The document summarizes information about the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, which contains 50% of the country's wineries. It focuses on how the valley promotes the Sauvignon Blanc grape varietal. The summary discusses the valley's history of wine production dating back to Phoenician times. It also provides details on the valley's geography, climate, soil types, and viticulture practices used for Sauvignon Blanc. The dominant soil types are clay-limestone and the climate is Mediterranean, with 650mm of rainfall in winter and temperatures ranging from 10°C to 26.7°C.

1. GROUPE ESA
The Bekaa Valley
A geographical area that valorizes the Sauvignon
Blanc grape varietal
Barbarah Destouches and Joseph Moukarzel
05-Dec-14
Master VINTAGE

2. Introduction: The Bekaa valley contains 50% of the total of Lebanese wineries which produce 7.700.000
bottles (75cl) per year. Wineries are for the most located in Zahle, Baalbek and West Bekaa. Sauvignon
Blanc has recently become a varietal in Lebanon, where it represents 18% to 20% (fig1) of the total vines
planted for white wines, it is the second most used white grape after Ugni blanc, therefore it can be
considered that the Bekaa valley is a region which promotes and valorize this varietal. Depending on the
region of production, Sauvignon Blanc develops different types of aromas such as: boxwood, flint or cat
urine, nevertheless in Lebanon it produces notes of exotic fruits like papaya or guava (Rozelier, Zawaq,
2012). This paper focus on the three main regions in the Bekaa: West bekaa, Zahle and Baalbek.
History: The history of Lebanese vineyard dates back to the Phoenicians (Rozelier, Zawaq, 2012),
merchants by nature, they were producing wine to export all over the Mediterranean Sea. After the
Phoenicians came the Greeks and the Romans empires, for these two civilizations wine was sacred;
justified by the presence of the gods of wine such as Bacchus and Dionysus, there rule stretched in an
area covering all of the modern Lebanon, and there vineyards were mainly in the Bekaa valley, justified
by the temple of Bacchus in Baalbek. The production and consumption of wine reached its peak during
the Christian era, where the wine had religious meanings; it was the symbol of Christ’s blood, therefore,
viticulture boomed in Lebanese soils. Finally, with the advent of Islam, especially during the Umayyad
and Abbasid periods, wine production stopped, marking the death of Lebanese viticulture, because wine
is strictly forbidden in Islam. However, the Lebanese vineyard sees a “renaissance” or rebirth,
implemented by the Jesuits in 1857 (Ksara, 2014) and a boom during the post-war in 1975.
There were eight areas in the 90’s against 41 in 2010 (Rozelier, L'embellie du vignoble libanais, 2011).
The main plantations are in the Bekaa with 1,241 ha calculated as 57% of the total area. There are also
vineyards in northern Lebanon (633 ha), in Mount Lebanon (256 ha), and in South Lebanon (50 ha).
There is no direct relationship between the choice of grape variety and the Lebanese soil. However, the
use of noble varieties justifies the seriousness and passion of some Lebanese wineries; we distinguish
the “Sauvignon blanc” in this paper.
Geographical situation of the studied area: The Bekaa valley is a large area situated between the two
mountainous chains of Lebanon: Mount-Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon (fig2). It has an average altitude of
1000 meters and is almost everywhere above 850m (Walley, 2003). It is located on 34.0089° N, 36.1453°
E (Google, 2014). The Bekaa Valley is about 120 kilometers in length and has an average width of about
16 kilometers. It contains two rivers, the “Assi” river (or Orontes), sourcing from the north of the Bekaa
and flowing into Syria and then Turkey (Deford, 1973), and the “Litani” river which also source from the
north section of the Bekaa and flows into the Mediterranean sea while forming a large lake in the south
Bekaa called “Qaraon” (Wikipedia, 2014). The Bekaa Valley consists of five main regions or “Cazas”:
Zahle, West-Bekaa, Rashayya, Baalbek and Hermel (Localiban, 2009).
Geology (fig3): The Bekaa Valley is the result of tectonic plate activities; it is situated between two large
faults: The “yammouneh” fault and the “anti-Lebanon” fault (Walley, 2003). It is a series of different
geological formation stacked up on each other, with Cretaceous and Jurassic sediments (sandstone and
marine limestone) in the bottom, conglomerates and Miocene alluvial fans in the middle, and Pliocene-
quaternary lake deposits (mainly from Litani river) on the top. Some chalk and limestone from Senonian-
neogene can be found in the south region of the Bekaa (Dubertret, 1955).

3. Figure 1, grape varieties used in the Bekaa
Figure 2, Geographical location of the Bekaa
Figure 3, Cut view of Lebanon

4. Pedology: The soil consists mainly of clay and limestone in the Bekaa. The soils present on the slopes
are shallow and have high levels of limestone (between 25 and 80%) with high levels of active limestone.
The soils of the Bekaa have significant clay content about 50%. The land is generally poor in humus and
organic matter (ROBY, 2003). The main type of soil is Eutric Cambisols in the flat center of the valley, and
Lithic Leptosols on both sides of the valley, where moderate slopes begin to form (Darwish, 1999).
1. Cambisols (isric, major soils of the world,
2014):
 They are soils beginning their
transformation in structure, and brownish
in color.
 Medium and fine-textured materials from a
wide variety of rocks, mostly in colluvial,
alluvial or eolian deposits.
 ABC profiles
 Wide variety of agricultural uses.
 Contain silt and sand.
 Occur in regions with precipitation surplus
but the terrain position permit surficial
discharge of excess water.
 High porosity, good water holding capacity
and good internal drainage.
 Neutral to weakly acid soil, with an active
fauna.
2. Leptosols (isric, 2014):
 Shallow soils over hard rock or highly
calcareous material.
 Deep soils are gravelly and stony
 Mostly in land of high altitude
 ABR or ABC profiles
 Free draining soils, may have grounded
water in shallow depth.
 Low water holding capacity
 Earthworms are chief soil organisms.
Climate (ROBY, 2003): Lebanon's climate is generally Mediterranean, with oceanic tendencies in winter
and subtropical in summer. Since the mountains of Lebanon are parallel to the coastline, there is a fast
transition between the maritime climate on the coast and the semi-continental climate in the Bekaa. A
dry season, characterized by the complete absence of precipitation affects Lebanon between the end of
April and early October. The dominant southwestern winds bring moisture from the sea for all
Lebanon’s maritime facade. However, Most of the rain will precipitate on the mountains, which causes a
natural obstacle, leaving the Bekaa with lower precipitation. The continuous melting of snow from
mountain tops is the main water resource for the Bekaa during summer.
 The mountainous region of Mount Lebanon: precipitation (rain and snow) increase usually with
altitude. They are large (1300mm) on the west side of Mount Lebanon and are much reduced on
the eastern side. Temperatures are much cooler and decrease with altitude.
 The central and southern parts of the Bekaa Valley: the rainfall is about 650mm, distributed in
winter. The air is dry. The average temperature ranges from 10 ° C in January to 26.7 ° C in
August.
 The northern Bekaa: it can be characterized as semi-desert, with a continental drift. It rains less
than 300mm. The temperatures are very high in the summer and the wind is often strong. The
two tables in the next page represent the ombrothermic diagram of “Zahle”, the capital city of
the Bekaa, and “daher el baydar” on the hilly areas of the Bekaa. Source: Lebanese Republic,
Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Directorate General Of Civil Aviation Meteorological
Department, between the period of 1971 and 2000.

5. Station : Zahlé_Houch_el_Oumara
Lat 33 :49 N lon 35 :51 E Elevation : 920 m
Jan Fév Mars Avr Mai Juin Juil Aout Sep Oct Nov D♪0c Tot /Moy
precipitation ( mm ) 141.1 112.2 94.1 42.4 10.2 0.6 0 0 0.9 33.8 68.5 131.1 635
T max ( ° ) 9.8 11.6 15 20.8 26.5 30.3 32.6 33.1 30.5 25.7 18.4 12.3 22.22
T min ( ° ) 1.8 2.2 4.2 7.2 10.5 13.3 15.4 15.5 13.2 10.3 6.6 3.1 8.61
Température Moyenne ( ° ) 5.8 6.9 9.6 14 18.5 21.8 24 24.3 21.7 18 12.5 7.7 15.40
Max Relative Humidity. (°) 91 88 86 79 70 58 50 70 73 81 97 94 78.08
MIN Relative Humidity. (°) 51 41 37 27 21 17 9 15 18 33 31 51 29.25
Mean Relative Humidity. (°) 71 64 62 53 45 37 29 43 55 57 64 73 54.42
Max wind speed. (m/sec) 19 20 19 8 31 9 19 18 26 25 16 22 21.00
Mean wind speed. (m/sec) 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 4 3.67
Evaporation (mm / day) Gel Gel Gel 143.3 251.2 284.3 306.8 279 294.1 228.5 64.9 Gel 231.51
Nb of days of precipitation 13 13 11 7 3 0+ 0 0 1 4 8 10 70
Nb of days of Snow 2.9 2.5 1.4 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 0.4 8
Nb of days of ice 8 7 3 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5.5 25
Nb of days > 30 ° 0 0 0 1 6 14 23 27 15 4 0 0 90
Station : Daher_el_Baidar
Lat 33:49 N lon 35 :46 E Elevation:1524 m
Jan Fév Mars Avr Mai Juin Juil Aout Sep Oct Nov D♪0c Tot /Moy
precipitation ( mm ) 310 232 227 84 33 2 0.5 0.5 4 55 149 273 1370
T max ( ° ) 4.5 6.3 8.9 13 17 21.4 22.5 23.4 21.4 17.5 13.4 7.1 14.70
T min ( ° ) -0.6 0.1 1.9 5.2 8.7 13.3 15 15.5 13.6 10.3 6.9 2.5 7.70
Température Moyenne ( ° ) 2.2 3.3 5.4 9.1 12.9 17.3 18.8 19.7 17.5 13.9 10.2 4.8 11.26
Max Relative Humidity. (°) 89 83 76 87 80 74 81 87 88 86 75 81 82.22
MIN Relative Humidity. (°) 50 43 36 33 37 20 21 22 23 43 38 48 34.50
Mean Relative Humidity. (°) 69 63 56 60 59 47 51 55 56 65 67 81 60.75
Max wind speed. (m/sec) 27 23 23 23 9 17 1 17 7 29 28 29 19.42
Mean wind speed. (m/sec) 4 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4.10
Evaporation (mm / day) Gel Gel 146 131.4 246.2 326.4 384.9 341.4 317.4 148 Gel Gel 255.21
Nb of days of precipitation 15 18 10 4 2 0 0 0 2 6 8 17 82
Nb of days of Snow 15 14 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 43
Nb of days of ice 22 18 14 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 11 74
Nb of days > 30 ° 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Table 1, Zahle ombrothermic table, with relatively low precipitation and higher temperatures
Table 2, Daher el Baydar ombrothermic table, with relatively high precipitations and lower temperatures

6. Scientific studies concerning the area: A team of Lebanese winemakers want to create a system of
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). This system established in France is for a specific product located
in a limited geographical area (CHAOUI), its soil and climate unit, its technical constraints and practices
are to be observed. For Lebanon, it seems difficult to apply such legislation because vinified grapes in
the same cave usually come from very different regions: Bekaa, Mount Lebanon…
The Lebanese wine is changing: introduction of new varieties, different ways of growing the grapes are
compared to other models in order to find the best adequacies in the production of quality wine. It
would be harmful to end this dynamic. In addition, the proliferation of Controlled Origin Denominations
on the French model results in a lack of clarity for the international consumer. The creation of various
names within a small wine country like Lebanon will accentuate the problem of recognition of the
product on the international market.
Rootstock: The use of a rootstock is indispensable in the fight against phylloxera. Furthermore
considering the high risk of chlorosis in a large part of the Lebanese soil and the lack of rainfall during
the vegetative cycle of the vine to the choice of the rootstock should generally be directed towards
those supporting active high levels of limestone and drought resistant (ROBY, 2003). Because of the
strong daily hot weather, it is interesting to use rootstocks delaying the vegetative cycle of the vine to
slow the rate of maturation of grape berries and get more aromatic grapes.
Local nurseries offer grafted plants welded table grapes and wine grapes. The rootstock used is very
predominantly “41B” associated with local varieties of table grapes and the grape varieties most in
demand for wine grapes. The vines produced in Lebanon are much cheaper than imported ones, but
their quality is lower. The rootstock “41B” represents about 80% of the champagne region vineyards and
it is particularly represented in the Bekaa region (Midi, 2003). It is resistant to drought, so it is used in
the Baalbek region of the Bekaa, and at the same time, appreciates humidity, like in the humid mid-
sections of the Bekaa and the regions surrounding the Litani river.
Viticulture practices (BEL, 2009):
 Pruning: In the Bekaa, we only have two types of pruning, the first one is “en gobelet” (fig.4) which
is a traditional mode of pruning used widely in the Bekaa and all over Lebanon, and the second one
is “guyot”, (fig.5) which is getting more popular in the Bekaa vineyard, because of international
standards, but because of its high cost, it holds nowadays only 39% of the total vineyards. However,
the Bekaa is losing slowly its traditional Mediterranean viticultural landscape. (BEL, 2009).
 Planting density: for the “gobelet” mode, the planting density is traditionally 1600 plant per hectare.
It is left intentionally low to allow all plants to get enough water without generating any
competition. However, in modern viticulture, the number has risen to 3200 plants per hectare, it has
doubled because of the rising in real estate prices, but controlled via pruning. As for the “guyot”
pruning, the planting density is 5000 plants per hectare.
 Irrigation: winegrowers make sure not to irrigate their plants, but only in the first two years of the
plant, to assure adequate growing and healthy plants.
 Groundwork: Heavy machinery is used to plow the land.
 Disease: Blackwood disease, oidium, esca, are found in the Bekaa valley.

7. Figure 4, Vineyards "en gobelet" in Kefraya, Bekaa west
Figure 5, Vineyards "en guyot" in Kefraya

8. Oenological practices: The Sauvignon blanc is usually blended with other grape varieties, such as
chardonnay, semillon and viogner, Only one vineyard (Domaine wardy) has a 100% sauvignon blanc
single varietal in the Bekaa. Because of the hot weather, especially in summer, all grapes including
Sauvignon reach their full maturity in the beginning of September. No special wine making techniques
are recorded; it follows the major worldwide trends like in Bordeaux. However, the Bekaa valley
traditionally made sweet red wines destined for religious purposes (Ksara, 2014) and lately, sweet white
wines have been introduced in the market such as the “Moscatel” of chateau Ksara, and “pinot gris” of
Chateau Khoury.
The Vineyards: The vineyards area in Lebanon is 10.609 ha with 70% for “table grapes” and the
equivalent of 3.183 ha for wine production. Bekaa Valley contains 69% of the total area (Table 3). The
vineyards are managed by three types of managers:
 Independent winegrowers1
. (Mostly located in West Bekaa and Zahle)
 Independent winegrowers, members of a cooperative (Côteaux d’Heliopolis)
 Wine producers2
. (Ksara, Kefraya…)
Types of wines in the “appellation” (Wehbe): Lebanon has joined the OIV (Office International de la
Vigne et du Vin) on 10/04/1995 at the initiative of the leading wine producers. The OIV is an
intergovernmental institution which goals is to inform its members about proper measures to take into
account regarding consumers and producers, to contribute to the international harmonization of
practices and standards, to improve the development and marketing of wine products. The OIV also
contribute to the harmonization and adaptation of regulations by its members particularly the respect
the AOC guidelines in order to evaluate the characteristics of wine qualities.
The AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) concept is not officially implemented in Lebanon; instead
they have the geographical indication (GI) which is used as a protection tool to designate products by
the name of their place of production. GI protection is ranked among the rights of intellectual property
that contain particular copyrights, invention patents, industrial designs and trademarks. As the
trademark, geographical indication is a sealed sign on specific products to distinguish them from others.
Besides Sauvignon blanc, winegrowers in Lebanon use other type of varieties such as Ugni Blanc,
Bourboulenc, Clairette, Vionier, Chardonnay for white wine and Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah,
Carignan, Grenache, Temprenilo for red wine.
1
By winegrowers we mean the people who cultivate vineyards but do not produce wine.
2
By wine producers we mean people who produce wine. They might be winegrowers at the same time but not
necessarily.

9. Table 3, Presence of Sauvignon Blanc in all of the wineries of the Bekaa. (Rozelier, Zawaq, 2012)
Domain’s name Estate Production/
Bottles
Exportation
(%)
Yied Sauvignon
Blanc
(Monocepa
ge)
Blending
with
other
varieties
Zahle Château Khoury 15 ha 50 000 20 20-35 hl/ha --no -- no
Château Ksara 70+270
under lease
2 700 000 45 55-75 hl/ha -- no Yes
Coteaux du
Liban
6+10 ha
under lease
60 000 100 40 hl/ha -- no -- no
Domaine de
Baal
4.5 ha 12 000 30 18 hl/ ha -- no Yes
Domaine
Wardy
35+10 ha
under lease
250 000 65 16-45 hl/ha Yes Yes
West
Bekaa
Cave Kouroum 200 ha 700 000 40 35-40 hl/ha -- no Yes
Château Ka 70 150 000 40 30-35 hl/ha -- no Yes
Château
Marsyas
55 ha 50 000 15 60 hl/ha -- no Yes
Château
Kefraya
150+210 ha
(under lease)
2 000 000 33 40hl/ha -- no yes
Château
Qanafar
10 + 5 under
lease
12 000 -- 10 hl/ha -- no -- no
Chateau St.
Thomas
30 + 35
under lease
450 000 65 30-55 hl/ha -- no Yes
Domaine de
Mas Helios
8 ha 3 000 -- -- -- no -- no
Domaine des
Tourelles
20 + 20
under lease
150 000 35 45-50 hl/ha -- no -- no
Heritage 5 + 50 ha
under lease
300-400
000
60 -- -- no Yes
Massaya 17 + 23 ha
under lease
300 000 85 40-60 hl/ha -- no Yes
Baalb
ek
Château Barka 7 ha 5 000 -- -- -- no Yes
Côteaux
d’Héliopolis
250 ha 6 000 Cooperation

10. The specification is one of the most important elements to become a GI (Geographical Indication). It’s a
document developed by producers who undertake to observe the entire period of protection. The
regulations are:
a- product name
b- the demarcation of the geographical area
c- the product description and characteristics
d- description of the method of obtaining the product
e the appointment of a supervisor who controls the product conforms to the specifications
f- elements relating to packaging and labeling
g- the requirements prescribed by the special local regulations.
Market Information (Antoun, 2014): Wine industry in the Bekaa is nationally oriented. Consumption of
the wines produced locally does not exceed 2% to 3%, of its total production which accounts for 50% of
the Lebanese market. The national orientation of wine activity is mainly related to wine activities
conducted outside the Bekaa such as printing houses and label makers, wine producers take part of
exhibitions on the national level to promote their vintage. Exportation is about 50% of local production
(figure 6). Top export markets in order of market share are: UK 32%, France 17%, US 14%, Canada 5%,
UAE 5%, Germany 4%, Belgium 4%.
Landscape value (MOUKARZEL, 2012): The value of the Lebanese viticulture landscape is in the contrast
of topography at first place and the variety of soil types throughout the Bekaa. Slopes create the need of
terraces which generates new types of vertical landscapes, sometimes very specific for viticulture,
whereas in the flatlands, terraces are absent and replaced by parallel lines and a horizontal perspective.
As for the soil types, the bright brownish soils on slopes indicates the presence of rock alteration, these
soils are rich in minerals and low in organic matter, whereas the darker redder soils in flatlands indicates
the richness of organic matter and a fertile soil, in a general way, there is a degradation of color
proportionally to the altitude.
In the Bekaa valley, there is no “official” wine itinerary, tourists visit the wineries depending on
individual efforts of tour operators and the domains themselves, unfortunately, collective work and
unity is shy in the Bekaa valley, on the contrary of their neighbors in the north of Lebanon.
Some of these domains host many events, such as Ksara which is very popular for marital events due to
its remarkable landscape and beauty. In terms of enotourism, there is a great potential for the Bekaa
valley because of its attractive landscape and its proximity to major cities and other activities.
Strengths and Weaknesses (MOUKARZEL, 2012):
Strengths Weaknesses
Suitable climate no clear equation between soil/climate/grape
Diversified soil Unsuitable varieties for the climate
Modernization, technical improvement Dominated by non-Mediterranean varieties
Competition and developing consumer Wine style that copies other international styles
Popular concept of “Vins de garages” Recent revival, no identity
Potential viticulture lands, that are not yet exploited Undeveloped viticulture lands
Soil rich in limestone (limestone represents 3% of
the total earth’s surface)
No clear laws
Surprising topography , contrasts plain / mountain producers rely on personal efforts

11. Figure 6, wine export in Lebanon

12. Bibliography
Antoun, L. B. (2014). WINE INDUSTRY IN THE BEKAA VALLEY, LEBANON. European Scientific Journal.
BEL, J. P. (2009). Les paysages viticoles de la Bekaa (Liban). Paris: Books on demand.
CHAOUI, Z. E. (n.d.). AOC Liban. vice-président de l’Union vinicole du Liban, et PDG de Château Ksara.
Darwish, T. (1999). Mapping of natural resources using remote sensing for soil studies. National Forum
on support of remote sensing techniques to planning and decision-making processes for
sustainable development. Beirut: CNRS.
Deford, J. F. (1973). A River Called Rebel. Saudi Aramco World, 12-21.
Dubertret, L. (1955). Carte geologique du Liban. Republique Libanaise, ministere des travaux publics.
Google. (2014). Google maps. Retrieved 2014, from https://www.google.fr/maps/:
https://www.google.fr/maps/place/Beqaa+Valley,+Lebanon/
isric. (2014). major soils of the world. Retrieved 2104, from
http://www.isric.org/isric/webdocs/docs/major_soils_of_the_world/set5/cm/cambisol.pdf
isric. (2014). major soils of the world. Retrieved from
http://www.isric.org/isric/webdocs/docs/major_soils_of_the_world/set4/lp/leptosol.pdf
Ksara, C. (2014). Timeline of chateau Ksara. Retrieved 2014, from www.ksara.com.lb:
http://www.ksara.com.lb/le-chateau.php
Localiban. (2009). Carte de la Division Administrative Régionale du Liban. Retrieved 2014, from
www.localiban.org: http://localiban.org/spip.php?article1723
Midi, I. (2003). Pyrennes, compte rendu de voyage d'etude au Liban du 19 au 26 janvier 2003. 6.
MOUKARZEL, J. (2012). Le paysage viticole libanais, composante d'un terroir d'exception. Beirut:
Memoire d'etude, Université Libanaise.
ROBY, J.-P. (2003). LA FILIERE VITICOLE AU LIBAN : ANALYSE ET PROPOSITIONS POUR UNE EVOLUTION.
Bordeaux: ECOLE NATIONALE d’INGENIEURS des TRAVAUX AGRICOLES de BORDEAUX.
Rozelier, M. (2011). L'embellie du vignoble libanais. Le commerce du levant(5623).
Rozelier, M. (2012). Zawaq. Edition Tamyras.
Walley, C. (2003). The geology of Lebanon, a summary. (Al-Mashriq, Ed.) Retrieved 2014, from
http://ddc.aub.edu.lb: http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/geology/geology-of-lebanon/
Wehbe, D. F. (n.d.). La protection juridique des indications géographiques au Liban. Retrieved 2014, from
http://www.economy.gov.lb:
http://www.economy.gov.lb/public/uploads/files/9791_4027_6145.pdf

13. Wikipedia. (2014). Litani river. Retrieved 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litani_River