This is what good wine from the Obaideh grape tastes like

The Obaideh grape is found only in Lebanon, at least under this name. According to the Lebanese, it's an indigenous Lebanese white grape. Scientists believe it's a grape that has fully adapted to the Lebanese terroir, but is genetically almost identical to the Chardonnay. In fact, it has been planted in Lebanon for a very long time. It may even be the progenitor of the Chardonnay.

Check out our wines made from Obaideh grapes

The reason you still hear about Obaideh or Obediy is likely because Lebanon's leading wineries, Château Musar and Château Ksara, use this grape. It has been planted in Lebanon under this name for a very long time. It's one of the few varieties that survived the Ottoman occupation—when wine production in Lebanon ceased for a long time. After the Ottoman occupation, French monks planted French grape varieties in the 19th century, but Obaideh was still around.

So it's no wonder they didn't choose the name Chardonnay, unlike some Bekaa Valley wineries, which planted French clones much more recently.

Like French Chardonnay, Obaideh develops high levels of sugar and mild acidity. It produces rich, creamy white wines with notes of honey and citrus, and these wines have considerable aging potential.

We currently have three wines made from the Obaideh grape in our range. You can view our Obaideh wines here.