Hi, I’m Kim, a passionate lover of wine, food, and any experience that brings the two together! In this weekly blog post, I share my thoughts on a wine that I’ve recently purchased from one of our local independent wine merchants. If you’d like to know more about me, I’ve included a brief bio following the post.
2023 Domaine des Tourelles
Vallé de la Bekka
Lebannon White Wine
Marquis Wine Cellars
Currently on Sale for $22.99 from $28.74
1034 Davie Street
Vancouver BC
This past week, I wanted a wine to pair with my Chicken Musakhan, a classic Palestinian dish, and found myself drawn to Lebanon. The country’s winemaking history stretches back more than 6,000 years to the Phoenicians, making Lebanon one of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions. Today, the country blends ancient traditions with French winemaking influence to craft structured, spice-driven reds and distinctive, age-worthy whites.
Domaine des Tourelles is one of Lebanon’s oldest and most acclaimed wineries. Founded in 1868 by French adventurer François-Eugène Brun, the estate has pioneered modern commercial winemaking and earned international recognition for its wine.
Now owned by the Lebanese Issa and Issa-el-Khoury families, the winery is led by siblings Faouzi, Christiane, and Joanne Issa, alongside Emilee Issa-el Khoury. Faouzi Issa, who trained at Château Margaux in Bordeaux, follows a minimal-intervention philosophy, using indigenous yeasts and little to no fining or filtering. The estate’s 40 hectares are organically farmed and dry-grown.
The 2023 Domaine des Tourelles is a blend of Viognier, Chardonnay, Obeidi, and Muscat d’Alexandrie. A golden color, it opens with expressive aromas of lemon rind, baked Asian pear, white flowers, toasted almond, and pineapple. The palate is medium-bodied with moderate acidity and a rich, textured feel, showing notes of almond, pineapple cake, and a subtle oxidative character balanced by a slight bitter edge that adds complexity.
A versatile food wine, it pairs beautifully with Mediterranean fare, from Lebanese mezze to Spanish tapas.
Kim Mead is a Vancouver-based wine and food writer. She holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines with Merit, the French Wine Scholar designation with Honours, and Italian Wine Essentials certification. She is currently pursuing the Bordeaux Master's program with the Wine Scholar Guild. Kim serves as Cellar Master for the Vancouver chapter of the International Wine and Food Society and is a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux. Follow her @agalandaglass