I don’t normally write about wines I’ve had in restaurants, but I felt compelled to do so with this Chateau Ksara ‘Le Prieure’ which accompanied our meal at our favourite Lebanese restaurant in London: Yalla Yalla.

Chateau Ksara is one of the oldest vineyards in the Bekaa valley, Lebanon’s largest and most famous wine region. Le Prieuere is a beautiful ruby-coloured blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Mourvedre and Cinsault. On the nose there’s cherry aromas along wih a good hit of liquorice and spice. A little bit of vanilla from the oak aging too. In the mouth it is well rounded with subtle but substantial tannins. It was fantastic with spicy Lebanese Soujouc sausages and smoky Babaganouj. I’m sure  it would go just as well with other southern Mediterranean or middle eastern cuisine too. If you can’t get to Yalla Yalla to try it (trust me, it’s worth a visit!) you can find it online at Slurp.