Being a lover of food and drinks pairing, my invitation to the ‘Ultimate Lebanese Table Dining’, to experience Lebanese wine and dining at Comptoir Libanais in London Bridge, was not a surprise.
This chain of Lebanese restaurants serves a few wines from Chateau Ksara that pairs well with their fare.
When asking about food and wine pairing, a rule of thumb is to pair food with wines from the same region or country. They usually match really well together.
Château Ksara wines
At this event, the dishes paired with Château Ksara wine, a Lebanese winery situated in the Beqaa Valley on the outskirts of the town of Zahleh, the third-largest city in Lebanon after Beirut and Tripoli.
The Château was founded in 1857 by Jesuits brothers who propagated the catholic faith and worked on the land in the area.
Initially, the wines made by the brothers was for personal consumption, but the winery became a commercial affair at the end of the Great War.
Château Ksara is Lebanon’s oldest winery, producing 3 million bottles each year. There are 16 different wines – 7 reds, 5 whites and 4 roses; arak (unsweetened distilled spirit) – Ksarak and a brandy, eau de vie.
Comptoir Libanais
Founded by Tony Kitous, who we met at this event, Comptoir Libanais aims to create a memorable eating experience ensuring the guests appreciate the Middle East bold flavours and super friendly hospitality.
Tony says: ‘My dream is still to make Lebanese food as popular as Italian food because I firmly believe the food of the Middle East is the best in the world, and that is what we serve in Comptoir Libanais every day to our guests’
With 24 restaurants around London and beyond, they already deliver delicious food and drink pairings at their restaurants, like the fresh rose mint tea paired with honey and date baklawa and their chicken kofta comes with their famous garlic sauce!
Lebanese Wine tasting
We tasted some of Château Ksara wines paired with Comptoir Libanais extensive and tasty food menu. The wines served at the restaurants are:
Clos St Alphonse White is their own-label Vegan wine made by Chateau Ksara. Fragrant & refreshing, with citrus & floral aromas.
Blanc de Blanc is another Vegan wine with waxy Semillon aromas enhanced by the herbal and mineral freshness of Sauvignon Blanc & creaminess of Chardonnay.
Clos St Alphonse Red, also Vegan is another own-label red wine by Chateau Ksara. It’s a medium-bodied, with rounded black & red fruit & delicious undertones of spice and liquorice.
Prieure Ksara Rouge is a warm & savoury Mediterranean style wine with herbal & smoky notes.
Reserve du Couvent, Château Ksara is another Vegan wine with a dry and savoury red with fragrant blackberry fruit and a hint of dark chocolate.
We tasted other Chateau Ksara wines such as Merwah 2018, Blanc de L’Observatoire 2018, Chardonnay 2017, Chateau Rouse 2016, which all paired well with the food served at this event.
Disclosure: I was a guest of Chateau Ksara and Comptoir Libanais at this event. Everything you are reading here are my words, my opinions and, unless otherwise stated, my pictures.
