The entire history of Lebanese wine dates back more than five millennia. It begins with the Phoenicians, an ancient civilization whose strong culture of travel and trade was of considerable importance to the development of the first Mediterranean civilization. Wine was an important export for this ancient culture and was transported to Egypt in large volumes and traded for gold. Lebanon had been under the influence of the Ottoman Empire since 1517 and the strictly applied Sharia laws did not allow the cultivation of vines or the production of wine except for religious uses.
It was only when France inherited the protectorate of Lebanon and Syria after the First World War, when the Ottoman Empire was dismantled, that viticulture would really develop. Lebanon is therefore a Middle Eastern country with an ancient wine culture that has experienced a renaissance in recent decades.
In 2011, around six million bottles of Lebanese wine were produced from 2000 hectares of vineyards. Modern Lebanese viticulture has moved away from the ancient Phoenician port cities and moved inland to the fertile Bekaa Valley. There are also a handful of vineyards near Jezzine, a few kilometers from the southern end of the Bekaa Valley, just inside Sidon. The majority of Lebanese wine is exported to the United Kingdom, France and the United States, where receptive consumers have encouraged healthy growth of Lebanon's modern wine industry. In 1998, there were fewer than 10 wine cellars in Lebanon; today there are more than 30. Red wines represent the majority of production, they are generally produced from the classic grape varieties of the south of France: Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. White wines may include Ugni Blanc, Clairette and Chardonnay.
