Valley village of Aana, characterised by deep soils over limestone. At an average age of 30 years old, yields are low from these mature bushvines at 20-30 hl per hectare.

6-9 months in French oak.

Question 18

Chateau Musar’s arack?

Answer 18

L’Arack du Musar: The Chateau Musar Arack is made from grape alcohol with an average age of five years.
It is distilled four times with the addition of Anis seeds during the 4th distillation.

Question 19

Can you name two premier Arack producers?

Answer 19

L’Arack du Musar
Arack Brun - Domaine de Tourelles
(Arack Brun, Brun 5yr, Brun 10yr)