Lebanese Wine Day Comes to San Francisco and Los Angeles

(Beirut, Lebanon)  – Lebanese Wine Day announces its upcoming winemaker tour in San Francisco and Los Angeles next month, bringing 30 different producers to California to showcase their wines to members of the wine trade. Conceived in one of the oldest sites in the world for wine production, wines from Lebanon have been sought-after for centuries by kings and commoners alike. And the country’s rich heritage of indigenous grapes has attracted renewed attention, particularly in recent years.

wine-140425124641934The first Lebanese Wine Day will take place in San Francisco on the afternoon of November 16 at the historic Merchants Exchange Club, a recently renovated event space located in the Financial District. The day will begin with a master class from 12:00-1:30 p.

m. for registered guests, presented by Jean Reilly, Master of Wine and renowned wine speaker. A walk-around wine tasting will be running concurrently from 12 – 5 p.m., where guests will have the opportunity to taste the wines and meet face to face with winemakers and representatives from the Lebanese government. A second master class, also for registered guests, will be held from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Following Lebanese Wine Day in San Francisco, the producers will head to Los Angeles, where they will offer their wines for walk around tasting on Monday, November 20 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“We are very excited about our trip to California, and to be sharing our wines with members of the wine trade,” says Mr. Louis Lahoud, Director General of the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture. “These tastings will be a great way for us to raise awareness about Lebanese wines and demonstrate that they have a unique place in the U.S. market.”

The winemakers and producers look forward to acquainting the American market with the wines of Lebanon. Heavily influenced by the French, the most widely planted varietals include Cinsault, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Mourvedre and Syrah. In recent years wines from this Mediterranean country have garnered numerous accolades and recognition from the press as being from an “emerging area.” The unusual climatic conditions of the Bekaa – hot and arid, but with cool nights and the suitable climate of the other regions – result in long-lasting wines that include both aromatic whites and strong-bodied reds.

Sponsored by the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, Lebanese Wine Day is open to qualified wine trade (retail, restaurant, wholesale) and media only.