Roman Wine Odyssey
Lebanon
Chapter 10 of the Roman Wine Odyssey, Oriens: 4 wine trails and 33 stops.
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Chapter 10: Oriens
- Phoenicia Wine Trail The Phoenicians invented wine trade 5,000 years ago. Rome inherited their knowledge. The Bekaa Valley has been producing wine since before written history. Modern Lebanese wine is having a renaissance — Château Musar is world-class. Stand in the Temple of Bacchus, the largest Roman temple to the wine god, and drink to 5,000 years of wine history. 8 stops · 1–2 weeks · moderate
- Judaea & the Golan Wine was central to Jewish Temple rituals. Romans destroyed the Temple but not the vineyards. After 2,000 years, Israeli wine has returned to excellence. The Golan Heights produces world-class wines from volcanic terroir like Etna. The Judean Hills echo with biblical history. Stand where David fought Goliath, drink Golan wine at Gamla, and taste the revival. 10 stops · 1–2 weeks · challenging
- Cleopatra's Vineyards Cleopatra served wine to Caesar and Mark Antony. Egypt's vineyards were famous in antiquity. Wine jars in Tutankhamun's tomb are the world's first wine labels. Modern Egyptian wine is modest at best — this is a historical pilgrimage. Drink wine at sunset over the pyramids. Stand in Cleopatra's city. Toast to 5,000 years of history. 8 stops · 1 week · moderate
- Syria Remembered Roman Syria was magnificent — Palmyra, Damascus, Apamea. Current conditions make Syria impossible, but Jordan preserves Roman heritage. Jerash is the "Pompeii of the East." Petra is one of Earth's wonders. This is a pilgrimage of memory. Pour a libation for what's been lost. Toast to what we hope to visit again someday. 7 stops · 1 week · moderate