Chateau Musar is the name of a Lebanese winery in Ghazir, Lebanon, 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of the capital Beirut. Musar grapes grow in the Beqaa Valley, a fertile sunny valley at an elevation of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), situated 40 km (25 mi) east of Beirut.
Bottle of Chateau Musar 1999
Lebanon is among the oldest sites of wine production in the world. The Israelite prophet Hosea is said to have urged his followers to return to God so that "they will blossom as the vine and fame be like the wine of Lebanon, [and] their fragrance will be like that of Lebanon". The Phoenicians of the coastal strip were instrumental in spreading wine and viticulture throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times. Despite the many conflicts of the region, the country has an annual production of about 12,000,000 bottles of wine.
The wine making headquarters of Château Ksara, in Bekaa, Lebanon
Bottle of Château Musar 1999
Wine producing areas in Lebanon (red)
Visitors at the chateau, on a wine-tasting visit.