It is no coincidence that the Romans built the Temple of Bacchus at Baalbeck because for many centuries the land of the Beqaa Valley has delivered a spectacular harvest of grapes. You can still see the vines carved in the temple stonework.
Massaya’s Tanaïl estate and winery are less than an hour’s drive from Baalbeck. It is also centrally located at less than an hour’s reach from our different terroirs.
The Beqaa boasts such a large spectrum of terroirs that it took us around 10 years of experimentation to find the inspiration we are now expressing in the single vineyard labels. We have chosen carefully the spots for our vines to capitalize on the Beqaa’s favorable terroir in light of climate change.
In the area around Ras Baalbeck to the north-east where the two mountain ranges recline, we grow Grenache noir and Mourvèdre that thrives in the harsh environment with stony soil, daily wind, extreme temperature changes. These grapes are used primarily in the Cap Est label.
Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah that contribute to Terrasses de Baalbeck are grown in the Haddath Baalbeck region on the piedmonts of Mount Lebanon in the north-western part of the Beqaa in proximity to the snow-capped mountains, ensuring the natural humidity accumulated in the clay during winter will dampen the undersoil during the peak of the dry season thus removing the need for any kind of irrigation after the first two years.
Cinsault is grown in the Eastern mountain range in Halwa and in central Beqaa and is used in Le Colombier and in our rosé wine. In the milder climate of Tanaïl, we grow Tempranillo, which we also use in Le Colombier, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Obeïdi grapes that give character to Massaya Blanc and Massaya Arak are grown by farmers in the northern part of the Beqaa.
Since 2014, the Massaya story has accelerated with the opening at Faqra of a winery on the heights of Mount Lebanon and our development of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rolle, Clairette, and Roussanne vines above the Beqaa plateau to gain in freshness, sophistication, and complexity.
The new white wine vineyards with Rolle, Roussane, and Clairette are located in Haddath Baalbeck just half an hour away from the winery of Massaya Faqra, after the ski resort on the other flank of the mountain. In the region of Faqra and the neighboring villages, we are developing Chardonnay at altitudes close to 1,700 meters. So far the results have proven our instinct correct.