“Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures…” And on of my life’s most cherished pleasures that I constantly look forward to experiencing…
As we’d often tend to mistakenly believe that this experience can be only enjoyed abroad as other countries present us with a richer wine list and more authentic experiences, we often miss out on great things around us … Just like Sometimes we miss happiness by looking too far for things nearby!
It’s good to always remember that, over the past decade, our country has witnessed the burgeoning of the wine industry and counts today more than 30 eligible wineries that cultivate their grapes and produce exceptional wines !
Direction: Bekaa valley, more specifically to the south, 80 kilometres from the capital and several kilometres from the village of Kefraya, at an altitude of 900 meters, and you’d fall on an exceptional place for the creation of a great wine in line with the highest quality standards; Château Marsyas!
Created by the Johnny R. Saadé family, Château Marsyas is managed by Johnny’s sons, Karim and Sandro, and their adventure in the world of wine today represents the achievement of a long-standing family ambition.
Alongside Karim and Sandro stood Stéphane Derenoncourt, the great Bordeaux wine consultant who works with passionate and committed winegrowers all around the world.The first vintage was produced in 2007. Today the domaine extends across 50 hectares: 80% devoted to red, 20% to white. The vineyard is planned to expand to 100-120 hectares in the coming years.
In 2015, they introduced a new wine positioned among the quality Lebanese middle range wine labels and produced according to the same quality, philosophy and attention to detail as its elder brother Château Marsyas, with a focus on manual harvesting, selective sorting, vinification methods and the respect of the environment: B-Qā de Marsyas.
70% Cabernet Sauvignon 20% Syrah, 10% Mouvèdre.Smooth extractions and 6 to 8 months aging allow B-Qā de Marsyas to have a beautiful aromatic balance and well integrated tannins.
“Wine is a living liquid containing no preservatives. Its life cycle comprises youth, maturity, old age, and death. When not treated with reasonable respect it will sicken and die.”
Let’s raise a glass or two to longer and happier days and nights; A glass of red wine has been found to curb sugar cravings and increase levels of good cholesterol (HDL)… Moreover, a Harvard University study of 20.000 women found that those who drank half a bottle of wine a day had a 70% reduced risk of obesity compared to non-drinkers.
You can turn Lebanese Mezze into scrumptious tapas! Pick Hummus bethini, eggplants Mtabbal and Mouhammara. Add a teaspoon of White truffle oil to a bowl of hummus bethini and if you have some dried porcinis you can soak them in water, dice them and cook them in a pan with a teaspoon of chopped parsley and add them to the hummus mixture.
I was lucky and happy to try the new white wine B-Qā de Marsyas that is a blend ofSauvignon blanc(80%) and Chardonnay (20%) during its pre-launch period. I enjoyed pairing it with different recipes.
Followed by Artichoke bottoms that i boiled and soaked in lemon juice then topped with a mixture of Salmon sashimi, mango cubes, avocado cubes, soy sauce light, red onions, chopped coriander, mixed altogether to fill the bottoms laid on a mesclun..
And chicken lovers, this easy and refreshing recipe is for you: Creamy chicken with Peaches&Rosemary’ !
Eat like Nicole 