by Naharnet- Lebanon marks on Tuesday the twelfth anniversary of slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in a massive …

By  Henry Jeffreys

If you ever need a new nose for your 1983 Mercedes 230E, Chtaura in the Bekaa Valley is the place to go. It’s full of workshops keeping Lebanon’s extraordinary range of 1970s and ‘80s European and American cars on the road. Yet, while this area looks like the last place you’d expect to find a world-class winery, at the edge of town, set back from the road, is a fine collection of 19th-century buildings that make up Domaine des Tourelles.

At one point, this winery would have been somewhat isolated, but gradually the suburbs of Chtaura have engulfed it. The surrounding air is heavy with pollution and the roadside strewn with rubbish. Noticing my attention on these unsightly piles, Michael Karam, our Anglo-Lebanese guide — and probably the world expert on Lebanese wine — mutters that “Lebanese people always talk about their country being the most beautiful in the world, but they’ve ruined it.”

A Study in Contrast

From Domaine des Tourelles, we take the road south towards Kefraya, where suddenly we’re among vineyards dominated by snow-capped mountains. Chateau Kefraya, a fortress-like building dating back to the 1940s that’s surrounded by pine and cedar trees, could easily pass for Switzerland. It’s hard to believe the war in Syria is only 12 miles away

Local Pride

The Lebanese – long time consumers of whisky, arak and French wine – are “slowly waking up to pride in Lebanese wine,” says Ixsir’s Hady Kahale. Internal tourism is growing too. Kefraya gets 50,000 visitors per year. There’s clearly a lot of money around, as evidenced by state-of-the-art winemaking equipment at Kefraya and Ixsir.