Spill The Wine

Wine tourism in Lebanon is a burgeoning trend, but the country's love affair with wine is age-old. Join Devanshi Mody as she uncovers the enduring passion for the beverage and its perfect pairing with local cheeses at some exclusive boutique wineries.

- Devanshi Mody

A SPARKLE OF CRYSTAL chandeliers tumbles bedazzlingly down on frolicsome fountains. It is the Cascade Lounge at Beirut’s iconic Phoenicia hotel that has just relaunched after the 2020 Beirut Blast emblazoning that Lebanon is open for tourism. Wine tourism is the rage as 80-odd wineries jostle spiritedly to resurrect Lebanon’s high life, a way of life in this hoary land where wine was made from Phoenician times 8,000 years ago. Befittingly then, Jesus turned water into wine in Lebanon. Today Lebanese wines have penetrated top Michelin-starred restaurants. But we are toasting the spirit of Lebanon with champagne. Well, I am; my mother is inebriated by Lebanese hospitality as a swirl of obliging staff present us rekakat (crispy cheese rolls), lentil soup, and more.

The next morning, at breakfast, we wake to marvellous views of boat-studded seas framed by the glass facade of Mosaic restaurant and the splendour of Lebanese breakfast. Amidst a feast of succulent gleaming apricots, figs as plump as mini cushions, plenteous nuts, and a bewildering array of Lebanese cheeses what staggers are hot-hot Levantine manakish with varietal toppings (thyme-and-sesame zaatar, cheese, meats) tossed fresh out of an oven onto our outstretched plates. We return to our table to discover the pastry team has tessellated it with local sweetmeats, including addictively good sesame and pistachio loaf maamoul madd bi festouk.