Lebanese Wine: A Guide to the Regions, Grapes & Famous Wines
Lebanese wine is one of the wine world's best-kept secrets: Lebanon has been making wine for thousands of years — long before many of Europe's famous regions — and its high-altitude vineyards produce reds, whites and rosés with remarkable concentration and freshness. At Tarboush Tring we are proud to pour a selection of Lebanese wines alongside favourites from around the world. Here is everything you need to know to choose well.
Lebanon's wine regions: the Bekaa Valley
Most of Lebanon's vineyards sit high in the Bekaa Valley, the country's most important wine region, planted at around 850 metres in a protected microclimate. Mount Lebanon shields the vines from the humid Mediterranean air while the Anti-Lebanon range holds back the desert climate to the east. Long, sunny growing seasons and rock-and-clay soils give the grapes their remarkable concentration, freshness and scent. Smaller regions — Batroun in the north and Jezzine in the south — are growing fast, but the Bekaa remains the heart of Lebanese winemaking.
The most famous Lebanese wines
If you ask a sommelier to name a famous Lebanese wine, one answer comes back first almost every time:
- Chateau Musar — Lebanon's most famous wine and a cult favourite for collectors worldwide, made in Ghazir from Bekaa Valley fruit. A highlight of our Reserve Cellar.
- Chateau Ksara Réserve du Couvent — from Lebanon's oldest winery (founded 1857 by Jesuit monks), and one of the country's best-selling reds.
- Chateau Kefraya Comte de M — the flagship red of the Bekaa's famous Kefraya estate.
All three producers appear on our list — see below.
The producers on our list at Tarboush
- Chateau Kefraya — from our house Les Bretèches reds, whites and rosés to the elegant Comte du M.
- Chateau Ksara — Lebanon's oldest winery; try the Réserve du Couvent or the Cuvée du IIIème Millénaire.
- Domaine Wardy — superb single-varietal Tempranillo and Merlot.
- Chateau Musar — arguably the best Lebanese wine ever made, from our Reserve Cellar (reserve wines need a 20-minute decant before serving).
Lebanese white wine & indigenous grapes
Lebanon's reds get the headlines, but Lebanese white wine deserves a place at the table — especially with mezze. Alongside French varieties, Lebanon grows native grapes found nowhere else:
- Obeideh — a crisp, citrusy white grape, the backbone of many Bekaa whites.
- Merwah — an ancient mountain grape; it is even believed the Semillon grape descends from Merwah.
A chilled Obeideh or Merwah blend alongside hummus, tabbouleh and grilled halloumi is one of the great pairings of the Lebanese table.
Where to drink Lebanese wine in the UK
Lebanese wine is still rare on UK restaurant lists outside London — which is exactly why we keep a dedicated Lebanese list at Tarboush Tring, on the High Street in Tring, Hertfordshire. See the full Lebanese wine & drinks list for tasting notes and prices, and pair it with our mezze and charcoal grills for the complete experience.
Planning a special evening? Book a table and ask our team for a pairing recommendation.