Is Lebanon the Most UNDERRATED Food & Wine Destination in the Mediterranean?

Video Description

Lebanon is remarkable! It's one of the world’s oldest wine regions, full of resilient people, ancient winegrowing heritage, and fresh cuisine that rivals any gastronomy on the planet! Besides having a robust winegrowing history, the country’s Mediterranean climate and mountainous terrain produce a host of delicious, fresh wines, from crisp indigenous white grapes like Obeidy and Merwah to rich, spicy blends of Cabernet and Syrah. Plus, the food is some of the most flavorful in the world, and the people have a zest for life. Join Vince and his brother Brandon as they explore Lebanon’s history, culture, food, and wine! Enjoy the show? We're independently owned and produced and would LOVE your support! You can also watch ad-free! Join Vino VIP: https://www.visforvino.com/vip LIMITED TIME! Buy the wines from the episode! https://www.backroomwines.com/v-is-for-vino-season-5-lebanon.html All locations, wines, and wineries are listed at: https://visforvino.com/lebanon/ DESCRIPTION: Get ready to explore Lebanon, one of the world's most beautiful and misunderstood countries. We'll start this journey by speaking with British author and journalist Michael Karam at Le Chef restaurant over breakfast. This place was a favorite of Anthony Bourdain, and the awarma (lamb confit) with eggs and foul mudamas is not to be missed! Next, I'll head to the ancient Roman temple of Bacchus, a temple in Baalbek dedicated to the God of Wine. This temple is one of the most intact Roman temples in the world, and its scale is massive. Here, you'll learn about the history and geography of Lebanese winemaking. Next, I'll visit Château Ksara, the largest and oldest winery in Lebanon, before getting some succulent shawarma with my brother Brandon, who also came along on this trip! The grape segment will discuss the difference between old-world and ancient-world wines and Lebanese grape varieties planted, like Obeidy & Merwah, Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Syrah. We'll then visit the homey family-run winery Château St. Thomas, where winemaker Joe Touma single-handled proved that the grape variety "Obeidy" was native to Lebanon. After that, we'll head to IXSIR winery in the up-and-coming Batroun region to learn why Lebanese vines are often planted at high altitudes. The crew and I then headed for a night in Beirut, partying in its famous nightlife scene on Gemmayze Street. Our last winery visited is Chateau Musar, Lebanon's most famous and unique winery. I then gather all our producers for an epic dinner with Chef Maroun Chedid at Ritage Garden before having an emotional meeting with some of my distant family in Zahle. Get excited to see Lebanon in a way you never have before on this V is for Vino episode! WINES FEATURED: Château Ksara Merwah Château Ksara Reserve du Couvent Château Ksara Le Souverain Château St. Thomas Obeidy Château St. Thomas Rouge Château St. Thomas Pinot Noir IXSIR Altitudes White IXSIR EL IXSIR Chateau Musar White Chateau Musar Red CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:10 Welcome Lebanon 00:04:15 Breakfast at Le Chef with Michael Karam 00:09:19 Geography & History at Baalbek 00:13:09 Vince and Brandon explore Baalbek 00:14:14 Château Ksara 00:21:19 Vino VIP 00:22:44 Grapes of Lebanon 00:26:05 Eating Shawarma with Brandon 00:27:24 Château St. Thomas 00:34:38 IXSIR Winery 00:41:34 visforvino.com 00:41:58 Party in Beirut 00:45:11 Chateau Musar 00:52:45 Dinner at Ritage Garden Restaurant 01:02:06 Outro 01:06:12 Credits ___________________ And just because an episode ends doesn't mean the fun stops there. Next, you can: SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/3xxH7eT JOIN VINO VIP to watch episodes ad-free, get early access to new videos, exclusive VIP members-only content, virtual zoom wine tastings with Vince, and fun giveaways! https://www.visforvino.com/vino-vip Follow us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/visforvino Let's be friends on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/visforvino __________________ © 2023 V IS FOR VINO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED