Le Relais Dionysos at Château Kefraya

A landmark of Lebanese wine

Château Kefraya is a 300-hectare wine estate in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, at the village of Kefraya. Its vineyards spread across the foothills of Mount Barouk, about 20 km south of Chtoura, making it one of the largest wine estates in the Bekaa. (Note: this is a working winery and estate, not a historic monument.)

History of the estate

The agricultural land has belonged to the Bustros family for generations. In 1951 Michel de Bustros began planting vines on a few hectares, and the first wines were produced in 1979 — remarkably, during the Lebanese civil war. Ownership today is shared among the Bustros family and other partners.

The vineyards and wines

The estate practises sustainable, reasoned agriculture, and its vines are not irrigated. It produces around 1.5 million bottles a year of red, white and rosé, exported across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania and Africa. Its most celebrated wine is the red Comte de M, a Syrah–Cabernet Sauvignon blend, alongside the flagship Château Kefraya reds, whites and rosés; the estate also makes the traditional aniseed spirit arak. Its wines have won international awards since the early 1980s.

Visiting

Set among the vines with views over the Bekaa, the estate welcomes visitors for tastings and dining, a popular stop on Lebanon's wine route.

• Location: Kefraya, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon (foot of Mount Barouk)

• Founded: Vines planted from 1951; first wines 1979

• Production: ~1.5 million bottles a year; flagship red Comte de M

• Character: Family-owned, dry-farmed estate; one of the Bekaa's largest

• Visiting: Tastings, dining and vineyard visits