Château Saint Thomas - Indigenous Grape Pioneer

A medium-sized family winery with cellar carved 25-30m into the rocks. The 65-hectare vineyard sits at 1,000m altitude on Mount Lebanon's eastern slope. Personal tours conducted by the founding family.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Descend 30 Metres into the Mountain Adventure · Price: low

   The Toumas didn't build a climate-controlled cellar — they carved one 25 to 30 metres into solid limestone mountainside, deeper than a 7-storey building. Enter through the wooden door at the base of the winery building (just past reception at Château Saint Thomas) to a stone staircase leading underground. The temperature never changes, no electricity needed to protect the wine. On the cave walls, the family installed a photo timeline of 130+ years of winemaking — Arak Touma bottles from 1888, harvest photos from decades of war, the moment Joe Touma's father handed the business to his France-trained son. Blue light catches oak barrels in side tunnels. Ask the guide to point out barrels holding Les Emirs blend (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, Gold at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2008). Stand still for 30 seconds and let the cool, mineral air settle — this is what a Phoenician wine cave felt like.

   Backup: If no formal tour is running (outside 9am–4:30pm Mon–Sat), ring the bell at the main gate — the Touma family often admits visitors informally and walks them through personally.

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2. 2 Taste the Grape That Has No Relatives on Earth Wine · Price: low

   The Obeidy grape has been growing in this valley since Phoenician times — roughly 3,000 years — but Dr. José Vouillamoz's DNA analysis revealed it has a unique profile matching no officially registered variety in the entire global database. Request the $6 USD tasting in the room adjacent to the cellar entrance (includes the Obeidy white). Serge Hochar of Château Musar claimed Obaideh was Chardonnay's ancestor, that Crusaders carried it to Burgundy. Joe Touma found this uncomfortable and commissioned the world's leading grape geneticist to test it. Verdict: the Obeidy belongs to no family, is its own ancient thing. Also, the vine is so sensitive that up to 40% of harvest never makes it to bottle. When the Obeidy is poured, smell lime, grapefruit, white peach, mineral — then sip while looking over the Bekaa, knowing you're drinking a wine from a grape that's grown here 3,000 years and no scientist can place in a family tree.

   Backup: If the Obeidy vintage has sold out, ask for Les Gourmets Blanc — a blended white including Viognier that captures the aromatic Bekaa altitude style. The Obeidy can be purchased retail for ~$11–19 USD globally.

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3. 3 Find the Chapel Carved into the Living Rock History · Free

   This room cut into solid rock, dedicated to Saint Thomas the Apostle, predates the commercial winery — the Touma family named their operation after it. Inside the winery complex (set into the mountain wall, follow the guide or ask reception after the cellar tour): a small altar, candles, the smell of stone and incense. The family holds prayer services here, couples get married here. It holds maybe 20 people standing. Outside this room, Cabernet Sauvignon ages in the dark. The Bekaa Valley has been a crossroads for every civilization that mattered: Phoenician traders, Persian armies, Alexander the Great, Roman legions, Crusader knights. This room sits in the middle of that history. Ask the guide: 'Can anyone get married here?' (Yes.) Then: 'Has anyone ever tasted the wine at a wedding in this room?' (Also yes.) That's your story.

   Backup: Even if the chapel is locked for a private event, the guide will show you the exterior and explain its significance — the mountain face itself is worth seeing at close range.

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4. 4 Drink the Spirit That Came 100 Years Before the Wine Wine · Price: moderate · Optional

   Before a single bottle of Château Saint Thomas Obeidy was ever produced, the Touma family were making arak — since 1888, one hundred thirty-seven years of continuous production. Request the Arak Touma Extra Muatag specifically (not standard) at the tasting counter. This triple-distilled spirit uses whole aniseed added only on final distillation (never star anise, never oils or extracts — shortcuts the Toumas avoid), then aged FIVE YEARS in handmade clay jugs — not oak, not steel, but the same vessel technology used in the ancient Near East for millennia. The result is extraordinary smoothness unlike sharp airport duty-free arak. Ask for it mixed Lebanese-style: 50% arak, 50% fresh cold water, poured over ice. Watch it turn milky white (the louche, anise oils coming out of suspension) and taste with mezze crackers if offered. This is the drink that built this family — the wine is the new chapter.

   Backup: If Extra Muatag is unavailable, the standard Arak Touma (6 months aged, triple distilled) is still exceptional. Both can be purchased to take home.

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Insider tips

• Ask to taste the Château Obeidy - their signature indigenous grape wine

• Located just off the Damascus/Beirut Highway, easy to combine with other wineries

• Phone: +961 8 500 812