Wine: Exploring Lebanon

Lebanon tends to be overlooked in the wine world, even though the region’s vineyards date to biblical times, said Sarah Bray in Saveur. The wines produced there now are often surprising. The reds are more traditional than the whites, which can be ”racy,” even sour. But almost every bottle suggests a culture that values experimentation.

2006 Château Kefraya ($25). “Smooth and easy to drink,” this “house red” has a marvelous “fresh black plum flavor, topped with a bit of spice.”

2003 Château Musar ($49). This aged white wine “smells like cooked apple pie with raisins and nuts” but is “shockingly dry and acidic” to the taste. It’s also “strangely delicious.”

2003 Château Kefraya Comte de M ($65). Velvety and smooth, M has the elements of “a beautifully developing” wine, including my favorite—“a whiff of cooked broccoli on the end.”