The Terroir of Massaya
in the Bekaa Valley - Lebanon

When talking of Lebanese wines, the reflex is to say Old World, not New, although the country’s wines have only recently staged a renaissance. Yet 5,000 years ago the Phoenicians were already cultivating vines for their fruit but also for wine, which they traded. In these parts, we are close to wine’s earliest origins.

The first specificity of the Bekaa Valley, in whose centre Massaya is located, is its altitude – 1,000 metres above sea level – and its position, wedged between Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, two majestic mountain ranges that bestow on this belt of land all the qualities needed to excel in viniculture.
But the valley is a vast plain, and only some parts fit our Vin de Terroir philosophy: our search focused on places where vines had a history, and could convey the country’s minerality, finesse and elegance. In other words, places mainly at the foot of the mountains where vines can grow without irrigation despite the testing climate, and where the proportion of stones meets the vines’ requirements.

The reddish, sandy-clay soil contains a variable proportion of limestone pieces, which increases with altitude. The valley is also home to an ancient city called Balbek, built around three gigantic temples; one of these, magnificently preserved, was dedicated to Bacchus, god of vines and wine. It is hard to think our choice stemmed from chance alone.

The climate is also most singular. The winters are damp, and from December to March the mountains are capped with snow; in spring, the melting snow directly feeds the foothills and the valley; and the summers are hot and dry, but with very cool nights thanks to the altitude – indeed, in this very southerly region, it is this feature of the terroir that strikes the balance.