CHÂTEAU KSARA WINS GOLD IN CHICAGO AND CANNES

Château Ksara's Ksarak, the winery’s arak, took the Gold Medal in the ‘Best Buy’ category at the 2019 International Review of Spirits in Chicago. The judges were unanimous in their findings, declaring that ‘Ksarak’ possessed all the elements of an outstanding spirit. The official citation read, “Clear color. Herbal aromas and flavors of black liquorice, black pepper, oregano and tarragon with a velvety, crisp, fruity sweet medium body and an effortless, medium-long finish. A complex arak with subtle herbal nuance and in-check heat.”

Ksarak is triple-distilled and infused with aniseed sourced exclusively from t the village of Heeneh on the fo foothills of Mount Hermon. The plant is then aged for 28 months in locallymad made clay amphorae. Sim Similar to the aging proc process of Scotch whi w whisky, arak loses 1112 percent p of its socalle called Angels’ share duri during the maturation pro process. Ksarak is ma made with Merwah and Obeideh, two anc ancient Lebanese gra grapes and Ugni Bla Blanc, a variety used in the production of Cognac and Armagnac. "Ksarak is an outstanding spirit and a wonderful example of a proud tradition,” said Michael Karam author of 'Arak and Mezze: The taste of Lebanon'. “Arak is the 'stealth' spirit. It has, till now, flown under the radar of all but the world’s connoisseurs but we hope that now it will achieve the popularity it deserves outside Lebanon.”

Château Ksara also won a gold medal at the 16th Mondial du Rosé in Cannes for its 2018 Sunset bottle. This year, over 1,000 wines from more than 20 countries were submitted to 67 judges from 18 nations. Made with Cabernet Franc and Syrah, it was first released in 1974 and is sold in over 30 countries. “We are proud to see that, once again, Château Ksara and Lebanon have demonstrated the highest standards of winemaking on the international stage,” said Zafer Chaoui, the winery’s president. “Sunset is an icon, one of the backbones of an extensive portfolio of labels both at home and abroad. It is a modern rosé, aimed at a discerning palate, made by a winery that has been producing wines of a consistent quality for over 160 years.”