Lebanon: one of the first countries in the world to plant vines and make wine, as long ago as 5000 BC

Wouldn’t you like to support Lebanon in its current crisis, hit by the double whammy of covid19 and last week’s devastating Beirut explosion, but you’re unsure how you can help? If you were already planning to shop for wine for the coming weekend, give the supermarkets a miss for once and search “Lebanese wines uk” in your browser. Or save yourself some time and click on one of the links below...

Lebanon makes amazing wines - rosés and reds made from the Bordeaux and Southern Rhone grape blends, using Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan and whites from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Assyrtico and indigenous varietals - as it has done for centuries, even throughout the many years of turmoil of Middle Eastern conflict when the Bekkaa Valley was a war zone. And with prices starting from under £10 it doesn’t have to break the bank - unless you want to treat yourself to a Château Musar -why not? It’s in support of a great cause, after all.

Now, more than ever, Lebanon needs hard currency earned from its most high-profile export, to be able to buy materials needed to put this year’s grape harvest into production. To paraphrase wine writer Michael Karam: “by promoting and purchasing its Wine we can all play our part in helping Lebanon, its people and its wine community, to get back on their feet”.

Wine PR Madeleine Waters (Twitter handle @MadPRgirl) has organised an online auction in support of Beirut.
At the time of writing - 13 August - some amazing lots had already been donated including a jeroboam of Whispering Angel and a private dinner for 4 at wine lovers' Mecca, 67 Pall Mall. More details and donation page here: 

https://bidforbeirut.wordpress.com/

The Champagne Company: https://bit.ly/3an98IF

Hard to Find Wines https://bit.ly/3fMAWre

Majestic Wine: https://bit.ly/3fTo6rc

Great Wines Direct: https://greatwinesdirect.co.uk/lebanon

Virgin Wines: https://www.virginwines.co.uk/wines/lebanese

Tanners Wines: https://bit.ly/31PkYrg

Vinvm: https://www.vinvm.co.uk/wines-by-country/lebanon

Novel Wines: https://bit.ly/2DNCVP3

An article by Michael Karam in The Buyer inspired the above post. Read it here:

http://www.the-buyer.net/opinion/michael-karam-lebanon-wine-industry-global-support/

Michael Karam is the editor of Tears of Bacchus: A History of Wine in the Arab Worldand the author of Wines of Lebanon. The documentary, Wine And War, which he co-wrote is due for release in autumn 2020.