Domaine des Tourelles is Lebanon's oldest continuously operating winery, founded in 1868 by French engineer François-Eugène Brun in Chtaura, in the heart of the Bekaa Valley. Today the estate is run by the Issa and Issa el-Khoury families, who craft red, white, and rosé wines from organically farmed, high-altitude vineyards, alongside the legendary Arak Brun. Its wines are available in Switzerland through VinoLibano, where you can order online or join a guided Lebanese wine tasting.

A Winery Older Than Switzerland's Youngest Cantons

Some wineries chase trends. Domaine des Tourelles has spent more than a century and a half doing the opposite: standing still just long enough for the rest of the world to catch up to what it already knew about the Bekaa Valley. Founded in 1868, it is the oldest winery in Lebanon still producing wine today, and for Swiss wine lovers looking beyond Bordeaux, Piedmont, or the Valais, it's one of the most compelling stories in the glass.

If you've never tried a Lebanese wine, Domaine des Tourelles is the natural place to start. It carries three thousand years of Levantine winemaking history, yet the bottles themselves are refreshingly unpretentious — built for the table, not the trophy cabinet.

The Story Behind the Label

A French Engineer Falls for the Bekaa Valley

The story begins not with a winemaker, but with a road. In the 1860s, François-Eugène Brun, a French engineer, arrived in Lebanon to help build the highway linking Beirut to Damascus. Passing through the small town of Chtaura, he noticed something the road planners hadn't: a valley floor cradled between two mountain ranges, sitting at roughly 1,000 metres above sea level, with the kind of long, sun-filled days and cool nights that vines dream about.

Brun bought a stone house in Chtaura and, in 1868, planted his first vines. What started as a personal project became Lebanon's first commercial winery — a cellar built not for a monastery or a church, as was common at the time, but for the open market.

Surviving War, Occupation, and a Century and a Half of Change

Few wineries anywhere can claim to have operated through the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the French Mandate, Lebanese independence, and a fifteen-year civil war — and still keep the same concrete fermentation tanks in use. Domaine des Tourelles can. Three generations of the Brun family, François-Eugène, his son Louis, and grandson Pierre, kept the estate alive through it all. Pierre Brun in particular became a local legend, continuing production even while the Bekaa Valley saw occupation during the 1975–1990 civil war, and building the reputation of Arak Brun into a household name across the region.

A New Generation Takes the Reins

When Pierre Brun passed away in 2000 without an heir to the estate, two local families — the Issas and the Issa el-Khourys — stepped in to buy the property in 2003 and continue its legacy. Today, winemaker Faouzi Issa leads production, having trained in oenology in Montpellier and worked at respected estates in France's Rhône Valley and Bordeaux before returning home. His sisters and cousins run the administrative and commercial side, making Domaine des Tourelles one of the youngest teams looking after one of the oldest wineries on earth.

 Bekaa Valley Wine: Why the Terroir Matters

Altitude, Sunshine, and Mountain Shelter

Ask any Lebanese winemaker why the Bekaa Valley produces such distinctive wine, and the answer usually starts with geography. The valley sits at roughly 900 to 1,100 metres, flanked by Mount Lebanon to the west and the Anti-Lebanon range to the east. This shelter brings dry summers, up to 300 days of sunshine a year, and a striking swing between hot days and cool nights — the kind of diurnal range that keeps acidity fresh even in ripe, sun-drenched grapes.

For Swiss drinkers used to the altitude-driven freshness of Valais or Graubünden wines, this comparison isn't a stretch. Bekaa Valley wine shares that same mountain tension: ripeness with restraint, richness without heaviness.

Organic, Dry-Farmed Vineyards

Domaine des Tourelles farms close to 40 hectares, largely without irrigation and certified organic, relying on the region's naturally dry climate and old, low-yielding bush vines. This traditional approach — including the use of indigenous yeasts and minimal intervention in the cellar — produces wines with a clear sense of place rather than a generic international style.

The Wines of Domaine des Tourelles

The Classic Range

The estate's Classic Red is a Bekaa Valley signature: a blend built mainly around Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan, aged in the original concrete tanks that have been in continuous use for well over a century. It's a wine that pairs naturally with grilled meats, roasted vegetables, and the kind of mezze spread that turns a Tuesday dinner into an occasion. The white and rosé follow the same philosophy — fresh, food-friendly, and honest about where they come from.

Vieilles Vignes: Old Vines, Deeper Stories

For those wanting to go further, the Vieilles Vignes collection showcases Carignan and Cinsault from vines planted more than fifty years ago, alongside a white cuvée built from native Lebanese varieties. These are wines of real concentration and character — a glimpse of what the Bekaa Valley has been quietly capable of for generations.

Arak Brun

No conversation about Domaine des Tourelles is complete without Arak Brun, the estate's anise-flavoured grape spirit. Distilled since the winery's earliest days, it remains one of the most respected araks in Lebanon and a staple of any authentic Lebanese table — traditionally served with water and ice, alongside mezze.

Lebanese Wine Tasting in Switzerland: Bringing the Bekaa Valley to You

You don't need a plane ticket to experience what makes Domaine des Tourelles special. VinoLibano works directly with the estate to bring its wines to Swiss tables, and organises guided Lebanese wine tastings across Switzerland for anyone curious about the country's ancient winemaking heritage.

What to Expect at a Tasting

A typical VinoLibano tasting walks you through several estates side by side, so you can taste how altitude, soil, and grape variety shape each glass — from Domaine des Tourelles' concrete-aged reds to fresher, higher-altitude bottles from other Bekaa producers. It's a relaxed, conversational format, ideal for anyone who enjoys wine but doesn't necessarily speak in tasting notes.

Ordering Online Across Switzerland

For those who'd rather start at home, VinoLibano.ch ships Domaine des Tourelles wines throughout Switzerland, with self-collection also available. It's a straightforward way to explore the best Lebanese wines without needing to track down a specialist import shop or wait for your next trip to Beirut.

Why Swiss Wine Lovers Are Discovering Lebanese Wine

Switzerland has always had an appetite for wines with a strong sense of terroir — think Fendant from steep Valais slopes or Pinot Noir from Graubünden's mountain vineyards. Lebanese wine, and Domaine des Tourelles in particular, fits naturally into that mindset. It offers the same respect for altitude and place, paired with a history that stretches back thousands of years longer than most European wine regions. For a market that values authenticity over marketing, that's a compelling pitch.

There's also a simpler reason: the wines are genuinely good, food-friendly, and priced fairly for what's in the bottle — a rare combination for a wine with this much history behind it.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Domaine des Tourelles founded?

Domaine des Tourelles was founded in 1868 by French engineer François-Eugène Brun in Chtaura, in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

Is Domaine des Tourelles the oldest winery in Lebanon?

It is the oldest winery in Lebanon still actively producing wine today. Château Ksara, founded in 1857 by Jesuit missionaries, is older but began as a religious rather than commercial operation; Domaine des Tourelles was Lebanon's first commercial winery built for the open market.

What grapes does Domaine des Tourelles grow?

The estate grows both international varieties — Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan, and Viognier — and native Lebanese grapes used in its white cuvées, farmed organically across roughly 40 hectares in the Bekaa Valley.

Can I buy Domaine des Tourelles wine in Switzerland?

Yes. VinoLibano imports and sells Domaine des Tourelles wines directly to customers throughout Switzerland, with delivery and self-collection options available.

Where can I try a Lebanese wine tasting in Switzerland?

VinoLibano hosts guided Lebanese wine tastings across Switzerland, featuring Domaine des Tourelles alongside other boutique Bekaa Valley and Lebanese estates.

What is Arak Brun?

Arak Brun is Domaine des Tourelles' traditional anise-flavoured grape spirit, distilled since the estate's founding and considered one of Lebanon's finest araks.

Conclusion

Domaine des Tourelles isn't just a winery with an old founding date on its label — it's a working link to three thousand years of Lebanese winemaking, kept alive through empires, wars, and generational change without ever losing sight of what makes the Bekaa Valley special. For Swiss wine drinkers, it offers something genuinely different from the usual shelf: mountain-grown, sun-ripened, honestly made wine with a story worth telling at the table. Whether you start with a bottle at home or a guided tasting, Domaine des Tourelles is a fitting introduction to the best Lebanese wines have to offer.