If your idea of Lebanese wine comes from a supermarket shelf, Umami Wines will change it. This is a boutique estate in the Bekaa Valley, making small batches from vines grown around 1,100 meters above sea level in Qanafar. The wines are savory, precise, and easy to fit into a Swiss dinner table. Here is what they are, how they taste, and how to get a bottle delivered in Switzerland.
What Are Umami Wines?
Umami Wines is a boutique Bekaa Valley estate founded in 2016 by award-winning winemaker Hiba Salloum. Its wines come from high-altitude vineyards in Qanafar and are made in small batches with minimal intervention. In Switzerland, VinoLibano offers three bottles: UMAMI White (100% Obeidy), UMAMI Red (50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc) and UMAMI Red—Limited. Prices run from CHF 15.90 to CHF 16.90 per 75 cl bottle at the time of writing.
The Story Behind Umami Wines
A small estate with a clear method
Hiba Salloum started the estate in 2016 with a simple rule: keep batches small and interfere as little as possible. Grapes come from high-altitude vines, fermentations are handled in small lots, and the oak is there to support the fruit rather than flavor it. Depending on the wine, that means wild yeasts, extended maceration, or time on fine lees.
The result is a style that feels honest. You taste the grape, the altitude, and the soil before you taste the winemaker's fingerprints.
Why the name "Umami"?
Umami is the savory, mouth-filling quality you know from mushrooms, aged cheese, and slow-cooked meat. The estate says the long, savory finish of its red is the signature depth that gave the winery its name. Once you pour it next to a mushroom risotto, the choice makes sense.
Qanafar: Why Altitude Shapes These Wines
The Bekaa Valley is Lebanon's main wine region, a high plateau sitting between the Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges. Qanafar vineyards climb to about 1,100 meters. That height matters for two reasons.
First, days are warm and nights are cool. Grapes ripen fully during the day, then slow down overnight, which keeps acidity fresh. Second, the soils are mineral-rich, and the estate plants its Obeidy on limestone. Both factors show up in the glass as tension and a clean, salty edge.
Swiss wine lovers already know this logic. In Valais, some of Europe's highest vineyards sit above 1,000 meters, and altitude is a big part of why those wines taste lively. Qanafar works on the same principle, just under a different sun.
Meet the Three Umami Wines Available in Switzerland
UMAMI White is a 2022 vintage made from 100% Obeidy grapes, with an alcohol content of 12.8%. A 75 cl bottle is priced at CHF 16.90.
UMAMI Red is a 2017 vintage crafted from 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, with an alcohol content of 14.2%. A 75 cl bottle is priced at CHF 16.90.
UMAMI Red—Limited is a 2018 vintage, also made from 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, with an alcohol content of 13.8%. A 75 cl bottle is priced at CHF 15.90.
UMAMI White: Obeidy with a saline edge
This is the bottle to open if you want something you have not tasted before. Obeidy is an indigenous Lebanese grape, and many believe it is a genetic ancestor of Chardonnay. The wine is bright straw-gold, with dried apricot, beeswax and salted almonds, then a saline finish and bracing acidity.
The grapes come from old vines on limestone. They are whole-cluster pressed, fermented with wild yeast and partly aged in a barrel on fine lees, which adds texture without hiding the variety. Serve it at 10–12°C, no decanting needed, and keep it for 5 to 7 years if you are patient.
UMAMI Red: dark fruit, cocoa and herbs
The everyday red of the range, though "everyday" undersells it. Expect dark berries, cocoa and Mediterranean herbs, velvety tannins and a long savory finish. It spends time in French oak after an extended maceration.
Decant for about 30 minutes, serve at 16–18°C in a Bordeaux glass and it will hold 5 to 8 years in the cellar. Merlot and Cabernet Franc are familiar to anyone who drinks. Ticino reds, but this one has a Mediterranean warmth you will not find there.
UMAMI Red — Limited: a few hundred bottles
This is the collector's pick, and at CHF 15.90 it is the cheapest wine of the three. The estate releases only a few hundred bottles from selected old-vine parcels. The wine matures in barrel and then rests for years in bottle before release.
Expect a garnet color with a brick rim, then leather, dried fig, tobacco leaf and forest floor over macerated cherry. Give it 60 minutes in a decanter, serve at 17–18°C, and it can age for 10 years or more.
How to Serve and Pair Umami Wines
The estate's own pairing notes are a good starting point, and a few Swiss ingredients fit them well.
- UMAMI White: hummus, baba ghanouj, grilled sea bream, halloumi, or slow-cooked white fish. Lake perch fillets, a staple on Swiss menus, are also worth trying.
- UMAMI Red: slow-cooked lamb, mushroom risotto, dark chocolate desserts and aged hard cheeses. A mature Gruyère AOP or Sbrinz suits the savory finish.
- UMAMI Red — Limited: wild game, venison, slow-roasted shoulder, or aged cheese with quince paste. It is a natural match for autumn game menus.
One practical tip: take the white out of the fridge ten minutes before serving. Too cold, and the apricot and beeswax disappear.
Why Bekaa Valley Wine Deserves a Place in Your Cellar
Winemaking in Lebanon goes back thousands of years, and the Bekaa Valley has been at the center of it for most of that time. Today the region mixes international grapes like Merlot and Cabernet Franc with rare local varieties like Obeidy. That mix is why Bekaa Valley wine is interesting for Swiss drinkers: familiar enough to pick up, different enough to talk about.
What makes one of the best Lebanese wines?
People search for the "best Lebanese wines" as if there were one answer. There is not, but a few signs are reliable:
- Altitude. Higher vineyards keep acidity and freshness.
- Small batches. Limited production usually means closer attention.
- Transparency. A good producer tells you the grapes, the vintage, the ageing and the serving advice.
- Fair pricing. Good bottles do not have to cost CHF 50.
Umami Wines meets all four, and each bottle on VinoLibano has a downloadable tech sheet with the details.
Buying Umami Wines in Switzerland
Buy Lebanese wine online without the guesswork
If you want to buy Lebanese wine online, the simplest route is the Umami Wines page at VinoLibano. Each wine has its own page with tasting notes, food pairing, serving temperature and a tech sheet. The shop runs in German, English and French, which suits Switzerland.
A good first order is one of each wine. That comes to CHF 49.70 and lets you compare the white, the standard red and the limited red side by side.
A Lebanese wine shop in Switzerland that goes beyond the bottle
VinoLibano is a Lebanese wine shop in Switzerland, so you can also look at tastings and wine tours if you want to go deeper. For delivery and self-collection details, check the delivery page before you order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Umami Wines?
Umami Wines is a boutique Bekaa Valley estate founded in 2016 by winemaker Hiba Salloum. It makes small-batch wines from high-altitude vineyards in Qanafar, Lebanon.
Where can I buy Umami Wines in Switzerland?
You can buy Umami Wines online at VinoLibano.ch. The brand page lists UMAMI White, UMAMI Red and UMAMI Red—Limited.
How much do Umami Wines cost?
Bottles cost between CHF 15.90 and CHF 16.90 for 75 cl. Check the shop for current prices, as they can change.
What is Obeidy?
Obeidy is an indigenous Lebanese white grape and the only variety in UMAMI White. Many believe it is a genetic ancestor of Chardonnay. The wine tastes of dried apricot, beeswax and salted almonds.
Do I need to decant UMAMI Red?
A short decant helps. Give UMAMI Red about 30 minutes and UMAMI Red—Limited about 60 minutes. UMAMI White needs no decanting.
How long can I keep Umami Wines?
According to the estate, UMAMI White is kept for 5 to 7 years, UMAMI Red for 5 to 8 years and UMAMI Red — Limited for 10 years or more.
Conclusion
Umami Wines shows what a small Bekaa Valley estate can do with altitude, old vines and a light touch. You get a saline Obeidy white, a polished red and a limited release that can age for a decade, all for under CHF 17 a bottle. If you have been curious about Lebanese wine, this is an easy place to start.
Ready to taste? Browse Umami Wines at VinoLibano and have your first bottles delivered in Switzerland.
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