The Bekaa Wineries

The Bekaa sits at around 1,000 metres between two mountain ranges, with hot dry summers, cold winters and enough altitude to keep acidity in the grapes, and wine has been made here since Phoenician times; the Roman temple complex at Baalbek includes one dedicated to Bacchus. The modern industry is small but serious, with a handful of well-known estates and a growing number of small producers working with Cinsault, Carignan, Cabernet and Syrah, alongside the indigenous white grapes used for arak, the aniseed spirit that accompanies mezze. Several estates run tastings in restored buildings with long lunch tables under vines. Zahle, the valley's main town, is known for its riverside restaurants.

What you actually see

• Estate tastings - the established houses and a growing set of small producers.
• Harvest season - picking and crush from around September into October.
• Arak production - the aniseed spirit distilled from local grapes.
• Zahle's riverside restaurants - the town's long-standing mezze tradition.

When to go

September and October for the harvest, when estates are busiest and most interesting. April to November otherwise. Winter in the Bekaa is genuinely cold and many smaller producers close to visitors.

Honest expectations

Most estates require booking rather than walk-in visits, and opening arrangements change, so contact them directly. Public transport in the valley is impractical for a wine trip, and since tasting is the point, a driver rather than a hire car is the sensible arrangement. Some of the best small producers are hard to find without local help.

Nearby

Baalbek's Roman temples are an hour north; Anjar lies east towards the border.