“Wine is the lens through which we tell our story.”
– Unknown
I have identified 86 wines, regions, and experiences that have brought me to where I am in my wine journey. Each of these articles has been special, as they have brought back many memories, some that had been lost. This article is particularly personal, as it involves two of my favorite places at a time very long ago.
65. Arak – It took me more than 30 years to try it.
I grew up in Baghdad, Iraq. I was born in the United States, and I have lived in other countries, but I consider Baghdad my hometown. People have asked me what it was like to grow up in Iraq. I cannot answer that question because I have nothing else to compare it to. It was just home.
Iraq was comparatively liberal, culturally, especially when contrasted with more conservative Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia. Some Muslim women in Baghdad would wear the traditional hijab and abaya, a modest dress and head covering, but it was not mandatory. Those women were generally older or from the countryside. Many Arab Muslim women in Iraq, particularly in larger cities like Baghdad and Basra, were secular and wore Western clothes. The chicest women in the Middle East were always from Iran or Lebanon. Observant Muslim women from Iran or Lebanon would often wear the latest French or Italian fashion but cover their heads with a Hermès scarf.
Iraq had a significant Christian population. I had my first communion in Baghdad. There was also a Jewish synagogue a couple of blocks from our house in our first neighborhood. This was the way I grew up… very normal.
I remember my father and his friends enjoying alcohol at parties. Wine, spirits, and a distinctive drink called Arak (also spelled Araq) were often served. Arak is a traditional alcoholic drink served throughout the Middle East. Arak is the national drink of Lebanon. It is an anise- or liquorice-flavored, colorless liquor generally made in Lebanon from the local Marawi and Obaideh grape varieties. It is classically a clear liquor, but it can also be caramel colored when made with dates or figs, which I prefer. Arak turns cloudy when you add a bit of water or ice cubes. Arak is similar to Greek ouzo, Turkish raki, Sudanese araqi, French Pernod, or Italian Sambuca.
I went to Dubai about 25 years ago. My client took me to a fashionable restaurant where we had an incredible meal. My favorite cuisine is Middle Eastern, so I was in heaven. My client asked me if I liked Arak. He knew my background but was surprised when I told him that I had never tried it, so we ordered Arak as an aperitif. It had been more than 20 years since I had lived in the Middle East, and I was finally going to try Arak. I was immediately transported to my childhood. I recalled so many parties and dinners I attended with my parents as a child where the adults had Arak.
Arak is an acquired taste, but once you’ve acquired it, you can’t let it go. Watching the clear liquid turn into a milky-white substance is a wonderful chemistry experiment. Arak is typically high in alcohol, but I find the licorice flavor to be cleansing.
My brother Bert and I went to a Middle Eastern restaurant several years ago. I asked him if he had ever had Arak. He had not, so we ordered some. We laughed as we recalled some of the stories, toasts, and other things the adults said and did when we were kids, whilst they were drinking Arak.
I love how a drink or taste will bring back a host of memories.
66. Château Musar – “Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.”
My family and I traveled throughout the Middle East when I was a boy, from Jordan, to Syria, to Iran, Kuwait, and especially Lebanon. I loved Lebanon. Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, was the most beautiful and fascinating city when I was growing up. It was so different from my hometown of Baghdad.
Lebanon, and particularly Beirut, was a paradox. The Middle East is predominantly Muslim and conservative by nature. However, Lebanon had sizable Christian and Jewish populations. Beirut was a metropolis when Dubai was just a watering hole for Bedouin camel drivers. Beirut was known as “The Paris of the Middle East.” Imagine New York, London, or Paris, except on the shores of the Mediterranean. You would think you were in those cities, with the wide boulevards, shopping centers, and high-rises, except there were mosques and the evenings were punctuated by the muezzins calling the faithful to prayer. This was a major metropolitan city. Before you ask, no, you did not find camels walking down the street.
Beirut was a metropolis when Dubai was just a watering hole for Bedouin camel drivers.
Lebanon’s diverse population made Beirut a cultural center. Historically, Lebanon is a very old country. The ancient Phoenicians, renown merchants and seafarers, were geographically based in present-day Lebanon. Some of the most magnificent Roman ruins are also located in Lebanon.
Lebanon is about the size of Connecticut and is geographically located on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It shares borders with Syria and Israel, with Iraq to the east, just on the other side of Syria. This geographic location and its historical, educational, cultural, and commercial history made Lebanon and its capital, Beirut, unique in the Middle East. It was an economic powerhouse, a center of trade, culture, and banking. It was a playground for the wealthy. Beirut was also quite liberal compared to other Middle Eastern countries. Gaming was legal, so there were casinos. Beirut also had bars, nightclubs, Las Vegas-style shows, and fine dining. The American University of Beirut is the most prestigious university in Asia. It was a beautiful campus, and I intended to go to university there. This is how Beirut was then. Imagine Dubai today without being so over-the-top. That was Beirut.
Lebanon has a lengthy wine history. Some of the world’s oldest wine sites have been found in Lebanon. The countries of Georgia and Lebanon often argue over which country’s wine production is older. Historical records have been discovered that show vines had been planted and wines produced in Canaan, in what is the present-day Lebanese coastal area, as far back as 7000 B.C. Records show that wines from Caanan were exported to Egypt during Egypt’s Old Kingdom period dating to 2700 B.C.
The Bible mentions that the Phoenician King Melchizedek gave wine to Abraham. The Bible, in Hosea 14:7, says, “Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.” Tyre, in contemporary southern Lebanon, is where Jesus turned water into wine. This is Lebanon.
Lebanon was a French protectorate of one type or another since the time of the Crusades. French was once an official language as well as Arabic. Almost half of the population speaks French, and it is still taught in schools. Thus, it is natural that Lebanese winemakers would use French techniques in their winemaking.
French Jesuit monks in the 19th century planted cuttings from Algeria in the Beqaa (also spelled Bekaa) Valley, which is located less than 33 kilometers (20 miles) east of Beirut. Lebanese winemakers blended French varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, with local varietals, such as Merwah, Meksassi, and Obeideh. Other international varietals, such as Tempranillo have also found their way into Lebanese wines.
I went to Dubai and came back to the United States through Beirut. This was my first time back in Lebanon since moving to the United States. I was now an adult, and I was intent on exploring a city that meant so much to me in my youth.
The Lebanese civil war lasted from 1975 until 1990. I wondered what toll the war had taken on the city that I loved. I recalled the melancholy I felt each time I would see news reports of Beirut’s desolation during that time.
The war had definitely taken a toll. Evidence of the war was all around. The entire fronts of some buildings were missing, and others were pockmarked from shell fire. This made me incredibly sad. I stood on a balustrade overlooking the Mediterranean wiping away my tears as I said a silent prayer.
In the midst of devastation were also signs of hope. Beirut was rising like a Phoenix from the ashes, which is apt, as the ancient Phoenicians inspired the legend of the Phoenix. New buildings had been recently completed or were under construction. Cranes towered into the sky. The beauty of the city was shining despite all that it had been through.
I found a restaurant that overlooked the Mediterranean for an early supper. I asked the sommelier for some suggestions of local wines. I knew Lebanon produced wines, but I had never had one. The Somm was quite helpful, and unprompted, he explained the devastation the war wrought on the Lebanese wine industry. He almost reflexively recommended that I try Château Musar from a winery located in the Beqaa Valley.
The Beqaa Valley is near the coast between Mount Lebanon, with peaks over 3,000 meters (almost 10,000 feet) to the west and the Anti-Lebanon mountains, with peaks of 2,814 meters (9,232 feet) to the east. The Beqaa has a Mediterranean climate with wet, often snowy winters and dry, warm summers. The region receives limited rainfall, particularly in the north, because Mount Lebanon creates a rain shadow that blocks precipitation coming from the sea. The vineyards are planted high in the mountains, as high as 1,100 meters (3,609 feet). As a comparison, Atlas Peak, the highest elevation in Napa Valley has vineyards planted at 604 meters (2,100 feet). The highest vineyards in the world are found in the Andean mountains of Argentina, in Salta, at just over 3000 meters (9,843 feet).
The vineyards are planted high in the mountains, as high as 1,100 meters (3,609 feet).
Lebanon does not have a legal appellation system such as those found in France and Italy. This allows winemakers the freedom to experiment, blending different varietals that would be constrained or prohibited under an appellation system. This means that Rhône grapes can be blended with Bordeaux grapes. Tempranillo can be blended with local grapes such as Merwah, Meksassi, or Obeideh, with impunity.
Château Musar is the crown jewel of Lebanese wines. Musar is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan. It spends four years of bottle maturation, and the finished wines are released a full seven years after harvest. This was a wonderful wine, perhaps made better by having it in Beirut.
The sun was setting over the Mediterranean as I was enjoying my favorite cuisine in one of my favorite cities in the world whilst having a brilliant bottle of wine. Can life be better than this?
I have found Musar in the United States, and I have the wine in my cellar. I have shared it with friends over the years as I tell the story of the first time I had the wine. I intend to go to the Beqaa Valley the next time I am in Beirut, because “Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon,” and Château Musar will always have a special place in my heart.
Fe sahetekum!
Note from Irene: The following video is more fun because Dr. Matthew Horkey is funny, and he’s tasting and rating various Lebanese wines. The first video from Attorney Somm is serious and primarily focuses on Château Musar. Enjoy!
