Even in the midst of war, people still try to keep going like the vintners in Syria and Lebanon.
Syrians, Lebanese produce wine in ferment of war
BY DIAA HADID
Associated PressOctober 6, 2014 Updated 15 hours ago
FacebookTwitterGoogle PlusRedditE-mailPrint
View Full Gallery (22 Photos)
Syrians, Lebanese produce wine in ferment of warView Full Gallery HUSSEIN MALLA — AP Photo
BEIRUT — In his high-rise office in Beirut, Sandro Saade carefully chews a merlot grape from a vineyard hundreds of miles away in war-ravaged Syria, trying to determine if it is ripe enough to order the start of the harvest.
It's too dangerous for him to travel to the vineyards of Domaine de Bargylus, which is nestled in verdant hills where wine has been produced since ancient times. But despite the bloody conflict and the threat of Islamic extremists, he is determined to produce world-class wines, and to help preserve a Levantine cosmopolitanism imperiled by decades of war.
In Syria and Lebanon, boutique wineries mainly run by Christians have endured despite decades of unrest and the fact that Islam — the majority faith in the region — forbids both the production and consumption of alcohol. The challenges have mounted since the eruption of Syria's conflict in 2011 and the rise of the Islamic State extremist group and other jihadist organizations.
For families like the Saades, the production of wine is not only a business but an affirmation of their roots in a region increasingly hostile to Christians and other minorities. Their winery's name derives from the classical Greek for the Syrian mountains overlooking the Mediterranean, and the tradition of wine-making stretches back to ancient times, when it flowed at bacchanalian festivals that would horrify today's dour jihadists.
"We are passionate about this, and we aren't stopping. We will continue as much as we can," Saade said. "The challenge is not just to make wine, but to maintain a high quality wine."
The winery is in a relatively secure part of Syria still controlled by the President Bashar Assad's secular government, which tolerates alcohol. But stray mortars occasionally crash into the vineyards, including one that destroyed 15 chardonnay vines in June.
Transportation presents other obstacles. As well-off businessmen, the Saades are at risk of being kidnapped by militants or brigands on the increasingly perilous roads crossing the Syrian-Lebanese border. The grapes are shuttled back and forth by taxi drivers, who are occasionally forced to turn back when security forces close the crossings.
The Islamic State extremist group is far from the wineries, but it has captured a third of Syria and Iraq, including in lightning advances that took much of the region by surprise. Other powerful Islamic militant groups, including a local al-Qaida affiliate, are much closer. As a security precaution, the winery keeps most of its finished product in a Belgian warehouse.
The enterprise is tiny, with Bargylus producing just 45,000 bottles a year. Like its Lebanese competitors, it tries to market premier boutique wines for around $35 a bottle.
In a 2012 article discussing Bargylus wines, international expert Jancis Robinson was "particularly impressed by the 2007 Bargylus red, a well-judged blend of syrah with cabernet sauvignon and merlot with real savour and depth of flavor."
Continue reading at:
BEIRUT Syrians Lebanese produce wine in ferment of war Living The Sun Herald
Syrians, Lebanese produce wine in ferment of war
BY DIAA HADID
Associated PressOctober 6, 2014 Updated 15 hours ago
FacebookTwitterGoogle PlusRedditE-mailPrint
View Full Gallery (22 Photos)
Syrians, Lebanese produce wine in ferment of warView Full Gallery HUSSEIN MALLA — AP Photo
BEIRUT — In his high-rise office in Beirut, Sandro Saade carefully chews a merlot grape from a vineyard hundreds of miles away in war-ravaged Syria, trying to determine if it is ripe enough to order the start of the harvest.
It's too dangerous for him to travel to the vineyards of Domaine de Bargylus, which is nestled in verdant hills where wine has been produced since ancient times. But despite the bloody conflict and the threat of Islamic extremists, he is determined to produce world-class wines, and to help preserve a Levantine cosmopolitanism imperiled by decades of war.
In Syria and Lebanon, boutique wineries mainly run by Christians have endured despite decades of unrest and the fact that Islam — the majority faith in the region — forbids both the production and consumption of alcohol. The challenges have mounted since the eruption of Syria's conflict in 2011 and the rise of the Islamic State extremist group and other jihadist organizations.
For families like the Saades, the production of wine is not only a business but an affirmation of their roots in a region increasingly hostile to Christians and other minorities. Their winery's name derives from the classical Greek for the Syrian mountains overlooking the Mediterranean, and the tradition of wine-making stretches back to ancient times, when it flowed at bacchanalian festivals that would horrify today's dour jihadists.
"We are passionate about this, and we aren't stopping. We will continue as much as we can," Saade said. "The challenge is not just to make wine, but to maintain a high quality wine."
The winery is in a relatively secure part of Syria still controlled by the President Bashar Assad's secular government, which tolerates alcohol. But stray mortars occasionally crash into the vineyards, including one that destroyed 15 chardonnay vines in June.
Transportation presents other obstacles. As well-off businessmen, the Saades are at risk of being kidnapped by militants or brigands on the increasingly perilous roads crossing the Syrian-Lebanese border. The grapes are shuttled back and forth by taxi drivers, who are occasionally forced to turn back when security forces close the crossings.
The Islamic State extremist group is far from the wineries, but it has captured a third of Syria and Iraq, including in lightning advances that took much of the region by surprise. Other powerful Islamic militant groups, including a local al-Qaida affiliate, are much closer. As a security precaution, the winery keeps most of its finished product in a Belgian warehouse.
The enterprise is tiny, with Bargylus producing just 45,000 bottles a year. Like its Lebanese competitors, it tries to market premier boutique wines for around $35 a bottle.
In a 2012 article discussing Bargylus wines, international expert Jancis Robinson was "particularly impressed by the 2007 Bargylus red, a well-judged blend of syrah with cabernet sauvignon and merlot with real savour and depth of flavor."
Continue reading at:
BEIRUT Syrians Lebanese produce wine in ferment of war Living The Sun Herald
