Our Story
Dedicated to winemaking and revitalizing the land in Bhamdoun, Mount Lebanon since 2000
Dreams can come true.
On a mountainside overlooking Beirut and the blue Mediterranean Sea lies a forgotten Lebanese village where vineyards once stretched for miles. For generations, its people had everything they could ask for, until one summer day in 1982, their idyllic world fell to ruin. War came, the village was abandoned, and its heritage of vineyards left for dead.
Seventeen years later, one of its native sons returned home to call those vineyards back to life. Terrace by terrace, the valley was reclaimed for viticulture, which in time offered fruit worthy of world-class wines, just as he had known it would.
In the decades since, Chateau Belle-Vue has remained dedicated to producing exclusive wines using time-honored and traditional farming methods. Sixty acres of terraced vineyards yield just 25,000 bottles annually. We farm organically, sustainably using low-intervention practices, showcasing the amazing fruit we harvest vintage after vintage.
These Lebanese wines reveal a story which has been told for generations–taste for yourself and discover a terroir you never dreamed existed.
Chateau Belle-Vue…world class wines of exceptional character. Proof that dreams can indeed come true.
The Family
Jill & Naji
Naji and Jill used to joke that when they moved from London to Bhamdoun in 1999 with their four children, they doubled the population. It wasn’t so far from the truth.
Planting vines and making the valley green again after so many years of neglect seemed to many like idealistic folly. But for Naji and Jill, it was a risk worth taking, especially at a time when greedy developers were eyeing the fertile mountainside so close in proximity to overcrowded Beirut. In April of 2000, Naji and his team put the first new vines in the soil, parallel to ancient stone walls built with the sweat of his ancestors. He vowed this land would remain used for agriculture.
Many growing seasons later, as they watch these original vines and thousands more produce amazing fruit year after year, Naji and Jill compare the process of making great wine to their similar dedication to family life. Just as Chateau Belle-Vue wines reflect the terroirs in which they are raised, their children enter the world as young adults, equipped with the values instilled in them over time—hard work, sacrifice and the satisfaction of helping others.
They couldn’t be more proud.
Diana
We were pleased to welcome Diana Salame to our team as the 2006 growing season began. She brings a wealth of experience to the project in all aspects of wine production–a knowledge base she began to develop at an early age in her family vineyards.
Diana’s interest in viticulture led her to study in France, where she received her degree in oenology and a Master of Science from et L’Institute Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin in Dijon. Choosing to remain in Europe for her first work experience, Diana spent time at Puligny-Montrachet, at Boccard in Sardinia, and with Jeanjean.
Diana works closely with the vineyard team to ensure that all our fruit has the opportunity to ripen to perfection. She ferments every vintage using only natural yeasts — just one indication of her technical prowess. Diana’s wines are known by wine afficionados around the world for their elegance and longevity. Her work allows each varietal to display its utmost character within the blends we select.
Diana has two young sons, destined to be as hard-working as their mother.
Khaled
Khaled Tabet is a true farmer. Since joining our team in 2018, he has fully embraced our passion for creating a total quality environment for growing wine. Khaled is committed to sustainable agricultural practices geared toward maintaining the health and well-being of the entire ecosystem of Bhamdoun’s beautiful valley. This includes vineyard management, cultivating the organic gardens which supply fresh produce to Le Telegraphe, supervising the olive oil harvest and overseeing the livestock (sheep, chickens and donkeys) which populate our farm.
Khaled’s family has farmed in Bhamdoun for generations. Together with Diana, his commitment helps ensure that our vineyards remain at optimal levels of health and productivity, allowing us to harvest grapes at the peak of ripeness and perfection year after year.
