Classified as the oldest commercial winery in Lebanon, Domaine des tourelles produces a delicious range of wine and spirits (liqueurs: brou de noix and oranjaline) as well as the world’s most famous arak, Arak Brun. It is located in the Bekaa Valley, Chtaura.
It was founded in 1868 by a French man called Francois-Eugène Brun, who since the day he laid the foundation stone of the domaine, wrote the story of a marvelous intemporal Lebanese wine immersed with artisanal know-how and quality. Initially, Mr. Brun was sent to Lebanon in 1860 by an Ottoman company on a mission to build a road connecting Beirut to Damascus. What was initially supposed to be a simple business trip ended up being the start of a wine heritage. The winery was transmitted from a Brun generation to another, but the last descendent named Pierre Brun died in 1999 at the age of 82. The estate is run today by the Issa and Issa El-Khoury families: Faouzi Issa, Christiane Issa, Johanne Issa and Emile Issa El-Khoury.
Described in the Financial Times as “the most seductive winery” in Lebanon, the prestigious property is indubitably one of the finest wineries of the Middle-East, being in the industry for more than 150 years. Domaine des Tourelles wines, spirits and arak are available in more than 10 countries, with the mission of conquering hearts and taste-buds all over the globe! And for those who wish to get in depth with the charming world of Lebanese wine, discovering the world of Domaine des Tourelles is simply a must.
We think it’s fair to say that the winery itself is a museum: When you visit, you’ll see the old machines, still used during production, the old walls, the dust and moist all over the winery, Mr. Brun’s office remained intact (you can see the phone he used in the pictures!). The harvest is done manually, the vineyards are organically farmed.
Our visit at the Domaine started with a tour of the winery. The introduction was presented by Christiane. The winery was built in 1868 and throughout time, got expanded several times while still respecting its initial traditional Lebanese architecture, gradually adding up a mix of modern modes of winemaking: old stone walls, red-tile roof, and wooden ceiling beams… The winery was also strategically built following an ancestral design that takes advantage of the outdoor factors of the region and procures an ideal ambient temperature at all times. The winery is lucky enough to benefit from 240 days of reliable sunshine and a dry climate, real ally against most fungal diseases.
You can also find concrete vats dating from the 60s with thickness of 30 cm, rarely used among our current Lebanese wineries. These vats provide ideal biological conditions for the whole wine making process: the authenticity of the wine is therefore preserved and that’s partly how the distinctive taste of Lebanon’s terroir is born and maintained. For the fermentation procedure, special stainless-steel tanks are used as recipients for the white and rosé wine, whereas concrete tanks are used for the red wine. It is also good to know that the wines are vegan: unlike most wines, Domaine des Tourelles does not include any animal fining agents such as casein (a milk protein), albumin (egg whites), gelatin (animal protein) or isinglass (fish bladder protein)as explained by Nicole (Nicole is part of the Domaine des Tourelles team).
The tour ended up in their beautiful garden for a very generous wine tasting session, and even though the whole trip took place in February, the weather was really nice and it was sunny all day! Faouzi Issa (Domaine des Tourelles’ winemaker and co-owner) joined our tasting session. Domaine des Tourelles is actually one of the few Lebanese wineries where the management team would join such sessions.
All of this combined assures an amazing experience whether you are a wine drinker or just a casual sipper.
In 2011, Domaine des Tourelles opened its own boutique located in Monot, facing Entrecote. It’s a very chill and cozy place, perfect for tastings with friends around a bar specially designed for it. You can also find and buy the full range of Domaine des Tourelles products displayed as well as Arak Brun.
We would like to thank all the Domaine des Tourelles team for their great sense of hospitality, and amazing story telling session. It was such an amazing experience, and we will probably be back again for another round!
If you’d like to book a private tour or need any information you can check www.domainedestourelles.com
