Massaya is a Lebanese winery and arak distillery owned and operated by the Ghosn brothers Sami and Ramzi. Situated in the north of the Beqaa Valley near Chtaura and Zahlé, 38 km from Baalbek, the winery and distillery are located on the Tanaïl property, which is also home to vineyards and a restaurant. The Beqaa Valley has an extensive history of viticulture dating back over 5,000 years to the Phoenicians. The northern Bekaa has traditionally been a favoured terroir for viticulture, especially since the beginning of the last century. Vines have also been introduced in the southern Bekaa as part of the recent surge in the number of wineries established in Lebanon. The history of the estate The Tanaïl property was brought by Michel and Amal Ghosn in the early 1970s and was used by the family as a country retreat from their primary residence in Beirut. In line with tradition, it was planted table grapes, including indigenous varieties such as beitamouni and obeidi, used to produce home-made arak. It also had a kitchen garden growing mekti, an indigenous drought-resistant cucumber, and orchards. The outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 forced the family to leave the estate and both Sami and Ramzi Ghosn left Lebanon to study abroad. In the early 1990s Sami and Ramzi returned to Lebanon and decided to work on revitalisating the war-ravaged estate. Establishment At the end of the civil war in 1991 there were five wineries in Lebanon – Château Musar, Château Ksara, Kefraya, Domaine des Tourelles and Nakad but that number has now increased to over 30. As part of this renaissance, the Ghosn brothers, assisted by French partners, established the Massaya winery in 1998, citing the historical potential of Lebanese terroir and a desire to revitalise both a traditional industry and an area that had suffered hugely during the civil war. Initially the brothers focused on the revival of traditional home-made arak, the Lebanese spirit made from wine and aniseed, often likened to Turkey's raki and Greece's ouzo. Only traditional methods were used, including the burning of vine wood to heat the copper alembics used for distillation and the use of traditional clay jars for ageing the arak. The clay jars are produced for Massaya by specialised potters from the village of Beit Chabab. The arak is triple distilled and aged for 18 months. It is drunk diluted with water or