Photo provided by Domaine des Tourelles.
Founded in 1868 by François-Eugène Brun in the Bekaa Valley, Domaine des Tourelles emerged as the country’s first commercial winery, created for the general public.
At a time when production existed only on a small, scattered scale, Brun was the first to turn it into a true commercial enterprise. A visionary, he moved wine beyond its almost exclusively religious use, opened the door to exports and, by the late 19th century, aligned the estate with major international competitions.
In France and England, Domaine des Tourelles won gold and silver medals, making it the first Lebanese producer to receive such distinctions.
The entrepreneur’s work extended beyond wine. He also took an interest in arak. Originally from Marseille and familiar with pastis, Brun found a natural affinity with Lebanon’s national spirit.
“He probably learned the recipe from villagers in Jdita [Zahle] and even refined it before launching arak under his own family name,” said Emile Issa al-Khoury, the brand’s associate director.
It was under his son, Louis Brun, however, that arak became a flagship product of the estate, going on to dominate the market for decades. To this day, Arak Brun remains the top seller in Lebanon in both volume and value.
More than a century and a half after its founding, the estate continues to expand, driven by a strong international presence in more than 25 countries, from the United States to Japan, as well as across Europe, where specialized wine media increasingly praise its work and award high ratings.
Accolades continue to mount, confirming the estate’s excellence. In 2025 alone, the highly regarded British Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book ranked “Vieilles Vignes Carignan” first among its 12 recommended wines worldwide for 2026, a rare distinction.
Arak Brun 10 Years Old, aged for a decade in amphorae, received an excellence award in Merano, Italy. Domaine des Tourelles Red 2022 won a gold medal at the prestigious Sélections mondiales des vins in Canada, while Marquis des Beys Red 2019 earned a gold medal from the Œnologues de France at the Vinalies Internationales.
On the heights of Jdita, at the start of the COVID quarantine years, Fawzi Issa, agronomist, oenologist and the company’s chief executive, took advantage of the global slowdown to launch an ambitious viticultural project.
In Twaitey, he planted a striking high-altitude vineyard laid out in terraces on steep slopes reaching up to 1,450 meters, below Kneiseh (Chouf). Today, it is one of the estate’s largest vineyards.
Its exceptional terroir, rich in minerals and bathed in ideal sunlight, produces vigorous vines and grapes with rare aromatic intensity. Additional projects in West Bekaa have further strengthened the estate’s autonomy.
This focus on terroir goes hand in hand with a strong environmental commitment. The cellar, founded in the 19th century, was designed to keep its large concrete vats sheltered from heat, naturally preserving freshness. The Brun family built it near the Chtoura River, whose pure water is still used in the arak distillation process.
Today, the estate has gone further, with bottle recycling, a nearly self-sufficient solar park and a sharp reduction in fossil fuel use. “Everything is designed with the benefits of nature in mind,” Issa al-Khoury said.
Social commitment is equally deeply rooted. Some workers have been employed at the estate from father to son for two or three generations. “This allows dozens of families to remain anchored to their land,” Issa al-Khoury said, noting as well the solidarity partnerships forged with several charitable organizations, including Darzit Kheir, known for its contemporary, handcrafted bags and accessories.
And because the bond between gastronomy and wine remains inseparable, Domaine des Tourelles in 2025 inaugurated “Tawlet Tourelles” in partnership with Souk al-Tayeb.
Set in the estate’s gardens, the farm-to-table venue offers an elaborate buffet for up to 200 guests every weekend in fair weather, a new way to invite the public to discover, at the heart of the vineyard itself, the generous spirit of a house that has never stopped evolving.
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