The Aanab News Bulletin: Q2 of 2025
From April 2025 to June 2025
📌 The Aanab News Bulletin is a quarterly round-up of the latest wine news with my hot take on how each relates to Lebanon and the region. The bulletin is a snapshot of the three months prior to when it’s published so if there is timely and relevant work, studies, or context that is not included below, please add links in the comments.
ICYMI: The Aanab News Bulletin: Q1 of 2025
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This news bulletin is published on a quarterly basis with the next one (Q3) coming out in late September/early October. If you have news that should be included in future bulletins, please get in touch.
“Lebanon’s Indigenous Grapes Reshaping its Wine Identity” - Joseph Mounayer for ASI Magazine Issue 20 - April 2025
This double-page spread highlights the indigenous grape angle that has been the hot topic as of late. Mounayer also says that the Association des Sommeliers du Liban (ASLIB) are instrumental in this mission.
My take → I didn’t know ASLIB existed (my bad) but this reads more like a press release about the association than it does an article about Lebanese wine. And that’s fine! There’s no new info though and it almost sounds like Obaideh and Merwah are new discoveries, even locally, which isn’t the case. Also, while I know money can be tight sometimes, I’d love if publications would commission local photographers so they stop using the same Ferzol stock photo.
“Nature’s Tiny Warriors” | AUB@Work - April 9, 2025
Dr. Youssef Abou Jawdeh, a plant pathology expert at the Department of Agriculture at the American University of Beirut (AUB), has found a sustainable alternative to pesticides and chemicals: predatory mites and parasitic fungi. They can obliterate major pests with up to 90% effectiveness and reduce costs by 75%.
My take → The trend in coverage of anything agricultural lately has been focused around two ideas. The first is that the solutions to our future fears lie in ancient techniques of the past. The second, which is an extension of the first, is that what our land needs to remain fruitful can already be found at home. This applies to local predatory mites and fungi as well. Dr. Abou Jawdeh’s research shows that when sourced from the local environment, these tiny warriors are more effective than imported ones. Signs show that repeated applications aren’t necessary so although the upfront cost is high, using critters that integrate into the setting is a promising longterm method. Would wineries be open to testing this bio-friendly alternative on their open-air vineyards?
Related: People are looking into repurposing wastewater from olive presses as a biopesticide.
“WineInk: ‘Wine and War,’ a film” | Kelly J. Hayes for The Aspen Times - April 11, 2025
Five years after its release, The Aspen Times published a review on Lebanon’s documentary Wine and War, available for streaming on Amazon Prime. Mark Johnston, one of the film’s producers, is an Aspen resident so that’s the connection to the publication.
My take → The review unintentionally points out why I found this doc to be so troubling when it was initially released. Unfortunately, the wine & war narrative that Lebanon’s wine industry relies on so heavily has been given new life with Israel’s latest invasion (2023 to present day because what ceasefire?). I’m not surprised that this romantic tale has resurfaced because the press continues to eat it up and recycle the same reductive framing. The way Lebanese wine is covered is shifting in very tiny ways but then some articles remind me that we’re still trapped in/welcoming this sort of storytelling.
“Santorini’s Wine Industry Faces Crisis: Production Could Vanish by 2042” | Kowalenko Charlie for Greek City Times - April 22, 2025
Hit by a trio of challenges (aging vineyards, climate change, and a shortage of young farmers), Santorini’s winemakers are worried about their future.
My take → Although Lebanon is not an island, we are at the mercy of the Mediterranean’s rising temperatures too. When a neighboring landmass has winemakers saying they’re concerned that “grape production could cease entirely by 2042 without urgent action,” we should be paying attention to how that could extend to our coast. Megaphone News reports that Lebanon faces the worst drought in over 65 years. As a fellow ancient winemaking country with unchecked urban development, Lebanon is facing the same headwinds as the Greek isle. The difference is Santorini is creating a water task force and looking into a U.S. military device that “captures atmospheric humidity and converts it into water without energy consumption.” Lebanon, on the other hand, is relying on leaky water trucks that refill residential rooftop tanks. In short, we’re not prepared for tomorrow because we’re too busy dealing with today.
The Centre for Social Sciences Research and Action published a report: Water (In)Justice in Lebanon - A case study on the lived experiences of households in Bar Elias – Bekaa.