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Winery
Chateau Belle-Vue
Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Country: Lebanon
Lebanon is a fascinating country when it comes to wine and viticulture, with a history which stretches back to the ancient Phoenicians and civilizations which traded in wine over five thousand years ago. Indeed, the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs were enormous fans of Lebanese wines, and there is plenty of archaeological evidence supporting the fact that Lebanon routinely exported their fine produce around the known world. Today, the number of Lebanese wineries is on the increase, as more and more demand for Lebanese wines results in a renewed vigor for viticulture across the country. Although most grape varietals currently grown there are of French origin, there is also increased interest in the indigenous produce of the country, which is prompting many vintners to begin processing older, more unique grape varietals once again.