Description
Batroun Mountains is a family owned and operated winerydedicated to crafting wines that reflect the values of the Hark family. The vineyards are located in the mountains of Batroun District in six different towns on altitudes from 400 to 1500 meters above sea level. Batroun, a coastal city, is fifty kilometers north of Beirut and 29 km south of Tripoli.
Growing grapes in the mountains is challenging due to the rocky nature of the fields, and labor intensive mainly because grapes are grown on narrow terraced vineyards. Terraces need continuous maintenance and repairs, and maneuverability of equipment like tractor and shredder are limited. Vines struggle in this dry, well-drained stony soil, producing superior quality grapes of well-concentrated juice with intense flavor and color. This struggle is what makes the grapes and the wines dynamic.
At Batroun Mountains, the family focuses on each step of the winemaking process, believing that a quality bottle of wine is made in the vineyard and not in the winery. The grapes in each of the six Batroun Mountains vineyards are carefully selected from the finest quality estate grown organically certified grapes, in order to guarantee the excellence of the final product. Batroun Mountains winery is a family adventure, where each individual has a role in either the growing, producing, bottling or marketing stages of winemaking.
The individual effort of each member of the family reflects their common goal of care and value in the craft. The mountainous region of Batroun District hugs the northwestern coast of Lebanon and continues east into the mountains. At elevations ranging from sea level to 2000 meters, the air transitions from the salty taste of the sea to the cool and fresh crispness of the mountains. Winding roads sneak through the ridges and valleys, as if disguising secrets of the landscape from the visitors.
The vineyards of Batroun Mountains line the hillside, on meticulously designed terraces to give maximum sunlight exposure to the grapes. Olive trees sway as the vines reach for support, for each other, for the sky. Each element of the landscape adds personality to the bottle of wine. When opening a bottle of Batroun Mountains wine there is the taste and smell of the mountain cool, the secrets of the hillside, the struggle of the vine, a neighboring olive branch and the faintest hint of sea below. Each bottle tells a story.
