Lebanese wine has quietly become one of the most interesting corners of the wine shelf, and the reason is simple. Lebanon grows two white grapes almost nobody else does, Obaideh and Merwah, which have adapted to Lebanese conditions over centuries and give whites you will not find anywhere else.
The easiest way in is still the country's most famous red. Château Musar 2018 comes from the Bekaa Valley, blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault at 14% ABV, and costs £47.95 for a 75cl bottle.
This is a friendly UK guide to everything behind that bottle. We have put it together drawing on years of helping customers at our independent shop in Portobello, Edinburgh, and it covers Lebanon's three key regions, the grapes worth knowing, and five wines to try from our range of more than twenty Lebanese bottlings.
What makes Lebanese wine different?
Two things set Lebanese wine apart.
The first is those indigenous white grapes, which we come back to in detail below. The second is range. Alongside the native varieties, Lebanese producers work confidently with international grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault, Syrah, Merlot and Tempranillo for reds, and Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat and even Assyrtico for whites.
The result is a category that can feel familiar and unusual in the same glass.
There is good news for anyone shopping with dietary preferences in mind, too. Every Ixsir and Château Oumsiyat wine in our range is marked vegan and vegetarian-friendly, and bottles are sealed under natural, agglomerated or synthetic cork depending on the cuvée.
Lebanon's key wine regions
Bekaa Valley
This is the region most represented in our range and the one most closely associated with Lebanese wine. Both Château Musar wines carry the Bekaa Valley designation, as do most of Château Oumsiyat's bottlings and both Château Ka wines.
Mount Lebanon
A smaller presence, but a distinctive one. Château Oumsiyat's Mount Lebanon wines, including its Grande Reserve, Merlot and Syrah, sit at the riper end of the range at 14% to 14.5% ABV, with savoury, earthy, concentrated characters.
Batroun
Ixsir's wines come from Batroun, and they show a different accent again: warm, perfumed reds and aromatic whites, generally at 14% to 14.5% ABV.
Château Musar: the benchmark Lebanese wine
If you buy one Lebanese wine, this is usually where people begin. We stock Château Musar in three formats.
Château Musar 2018 (Bekaa Valley)
The red is a three-grape blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault under natural cork, at 14% ABV.
In the glass, it is bright ruby, with ripe red and dark orchard fruit on the nose and a subtle herbal, liquorice edge behind it. The tannins are gentle and well knitted in; there is enough acidity to keep it lively, and it finishes long. Cellared properly, it will keep developing for decades.
A 75cl bottle is £47.95. The same wine is also available as a 150cl magnum at £105.00, which suits larger gatherings or long-term cellaring.
Château Musar White 2018
The white is the more unusual bottle, and the quickest way to meet Lebanon's native grapes.
Château Musar White 2018 is made from Obaideh and Merwah at a gentler 12% ABV, priced at £39.95. Expect a pale lemon colour, orchard fruit and dried-grass aromatics, a touch of vanilla, and citrus running underneath, with orange blossom and soft stone fruit on the palate.
Those flavours keep developing as the wine ages, so it rewards a little patience.
Obaideh and Merwah: Lebanon's indigenous white grapes
These two varieties are the heart of Lebanese white wine, and they are the main reason the country tastes different from anywhere else.
Château Musar blends them together. Château Oumsiyat bottles them separately, with a Merwah 2025 and an Obeidy 2025 at £65.95 per six-bottle case, the latter showing mineral, exotic fruit character and a clean, saline finish. You will see the grape written as both Obaideh and Obeidy depending on the producer; it is the same variety.
Ixsir's Altitudes White 2025 is also made from Obaideh, at 14% ABV and £120.95 per case of six, with a musky, perfumed nose lifted by grapefruit and white flowers.
If you prefer more familiar territory, our Lebanese white wines also include an unoaked Chardonnay, an Ixsir Grande Reserve White 2025 made with Viognier, an Assyrtico cuvée, and a Chateau Ka blend of Chardonnay, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.
Three more Lebanese wines to try
Ixsir, Altitudes Red 2021 (Batroun)
A Cabernet-based blend with real warmth and generosity, built on dark berry fruit with a green-pepper lift and a touch of red fruit sweetness.
Ixsir Altitudes Red 2021 is 14.5% ABV, vegan and vegetarian friendly, and sold as a case of six 75cl bottles at £119.95, with a lead time of three to five business days.
If you want to explore the producer further, the Grande Reserve Red 2017 is a Syrah-Shiraz at £170.95, and El Ixsir Red 2016 is the most concentrated of the three at £295.95.
Château Oumsiyat, Bekaa Valley Merwah 2025
This is the bottle to choose if you want something you genuinely cannot buy from anywhere else.
Made from the indigenous Merwah grape, it offers elderflower and grapefruit over a distinctly salty, mineral core, with real tension through the middle and a warm, spiced snap on the finish.
At 12.5% ABV, vegan and vegetarian friendly, a case of six 75cl bottles is £64.95, with a lead time of seven to ten business days.
Château Ka, Source de Rouge 2021 (Bekaa Valley)
A crowd-pleasing Bekaa Valley red blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah at 13.5% ABV, with red fruit and gentle spice, a peppery note and soft tannins carrying a hint of liquorice.
It comes as a case of twelve 75cl bottles at £205.95, with a lead time of three to seven business days, which makes it a sensible choice for a party or for sharing between friends.
How to serve and pair Lebanese wine
Serve bold reds slightly cool -
Like most full-bodied reds, the Mount Lebanon and Batroun wines at 14% to 14.5% ABV show best a little below room temperature, around 16°C. This keeps the fruit fresh and stops the alcohol dominating.
Give structured reds time to open -
Denser, more tannic bottles benefit from decanting, or simply a little time in the glass before you drink them.
Match weight with weight -
Richer, savoury reds suit hearty, full-flavoured dishes such as grilled or roasted meats, while the saline, citrus-driven Lebanese whites sit better alongside lighter, fresher plates.
Store spare bottles properly -
Keep anything you are not opening in a cool, dark place away from direct light.
Check the lead time before you order -
Every product page shows its own lead time. The Lebanese wines in this guide range from three to ten business days, and Château Musar is among the selected wines available for next business day delivery to UK mainland addresses when ordered by 12 noon, Monday to Friday. Northern Ireland and parts of the Scottish Highlands and Islands run on a two-working-day service instead.
Common questions about Lebanese wine
Which region does most Lebanese wine come from?
The Bekaa Valley is Lebanon's best-known wine region and accounts for most of our Lebanese range, with Mount Lebanon and Batroun also represented.
What grapes is Château Musar made from?
The red 2018 blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault. The white 2018 is made from the indigenous Obaideh and Merwah varieties.
How much does Château Musar cost in the UK?
On our site, Château Musar 2018 is £47.95 for a 75cl bottle and £105.00 for a 150cl magnum, while Château Musar White 2018 is £39.95.
Are Lebanese wines vegan?
Some are. Every Ixsir and Château Oumsiyat wine we stock is marked vegan and vegetarian-friendly, and Château Ka Source Blanche is marked vegetarian.
Can Lebanese wine be aged?
Yes. Château Musar 2018 will keep developing for decades if cellared well, and the white also gains complexity with time.
Can I buy single bottles?
Château Musar is sold as individual bottles and magnums. The other Lebanese wines in our range are sold by the case of six or twelve.
A final thought
Lebanese wine offers something increasingly rare: genuine originality at fair prices.
Château Musar is the obvious starting point, but the Bekaa Valley, Mount Lebanon and Batroun all have more to say, and grapes like Obaideh and Merwah give you flavours you will rarely find outside Lebanon.
Start with a single bottle, then move up to a case once you know which style suits you. Browse the full range of Lebanese red wines to begin, and as always, please enjoy Lebanese wine responsibly.