Wine has a long history at the Maroush table, and we want to share that story with you. Lebanon’s vineyards produce bottles with a character all their own, shaped by centuries of tradition and careful craft.
This article walks through some of the finest Lebanese wines on offer, along with thoughts on how they work alongside the dishes we serve. By the end, we hope you will see why a bottle from Lebanon belongs on your table just as much as the mezze does.
Background of Lebanese Wine
Few winemaking traditions run as deep as Lebanon’s. Phoenician traders, who settled along this coastline centuries ago, carried vine cultivation with them as they moved across the Mediterranean, and that legacy never really left.
Much of that comes from the Bekaa Valley, sitting around 1,000 metres above sea level. The climate there sits between continental and Mediterranean: winters are cold, summers are hot and dry, but the evenings cool right down. That swing between daytime heat and nighttime chill is exactly what gives the grapes their depth. With that backdrop in mind, we think a glass of Lebanese wine tastes even better at Maroush.
Lebanese Wines
Building our wine list has been a genuine labour of love, and we think there is a bottle here for every kind of drinker. Both reds and whites make an appearance, each one reflecting something particular about how grapes grow in Lebanon.
Among the whites, look out for Les Bretèches Blanc de Château Kefraya 2017, an exotic fruit-driven wine with real freshness, or EL IXSIR White 2017, where floral notes meet a crisp, precise finish. On the red side, Château Ksara’s Cabernet Sauvignon offers plenty of body and weight, while Château Belle Vue 2011 layers in dark fruit for something more complex. Come and taste your way through the list.
Perfect Pairing
A well-chosen glass can transform a plate of food, and Lebanese cuisine is no exception. Getting the pairing right matters if you want to taste everything a dish has to offer, and that is where our wine list earns its keep. Take the Hommos Sesame, for example. Its silky texture is a natural match for Les Bretèches Blanc.
That white brings out the dish’s smoothness rather than fighting it. Next, the Shish Taouk sandwich pairs beautifully with Château Ksara’s Cabernet Sauvignon, which holds up well against the char from the grill. To close things out, the Moutabal Baba Ghanouj pairs well with a glass of Château Kefraya’s Blanc de Blancs, rounding off the meal on a high note. We have put real thought into these combinations, because a good pairing turns a meal into something worth remembering.
Organic Practices in Lebanese Wine
Organic growing has taken hold across many Lebanese vineyards, and we are glad to see it. Producers working this way tend to focus on the long-term health of their soil and the biodiversity around it, cutting back on the fertilisers and pesticides that older methods relied on.
A strong thread of tradition also runs through organic vineyards, with techniques passed down across generations rather than picked up from a manual. In our view, this approach does two things at once. It produces better wine, and it leaves the land in better shape for whoever farms it next. Choosing organic, in that sense, is a vote for both.