Château Trois Collines

Regional Partner - Lebanon

Ten reasons to visit Lebanon

1. Legendary gastronomy

This is not just a land of terroir wines but also terroir food. Discover regional recipes, local flavours and authentic local restaurants and bakeries.

2. Historic sites

The historical site of Baalbeck: Roman Temple of Bacchus. Visit this unique site’s museum, ruins, and exhibitions.

3. Quiet environment

Treat yourself to a day or two of detox from air and noise pollution. Experience the magnificence of the vast sky and nature’s purity while meditating in a quiet atmosphere.

4. The people

Meet authentic and genuine people. The farmers and traders of the villages are known for their utmost warmth and great hospitality.

5. The wine    

Taste a diverse range of wines. Discover a different side of Pinot Noir, a different expression of Assyrtiko, unusual blends of Sangiovese, Merlot, Agioretiko, Mourvèdre and Tempranillo, for example.

6. Activities

Activities such as hiking or biking. Or camping and stargazing in the wilderness.

7. Cultural and religious tourism

Learn about the ancient languages of Syriac and Arabic. This area is a melting pot of many religions.

8. The weather

Vacation in dry weather and experience the health benefits!

9. Great divergence 

Discover the great divergence in Lebanon between the most modern urban life versus the remote rural one! The contrast between globalization and nationalization on a Lebanese scale. Fascinating and shocking at the same time.

10. Agrotourism, wine tourism and general tourism

It’s all possible as distances in Lebanon are relatively short. In Lebanon you can swim in the sea and ski in the mountains on the same day!

Château Trois Collines

Château Trois Collines is one of Lebanon’s youngest vineyards and wineries.

Established in 2009, the terroirs were identified by pure chance!

The domain was purchased initially to install a stone quarry at the far end of the Bekaa. While working on machinery installation and plans to initiate excavations, an observation on site by one of the consultants made the founder shift 180 degrees the vocation of his land.

He listened to the call of nature!

Instead of proceeding in mining, all activities were stopped and other concerns prevailed! Weather data was gathered for the last decade and soil analysis made, to identify all parameters and find the ideal grape varieties and rootstocks for this new profession – vinegrowing and winemaking.

At an altitude of 1,600m above Mediterranean Sea level, 120 hectares of barren lands, at the extreme northeast of the Bekaa Valley, were turned into a source of Lebanon’s organic wines.

The hills of Trois Collines were once more flourishing with vines. Neighboring the Bacchus Temple and 15km from Baalbeck (a Roman archeological site, of the 2,000-year-old city of Heliopolis), this is a historic grapegrowing region. Evidence of winemaking – such as vats and gullies dug in the rocks – have been discovered here. These receptacles used to receive the holy must for crushing and fermenting, to supply the temple.

Today, 85ha are cultivated, mostly by winegrape varieties – nine red (Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Agiorgetiko, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache) and five white (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Assyrtiko, Muscat and Viognier).

The rest of the land grows apples, apricots, seasonal berries and herbs, and table grapes, while walnut trees boarder the alleys. There are also pomegranate and olive trees, making activities such as hiking and biking in the domain a pleasant experience for visitors.

The vineyards of Trois Collines – totally grown on wires, in a one-stretch slope – are equipped with state-of-the-art weather stations, to guide all human interventions and complete nature’s work. A solar energy plant is in place to activate irrigation systems, avoiding the hydric stress and making agriculture possible in these dry lands! This is their model for organic and sustainable agriculture giving their wines and bottles a special taste!

Visits to the vineyards are unique moments day and night. Nighttime for stargazing, meditating about the universe, and daytime to appreciate nature’s gifts and humanity’s tiny effort to preserve it!

The winery, situated in Mount Lebanon, about 50km from the vineyards, is also on a rehabilitated stone mining site. It receives the grapes by refrigerated trucks. From a garage winery, of some 100sq m, today they’re finishing a 4,000sq m building of several storeys, with a tank area of 3,500 hl, a vaulted cellar for ageing wines in barrels, and a restaurant for dining/tasting.

Trois Collines, grown from Lebanon’s barren soil, demonstrates one man’s love for nature and his determination to succeed in the land of Bacchus.