HOUSTON (Covering Katy News) - North American Wine & Spirit Importers, LLC has launched a new wine program, Wine from Lebanon. It introduces the taste of 15 innovative winemakers from one of the world’s oldest and finest wine-growing regions and four unique indigenous grapes to Texas.
A trade tasting event will be held on September 20 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Texas Wine School in Houston. Interested wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants are invited to attend.
There will also be wines from Lebanon available for the general public to sample at the upcoming Katy Sip N Stroll on April 15, 2023.
Texas ranks 4th in the U.S. for wine consumption. Texans consume 60.3 million gallons of wine a year. The Wine from Lebanon program features 15 winemakers, including several female-owned and managed wineries, winemakers under 40 years old, and winemakers utilizing indigenous grapes like Obaideh, Merwah, Meksassi and Sobbagiegh, some of which have never been tasted in the U.S.
Interested wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants can attend select tasting events to try the wine firsthand. NAWSI is actively seeking distribution for the Wine from Lebanon program.
Sam A. Jaoude, who was born in Lebanon and one of the managing partners of NAWSI, saw this as an opportunity years ago while operating his MadeNLebanon exporting business.
“Lebanon’s winemaking history stretches back to the Phoenicians and Cana where Jesus turned water into wine,” explained Jaoude. “We have incredible terroir for growing grapes across the country, and we felt it was finally time to share our story with the rest of the world. I’m a proud Houstonian, and as I’ve watched this city with its appetite for gourmand expand, I knew the time was finally ripe for bringing wines from Lebanon here as a springboard to the rest of the country,” said Jaoude.
Jaoude found a kindred spirit in his now business partner Constance McDerby, co-founder of Food & Vine Time Productions, producers of a vast portfolio of consumer lifestyle events with a wine and food focus for more than 20 years.
“Lebanon enjoys a vast variety of wine production that is unique both in taste and culture, but our focus is on wine crafted from indigenous grape varieties,” McDerby said. “We’re looking forward to introducing this wine collection to consumers with a thirst for new and exciting tastes in the not-too-distant future.”
From the mountain peaks of the Batroun region to the fertile Bekaa Valley to the Jezzine Caza in South Lebanon and across the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, winemakers have been producing for generations.
While a wine renaissance is in progress, this story is about tradition, innovation, and survival as old as civilization.
The biblical story of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana is well known, and Lebanon was part of the biblical land of Cana.
And that’s where this tale begins. Seven thousand years ago, the Lebanese people’s ancestors—the seafaring Phoenicians- domesticated grapes.
The term wine is derived from a Phoenician word describing the fermentation of grapes. While the Phoenicians may not have invented wine, they perfected viticulture and spread it throughout the Mediterranean between 2700 B.C. and 300 B.C.
Two Phoenician ships dating back to 750 BC were found intact by Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic. On board, and still intact, was a cargo of wine. Protected from oxidation with a layer of olive oil and then a seal of pine and resin.
Today’s winemakers in Lebanon are as unique as the grapes they craft. Generational traditions are carried on, while new winemakers look to the future, enticing new tastes like Pet-Nat Gold from Couvent Rouge, the first Lebanese sparkling wine.
Domaine Wardy, a winery dating back to 1881 and started by a young widow, is run by the fourth generation of winemakers.
Mersel is committed to sustainable farming, supporting local farmers, and shepherding herds of desert goats on their property, the winery’s symbol.
Chateau St. Thomas focuses on cultivating local varietals, including its Obeidy St. Thomas, a dry white wine featuring the Obadiah grape. A chapel dedicated to St. Thomas graces the grounds of the vineyards.
Named one of the world’s best vineyards in 2021 is Chateau Cana, a father-daughter operation. Atibaia, which focuses its efforts on small yields, sits atop one of the oldest villages in Lebanon.
“We are thrilled to be part of the Wine from Lebanon program and to have the opportunity to market our wines in the state of Texas, as we believe this program will promote Lebanon as a wine-producing country and create access to new markets with huge untapped potential for Lebanese wine sales,” said Thouraya Karam of Karam Wines.
“We have been producing wine for over 20 years. As the managing partner of Château Cana, I have envisioned reaching many places, spreading the Lebanese culture worldwide, and raising Lebanon’s name higher,” remarked Joanna Gerges. “I am thankful for this program that will help us reach a market with so much potential,” Gerges added.
Every bottle has a unique story to tell from the land of the cedars, where the sun shines more than 300 days a year. And where altitude, protection from mountains, and breezes from the Mediterranean Sea provide one of the best wine-growing regions in the world.
“These varietals are new, and I’ve never experienced them before, said wine buyer Mark Rayner. It’s eye-opening to discover so many new untapped wine regions worldwide. And great to taste them in an intimate setting like this.”
For more information, contact admin@nawsimporters.com or to learn more about this curated collection of wine visit winefromlebanon.com.