Beirut, March 2014: After the success of the inaugural Lebanese Wine Day in Paris last year, 32 producers from all over Lebanon will showcase their wines at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Berlin on May 5th, 2014.
The event, which is organized by the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture,is another opportunity for wine professionals and the media to discover an exciting range of wines from one of the world’s oldest wine producing nations.
Lebanon has, in total, over 40 wineries and produces around 8.5 million bottles a year. The industry might be small, even by regional standards, but the emphasis has always been on quality and Lebanon is now able to compete internationally by making sought-after, premium quality wines from the Bekaa Valley, the historic heartland of wine production, as well as newer regions such as Batroun in the North, Mount Lebanon, and Jezzine in the South.
With over 25 international and local grapes planted in roughly 2000ha, variety is the clearly name of the game, from serious Bordeaux-Rhone style reds with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, to sunnier, fruitier blends that use Cinsault, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre and Tempranillo.
With the whites, Lebanon’s most recent successes have been with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat and Viognier, although Semillon and Clairette are used to good effect, as are the local Obeideh and Merweh varietals, both of which are growing in popularity.
“Wine lovers are always impressed by the quality and versatility of our wines, as well as our wine heritage,” said H.E.M. AkramChehayeb, the Lebanese Minister of Agriculture. “I am confident that the event in Berlin, which is not only one of Europe’s most magnificent cities but also a major cultural hub, will convey, to the German and wider European wine trade,the sense of continuity, quality and consistency we seek through all our wines.”
Lebanese wine is enjoying a period of unprecedented growth and interest both at home and abroad. Join us in Berlin and taste some of the world’s most exciting wines and meet the people who make them.