Wine of Bargylus: Wine of Bargylus: A Look Into the History of Wine in the Syrian Mediterranean

When people think of wine, they think of Europe; more specifically, Southern Europe. They tend to forget, however, that Syria is also a Mediterranean country, and its climate is very similar to that of the Mediterranean vine-yards of Europe. Syrians who have had conversations over glasses of wine know this very well. It comes as a shock to some foreigners that we have wine or alcohol in Syria, let alone produce it.

Furthermore, many people don’t know the fact that the Phoenicians (the ancient peo-ples of coastal Syria and Lebanon) played a fundamental role in the spread of wine throughout the “ancient Mediterranean, along with olive oil and innovations such as the alphabet and glass” (Metcalfe, National Geographic)!

An interesting point to mention is the fact that the governorate of Suweida in the south, which is one of Syria’s wine regions, was known as Dionysus by the Ancient Greeks. Dionysus was the Greek god of wine! Latakia is one of the most important wine regions in Syria and vineyards can be found on Mount Bargylus (one of the few names given to the Syrian Coastal Mountains).

Mount Bargylus is home to the production of Syria’s only brand of wine, a wine which has been described as the “The World’s Most Dangerous Wine” due to its cultivation and production in a region that has suffered from conflict over the past 10 years. The Domaine de Bargylus wines are produced by the Saadé family who have developed a worldwide fanbase of wine lovers, after their first production in 2006.

This vineyard recovers the ancient local practice of wine making in Syria, persisting even through the war, a testament to the continuity of Syrians.