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Make wine, not war

Lebanese varietals thrive despite a history of turmoil

By Helena Baker
For The Prague Post
April 2nd, 2008 issue

The legendary Bekaa Valley is home to Lebanon's age-old wine industry.
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Although not one of the better-known wine-producing regions, Lebanon has managed to cultivate some impressive varietals throughout its strife-ridden history.  
Actually, Lebanon is one of the oldest sites of wine production in the world. Vines were grown in Baalbeck, an ancient Greek city in the Bekaa Valley, since time immemorial. Modern winemaking, however, dates from 1857, when Jesuits founded a vast underground winery, introducing good-quality grapes and storing the best of their production.
The Vatican forced the fathers to sell their holding in 1973.
Known at the time as the playground of the Middle East, Lebanon was on the verge of introducing a French-style system of wine classification. Such grand ideas were waylaid by the start of the 15-year civil war.
Under the circumstances, wine production took a back seat — literally. Drivers had to work in relays to shift bottles from one location to another, safer one. In some instances, grapes took so long to arrive at the wineries they began fermenting en route.
War in this multi-religious land is never far from the surface, even today. Yet against the odds, Lebanon’s wine industry is not only thriving, but has for many years been carving a very respectable niche in the global marketplace. Mostly French varieties are grown: Sauvignon, Chenin, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon. The best examples come from the Chateaux of Musar, Ksara, Kefraya, Nakad and Massaya. Most of these can be found in Prague’s Lebanese restaurants.     
As one might expect, Lebanese wines complement Mediterranean cuisine. For instance, Massaya de Tanail Blanc (made from Ugni Blanc grapes) presents enough intensity and richness to cut through the flavor of freshly grilled octopus or media sagnaki, made from fresh mussels. The lively Blanc de Blanc du Chateau Kefraya pairs well with appetizers such as tabbouleh, hummus, tarama or falafel. Deeply colored La Rosée makes an ideal accompaniment to both hot and cold mezze, that variety of small dishes enjoyed at tables all around the eastern Mediterranean.
A light-bodied red, such as Nakad Rouge, goes down nicely with kabbe, a delicious meatball stuffed with onions and pine nuts. Pairing the more corpulent reds, Ksara or Massaya, with a plate of lamb is a match made in heaven.
 
Winery of the month: Vinné sklepy Lechovice
This winery inherited a 300-year-old tradition. The first cellar in this pleasant village lying in a steep valley on the road from Znojmo to Brno was finished in 1723, although the winery itself only came into being in 1993. It tends 230 hectares (568 acres) in three different wine communes. Being in the Znojmo wine subregion, the concentration is on white varieties — including straw wine, which is ceremoniously hand-pressed for the public each February. Every year the winery places more than 900 bottles of its best sparkling wine at the bottom of the Vranov reservoir, sinking them to a depth of 40 meters, at 5 degrees C. Divers retrieve these bottles the following season (not only for publicity: the bottles are auctioned for Paraple, a charity for people with spinal injuries, and fetch as much as 2,000 Kč/$123). The winery offers full tour service, with visits in the cellars, tastings and its own restaurant.  It also has its own wine bar in Hamerský rybník, Prague 10–Záběhlice. For more information, check www.vslechovice.cz.
Wines of the month
White: Riesling, late harvest 2005, commune Borotice, vineyard U Auerového kříže
Producer: Vinné sklepy Lechovice  
This exemplary Riesling from the Znojmo region is of deep golden hue, exhibiting an attractive nose of linden trees in full bloom. The palate is fully rounded, with crisp acidity and a lingering citrusy finish. A fine example of Riesling, Moravian-style. (190 Kč)
Red: Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Trocken  
Producer: Weingut Anselmann, Edesheim, Rheinhessen, Germany      
Deep and dense, this is an exceedingly opulent wine, with forward aromas of cassis. The wine is full-bodied, packed with mouth-filling dark-red fruitiness and notes of vanilla — witness to the fact that it was raised in barrique. A rare treat, this wine has great potential. (390 Kč)  
Events diary
  On April 25 at 5 p.m. in Ostrava’s Divadélko Pod věží (alias Radniční restaurant in the town hall building), the sixth edition of the Cuvée wine competition kicks off with a tasting of blends from around the world. All wines, previously assessed by two expert committees, can be sampled throughout the evening — but make sure to go early, for the big winners soon disappear. For more information, check www.wine.cz/kahan/2008/cuv08ver.pdf.
      
Helena Baker’s wine column appears the first Wednesday of each month. She can be reached at features@praguepost.com

Helena Baker can be reached at features@praguepost.com


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