Wines of Lebanon at Prowein

PRESS INFORMATION

Hall 02 Stand D12

To view this information in German please click here

Wines of Lebanon will be taking a stand at Prowein 2013, the first time the generic group has had a presence at the German trade fair.  The group of members of the Union Vinicole du Liban aims to raise awareness of Lebanese wines within this key market.

Eleven wineries from the main wine producing regions of the country – the Bekaa Valley, the historic wine heartland of Lebanon, Batroun in the north and Jezzine in the South – will all be present, showing a wide variety of styles and grape varieties. 

As one of the oldest regions of wine production, Lebanon’s vine and wine culture stretches back as far as 7000BC.  Today the wine sector in Lebanon is going from strength to strength, with nearly 40 wineries producing around 8 million bottles annually, using over 25 different international and local grape varieties in just over 2,000 hectares.

Visitors to Prowein can learn more about Lebanese wines during a selection of masterclasses that will be held on the stand over the three days of the Fair.  The masterclasses will be given by:

Hendrik Thoma – Master Sommelier, three times winner of the Sommelier of the Year title in Germany and Chef Sommelier at Louis C Jacob Hotel in Hamburg.

Rahkshan Zouleh – Sommelier at Tantris Restaurant in Munich and three times winner of the Sommelier of the Year title in Germany.

Michael Karam – Lebanese wine writer and author of the award winning Wines of Lebanon and Michael Karam’s Lebanese wines: an independent guide published in February 2013

The following wineries will be present on the stand with several seeking distribution in Germany:

Batroun Mountains

Chateau Ka

Chateau Kefraya

Chateau Ksara

Chateau Qanafar

Chatea St Thomas

Coteaux du Liban

Domaine des Tourelles

Domaine Wardy

IXSIR

Karam Winery

Lebanese wines have been available in Germany since the 1980s, but more recently have been enjoying growing success, particularly in the e-commerce sector.  Many wines are available in delicatessens and wine shops, as well as being well represented in Lebanese restaurants and shops.

Those who are not yet distributed in Germany are attending the Fair to find a distributor in Germany, while others are using Prowein as an important meeting point for importers and customers from all over Europe and further afield.

Michael Karam says: “It is very exciting to see Lebanese wines getting more attention on the international stage and first generic Lebanese stand at Prowein is another significant step forward in spreading the message to a wider audience.

“The group’s objective at this important Fair is to ensure more people discover Lebanese wines and as a result, ensure that the wines become more widely available through mainstream channels.”

Spokespeople available for interview:

·      Faouzi Issa, Winemaker and owner – Domaine des Tourellese, on behalf of the Union Vinicole du Liban

·      Michael Karam – independent Lebanese wine expert and wine writer

For further information and to book an interview please contact:

Emily Albers               Emily@AlbersPRI.com

T+49-40-450 374 04   M: +49-172 417 99 86

Madeleine Waters       madeleine@cocopr.co.uk

                                    T: +44 (0)1225 807477           M: +44 7778 702221