Lebanese wine, lebanon wines, lebanese wines, wine of Lebanon
Massaya, “Twilight” is the brainchild of two dynamic Lebanese brothers who have harnessed the potential of their fabulous terroir to the know-how of two French wine-making dynasties. Since Biblical times, Lebanon has been acclaimed for its prized Bekaa Valley wines. Today, this bijou winery, with its clay-limestone vineyards, nestled between the mountains and the Mediterranean at more than a thousand meters, produce a range of unique wines that captures the spirit of the Levant.
Lebanese wines in Mount Lebanon and the Bekaa
Wine in Lebanon is fully integrated in the cycle of life of the Lebanese. To start with, the Phoenicians, the Lebanese ancestors, sailed the Mediterranean to sell wines. More recently, the wine and grape cycles followed the seasons and the eating habits of the Mount Lebanon and Bekaa citizens.
During fall, the inhabitants of Lebanon used to harvest the vines and ate the fruits as table grapes. The leftovers were fermented by Lebanon dwellers into wine.
In winter, the Lebanese developed a whole range of food that matched wine: kawarma, frikeh, beans.... On top of that wine is a warm beverage that helped them overcome the snowy winters in Mount Lebanon and the Bekaa.
In spring, the wine leftover was sent to the Lebanese traditional distilleries and triple distilled. During the last distillation the Lebanese added the green aniseed and thus obtained arak.
During the warm summers arak is fresh and gorgeous with Lebanese barbecues and food based on fresh vegetables, lemon, mint, parsley….. ingredients difficult to match with wine.