What now for Lebanese wine?

by Michael Karam -- Executive -- Lebanese wine is at a turning point in its long and proud history—and it is a positive turning point too. But first, a little context: For those who do not know, Lebanon, or what is now Lebanon, has been making wine for thousands of years. Only the people of the Caucasus have been making wine for longer. But even if they made it first, it was our ancestors the Phoenicians who, courtesy of their vast trading fleet, gave wine to the rest of the world, and at one point—in the height of Phoenician commercial dominance between 900 and 330 BC—wine from Byblos was among the most sought-after wines in the then-known world. It was the Pétrus of its day. But it was the Jesuits at what is now Château Ksara, making a modern, dry wine in the Bekaa Valley in the mid-19th century, who upped our game, while the subsequent arrival of the French after World War I ensured that a wine culture endured. If Lebanon had been run by the British, I would not be writing this article. The local wine industry, as we know it today, really began in the early 1990s, after the civil war, when five wineries, Château Kefraya, Château Ksara, Château Musar, Château Nakad, and Domaine des Tourelles, dusted themselves off after 15 years of fighting and looked toward a bright future. They were joined by half a dozen exciting new producers and, by the mid-90s, we had around 14 wineries. Today, we are nudging at 60, with Lebanon firmly on the world wine map. But there is much work to do. At home, we need to protect our industry, not necessarily by taxing the hell out of imported foreign wines, but by encouraging everyone to “Buy Lebanese” and convincing them that home-made bottles can be as good, if not better, than one of the very ordinary—not to mention overpriced—Bordeauxs on the local market.

We also need to admit that we are too dysfunctional to ever activate the National Wine Institute, the so-called public-private body created to run the sector, which has been gestating for nearly 15 years and does not look likely to be born anytime soon. We should leave the running of the industry to the Union Vinicole du Liban, Lebanon’s official association of wine producers, which has done more than any other body to build and promote the sector in the last three decades. Selling our wares But abroad is where our fortunes lie. We make roughly 10 million bottles each year, but we still only drink a shade over 1 liter per capita, compared to 45 liters in France and Italy, 36 in Germany and 24 in the UK. The few tourists we do attract do not knock back wine in the quantities we would like—certainly not enough to ensure we drink all of our output at home. So how do we move forward in the international market? We need to be different. We need to highlight indigenous white grapes like the white Obeideh and Merwah, and what I call the red “heritage” grapes, such as Cinsault, Grenache, and Carignan. If you give the international market something it has never seen, the wine will fly off the shelf. You do not believe me? Just ask Château Ksara, whose hugely daring Merwah varietal is now selling out wherever it goes, likewise for Domaine des Tourelles with its Vieille Vigne Cinsault. Vertical 33, a boutique winery, is doing great things with Obeideh, as are Château St. Thomas, Domaine Wardy, Château Kefraya (in limited quantities), and Coteaux du Liban. And get this: Latourba and Batroun Mountains have made Lebanon’s first sparkling wines, released in 2018 and 2016 respectively. Innovation, enthusiasm, and adventure are essential in our business.

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News Analysis: Lebanese analysts differ on prospect of gov't formation ahead of Hariri's speech

by Dana Halawi BEIRUT (Xinhua) -- As Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is expected to hold a news conference Tuesday, political analysts and officials are having mixed opinions about the destiny of the long-running formation of the national unity government. Hariri is expected to hold a news conference at his residence in downtown Beirut at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to speak about the difficulties in the cabinet formation. Hariri has been facing various hurdles in his attempt to form a 30-member national unity government because of rifts among rival politicians over the representation of the main Christian parties and Druze sect. Few days ago, Lebanon has overcome a major hurdle after Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea accepted Hariri's offer to grant the LF four ministries. Meanwhile, the Druze representation will be solved by giving two minister seats to the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) headed by the member of parliament Walid Jumblatt, and a third Druze minister was guaranteed to receive consensual support. However, one obstacle has remained. Sunni lawmakers from outside Hariri's Future Movement have been demanding to be represented by at least one seat in the government but Hariri, backed by President Michel Aoun, refused the demand saying that the six Sunni lawmakers did not have the right of representation because they were not part of a unified parliamentary block. Independent Sunni lawmaker Faisal Karami announced Sunday that independent Sunni lawmakers will not give up on their demand to be represented in the government. Hezbollah, a Shiite Islamic political party in Lebanon, has strongly backed the independent Sunni lawmakers' demand. In a televised speech last Saturday, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah reaffirmed his party's support for the demand by the six Sunni lawmakers from outside Hariri's Future Movement. "We will not join any government in which the six independent Sunni MPs are not represented," Nasrallah said, shattering hopes for the formation of a government soon. According to Sami Nader, director of Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs in Lebanon, Hariri will try to contain what Nasrallah said in his speech. "Hariri will hold a news conference just to say that Nasrallah's approach is unacceptable and this is an attempt to change the constitution and the political system," Nader told Xinhua.

In addition, analysts told Xinhua that regional powers have a role to play in the delay in the formation of government in Lebanon. "This is the rule of the game between regional powers," said Nader. "We will have to wait until these big powers reach a compromise," he added. Political analyst Walid Mubarak also agreed that the regional powers are present. "The behavior of political parties in Lebanon shows a struggle for power among them on the internal level, while on the other hand, it demonstrates external regional powers as well," he said. Moreover, when asked about a possible solution to the crisis, Nader said that one has to wait until regional powers reach a compromise. He believed that Hezbollah is trying to send a message to all the countries that despite the sanctions on it, the party still plays the upper hand in the Lebanese politics. Mubarak was more optimistic on the issue, saying that although Nasrallah's speech was tough, it showed some flexibility. "Nasrallah said he would agree on any minister position to be given to the independent Sunni MPs, as long as it is accepted by those MPs. It opens the way for a compromise," said Mubarak.

The possibility of reconciliation lies in that Hariri said that he will allow the minister representing the Sunni lawmakers to come from the president's share of cabinet, as Hariri already has to save one position for the Christians in his party's share. "If the government is to be formed, Aoun must nominate a minister representing the independent Sunni MPs belonging to March 8 Movement from his own cabinet share," Mubarak said. Mubarak added that Aoun also has a great interest in forming a government because this is the first cabinet to be formed in his term. "Otherwise political parties will have to start all over again with the process of government formation which will take a lot of time and have heavy repercussions on the economy," he said. Another issue that analysts concerned about is the possibility of Hariri's submission of resignation due to his incapability of forming a government after six months of his appointment as prime minister-designate. Most analysts said that they have to "wait and see" whether Hariri will resign based on his Tuesday's speech. "We still do not know if Hariri will resign and it all depends on circumstances. We are observers. We have to wait and see," said Mubarak.

2,200 firms shut down in Lebanon in 2018 amid economic slowdown

BEIRUT -- (Xinhua) -- A representative of the Lebanese economic sector said on Sunday that about 2,200 companies have closed down in Lebanon since the start of this year because of economic slowdown. "We are on the verge of an economic breakdown," Mohamad Choucair, head of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, said in a televised interview on TV Channel MTV. Most of the Lebanese have become poor, and Lebanon is about to witness a big number of bankruptcies soon, he said. Choucair urged all Lebanese officials to reach a consensus and form a cabinet in a bid to start necessary economic reforms including an overhaul of the electricity sector and reforms of the salaries in the public sector. Economists told Xinhua that wages, pensions and benefits for public sector employees accounted for 38 percent of the total spending in the 2018 budget.

Lebanon's Hezbollah insists on government demand, warns Israel

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The leader of the Lebanese Shi’ite group Hezbollah insisted that one of its Sunni allies be given a portfolio in a new Lebanese cabinet, and indicated it would be ready to go back to square one in negotiating a government if necessary. In a televised speech on Saturday, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also warned Israel that his Iranian-backed group would respond to any attack on Lebanon and urged his country to withstand diplomatic pressure over its rocket arsenal. Hezbollah’s demand for one of its Sunni allies be given a portfolio in the new Lebanese government is at the heart of a row that has obstructed a final agreement six months since a parliamentary election. The formation of a new government is necessary before any moves can be made towards fiscal reforms which the International Monetary Fund said in June are needed immediately to improve debt sustainability.

Hezbollah says one of its Sunni allies must be represented in the government to reflect their election gains. But Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri, who is Lebanon’s main Sunni politician and enjoys Western backing, has ruled out allocating any of his cabinet seats to them. Lebanon’s political system requires government positions to be allotted along sectarian lines. Nasrallah said rejecting a Sunni ally from its “March 8” camp amounted to exclusion of a section of Lebanese.

“We were sincere when we spoke of a national unity government. There is no national logic, or moral logic, or legal logic ... for anyone in Lebanon to come out and say ‘it is forbidden for the March 8 Sunnis to be represented in the Lebanese government,” Nasrallah said. “If it is forbidden, come let’s talk again from the start,” he said, adding: “We don’t want conflict, or tension, or escalation.” President Michel Aoun vowed earlier on Saturday to find a solution to the problem. Though a political ally of Hezbollah, Aoun has sided with Hariri in the row. Hezbollah, groups and individuals that support its possession of weapons won more than 70 of the 128 seats in the May 6 parliamentary election. Hezbollah is proscribed as a terrorist group by the United States. The group last fought a major conflict with Israel in 2006, since when it has grown militarily stronger as a major participant in the Syrian war.

Nasrallah said Israel had recently tried to increase pressure over the group’s rocket arsenal and to create “a state of intimidation and threat that if this matter is not dealt with, it (Israel) will deal with it”. Israel had used “the Americans and even some European states” in this effort, he said. “I say to Lebanon that it must bear this level of diplomatic pressure,” Nasrallah said. “Any attack on Lebanon, any air strikes on Lebanon or bombardment - we will certainly respond,” he said Reporting by Tom Perry and Laila Bassam;; editing by David Stamp Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

#ShameOnWho campaign uses art to change Lebanese attitudes to rape

By Heba Kanso BEIRUT (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The hashtag #ShameOnWho? is being deployed as part of a new street art campaign in Lebanon to try to change attitudes to rape in a country where victim shaming remains common. The group behind the campaign, which launched this week, said it wanted to "shake" Lebanese society out of misconceptions about sexual violence, using street art depicting the faces of alleged rapists as described by their victims. "There is so much blame and shaming of the victim. Our society needs to start recognising that rape, no matter what, is not justified," said Ghida Anani, director of the campaign group Abaad. "We need to demand more rights around sexual assault. If you don't shake society and this reality - nothing is going to change," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Beirut. The images went up on walls of buildings around Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday alongside the hashtag and the words "Prosecute the rapist. Do not blame the victim". Some also featured voiceboxes with oral testimony from the victims, their voices distorted to disguise their identity. About 13 sexual assaults on women are reported every month in Lebanon, official data show, but campaigners say many more go unreported. The country only abolished a law that let rapists escape punishment if they marry their victims last year, and women's rights campaigners say a culture of victim-shaming persists. In 2016 a member of the Lebanese parliament sparked an outcry when he said people needed to ask themselves "if women play an active role in pushing men to rape them".

A spokeswoman for the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering, a local women's rights group, said shock tactics were needed if attitudes were to change. "This captures people's attention and creates an important debate - we need to start talking about these issues," said Hayat Mirshad. "Campaigns on violence against women need to start being aggressive and shocking." As part of the campaign, Abaad also released a video on social media of an actress who claimed to have been raped. Many people blamed her for what she was wearing or asked if she was on drugs. Hundreds of rape survivors and activists will participate in the Beirut Marathon on Sunday to mark the campaign, which ends on November 25, International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. (Reporting by Heba Kanso @hebakanso; Editing by Claire Cozens. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Lebanese bishops: A new government against internal wars and regional influences

Beirut (AsiaNews) -by Fady Noun --  A catastrophic picture has been painted of the internal situation in Lebanon yesterday in some passages of the final communiqué of the Assembly of the Maronite bishops at the end of their monthly meeting. The prelates, led by the Patriarch launched the alarm for an "internal war" that brings to mind the clashes preceding the signing of the agreement of national understanding or Taëf [which put an end to the various wars that followed in Lebanon from 1975 to 1990, ed.]. And they stress with concern that "words can have the same effect as bullets". Faced with a complex and alarming situation, the Assembly appealed for the formation of a government before the independence day celebrations. The prelates also denounce the "foreign interference" that have recently blocked the formation of a new executive. To begin with, the Assembly denounced the “obstacles facing the formation of a new government” saying these must be urgently overcome, “in a spirit of national responsibility and ethics". They note with sadness that "the spirit (of the Lebanese people) has been annihilated by yet another eleventh-hour problem that has interrupted the government formation process" and hopes that its birth will be offered to the Lebanese as "a gift for the Independence Day "of 22 November.

The Assembly criticized the bartering of ministerial portfolios which have been a source of division. They call for the formation of a "homogeneous" government, asking the various ministries "not to act alone, as if they were the absolute masters of their function", and to those who have the task of "making decisions for the community" to not " distort justice, so that the law is not applied in a discretionary manner ". In anticipation of a "future government free from both local and foreign constraints", the bishops have appealed to the government to carry out current affairs in a dynamic way "to regulate, as far as possible, the affairs of the state and citizens, in particular regarding their daily life and problems related to electricity, pollution, the environment, etc ". "The internal war continues through the media", underlines the Assembly, which declares itself "worried about the violent verbal escalation that manifests itself through the media, as well as on social networks". "It is as if the internal struggle - they say – that has not stopped following the 1989 agreement the goal of which was to put an end to it". "The verbal exchanges between barricades in the media - the statement strongly notes - are certainly no less dangerous than bullets, moreover they open the path for them, something that the Lebanese strongly reject". "This is why - concludes the text - the Assembly implores the parties concerned to fear God and respect each other and to engage in dialogue, especially because internal closures are produced in more than one sector, not to mention the negative regional developments that threaten to unfortunate consequences of the free decision and the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese ".