Morocco Wine, Moroccan wine, Arak, Lebanese Wine, China Wine Imported to the USA.

At the dawn of the sedentary lifestyle, the land of Canaan, which included the Lebanon of the Bible, already knew vines. Lebanese ancestors were among the first to ferment grape juice from the vine stock growing on the steep slopes of Mount Lebanon. Following their achievement, the first country the Phoenicians exported their wine to was Egypt.

A few centuries later, the Romans, who built the Temple of Bacchus in Baalbeck, seemingly practiced an esoteric initiation rite essentially based on the solar disc, a symbol of birth and regeneration, inspired by the god of wine. Was this rite completed with the rebirth of the art of wine after a long absence of almost 15 centuries? And wasn't this rebirth greatly inspired by Château Kefraya?

History 

The story began in 1950, when Michel de Bustros, founder, chairman and CEO of Château Kefraya, initiated the construction of a Chateau and the creation of a vineyard on a land sprinkled with rocks. At that time, it was a mere succession of terraces and fallow, sloping hills. In order for it to become suitable for vineyard implanting, bulldozers and dynamiting operations were imperative. This stony, somewhat sandy, clay-chalk soil with exceptional sunshine was the birthplace of an enormous wine-producing company.

Moreover, the existing poor soil to which vines adapt even better, was favorably situated on terraces and sloping hillsides rising up to 1100 meters above sea level, thus allowing rain to dry easily instead of stagnating on flat land. The vineyards were blessed with another factor: a continental climate that equitably spreads out between six months of precipitation, characterized by a pluviometer ranging - depending on the season - between 700 and 1700 millimeters, and six months of glorious weather without a single drop of rain, during which harvests can take place in the utmost serenity.

It is interesting to know that this same land was the ground of several other varieties of traditional crops, such as wheat, barley, chickpeas and lentils. But after 1951, they were replaced by a few vineyards and orchards (pear trees, apple trees, cherries, pistachio). Starting from 1956, deep artesian wells were discovered; they are used today for the irrigation of the magnificent gardens surrounding the cellar.

From 1958 till 1978 and in several consecutive waves, many parcels were cleared, giving birth to a wine-growing domain (today of more than 300 hectares) that continues to expand. The produced grapes were first sold to local communities and it wasn't before 1979, the year the "Kefraya Nouveau" was launched, that Château Kefraya started producing its own wine, made in its own cellar with its own grapes, planted in its own vineyards.

The rise of Château Kefraya, in the middle of the Lebanese war

The rise of Château Kefraya began during the first few years of the "so-called civil" war of Lebanon (1975-1990), during which the vineyard and the chateau were the siege of bombardment and occupation by foreign troops. Only through pride and faith was it possible to resist and surpass the many hazards of that dark period of the Lebanese history. Michel de Bustros: "As far as I'm concerned, two words describe that period: recklessness and rashness. I never left the premises; I was too afraid to see loads of problems affect our activities and not be there to solve them right away".

Today, Château Kefraya is present all over the world, in more than 35 countries. It has become one of the leading wine-producing and exporting companies in Lebanon. "Exporting a wine is like honoring a thousand-year-old tradition. It is allowing a highly noble product, a produce of our own terroir, to travel and be known to the world. This is far more satisfying than the commercial aspect", says Emile Majdalani, the Chateau's Commercial Director.

Wine Categories

Château Kefraya offers 4 major categories of wines:

Pleasure Wines (a red: Les Bretèches, a white: La Dame Blanche and a rosé: La Rosée du Château), thus called for  their pleasant and approachable character.

Celebration Wines (the Château Kefraya, the Blanc de Blancs and the rosé wine Myst) with medium aging potential that embody the richness, harmony and originality of wines produced from a blend of various vines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc).

Prestige Wines, such as the famous Comte de M (red wine) that is matured in casks and has the backbone to age well for at least 20 years, and Vissi d'Arte (white wine), also matured in oak barrels.

Charm Wines: Lacrima d'Oro, a soft, natural sweet white wine, and Nectar de Kefraya, a mistelle wine (grape liquor).

Located 120 kilometres inland from Rabat, in the foothills of the ATLAS Mountains , the region of Meknes, by virtue of its altitude, its amount of sunshine and its mild temperatures, is the favourite country for vineyards in Morocco.

Cradle of the Designation of Geographic Origin (AOG) areas of GUERROUANE , BENI M’TIR and of the Designation of Controlled Origin (AOC) area of "LES COTEAUX DE L’ATLAS", this region concentrates today more than 60% of the Moroccan wine production. Therefore, it came naturally to LES CELLIERS DE MEKNES to settle in the heart of those vineyards.

Apart from controlling vineyards over almost 2000 hectares, managed by a team of professionals loving earth and their trade, LES CELLIERS DE MEKNES are the owners of winemaking equipment located in the centre of the vineyards, combining together tradition and modernity. Last significant achievement of LES CELLIERS DE MEKNES has been creating the first Moroccan CHATEAU officially inaugurated in June 2004 - CHATEAU ROSLANE.

With the introduction in Morocco of noble varieties of vine, like CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT, SYRAH or even CHARDONNAY, the use of oak barrels for ageing, and with the creation of the first and only Moroccan AOC, LES CELLIERS DE MEKNES were always eager to brandish with pride the colours of a long Moroccan wine tradition.

With men and women passionate by their trade, always willing to elaborate original and quality products, LES CELLIERS DE MEKNES, are today undeniably on display as far as it considers the know-how and the passion both deep-rooted in tradition.

The Château Roslane is also 700 hectares of vineyards, gardens,
"riads", fountains, and Moroccan reception rooms.

The Château ROSLANE comprises among other things, a 70,000 hectoliter cellar of which 11,000 are air conditioned, stainless steel tanks, three sorting conveyor tables for unloading grapes, a coaxial heat exchanger for coloring the entire harvest, pneumatic presses, underground ageing cellars featured with constant temperature and humidity control with a capacity of 3000 oak barrels and 3 million laid bottles.

The Vinyards

The cradle of the greatest civilizations, the Mediterranean basin has always been a land of predilection for vineyards. Thanks to its temperate climate, generous sun and naturally rich soils, Morocco, and in particular the Meknes region is its natural extension.

Les Celliers de Meknès estates cover nearly 2000 hectares of vineyards divided among four of Morocco's most prestigious designations : AOG Guerrouane, AOG Beni M'tir, AOG Berkane and the country's only AOC, Les Coteaux de l'Atlas whose best parcels have been graded as "1st Cru".

The climate of the Middle Atlas in the foothills on which our estates are situated, the elevation ranging from 580 to 700 meters, the moderate rainfall and generous sunshine all provide our vineyards with an exceptional site unrivalled in Morocco.

AOC LES COTEAUX DE L'ATLAS
It is by an october 1998 order of the Ministry of Agriculture, completing a 1977 decree, that the first controlled Appelation of Morocco was created. The deliminitation of the geographic area concern the districts of Sidi-Slimane, Mjat and Boufekrane, a region known for producing great wines since the Roman empire. It is within this area that the best soils have benefited from a classification in CRU, another first in the history of Moroccan viticulture.

AOG BENI M'TIR
The Appellation Beni M'tir is a region of nothern Morocco, located south to the imperial city of Meknes at the foothils of the Atlas Mountains in between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This area has been known for producing fine wines for more than 2000 years at the times of the Romain Empire. Our vineyards are at an altitude of 700 meters and benefit from a dry-sunny climate and time-rich clayly soils giving powerful, full-bodied, expressive wines.

AOG GUERROUANE
The Appellation Guerrouane is a region of northern Morocco, located south to the imperial city of Meknes at the foothills of the atlas Mountains in between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediteranean Sea. This area has been known for producing wines for more than 2000 years at the times of the roman empire. Our vineyards are at an altitude of 550 meters and benefit from a dry-sunny climate and rich-sandy soils giving subtle, easy to drink wines.

AOG BERKANE
The appellation Berkane is located in North North-East of Morocco, near the cities of Nador and Oujda at the foothills of the Rif Mountains, facing the Mediteranean Sea. Our vineyards profit from a dry-sunny climate of oceanic type and rich limestone soils giving subtle, fruity easy to drink wines.