I am planning a trip to Lebanon next year and am considering a visit to Chateau Musar while I am there. It is well known that the Bekka Valley can be a very tumultuous place and In fact I have even read that that the winery had decided against making wine in some years past due to shelling in the vineyard so I am considering this possible trip with a fair amount of trepidation.
I’m hoping that anyone who has visited the winery would share their experiences and possibly offer any advice. Chateau Musar’s website makes no mention for those hoping to visit the winery. That in and of itself is telling but i thought that I’d ask!
I know nothing about a trip there, but would love you to post on it when you take it. You might encounter many Syrian refugees, as many flooded there to try to find work. Perhaps you might want to do some humanitarian work while you are there as well as enjoying Musar. I would have loved to visit there when Serge was still alive.
I visited the winery and it was a wonderful experience. The winery is NOT located in the same place as the vineyards. The winery is in a small town outside of Beirut (around a 30 min drive, I think), while the vineyards are far away in the Bekaa Valley. My wife visits Lebanon regularly and knows it pretty well. Apparently, the Bekaa is a riskier place to visit and there are some relatively serious bad guys in those parts. The winery itself is in a safe area. I took a cab from Beirut.
A few of the Wine-Pages forumites visited a few years ago, and had a very enjoyable time. Organised by Hisham Kalam, so worth registering there to contact him. I’m sure he’d share insight / contacts.