Page 6 - Byblos Menu

Beverage

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Byblos & Wine

Lebanon is among the oldest
sites of wine production in
the world.The Phoenicians were
instrumental in spreading wine

and viticulture throughout
the Mediterranean in ancient times.

The common grape vine
Vitis vinifera may have been
domesticated in Lebanon, although
it probably arrived from the South
Caucasus via Mesopotamia or
the Black Sea trade routes. Vines
grew readily in the land of Canaan,

and the wines of Byblos were
exported to Egypt during the Old
Kingdom (2686 BC–2134 BC).
The wines of Tyre and Sidon were
famous throughout the ancient
Mediterranean. Once Lebanon
became part of the Caliphate, wine
production declined, although under
the millet system it was tolerated

among the Christian population for
religious purposes. The Christians also
developed Arak, an ouzo-like spirit
flavored with aniseed.