The best wines of Syria

Discovering the wine region of Syria

Syria is a medium-sized country in the Western Middle East (also known as the Near East), located between the eastern edge of the Turkey/mediterranean">Mediterranean Sea and the deserts of Iraq. It has a small wine industry and is, like many of its neighbours, a traditional producer of arak. With Lebanon and Israel to the South, and Turkey to the North, Syria is at the eastern end of the Mediterranean wine regions. The country's most prominent winery is Domaine de Bargylus, which is located in the province of Latakia, on the slopes of the coastal mountain range (Mount Bargylus), north of Lebanon.

The owners, the Saadé family, also own Château Marsyas in the latter country. The estate's wines have been featured in the best restaurants around the world. Although Latakia was not the most affected province, production was threatened by the Syrian civil war. In recent years, the Saadé family has not visited the site because of the risk of kidnapping.

With their consultant Stéphane Derencourt, they make wine from a distance, Tasting samples of fruit, Juice and wine that may be sent to them. Some of the Vines have been destroyed by mortar fire, and the workers have had to take cover from nearby gunfire. In southwestern Syria, 65 km from the coast, the land rises to form the rocky Golan Heights. This disputed territory has been the subject of military conflict for centuries, but has been under Israeli rule since the Golan Heights Law was passed in 1981.