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Case & Cork

Producer Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Château Ksara

No winery in Lebanon is older or bigger than Château Ksara, which sits in the middle of the Bekaa Valley. It helped lay the foundations of the country's modern wine industry.

Jesuit monks began making wine here in 1857 on a 27-hectare plot and produced Lebanon's first dry red. By 1973 Ksara made 1.5 million bottles a year. That year the Vatican asked its missions to give up business ventures, and a group of local businessmen bought the estate and invested in the vines and cellars.

The range runs from French-style blends to more modern wines, including a white from the old native grape Merwah. Ksara also makes arak, Lebanon's national drink, from grape spirit and aniseed, aged for two years in clay jars. Mix one part arak with two of water and serve with mezze.

Château Ksara wines