The winery at Faqra is where the subtle flavors of Massaya Blanc are created. With a production of 65,000 bottle, we pioneered the technique of growing grape varieties in vineyards located at up to 1,700 meters above sea level. The result is a wine inspired by a Mount Lebanon tradition and environment.
Our white wine winery is a jewel for professional winemakers. Most of our containers are French oak, commissioned from our craftsman in the Calvados. We have all sizes, from the 4,000-liter foudre to the regular 220-liter barrel, and in between we have 3,000-liter casks and demi muids of 650 liters. The two first galleries are also an extension of the winery, as the smaller oak vessels are also used for fermentation.
The design of the winery contributes to the wellbeing and personality of our wines; however, it is the dedication and the technical knowledge of our winemaking team that helps us make wines of remarkable quality. For instance, at Massaya we use indigenous yeast carefully developed from the grapes of the vintage. We seldom buy the dry imported yeast commonly used in winemaking. Put simply, Massaya is the sourdough bread of wine; our passionately produced homegrown yeast gives our wine extra complexity and imbues each bottle with added Lebanese flair.
At Massaya we are dedicated to environmental sustainability. All our water in Faqra is recycled and used to irrigate our flowers and trees. Ninety percent of the waste produced in our winery and restaurants is transformed into compost and pet food, or is used as upcycled plastic, cardboard or metal.