"The situation in Lebanon is far from ideal. Israel is going freestyle in the war while Hezbollah will take time to surrender. We find ourselves always as the victims of these conflicts.
Why are we victims? The situation is geopolitical. Israel wants to have safe land and borders at any cost, while Hezbollah claims to defend Palestine, aligning itself with Iran’s interest in the region. Palestine is not our country, Hezbollah is not our army, Iran is not our interest, and Israel is exercising rockets on all sides. We are caught in the middle, receiving slaps from all sides...
Close to home: A view from the winery
The impact of this war on us is major. It exposes us to a significant daily risk of losing life, displacement, and psychological traumas for everyone. While the winemaking industry has had its share of the war waves, we as winemakers had to face daily challenges during the harvest, finding pickers and drivers under the massive bombs on the valley.
Covered trucks carrying grapes in cages were considered a target for Israeli monitoring drones. All agriculture products being transported in trucks were risky. It could be mistaken for trucks carrying ammunition, for example, to the fighting zones or wherever... I don’t know how to explain it, but you need to live a couple of days and feel it.
There are probably hundreds of surveillance drones flying all over Lebanon, and the noise they make can't be missed. It becomes a nightmare for us and for the kids, especially that these drones can hit and bomb any suspicious move... It can be a car, a house, or even a motorcycle! We know we are not the target, but so far civilians are taking 50% of the share; collateral damage is the output.
Anyways, and to make a long story short, we as Lebanese are genetically modified and can cope, absorb, and overpass all challenges. We were trained to look at the positive side of each situation, and we are now. We want the beautiful Lebanon to be back. Lebanon with peaceful relations with everyone! A country with blue skies, big mountains, fertile lands, rich culture, and fascinating history! A very small country but with a loud impression around the world...
In 2016, I travelled for 140 days (from January till July) to sell my wine globally. My wife asked me, ‘Why are you overdoing it?’ Especially since I am a winemaker with 3 months (Aug-Sept-Oct) being glued to the winery harvesting and fermenting. My response was that our country is volatile, and we cannot rely solely on national sales. The export is our bread and butter, and never more so than now.
Today Domaine des Tourelles employs 78 families, planting over 80 ha of vines and is rooted eternally in the Bekaa valley, whatever the situation and war circumstances. We love our land more during these times; don’t ask me how and from where, but we get energy and ambition during these tough times. You need a bad day to appreciate a good day, and this is the motto that keeps us alive during the war!"
During happier times
The wines of Domaine des Tourelles are imported and sold by Boutinot Wines. As with all of these situations buying wine will go some way to help Faouzi Issa and his colleagues.
