Tuesday, September 7, 2010

"Lebanese wine is in fashion ... "

Note that Marsyas is a really good wine, and its 'brother' Bargylus (also made by the Saade brothers) is even better.

While the local market is still dominated by home-grown giants Ksara and Kefraya, which account for two-thirds of sales, names like Marsyas and Domaine de Baal are gaining popularity.

"It's a niche market, so small that it piques people's curiosity," according to brothers Karim and Sandro Saade, who launched the Marsyas line in 2005 with the help of world-renowned wine guru Stephane Derenoncourt, a consultant for several prominent clients including film and winemaker Francis Ford Coppola.

"The future of Lebanon's wine lies in small wineries," Sandro Saade said.

"The fact that a country is famed for having produced wine since antiquity ... is attractive to consumers and that is a major factor in relaunching these projects," Derencourt told AFP. The Bekaa Valley, a fertile region in eastern Lebanon, is blessed with the ideal climate for wine production. At 900 metres (2,952 feet) above sea level, it is rich in chalky soil, rain, and long, hot summers..."

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