Latest news with #winemaking
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Drinking ‘Prophet & Poet' Wines With Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel Adam Morganstern Jessica Biel's entry into the wine world follows the same path as one her successful Hollywood ventures: have a compelling story and a great team to bring it to life. Her childhood friend is winemaker Jesse Katz of Aperture Cellars , known for his consistent high scores as well as a record setting sale of one of his bottles for $1M at auction. When Biel married Justin Timberlake, Katz crafted a special vintage for the celebration and then did the same for the wedding of Biel's brother Justin and his wife Rose. Sensing they were onto something bigger they all collaborated to create the new wine brand ' Prophet & Poet ' — named after Rose's shamanic healing and energy work and Justin's poetry. Rounding out the team are Chris & Ariel Jackson from Jackson Family Wines , who sourced the grapes from their prized Sonoma vineyards. Their first 2021 vintage is limited to 900 cases, composed of three reds and two whites. I spoke with Jessica Biel about the new brand, how she first got into wine and how she'd cast herself in her next detective series. When did you first start enjoying wine? My parents were not big wine drinkers so it's not something we had growing up. I really started to explore wine in my mid-20s — when I had my own money and could say what is this bottle? I can actually afford this. Let's try it. And then it was also getting to work in different places around the world. I also met my husband (Justin Timberlake) in my mid-20s. He grew up with parents that had wine every night. And they loved big bold reds and Barolos and all these others. So I was introduced to a lot of wines through them. Jessica Biel in Sonoma Adam Morganstern Was there a first bottle you remember that stood out for you? I'm not sure if it was the first - because we enjoyed a lot of wine – but the name that's coming to me right now is Tignanello. I loved that. Those bold Super Tuscans. That was the type of wine where I really started to understand what this whole thing is about. What makes people so passionate. How did the leap from being a wine lover to having your own label come about? Jesse Katz created a wedding wine for me almost 13 years ago as a lovely gift. Then we created some wine for my brother for his wedding. This was at Jesse's kitchen table, before his winery existed. As the wine has been maturing all these years it's just been getting better and better. Why don't we share it? Why don't we take the wine that we've been using to celebrate moments and memories with our family and let's give that to everybody. And if it had been any other person than Jesse, I would have said no. If it had been any other non-authentic story where I wasn't involved in it from the beginning I don't think I would have done this. I'm not a winemaker but I love wine and this one is so personal to my family and is something we've been doing with Jesse for years. It was an obvious yes. We have to do this because the story is real. What's surprised you most about the winemaking process since starting the collaboration? The intricacy of the process, from the soil to the farmers, to the grapes to the weather. I remember talking to Jesse during the harvest and he's like 'I'm going to leave the grapes on for another few hours.' I'm thinking another few hours ? Does that really make a difference? And he's like 'yes!' When to pull them off the vine, what to blend, tasting — the process is truly art. I didn't fully understand what Jesse does until I got involved. Prophet & Poet Rachid Dahnoun When you first created the wedding wine was there any direction you gave to Jesse about what you wanted? We wanted something red, beautiful and bold. And we were getting married in Puglia so it would make sense to have that kind of wine. Interestingly enough — we didn't actually drink that wine at our wedding because it was too hard to bring it over. But we've enjoyed that wine at so many other moments in our life. Do you enjoy spirits and cocktails as well? I like tequila. And I also really like a Vesper martini. I'm a vodka martini straight-up-with-a-twist kind of person. I don't like it dirty. Have you ever had a drink with one of your idols? I've had a few cool experiences having a glass of wine and a meal with Jane Fonda. I met her years ago at an amazing event her organization does annually for reproductive rights for teenagers in Georgia. And we have stayed friends and we talk and text and email. It's so cool. I saw her after an event one year and asked her how she has stayed looking so beautiful and fit and so healthy and vibrant. What is the secret? And she said 'posture!' And all of us at the table stood up so much straighter. (L to R) Chris Jackson, Jesse Katz, Rose Biel, Jessica Biel, Ariel Jackson Rachid Dahnoun You're co-starring in a new series with Elizabeth Banks called 'The Better Sister.' She also has her own wine label. Did she give you any advice? I didn't even know that for a long time. She does so many things. I wouldn't be surprised if she has ten other companies I don't know about. She's not the kind of person who makes a big deal about what she's got going on in her life. It just kind of shows up all of sudden and you're like 'wait, that's yours?' We did get to have a drink together a couple of times. She's amazing. What you see is what you get with her. She's funny. She's so smart. And she's just lovely. We had this natural sister-level comfort about us right away. You produced and starred in another series called 'The Sinner.' How did that come to life? It's based on a German book. My producing partner brought it to me and we fell for it right away. We thought 'this is pushing a lot of boundaries and is not anything we've seen on television.' And it was material I had never had the opportunity to do. 'I'm scared of it, but this one's mine. And I'm going to hang onto it real tight.' Did you see Bill Pullman in the detective role right away? He was on the top of our list because he felt unexpected. The character has a lot of darkness and intricacies and in real life he's so sweet, lovable and charming. Would you ever want to act with your husband in a mystery? Yes. I'd like to be the murderer this time though. What role would he play? He should be the detective. He should want to find me.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
One Sonoma Winemaker's Passionate Pursuit Of Expressing Terroir In Wine
Does Hamel's Nun Canyon Vineyard have the terroir or not? JIMMY HAYES Walk into a vineyard and what do you see? Vines and soil, sun and sky—a snapshot of place, a moment in the vineyard's lifetime. The ecosystem here is influenced by a myriad of factors. Some work over eons—building the bedrock, for example—and some change daily. Taken together, along with the wine maker's hands, these slow and fast factors present a unique taste of time and place in wine. This concept, known in French as terroir, provides what passionate wine enthusiasts believe influence a wine's character, and the authentic expression of craftsmanship sought by younger wine consumers. Winemakers, by and large, recognize terroir as a key component to wine growing, yet often disagree about how and where it is achieved. As a Sonoma Valley winemaker, John Hamel, winemaker of Hamel Family Wines, is deeply passionate about expressing Hamel wines' terroir, something he feels is easier for European winemakers than those in California. To achieve this lofty goal, he partners with world-renowned terroir specialist, Pedro Parra. The results are a promising work in progress. 'Does [Hamel Family Wines] have the terroir or not? Because you have all the ideas, all the philosophy, and then you don't have the site. And if you don't have the site, in my experience, there's not many things that you can do.' 'I love European wines. There's a character in those wines that you find more often and with more intensity that I would call minerality,' says Hamel. 'In California, I think there's a very technologically savvy approach. We're very technical, but the connection between the wines and the place and the resulting minerality that you get in the wines is lower frequency, lower volume.' In 2016, Hamel learned Parra was asking similar questions about why some regions produce wines of tension and energy with ease while others struggle. Having wrestled with locating unique site expression consulting California wineries in the past, Parra was ready to re-up the challenge. However, he knew it would be risky. 'Does [Hamel Family Wines] have the terroir or not? Because you have all the ideas, all the philosophy, and then you don't have the site. And if you don't have the site, in my experience, there's not many things that you can do,' says Parra. Hamel Family Wines is located in Sonoma's Mayacamas Mountains, part of the California Coast Ranges that formed one-hundred million years ago. As the two began researching and mapping the estate vineyards, they discovered basalt in the early stages of decomposition—a bounty of volcanic stones—in the Nuns Canyon vineyard. This high elevation sloped site is filled with fractures formed by a lava flow three million years ago, in a Mediterranean climate. Early signs for expressing terroir. 'The stonier the terroir, the more character, the more depth, more energy, tension, the things that really make a wine distinctive and unique and interesting and fascinating. And it's the thing that I loved about the wines from Europe. Once we were able to dissect the terroir, you can see very clearly the conditions that give you those types of wines,' Hamel says. To maximize this sense of place, Hamel estate has been Demeter certified biodynamic since 2015. Additionally, eighty percent of the vines are not irrigated, a practice known as dry-farming. Because the un-decomposed basalt is fractured rock, the fractures act as a tunnel for rain to flow through while simultaneously allowing the vines' roots to grow deeper in source of water and nutrients. Many colleagues told Hamel dry-farming was a bad idea. It is too hard in California and that the quality of the wine would suffer. But an early mentor of Hamel's, Tod Mostero, director of viticulture and winemaking at Dominus Estate in Napa Valley, demonstrates dry farming can be successful. Hamel's experience has been equally successful, finding the vines with deeper root systems produce higher quality wines. He is quick to suggest he is not seeking regenerative farming for the sake of it. Rather, it's part of the team's fundamental philosophy of extracting as much expression of place as possible to make the best wines. He also believes his vines are better adept at weathering climate change perturbations because they are resilient to heat spikes and erratic weather patterns. Hamel Family Nuns Canyon Vineyard is a high elevation sloped site is filled with fractures formed by a lava flow three million years ago, in a Mediterranean climate Hamel Family Vineyard Beyond his vineyard work, Hamel intervenes as little as possible in the winemaking process. 'You see something that's very evocative and, you know, things like oak, things like over maceration, all these tools and equipment in the winery just starts to get in the way of that. And when you show that, you don't want there to be any makeup on that. You want to show the thing itself, Hamel says. 'And I think in a way, Pedro cured me of the inherent American mentality, which is if you just work hard enough on something, it'll be good. Terroir is not as democratic as that. Ultimately, we've got areas that are very, very good.' Parra believes over the past nine years they have come a long way in understanding the vineyards and maximizing farming methods to express place through vitality in the glass. What's next? Parra says its consolidation. 'To me, consolidation is the last stage. And that means that you are confident enough, holistic enough, and you have the confidence to be able to be proud and show it to the rest of the world. You can play the game well, but you need to score. To me, where're in the beginning of that era.' However, Parra offers high praise for Hamel. He sees what Hamel is doing is incredible and worthy of respect. 'John is a Ferrari. He's driving super fast. He has the terroir, the mentality, he's hungry, and few others are doing this in California. So, the future is incredible. It takes time to get the people to know and respect what is behind the wine, but it's going to happen. In three years, five, ten, I don't know. But it's inevitable because the terroir is great and the wines are great so it's going to happen.' Will Hamel Family Wine fully realize John Hamel's vision? Both men suggest it takes a couple of decades to determine grand cru quality wine. However, the current vintage delivers vibrancy, finesse, and tension, transporting oenophiles and novices alike to the ancient lava flows of Nun's Canyon Vineyard in the Mayacamas Mountains, truly a sense of place. How Tariff Uncertainty Impacts The Wine Industry Who's This Pedro Parra Guy Anyway? And Why Do Wine People Love Him? This Q&A Might Help The Dirty Truth Soil Health Plays In Wine
Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
South Africa's philosopher winemaker
It's often said of a winemaker that he or she is a philosopher … but Johan Reyneke actually studied philosophy, and when you ask him about his pioneering biodynamic vineyards (the first in South Africa, which he opened back in 2007) or his winemaking techniques or his charitable work, you are as likely to hear about the Indian philosopher Amartya Sen ('if you have choices, you have power') as about grapes or vats or barrels. It isn't hard, standing in his spectacular vineyards in the Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch, to see why someone lucky enough to live and work here might want to protect the place. Jackal buzzards wheel, surfing the thermals. The ocean, just six miles away, breathes cool air on to the growing grapes. 'We have found lots of hand axes, made from sandstone and carried here,' he says. 'This place was special for people long before westerners arrived.' Reyneke doesn't do his protecting — or anything, really — by halves. He waves at an unplanted strip, where he has persuaded The Wine Society to fund a wildlife corridor. He talks about sustainability in this region of ancient soils and ruinous high-density grazing and waves towards the spot where he is building a smart winery, using local materials and expertise. Then he takes us back to his farmhouse, with its kitchen at one end and his artist wife's studio at the other, to taste his new wine range. Five single varietal wines, the whites from 2024, the reds from 2023 — all from vines that are regeneratively farmed and hand-harvested, then sold in lighter bottles (to lessen his carbon footprint). The sauvignon blanc is citrussy and so perfumed it could intoxicate you from a foot away. The chenin blanc, from vines nearly 50 years old, has a gorgeous flavour of lemon sponge, but without the sweetness. The syrah is all black plums and thyme, the violet-scented cabernet sauvignon needs a little time. For me, the cabernet franc was the bottle to run off and drink under one of the nearby sweet thorn trees. Leafy, packed with red fruit, subtle tannins and a mineral finish. Yum. It wasn't straightforward to get here, to this wonderful landscape and beautiful wines. Philosophy graduates do not necessarily make great winemakers. 'I knew nothing!' Reyneke says of his younger self, and he had no money either. 'I started in a little cowshed, 50 metres from here, in 1998. I did my punch-downs [the process of breaking up and submerging the solids as the wine ferments] using a broom with the bristles cut off.' The wine, he says humbly, wasn't great. At least I thought he was being humble until he pulled out a bottle of his original cuvée. Through the glass I could see something that looked like it could do with another punch-down. The cork was still in the wine. I hope it stays there. Reyneke learnt on the job. He also formed an unconventional partnership with Rudiger Gretschel of Krone, a highly accomplished winemaker who creates beautiful premium cap classiques (as South African sparkling wines are called) and now his own still wines under his Holism label, high in the Piekenierskloof hills north of Swartland. 'I wanted to learn about biodynamics and he needed to learn how to make wine,' Rudi says. It was a fair swap. His lucky break came when his mother-in-law sent a guest to the B&B he was running for a bit of extra cash. She turned out to be scouting for wines for a big press event in Johannesburg. At the end of the event — and Reyneke is still visibly moved, relating this — security men clustered at the doors and Nelson Mandela walked in. Young and awestruck, Johan joined the meet and greet and, in response to a kindly question from the great man, blurted out that he was a farmer. Then he cursed to himself. An Afrikaans farmer — what could appeal less to Mandela? 'But he smiled gently at me and said, 'Tell me, how are our farmers doing?'' That embracing kindness is something Reyneke displays too. He funds farm kids with potential to go to university. They are also trying to buy houses for workers, although he admits that this is going slowly. Still, 'this is a long-term vision brought to life,' says Valerie Lewis, the marketing director of his UK importer, New Generation. 'Reyneke has played the long game, investing in regenerative, biodynamic farming that not only produces exceptional wines, but restores the soil, supports the land and uplifts the people who work it.' When he was a young farmhand he saw vineyard workers lining their frayed shoes with paper. Now he is an admired winemaker with his name on the bottles, he hasn't forgotten that memory. 'You can't make beauty from ugliness,' he says, the philosopher peeking out again. 'I want this to be a farm wine business with a soul.' Reyneke Estate Series launched on June 3 and is available from The Wine Society (
Forbes
5 days ago
- Forbes
The Luxury Champagne Wine That Expresses Intense Sense Of Place
Grape vines in Champagne during a sunrise Champagne vineyards with dormant vines during the winter The cold air brought a serene silence that washed out all the angst-filled thoughts that constantly plagued her mind. Among the snow-covered landscape, there seemed to be little, bare bonsai trees without their foliage that whimsically curved to the side with such grace, adding to the otherworldliness of this place. These plants are dormant during their winter rest, yet it is a perfect opportunity to truly view their diminutive stature without their canopies giving the false impression of heft. Although this place, happily, didn't resemble anything in the daily grind of the woman experiencing this much-needed escape, it was indeed very real; so real that the expression of this land in a glass of Champagne was so distinctive that the drinker was taken aback of how much the sense of chalk within the soil dominated every nuance of this libation. These were the exceptional vineyards of Champagne Cristal, where the nutrient-poor, chalk dominant soils caused the grape vines to struggle so much that they seemed more like tiny bonsai than the typical big, broad vines that are more prevalent worldwide. That is why the chef de caves of Cristal, Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, nicknamed these particular vines "bonsai" because they were rare, even compared to the other vines in his beloved wine region of Champagne, France. Champagne Cristal Louis Roederer Tombstone In a world where many of the top luxury wines are being bought out by corporate entities, the Louis Roederer Champagne house has remained an independent, family-owned company with seventh-generation Frédéric Rouzaud currently leading the way. In 1876, they selected their best vineyards to craft one of the most distinguished Champagnes ever, Champagne Cristal, and part of their success has been rooted in the family's knowing from very early on that the greatness of Champagne laid in the vineyards that would express the depth of terroir a.k.a. sense of place. In 1816, a man named André Jullien published a seminal book called Topography of All Known Vineyards (Topographie de tous les vignobles connus) that included a classification of vineyards in the Champagne region. Louis Roederer inherited the Champagne House in 1833 and just a little over a decade later, followed André Jullien's classification and started to make a significant investment in buying stellar vineyards. Louis Roederer vineyards Today, many of the best vineyards in Champagne are the ones that Jullien chose over a century ago, and the easiest way to take a tour of some of Jullien's noted top sites is to visit the vineyards that go into making Champagne Cristal. Whether it is the Basses Coutures vineyard in the Champagne village of Verzenay, where there is silt and chalk in the soil, or the biodynamic Bonnotte-Pierre-Robert vineyard with its limestone bedrock in the Aÿ village, all of the plots blended into Cristal express a multifaceted picture of the most outstanding aspects of the Champagne region. Even the various chalky soils that differ in form will make different qualities within the wines - as chef de caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon says, the Verzernay vineyard is like the Burgundy Grand Cru vineyard of Chambertin, with its "power and strength," and the Aÿ vineyard is like the Grand Cru Musigny in Burgundy so it has a lovely "perfume and softness." But Louis Roederer is not resting on their laurels as they have implemented many programs to explore ways to find an ideal balance within the vines and protecting their longevity to encourage long life. They also use modern scientific disciplines to identify the broad diversity of clones within their vineyards that have thrived through massal selection (using the cuttings of exceptional, old vines to propagate new ones). Champagne Louis Roederer uses horses to plow the vineyards so the roots aren't damaged by tractors In 2002, they started a project called In Vinifera Aeternitas, gathering experts such as Lilian Bérillon, a nursery owner specializing in massal selection of the best estates all over the world, and Professor Jean-Michel Boursiquot, one of the most talented ampelographers (a person who identifies and classifies grapevines) to help accomplish their goals. One of the things they have achieved is employing pruning techniques of the vines that "respect the sap flow" to ensure a longer life while also implementing a permaculture philosophy that centers around creating sustainable and resilient systems that mimic natural ecosystems, which goes hand in hand with their organic and biodynamic practices. When it comes to their organic and biodynamic practices, Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon said that he has noticed that the pH of their wines is lower than before they converted to organic, increasing their acidity. Finding Terroir In Champagne Vineyards in the Champagne region during sunset The wine region of Champagne is a worldwide marketing success story as many houses have created brands that dominate the luxury wine market with incredible packaging, lavish events and placement in some of the top high-end clubs around the world, yet many of those luxury brands are owned by big corporations. Although that success has hurt the family-owned houses that avoid such marketing blitzes as they don't want such a frenzy to overshadow the soul of their Champagnes, expressing some of the best vineyards. There has been a backlash against these famous brands with a revolution of grower Champagnes, where growers make tiny quantities of Champagne wines, many who used to sell their grapes to large brands, and many times their bottlings are single vineyard wines. Despite many of these Champagnes being excellent examples of an expression of a particular plot, it is wrong to think these bottlings are the only true expression of place coming out of the region. Historically, Champagne is a blended wine, and yes, in many cases, it is for this reason that it can develop a consistency of style, even to a certain degree with the vintage bottlings. Yet the vintage Champagne Cristal wines take it to another level when creating an intricately layered experience of those soils that initially made this region legendary. That is part of the reason why Cristal can shock the first-time drinker who is used to drinking a wide variety of top Champagnes, as it can come across as not being big enough or bold enough to knock one's socks off at the first sip. But it is intense and concentrated in ways like no other Champagne on this level, as its power is not in the fruit but in the intensity of terroir expression. Once a drinker surrenders to the unknown, a type of depth they have not experienced, they understand why some connoisseurs consider this Champagne to be in its own category. When it comes to a multidimensional expression of the sense of place from those extraordinary vineyards classified over 100 years ago, there is a strong argument that no other luxury Champagne can live up to Cristal. Bottles of Cristal Vertical of Champagne Cristal 2002 Champagne Cristal, Champagne, France: 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon became the chef de cave in 1999, so he considers 2002 his 'Welcome to the Roederer family gift' as the vintage had almost perfect growing conditions. A gorgeous evolution that happened to this beauty over two decades with peach cobbler and lemon meringue flavors with a broad body and a creamy texture with crisp acidity highlighted by mineral aromas and a long finish with notes of hazelnut. 2012 Champagne Cristal, Champagne, France: 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. This is from a warmer vintage, yet one could not tell at this stage as Jean-Baptiste said that he thought that, through time, it would become bigger and richer, as that is what tends to happen with Cristal. Still, this vintage is returning to the heart of their vineyards with oyster shells and wet stones dominating with a touch of honeysuckle in the background and a mouthwatering acidity with a weighty yet linear-driven palate. 2008 Champagne Cristal, Champagne, France: 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Jean-Baptiste compared 2008 to the iconic 1996 vintage. However, '96 is a controversial vintage - some note it is one of Champagne's best in modern history while others feel the wines were too austere with sky-rocketing acidity. But learning from the '96s, Jean-Baptiste decided to wait a week longer than 1996 to harvest this 2008. An addictive, fierce acidity with that Cristal minerality that intertwines itself in every aspect of the wine with a very lifted floral note and plenty of nectarine fleshy fruit to balance out the acidity that gives thrilling electricity to this vintage. 2016 Champagne Cristal, Champagne, France: 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay. This vintage was challenging and broke many growers' backs as they battled a wet spring with mildew. Surprisingly, especially considering that all of the vineyards used for this vintage were farmed organically, it is an outstanding showing. There is a breathtaking purity; I would have never guessed this was from a vintage that battled mildew. The 2015 vintage received more fanfare as it was a riper vintage with few problems. Jean-Baptiste said that some challenging vintages, such as this 2016, get unfairly judged with a sweeping statement that all the Champagnes are lesser quality, but for those who dare, who are extremely vigilant with their practices in the vineyards, like Roederer, something special can be produced. And the results are indeed impressive. A nose of lemon blossom, white peaches and crumbled chalk with a marked acidity laced with a saline quality and a salivating finish. 2013 Champagne Cristal Rosé, Champagne, France: 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. This makes my list for one of the greatest Champagnes I have ever had… not just the greatest rosé but one of the greatest, period. I was not expecting such an experience since the 2013s were typically noted to be lovely in their youth yet subtle and not worth blockbuster status. But this 2013 evolved into such an exquisite example of what makes Cristal in a class of its own as the terroir is so defined and powerful with the right amount of fruit and acidity. Jean-Baptiste noted that making rosé for them is about adding another layer of terroir expression to the wine. Starting in 2008, with their new experimental winery, they began experimenting with a gentle "infusion" technique for the Pinot Noir grapes before the fermentation, allowing for more sense of place extraction from the skins without the astringency. Alluring bouquet of a labyrinth of aromas with cherry blossoms, wild strawberries, saline minerality and hint of marzipan dance and prance along the enthralling maze of flavors and textures that are lifted by an exhilarating acidity, which gives the wine a fierce tension and a very fine structure with bubbles that are so tiny that they caress like satin while still tantalizing with their hundreds of micro bursts along an extremely prolonged finish that keeps those delightful aromatics in one's head for several minutes. 2014 Champagne Cristal Rosé, Champagne, France: 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. A gorgeous nose with pear drop, peach tart and singed orange peel, and is open in its relative youth according to Cristal standards, yet the minerality of crushed rocks and pulverized chalk still dominates despite having a generous fruit flavor with a round body that has a long, flavorful finish, but the minerality is what stays with the taster the longest.
The Guardian
12-06-2025
- The Guardian
‘The quality of Lebanese wine is absolutely incredible'
Lebanon has one of, if not the most ancient winemaking traditions in the world, so it stands to reason that we ought to drink more of it. This historic wine industry started way back with the Phoenicians, who spread viticulture throughout the Mediterranean, and then, in 1857, Jesuit monks planted vines from Algeria in the Bekaa valley, in an area that is today one of the country's most prestigious wine-producing regions. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Today there are some 80 wineries in operation in the Bekaa, most of them with a decided focus on French grapes – cabernet sauvignon, cinsault, merlot, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay all get a lot of love – but native grapes such as obaideh, merwah, jandali and hamdali also feature in the production of wine and arak, a distilled anise spirit. The best of these wineries are defined by their altitude. Whereas the areas by the coast are flat and hot, and perhaps too much so to produce complex wines, the more mountainous regions of Mount Lebanon, Jezzine, Batroun and the Bekaa valley are able to yield wines of good quality. The higher altitude allows for a distinct diurnal temperature range – that is, the difference between day and night temperatures in the vineyard – and a large range can allow grapes to develop properly (heat in the day to ripen the grapes and coolness at night to train acidity). The outlier for these modern, prestige wines is, by far, the renowned Château Musar, which may well be the first and only Lebanese wine many of us have tried. Inspired by his travels to Bordeaux, Gaston Hochar first planted vines on what became the Musar estate back in 1930, and during the Lebanese civil war, his eldest son Serge switched the winery's focus to exports, especially to the UK, a move credited for its prominence in the west today. That's why you can now find Musar at many prestige importers, as well as a couple of supermarkets. Musar's is a story defined by a Lebanon at war, which continues to this day – last year, the eastern Bekaa valley was one of the areas most severely affected by Israeli air strikes – but this is not something that will define Lebanese wine, insists Henna Bakshi, an award-winning wine journalist who has reported extensively on war-zone wines: 'No region will ever want to be known for war,' she says. 'We must understand that – this is historical context. The quality of wine coming from the region, despite the impossible, is still absolutely incredible. I'd suggest blind tasting top Lebanese producers to understand the quality of their wine without the context.' Local winemakers are finding new ways to overcome adversity, too: 'During airstrikes last year, Eddie Chami of Mersel Wine lost all power and electricity,' Bakshi says, 'and he was making wine with a headlamp; he [even] documented it on video, and on one of his Instagram stories you could hear the drones in the background.' For more on how Lebanese winemakers are being affected by war, I'd very much recommend Bakshi's account for Wine Enthusiast, which details how, amid all the unpredictability, life goes on. Château Oumsiyat Mijana £9.75 Waitrose, 13%. Intense, but not overpowering. Spicy and full, too. Château Musar Jeune Rosé 2022 £15.45 VINVM, 11.5%. Cinsault, syrah and tempranillo. Just as good with food as without. Château Musar Jeune Red 2021 £16.99 Virgin Wines, 13%. Approachably priced red Musar, unoaked and brimming with blue fruit. Massaya White 2022 £19 The Wine Society, 13%. A textured blend of sauvignon blanc, obeidi, clairette, rolle and chardonnay.
