Wine culture in Lebanon can be traced back to the Phoenicians, who spread across the Mediterranean between 1500 and 300 B.C. The country's long-standing winemaking tradition was revived in the early 2000s, and wine production in Lebanon increased again. Today, Lebanon produces roughly 8.5 million bottles a year, which it mostly exports abroad, including to France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Wines produced in Lebanon show variety: Chateau Ksara, founded by Jesuit priests in 1857, offers 14 different wines from grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah, in addition to the autochthonous white grape variety Obeidi. The younger and more family business-oriented Chateau Khoury focuses on organic agriculture, while Coteaux les Cedres, an organic and fair trade winery from Heliopolis cooperative, boasts of its intense and slightly fruity wines.

These three vineyards, along with others, consider Vinifest, Lebanon’s largest wine event, a good platform to get into the local and international spotlight. Neda Farah, the director of events management company Eventions, established Vinifest in 2004 to introduce the different wines produced in Lebanon to the public. The event, which was originally located at the Beirut port, was not held for three years after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 put on hold most cultural activities in 2005-2007; Vinifest restarted in 2008 relocating to Beirut Hippodrome. On Oct. 4-7, 2017, it celebrated its 10th anniversary.

For four days, attendees tasted wine either on their own or in the company of 22 European enologists. “Lebanese wine was almost unknown, and I thought it was essential to help people know about wine culture in our country,” Farah told Al-Monitor. “I used to be a pharmacist and I traveled a lot. I attended a wine and music festival in Greece and I loved it. That’s why I started organizing it here. The idea is to promote the culture of Lebanese wine, and with time I noted that the wine really improved in terms of quality. Wineries use advisers from abroad, and the Union Vinicole du Liban helps regulate the wine production and promotion."