IXSIR - World's Greenest Winery

Founded in 2008, this environmentally sustainable winery offers self-guided tours (free) or guided tours ($3/person) through vineyards, winery, and cellar. Full range tasting of 8 wines for $10. Restaurant on-site with stunning sunset views.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Descend 12 Meters Into the Mountain's Memory Adventure · Free

   You're about to walk from a 400-year-old Lebanese manor into one of the most awarded green buildings on Earth — CNN named this building one of the greenest in the world. Architect Raed Abillama buried the entire winery 12 meters underground so the earth itself maintains perfect wine temperature year-round without mechanical refrigeration. Enter through the restored 17th-century feudal house at IXSIR Winery (Basbina, Batroun) and look for the 'welled staircase' descending from ground floor. As you descend, honey-colored limestone arches give way to angular concrete geometry. Take the self-guided tour (free, 10 AM–4 PM Tue–Sun) and look up at the zenithal skylights cutting through all 12 meters of rock above you. The winery uses 75% less energy than any other winery in the world — grapes arrive at top, gravity pulls them through fermentation to barrel aging. No pumps needed.

   Backup: If guided tour is preferred (approx $3/person), call +961 71 631 613. Best guides spend 30+ minutes explaining the gravity flow system in detail.

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2. 2 Walk Lebanon's Largest Living Roof — Where 22 Grape Varieties Grow Above the Cellar Adventure · Free

   Twenty-two different grape varieties grow in rows above the underground winery — Lebanon's largest planted roof, serving as living insulation and an open-air ampelography classroom. Access the rooftop botanical garden via the exit path from the winery tour (you emerge from underground onto what looks like a hillside garden but is actually the building's roof). Each vine section is labeled — compare wide-lobed Viognier leaves against tightly serrated Cabernet Sauvignon, the same grapes IXSIR grows in 4 different vineyards from Batroun to Ainata (at 1,800 meters, among the highest vineyards in the Northern Hemisphere). This is the only place in Lebanon where you can see all of them side by side. The view from the roof: Mediterranean to the west, Mount Lebanon ridgeline to the east. In summer the vines are in full canopy — in September–October, small grape clusters appear.

   Backup: If the rooftop is not accessible (maintenance, weather), the vineyard surrounding the building offers the same vine-identification opportunity at ground level.

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3. 3 Taste the Wine That Blends Lebanon from Sea Level to 1,800 Meters Wine · Price: low

   For $10 per person you get 8 wines across all three IXSIR lines — the most educational $10 you will spend in Lebanon. IXSIR never makes single-varietal wines; every bottle deliberately blends ACROSS altitudes and locations. Visit the tasting room (accessible after the tour) and request the full-range tasting upgrade. The El Ixsir Red flagship ($55 internationally, Wine Advocate 90 points for 2015) blends 45% Syrah + 45% Cabernet Sauvignon + 10% Merlot from vineyards ranging from 400m to 1,800m. Oenologist Gabriel Rivero spent 10 years in French Médoc before building this blending philosophy from scratch. Start with Altitudes Rosé (Syrah and Caladoc — a Grenache-Malbec cross almost impossible to find outside France and Lebanon), work up to El Ixsir. Look for incense and mint on the nose — that's limestone terroir from Ainata at 1,800 meters.

   Backup: If full tasting not available, the Altitudes line is always poured. Single glass of Grande Reserve available separately.

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4. 4 Find the Sea Wall the Phoenicians Built Before Rome Existed History · Free

   Stand in front of 225 meters of ancient sea wall built by Phoenicians who spread wine culture across the Mediterranean — the earliest sections from 3rd century BC, completed in 1st century BC when Caesar was conquering Gaul. Drive down to Batroun seafront (7 km from IXSIR, GPS: 34.2546°N, 35.6556°E) and park near the old city. The Phoenician Wall runs along the shoreline built from petrified sand dunes reinforced with cut stone blocks, up to 1.5 meters thick. In 2020, archaeologists found a 2,600-year-old Phoenician wine press near Sidon capable of holding 1,200 gallons — built for industrial-scale export. The wine you just tasted is the continuation of a 2,600-year story. Walk the wall's full length (5 minutes) and touch the stones: sandy-grained petrified dune material mixed with sharper Phoenician-cut limestone blocks. At sunset, the wall turns amber — perfect with a glass of Altitudes Rosé from the winery shop.

   Backup: The wall is always accessible and free. Batroun old town begins just behind — narrow alleys, traditional facades, fresh fish restaurants worth 30 minutes of wandering.

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5. 5 Dine Under the Mulberry Trees at the Winery a Fugitive CEO Helped Build Wine · Price: moderate · Optional

   IXSIR was co-founded in 2008 by Carlos Ghosn — then CEO of Nissan-Renault, one of the world's most powerful executives who wanted to put Lebanese culture on the world map through wine. Dine under ancient mulberry trees in the garden courtyard at IXSIR Restaurant (IXSIR by Montagnou) inside the restored 17th-century feudal house at the winery entrance (Tuesday–Sunday year-round). In November 2018, Ghosn was arrested at Tokyo's airport for under-reporting income — while the world watched, IXSIR quietly continued, never missing a harvest. Wine proved more durable than corporate empires. For sunset dining, arrive at 4 PM in summer (3 PM winter) to catch light over the vineyard. Order wine pairing menu — ask specifically for Grande Reserve White (60% Viognier, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Chardonnay) with fish, El Ixsir with meat. Budget €25–40 per person for lunch.

   Backup: If full restaurant not available (private events), the winery shop and outdoor tasting terrace are always open for wine with vineyard views.

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Insider tips

• Guided tours at 11 AM, 12:30 PM, 2 PM, 3:30 PM

• Book for late afternoon to catch the sunset over the Mediterranean

• Phone: +961 71 631 613 for reservations