Lebanese Reds

Lebanon's troubled recent history has ensured that areas such as the Bekaa Valley remain better known for reasons other than winemaking, but the vine has been important to people here since ancient times - as visitors to the Roman temple of Bacchus in Baalbek will tell you. Incomers have also shaped recent winemaking history, with French grape varieties dominant, including Cinsault, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The secret here is altitude: with vineyards commonly planted at 1000m, the heat is softened and harvests are typically later than some parts of the Languedoc.