0:00:14.534,0:00:16.677
It was a bread bakery[br]and it became a Manakish bakery.

0:00:25.663,0:00:29.333
Hello Anthony, how are you?[br]Good? I hope so, happy holidays.

0:00:31.041,0:00:34.553
You are at Chafic Bou Assaly Bakery[br]in Qob Elias.

0:00:35.430,0:00:38.013
This is a thyme Manoucheh.[br]We are making it now.

0:00:38.013,0:00:39.389
This is a mixed Manoucheh.

0:00:40.675,0:00:45.911
Mhammara Manoucheh.[br]This bakery has been here since 1958.

0:00:46.523,0:00:47.763
Since the times of my late father.

0:00:49.287,0:00:54.820
First, it was a bread bakery.[br]Then it became a Manakish and pastry bakery in 1965.

0:00:55.201,0:00:58.111
Good morning.[br]Good morning Anthony, welcome to Qob Elias.

0:00:58.111,0:00:59.214
We're happy that you're here.

0:01:00.606,0:01:04.606
We're happy that you're here and we[br]are recording the oldest things present in Qob Elias

0:01:04.606,0:01:07.633
and we allow people to know Qob Elias,[br]and the beauty of the village and the area.

0:01:07.633,0:01:10.510
So we're on.[br]Ahmad, tell me about you.

0:01:10.908,0:01:14.967
Thank God, good.[br]I've been here for almost a year and a month.

0:01:15.365,0:01:19.365
From Canada. I liked to come and see Lebanon, and get my kids to Lebanon.

0:01:19.365,0:01:23.365
Because Lebanon is the most beautiful[br]country in the world. I follow you a lot.

0:01:23.365,0:01:27.365
Because you excited us to come to Lebanon,[br]and i've been here for a year and a month.

0:01:27.365,0:01:31.365
I am working in Lebanon.[br]We have about 6 stops today.

0:01:31.365,0:01:34.635
We will see the oldest bakery in Qob Elias[br]and in the area.

0:01:35.107,0:01:41.883
We will see another bakery for one of[br]the most charismatic people in Qob Elias.

0:01:42.737,0:01:46.188
We will see the largest vegetable market[br]in the area, in the Middle East.

0:01:46.565,0:01:53.175
We will see Domaine de Chouchene because it is very amazing, Anthony, you're going to love it.

0:02:07.568,0:02:10.923
We will start with the thyme Manoucheh.[br]Soft soft soft.

0:02:11.431,0:02:12.481
Large and filling.

0:02:16.123,0:02:18.603
I loved it a lot.[br]Maximum soft.

0:02:19.006,0:02:21.696
Filling, generous,[br]the thyme is good.

0:02:23.498,0:02:25.748
It is not chewy.[br]Very fluffy.

0:02:26.773,0:02:28.493
The dough is properly soaked[br]with oil.

0:02:31.434,0:02:32.034
Great start.

0:02:33.726,0:02:34.626
Then they have this.

0:02:35.353,0:02:36.713
What is this! About a kilogram.

0:02:37.237,0:02:38.207
3 kinds of cheese.

0:02:39.366,0:02:39.962
A mix.

0:02:42.795,0:02:43.385
Wow.

0:02:45.067,0:02:46.683
That is something.

0:02:48.204,0:02:49.274
Super something.

0:02:51.676,0:02:52.376
All these.

0:02:54.915,0:02:56.530
Enjoy enjoy.

0:03:02.158,0:03:04.158
This is a big thing.

0:03:31.429,0:03:34.429
Abou Alaa Bakery.[br]You're close to my heart, I respect you.

0:03:34.429,0:03:35.739
All kinds of Manakish.

0:03:36.618,0:03:38.288
Welcome.[br]You're close to my heart.

0:03:39.309,0:03:43.309
Yes, I've been in this business for 50 years.[br]Specifically in this place, I've been for 17 years.

0:03:47.935,0:03:51.935
This is the thyme. The bakery is related to thyme,[br]they initially say, a thyme bakery.

0:03:52.882,0:03:57.722
Then, the other kinds come. But originally,[br]they say that this bakery is a thyme bakery.

0:06:24.208,0:06:25.865
You're welcome a hundred times.

0:06:27.913,0:06:29.378
One for me and one for you.

0:06:29.715,0:06:32.852
The Manoucheh is wrapped like[br]a sandwich, like a school sandwich.

0:06:38.310,0:06:39.337
You have to try it.

0:06:41.308,0:06:42.178
Super soft.

0:06:48.768,0:06:51.161
Super smooth.[br]Super simple.

0:06:52.231,0:06:54.871
Light and clean, delicious,[br]uncomplicated.

0:06:56.437,0:06:57.347
Comforting.

0:07:01.720,0:07:02.460
Unbelievable.

0:07:08.251,0:07:09.231
I memorized the location.

0:07:14.746,0:07:16.679
For sure I'm coming back.[br]Let me go inside to tell him thank you and bravo.

0:07:48.218,0:07:54.172
We are at Qob Elias Central Vegetable Market.[br]Now, I work as a guard in this market.

0:07:54.351,0:07:58.351
I am responsable for the market and now[br]I will take you to

0:07:58.940,0:08:01.659
Sheikh Wajih Al Amoury,[br]he will tell you more about the topic.

0:08:09.789,0:08:11.981
This vegetable market was established[br]in 1997.

0:08:13.604,0:08:17.214
A group of traders, in agreement[br]with the municipality, made this market

0:08:17.214,0:08:22.152
with effort and energy and it is from[br]the best Lebanese markets

0:08:22.378,0:08:24.328
and from the most organized Lebanese markets.

0:08:25.091,0:08:30.521
The market is made up of 121 garages[br]or doors,

0:08:31.186,0:08:33.246
and about 60 corporations are there.

0:08:35.066,0:08:40.408
This market, almost all production[br]of Al Bekaa,

0:08:41.268,0:08:42.428
comes to this market.

0:08:43.429,0:08:47.999
The market during summer,[br]all Lebanese markets come take from this market.

0:08:49.644,0:08:53.978
Even for traveling and exporting,[br]this market gives the products.

0:08:53.978,0:08:55.382
Traders sell everything in this market.

0:08:55.982,0:08:56.542
It is organized.

0:08:57.251,0:09:00.065
There is a committee or union for this[br]market.

0:09:00.065,0:09:04.585
There is another market in Ferzol. It is parallel to[br]Al Bekaa market, but our market is bigger.

0:09:05.696,0:09:07.833
It can fit more amount of products.

0:09:35.005,0:09:37.857
Just come and fill your sight with colors.

0:09:38.438,0:09:40.348
From a place to a place to a place.

0:09:40.678,0:09:43.143
All kinds of vegetables.[br]Very good condition and very clean.

0:09:43.143,0:09:46.651
Some are in plastic boxes,[br]or carton boxes, or bags.

0:09:47.115,0:09:51.765
You can find all what you need[br]in very good prices.

0:09:52.182,0:09:56.182
As you can see, the organization,[br]cleanliness, calmness, there is no shouting.

0:09:56.597,0:09:57.447
I was not expecting that.

0:09:58.289,0:09:58.739
Very nice.

0:09:59.179,0:10:01.633
It is the biggest in the Middle East,[br]and I have not came to here before.

0:10:02.526,0:10:02.936
Oops.

0:10:16.214,0:10:18.707
Very very professional.[br]Very professional.

0:10:18.707,0:10:21.319
Impressive. And I am still walking and[br]I do not feel like stopping.

0:10:21.746,0:10:25.746
From a place to a place to a place,[br]there is not a tiny bit of trash on the floor.

0:10:26.263,0:10:30.263
Our prices here are very good,[br]package prices. Our products are very clean,

0:10:30.263,0:10:33.668
products with clean water,[br]most of it is clean water, artesian.

0:11:17.110,0:11:18.340
Qob Elias products.

0:12:14.301,0:12:17.266
Look, there is a very old[br]Sun Temple.

0:12:17.266,0:12:20.117
Of course, we will go there later on[br]and talk about it.

0:12:20.117,0:12:21.417
If you want to capture it from here,[br]the picture would look very nice.

0:12:23.103,0:12:26.307
How many of you did know that there is[br]a Sun Temple in Qob Elias?

0:12:26.562,0:12:27.492
We pass through this road

0:12:28.390,0:12:32.751
always, we all pass through this road.[br]We all go all the way

0:12:33.000,0:12:37.000
to a beautiful area called Ammiq.[br]Did we ever look to the right at this mountain?

0:12:37.604,0:12:39.844
A temple, they say that it has been[br]here for more than 6,000 years.

0:12:40.895,0:12:43.275
Wow, we will go and see it together[br]later on.

0:12:45.007,0:12:48.493
So next, after the vegetables market, I will take you to my uncle, who is the eldest mayor in the village.

0:12:48.493,0:12:49.993
Mahyidinne Toufic Hatoum.

0:12:52.512,0:12:55.462
I have been a mayor since 1985.

0:12:56.898,0:12:57.258
Yes.

0:12:58.199,0:13:00.859
And in the village, there are almost

0:13:01.669,0:13:04.079
70,000 person.

0:13:04.825,0:13:09.435
Its history is very old.[br]Its history, there's Haidar remains, as they call it.

0:13:10.115,0:13:12.425
This dates back to the Romans era.

0:13:13.081,0:13:14.221
And maybe the Phoenicians.

0:13:14.762,0:13:18.453
It was more beautiful than that[br]and nicer than that.

0:13:19.095,0:13:23.409
When the sun rises in the morning, it hits,[br]we had the schools place,

0:13:23.975,0:13:26.847
there was all yards,[br]decorated as they call it.

0:13:27.517,0:13:30.073
There were no buildings or schools[br]or anything,

0:13:30.584,0:13:32.860
there was the Sun Temple, as they call it.

0:13:33.603,0:13:38.509
Tal El Akhdar boarders it from here.[br]the south, Tal El Akhdar, and Ammiq.

0:13:39.456,0:13:41.366
Tal El Akhdar belongs to Qob Elias.

0:13:42.138,0:13:43.808
But Ammiq belongs to west Bekaa.

0:13:44.553,0:13:47.413
From the east, El Marj village.

0:13:48.376,0:13:53.548
And from the south, I mean the north,[br]Chtoura.

0:13:56.231,0:14:01.331
And from the west, the mountain[br]and then Ain Dara.

0:14:15.899,0:14:18.029
Lots of history.[br]Lots to cover.

0:14:18.737,0:14:20.667
Of course, Qob Elias is rich with history,[br]as you can see.

0:14:21.280,0:14:23.297
And almost all civilizations passed[br]through Qob Elias.

0:14:24.253,0:14:27.569
Of course, because it exists on both[br]sides of the river.

0:14:27.569,0:14:29.865
So a side was Mrayjet[br]and a side was Qob Elias.

0:14:30.600,0:14:32.580
Now, all of it is Qob Elias.

0:14:44.328,0:14:46.735
We reached Ras El Ain area which[br]very famous here.

0:14:46.930,0:14:51.748
Where water starts. We are seeing around us[br]iron pipes left and right.

0:14:52.023,0:14:54.853
Unfortunately, they're damaged.[br]Now we were talking about this topic,

0:14:54.853,0:14:59.475
that there was a water station,[br]a power station but it stopped from a long time ago.

0:14:59.679,0:15:02.083
So the pipes rusted and started to break.

0:15:02.665,0:15:07.500
Nice walk, I can tell you that the walk is very nice.[br]We can go forwards for more than 20 minutes and see

0:15:07.500,0:15:12.200
where the river starts. But they are waiting for us in the village, and I started to feel hungry.

0:15:35.078,0:15:40.591
Good morning. Good morning.[br]How are you? How are you? Welcome. Good.

0:15:40.591,0:15:43.731
Hello. Hello. How are you?[br]God bless you.

0:15:45.159,0:15:47.473
The table and the smell in your house,[br]it's crazy.

0:15:47.848,0:15:53.905
Hiam Alaaeddine from Qob Elias.[br]I've been working for 10 years with Mouneh and

0:15:53.905,0:15:56.688
Arabic food as well as foreign food.

0:15:57.551,0:16:05.114
Stuffed vine leaves, Coxinha, Empanada,[br]Empanada Con Pino, chicken croquettes,

0:16:06.008,0:16:11.238
Tabouli, different kinds of pumpkin Kebbeh with all[br]stuffing, potato Kebbeh,

0:16:12.019,0:16:16.649
everything you need is found here.[br]This is Tabouli with village parsley

0:16:16.649,0:16:18.345
also with olive oil.

0:16:20.770,0:16:22.900
Lemon is also from the mountains.

0:16:29.060,0:16:29.900
Tell us about catering.

0:16:31.795,0:16:35.468
I work from home.[br]I've been for almost 8 years.

0:16:37.549,0:16:40.869
I developed my work,[br]I work with NGOs, I participate.

0:16:42.224,0:16:47.164
Now I am still developing.[br]I am learning and doing everything new.

0:16:48.603,0:16:53.486
Stuffed vine leaves with oil.[br]As they say, the leaves are from village.

0:16:53.686,0:16:57.686
I make everything, I get them during season[br]and cut them, sort and organize them,

0:16:57.686,0:17:01.526
and I press them and keep them ready[br]for when there is an order.

0:17:11.030,0:17:11.490
Wow.

0:17:12.116,0:17:14.787
No, the food is very nice.

0:17:17.576,0:17:18.356
Finally,

0:17:23.741,0:17:28.651
as it should be. Passion of home,[br]taste of home, the perfect flavors.

0:17:29.282,0:17:32.338
The Tabouli has perfect lemon,[br]it pinches a bit.

0:17:33.458,0:17:35.953
The oil is exact.[br]Fresh ingredients.

0:17:39.376,0:17:39.976
Perfect.

0:17:44.104,0:17:44.624
Perfect.

0:17:46.490,0:17:47.830
Your food is amazing.

0:17:48.612,0:17:52.001
There are still these?[br]They became red, we forgot them.

0:17:52.001,0:17:54.681
Let me exchange them.[br]Amazing amazing amazing,

0:17:54.927,0:17:59.877
Enjoy enjoy, welcome.[br]I hope the better and nicer will happen.

0:18:00.317,0:18:00.875
And the more delicious.

0:18:01.091,0:18:02.911
Wow. Impressive.

0:18:03.284,0:18:06.834
I thought that I am done, and I said[br]no, I want to have some bites without eating a lot.

0:18:07.207,0:18:10.657
But the potato Kebbeh stuffed with meat.[br]You're having it with Labneh, yes?

0:18:11.091,0:18:11.841
Impressive.

0:18:12.427,0:18:18.447
The crisp on the outside, flakiness, craziness.[br]It's super juicy on the inside and extremely flavorful.

0:18:19.396,0:18:22.605
Put everything aside, there is an obvious passion.

0:19:26.202,0:19:29.374
Welcome. We're waiting for you[br]wherever you are, in Lebanon and the world.

0:19:29.374,0:19:30.224
Come visit us.

0:19:50.381,0:19:52.343
Welcome guys. God bless you.

0:19:57.019,0:19:58.429
We've been here since 1982.

0:20:00.639,0:20:01.879
We work with cheeses and Labneh.

0:20:03.731,0:20:07.881
Labneh, cheese, Halloum, double cream,[br]Akkawi, Baladi.

0:20:08.962,0:20:09.912
It is all natural milk.

0:20:10.759,0:20:14.469
There is a proper boiler.[br]It becomes frothy in 30 mins.

0:20:16.025,0:20:18.647
We take it for making yogurt or cheese.

0:20:19.456,0:20:21.246
They are on the tables.

0:20:22.032,0:20:23.182
Cheese on the tables.

0:20:24.125,0:20:27.075
We press it by the press.[br]Here, this cheese is pressed.

0:20:29.044,0:20:30.334
This is pressed by the press.

0:20:31.889,0:20:34.872
We put a specific amount of salt and we[br]pack it in boxes and cans,

0:20:35.782,0:20:38.122
in salty water. Everything is 100% naturally[br]made on the old way.

0:20:38.122,0:20:43.713
There isn't any preservatives or powder or starch[br]or any artificial materials.

0:20:44.134,0:20:47.094
As the milk comes, we work with it, and we[br]put it,

0:20:47.094,0:20:50.248
we don't soak it, and cheese is put in[br]cans, as it is.

0:21:14.868,0:21:19.616
Good morning. Good morning, welcome.[br]Welcome welcome. Chateau Heritage.

0:21:20.317,0:21:24.787
About Qob Elias, I have to tell you,[br]I am the ex mayor.

0:21:25.178,0:21:28.838
I used to say, it's the capital of the[br]world and the center of the universe.

0:21:29.465,0:21:34.827
So now, Chateau Heritage is the capital of the[br]world and the center of the universe. Welcome.

0:21:35.231,0:21:36.771
It's an honor to have you.

0:21:37.238,0:21:41.238
Thank you. First, congratulations[br]for the new award.

0:21:41.238,0:21:44.575
You're a pride to this nation.

0:21:45.207,0:21:46.507
Thank you. Welcome. Thank you.

0:21:47.326,0:21:51.876
The square is very nice, as if it is Hacienda.[br]As if it is a place for horses,

0:21:51.876,0:21:55.876
as if we traveled to Portugal or Spain,[br]and we are in the center of Lebanon.

0:21:56.025,0:21:57.605
You enter from a door to another.

0:21:58.033,0:22:02.433
Originally, from the entrance, the[br]atmosphere and the vibes are amazing,

0:22:03.602,0:22:04.322
Chateau Heritage

0:22:05.546,0:22:09.638
Let's tour and see what do they have.[br]It's an old school built in 1927.

0:22:10.299,0:22:14.235
This is actually the courtyard.[br]The classes were here. They come to the courtyard.

0:22:15.043,0:22:19.396
So when we bought it, it was[br]utterly destroyed by the war.

0:22:19.899,0:22:23.339
It passed in phases where it was a[br]chicken and cow farm at one time,

0:22:23.636,0:22:28.616
a carton factory at another time,[br]but when we bought it, it was completely damaged.

0:22:28.616,0:22:32.436
It had many bullets and bombs.

0:22:33.074,0:22:39.634
So we refurbished and adapted it to[br]become a winery.

0:22:40.161,0:22:45.071
We are the sons of Elias Touma.[br]One of the founders of Arak Touma.

0:22:45.887,0:22:51.757
So we are fourth generation wine makers.[br]I went to the states and studied

0:22:51.757,0:22:53.064
chemical engineer.

0:22:53.738,0:22:57.211
The masters in indology,[br]PhD in food and beverage science.

0:22:57.211,0:23:01.581
So my friends call me Dr. D,[br]Dr. Dargham. So it's Dr. D.

0:23:03.482,0:23:04.472
What else do we tell you?

0:23:04.942,0:23:08.264
When I started here it was a very[br]primitive operation.

0:23:09.258,0:23:13.966
Now, the vats that you are seeing[br]are imported vats.

0:23:14.608,0:23:17.572
It's for show and pictures.[br]You know, like a portrait.

0:23:17.572,0:23:20.602
But in the rest of the winery[br]there are vats that I've done myself.

0:23:20.602,0:23:23.009
I've welded myself, I've done myself.

0:23:24.703,0:23:27.814
They are called, you know,[br]colt of the business, they do everything.

0:23:28.498,0:23:33.588
So Chateau Heritage was founded in 1997.[br]That's when I came back from the states.

0:23:33.818,0:23:35.448
I started working in 1997.

0:23:35.867,0:23:39.597
2 years prior, we made wine.

0:23:40.192,0:23:42.462
88 and 91, now we will show you what are they.

0:23:43.357,0:23:48.397
And it is a family business.[br]My siblings and I,

0:23:48.397,0:23:49.845
it is a family operation.

0:23:50.247,0:23:53.717
May my father rest in peace,[br]he was a big part of the business,

0:23:53.717,0:23:55.097
he died 4-5 years ago.

0:23:58.105,0:24:02.285
The patron saint, all wineries of the world[br]have a patron saint.

0:24:03.510,0:24:07.510
Because sometimes you do the science[br]to the maximum, a time comes,

0:24:07.598,0:24:11.598
things mess up. You have to refer to a[br]higher power, so

0:24:11.598,0:24:17.736
we light candles and such things. Patron saint of out winery is St. Elias, in honor of our father.

0:25:00.033,0:25:05.554
This is 1 of 2 sellers of wine.[br]Now we'll go up there to the second.

0:25:06.811,0:25:08.937
This is where wine comes to be aged.

0:25:10.520,0:25:13.330
I'm not a humongous fan of oak.

0:25:14.183,0:25:20.383
Because it covers, it masks the smells[br]and fruits of the wine.

0:25:20.689,0:25:27.877
But nonetheless, some wines need oak, and we,[br]personally I am American educated,

0:25:28.712,0:25:34.163
but to be honest, I tried French oak,[br]what I found to be the best for Lebanese

0:25:36.401,0:25:38.447
tannins and weather and things

0:25:39.173,0:25:42.139
is American oak.[br]Because when I started using that,

0:25:43.524,0:25:48.140
ever since, I'm winning best Lebanese wine[br]in the world consecutively every year.

0:25:48.140,0:25:49.545
Both in Bordeaux and elsewhere.

0:25:50.101,0:25:54.421
And to commemorate you winning the award,[br]now up there. Thank you so much.

0:25:55.606,0:25:58.831
We took it from here, it has mold which is okay.

0:25:58.831,0:26:05.707
This is the 2003 which has won about[br]6 golden awards all over the world

0:26:06.185,0:26:08.100
including best Lebanese wine.

0:26:08.564,0:26:13.840
You don't drink these being careless.[br]After the car trip,

0:26:14.378,0:26:18.718
you have to leave it for about 10 days[br]because it's going to shake.

0:26:19.293,0:26:24.316
And you open the other one[br]on a very nice occasion.

0:26:25.141,0:26:29.141
But in both cases, you should[br]decant them.

0:26:29.490,0:26:34.475
Please, because I am not teaching you,[br]but it's for the info.

0:26:35.021,0:26:38.487
Second, for it to have oxygen and stretch.

0:26:38.954,0:26:41.444
This has been stuck in the bottle for[br]30 years.

0:26:41.806,0:26:43.026
So it needs stretching.

0:26:43.358,0:26:44.948
Give it some oxygen to stretch.

0:26:45.310,0:26:48.720
How great. How great,[br]the spider is working down,

0:26:48.720,0:26:50.029
turning and having fun.

0:26:50.408,0:26:59.170
The woods are resting, the wines being aged and are becoming sacred, if we can say that.

0:26:59.170,0:27:00.580
I can stay for hours down there.

0:27:01.423,0:27:04.203
But I asked I question, if it was a school[br]and there was such a thing,

0:27:04.720,0:27:06.370
what did students do down there?

0:27:08.158,0:27:09.638
This is a cellar for tourists.

0:27:12.751,0:27:17.232
This is where we put family reserve high end wines.

0:27:24.452,0:27:30.100
Chateau Heritage Nine. 9 grape varieties, the most popular 9 grape varieties in Lebanon.

0:27:30.570,0:27:31.659
Unoaked wine.

0:27:33.477,0:27:39.840
Château Heritage Plaisir du Vin. This si made out of 3,[br]Cabernet-Sauvignon, Syrah, and Cinsault.

0:27:40.423,0:27:41.173
Slightly oaked.

0:27:42.852,0:27:44.952
This is Syrah. It is a single varietal.

0:27:45.690,0:27:51.810
This is the Cuvee Saint Elie which we[br]released to commemorate the passing of my father.

0:27:52.440,0:27:54.250
And I would tell you the story about this.

0:27:54.841,0:27:57.431
This is made of my father's favorite grapes.

0:27:57.625,0:28:01.843
Cabernet-Sauvignon and Cinsault.[br]Well, the story goes that

0:28:02.242,0:28:07.489
my father was a huge fan of Cinsault[br]because it is what's he's used to work with.

0:28:07.841,0:28:14.202
When I came to work with the wines,[br]I told him that Cabernet-Sauvignon is the toughest

0:28:14.986,0:28:16.358
mother f* out there.

0:28:17.003,0:28:21.107
He said why. It's because anywhere you cultivate it in the world, it thrives.

0:28:21.107,0:28:25.737
He said, you know what, this Cabernet-Sauvignon is[br]exactly like the Lebanese people.

0:28:25.737,0:28:27.978
anywhere you put them in the world,[br]they rule.

0:28:28.562,0:28:32.055
So, to commemorate his passing,[br]we did a blend of the 2.

0:28:32.147,0:28:34.367
Cabernet-Sauvignon and Cinsault.

0:28:35.043,0:28:43.175
This is the Chateau Heritage, which is a blend[br]of Syrah in American oak, second wine.

0:28:43.883,0:28:51.373
And the family reserve, which is a[br]small vineyard. A 30 year old vineyard.

0:28:51.878,0:28:55.486
In the past, the Cab and Syrah in it,[br]during the times of my father,

0:28:55.809,0:28:59.809
it was fed to sheep.[br]Because the fruit of Cab and Syrah is small,

0:28:59.809,0:29:00.537
it doesn't yield.

0:29:01.160,0:29:03.720
The Cinsault is that big and it yields,[br]this makes money.

0:29:04.286,0:29:06.516
The Cab and Syrah were fed to sheep.

0:29:07.385,0:29:11.123
So, it does't yield a lot, it's around[br]5,000-6,000 bottles.

0:29:11.737,0:29:16.199
But it is so old, the vineyards are so old,[br]the wine is so dense.

0:29:17.222,0:29:20.063
Put it with the American oak,[br]brand new barrels,

0:29:20.425,0:29:25.435
and you were winning the best Lebanese wine[br]in the world consistently.

0:29:26.757,0:29:29.557
We're going to try, the Nine,

0:29:31.202,0:29:38.142
which is made from 9 most popular grapes[br]used in Lebanon.

0:29:39.890,0:29:40.890
It is

0:29:42.116,0:29:44.854
wine critics call it, Lebanon in a bottle.

0:30:02.080,0:30:05.584
We start with its beautiful smell.[br]It is very light and smooth.

0:30:05.927,0:30:09.133
Most importantly, you don't smell[br]the wood which usually covers everything.

0:30:10.265,0:30:11.105
Very smooth.

0:30:11.965,0:30:15.516
There is a fresh feeling.

0:30:16.180,0:30:21.450
Earthy, floral, all combined, I won't say the[br]smell of Lebanon, but it is very light.

0:30:21.726,0:30:22.366
And then

0:30:25.887,0:30:28.476
extremely smooth. Extremely balanced.

0:30:29.249,0:30:33.249
Lightly acidic. Enjoyably acidic, it tickles[br]the sides of the tongue.

0:30:33.484,0:30:36.537
It doesn't burn the throat,[br]it does not dry the palate.

0:30:37.346,0:30:42.906
And you say bam! Each person who didn't drink this thing yet, is missing a lot.

0:30:45.620,0:30:49.220
Now, it's because we took it from down there,[br]where I told you.

0:30:49.554,0:30:51.304
It is the 2003.

0:30:52.347,0:30:56.947
Here, we put 4/6 gold awards it has won.

0:30:59.802,0:31:05.298
This is honestly, also, I am not modest,

0:31:05.967,0:31:11.811
but this is one of the best wines in the world[br]you could ever taste.

0:31:12.499,0:31:13.989
I am responsible of my words.

0:31:14.641,0:31:19.803
So when you open in and taste it in an occasion,[br]after you open it for an hour,

0:31:20.922,0:31:25.832
give me a call and tell me if I am right[br]or I'm full of bullshit.

0:31:28.531,0:31:31.381
How beautiful. How beautiful.

0:31:32.289,0:31:34.659
We finished tasting and we will continue the tour.

0:31:35.127,0:31:36.207
Amazing experience.

0:31:36.702,0:31:38.652
I promised them that this is not the last visit.

0:31:39.295,0:31:41.525
Next time, there is meat with barbecue.

0:31:42.324,0:31:43.234
And some more wine.

0:31:54.901,0:31:59.471
I use the best crumble, of corse, there is the[br]Falghona,

0:32:00.009,0:32:02.349
and I also use the Calbeau.

0:32:02.349,0:32:05.807
And from when I started, I sell online.

0:32:06.226,0:32:08.206
We deliver to houses.

0:32:08.772,0:32:13.722
These are square praline with feuillantine.[br]Milk and dark.

0:32:14.254,0:32:17.924
There is the praline sphere with a[br]hazelnut in the center.

0:32:18.895,0:32:21.695
These are nuts covered with chocolate.

0:32:21.920,0:32:25.510
This is raspberry caramel with feuillantine.

0:32:25.773,0:32:28.781
Speculoos cream with cashew nuts.

0:32:29.416,0:32:36.014
The best seller of Ebene is caramel with exotic fruits and white chocolate.

0:32:37.571,0:32:41.821
These are almonds covered with dark chocolate.

0:32:41.930,0:32:49.900
A caramel flower of salt. Caramel with sesame, praline with sesame and some caramel.

0:32:50.913,0:32:53.163
I tasted on Instagram and I forgot that I am[br]filming for YouTube.

0:32:53.744,0:32:58.463
I tasted 3 pieces of chocolate. I should make you live the experience again because it is crazy.

0:32:58.940,0:33:02.043
When someone reaches here, and[br]crunches special chocolate,

0:33:02.396,0:33:06.396
the problem with chocolate for most people is[br]tempering, how chewy and sticky it is,

0:33:06.890,0:33:11.348
its quality, how sweet and how much sugar does it[br]has and the aftertaste it leaves in the throat.

0:33:11.988,0:33:16.586
Put all these aside. When you reach and[br]you find out about a chocolate

0:33:17.219,0:33:20.652
that firm, with such a nice stand,[br]and nice crunch.

0:33:22.373,0:33:22.983
Wow.

0:33:24.821,0:33:27.261
The taste is delicious[br]and it is addictive.

0:33:28.030,0:33:29.380
With light sweetness.

0:33:32.926,0:33:35.076
I am staying here.[br]Continue the tour on your own.

0:33:36.166,0:33:36.656
Move.

0:33:38.023,0:33:39.693
I'm coming, I want to finish them.

0:33:56.717,0:33:59.157
Welcome to Chateau St Thomas.

0:34:00.080,0:34:06.750
Chateau St Thomas is a winery[br]for Touma family.

0:34:07.468,0:34:11.729
We've been in the business, the[br]alcohol business, since 1888.

0:34:12.071,0:34:13.081
We started with Arak.

0:34:13.821,0:34:21.678
And in the 1990s, we started with wine, so[br]we took these lands and started to plant them,

0:34:21.678,0:34:29.910
we imported grape varieties from outside,[br]the Cabernet-Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir,

0:34:29.910,0:34:31.727
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc.

0:34:34.523,0:34:40.643
And in the 1995, we almost started the[br]construction of the winery,

0:34:41.430,0:34:47.200
so as you can notice here, this area[br]is a bit rocky.

0:34:48.808,0:34:52.808
The winery has a story. It has a church,[br]guests are welcomed.

0:34:52.808,0:34:56.290
Tell us a bit about the setup here.[br]Here, the area is rocky.

0:34:56.290,0:35:01.312
We drilled in rocks to make a cave,[br]an underground cellar.

0:35:01.816,0:35:09.660
To maintain the humidity and specific[br]temperature to keep the wooden barrels.

0:35:10.218,0:35:15.198
And when we were drilling, we had like[br]a small cave, we liked to expand it

0:35:15.198,0:35:20.448
and make a chapel dedicated to[br]St Thomas.

0:35:20.989,0:35:23.785
Usually, we start the visit 9n the chapel.

0:35:26.668,0:35:31.778
Here is the entrance of the main cave.[br]I will go down to guide the pathway.

0:35:33.830,0:35:42.327
We kept the rocks as they are, naturally, to[br]keep the specific humidity

0:35:42.327,0:35:45.992
which should be between 65-80 %.

0:35:46.733,0:35:51.612
And the temperature which should be constant[br]to preserve the wine.

0:35:52.430,0:35:57.676
So in winter, when it rains here,[br]the area is rich with water, so

0:35:57.676,0:35:59.972
the rocks starts to moisture on their own.

0:36:01.984,0:36:07.912
In summer, when the temperature is very[br]high and the humidity is low, we help them a bit

0:36:07.912,0:36:15.568
by spraying some water in the cave[br]to get back the needed humidity for the wooden barrels.

0:36:41.100,0:36:45.100
This is our Obeidy bottle.

0:36:46.049,0:36:48.619
It is made from the Obeidy kind of grapes.

0:36:49.848,0:36:54.394
The Obeidy is known from a long time[br]ago in Lebanon as an edible grape.

0:36:55.129,0:36:59.940
And Arak is made from this grape.[br]We make Arak from a long time ago from Obeidy.

0:37:01.056,0:37:09.103
So we liked, in Chateau St Thomas,[br]in addition to using international grape variety,

0:37:09.594,0:37:13.639
highlight more on the local indigenous[br]variety which is here in Lebanon.

0:37:14.278,0:37:20.000
So we worked on Obeidy and what[br]did we make, we studied its origin.

0:37:20.000,0:37:21.480
We studied the

0:37:23.068,0:37:28.858
the DNA. We checked the DNA and[br]the results were that it is unique and not similar to any

0:37:28.858,0:37:35.831
known international grape variety in the world so[br]this ensured that it is 100% Lebanese.

0:37:36.581,0:37:37.831
So by this way,

0:37:38.931,0:37:44.910
we liked that who drink wine, even outside[br]of Lebanon,

0:37:45.419,0:37:48.329
to know that in Lebanon, we have the Obeidy.

0:37:48.939,0:37:53.439
For example, like how in Bordeaux are known for Merlot grapes,

0:37:54.158,0:37:58.512
or the Burgundy region are known for Pinot Noir.

0:37:58.862,0:38:04.510
So we liked Lebanon to be internationally known[br]for the Obeidy kind.

0:38:04.975,0:38:09.586
This is a preview of Nour el Ain,[br]St Thomas, The Diamond.

0:38:09.586,0:38:13.586
Rose, coming due very very soon.[br]When do we expect it to be in markets?

0:38:14.142,0:38:20.514
Now, we're launching it in the winery.[br]Ok, so a reason to come here.

0:38:20.854,0:38:28.254
It is called Nour el Ain because in English[br]it is the pink diamond.

0:38:30.807,0:38:34.807
So we liked to give it a Lebanese Arabic name.

0:38:34.929,0:38:40.399
We met in Souk el Akel and they were from the few people, or maybe the only winery that believed in us

0:38:40.640,0:38:45.040
and accepted to participate in Souk el Akel. They had a stand. Even if it's a street food market at night,

0:38:45.217,0:38:49.777
people used to take wine glasses or bottles and tour and have fun while eating.

0:38:50.151,0:38:55.175
Today, they took Obeidy to a different level,[br]which is the only Lebanese wine, or Lebanese grape.

0:38:55.467,0:38:59.467
They got Pinot Noir to Lebanon and found a very nice way to work with it.

0:38:59.596,0:39:04.938
Most importantly, the winery which you are seeing here[br]is recently built, but it is made in a very professional way.

0:39:05.211,0:39:10.201
You can all come and visit, tour, explore, learn,[br]buy, and in the end,

0:39:10.567,0:39:17.467
take this glass which we are seeing, it is Lebanese Obeidy. The main, original, traditional, old bottle.

0:39:17.467,0:39:22.152
Maybe it took the Lebanese wine to the whole world.[br]Of corse we have a red grape.

0:39:22.511,0:39:29.041
Do you know that Baalbak or Temple of Bacchus is[br]originally wine, it started a very long time ago here

0:39:29.041,0:39:29.791
Let's taste.

0:39:34.830,0:39:35.320
Wow.

0:39:36.323,0:39:41.783
It is not similar to anything else,[br]as if it has mastic, as if it has sugar

0:39:41.783,0:39:47.075
or a perfume that enters the nose,[br]very smooth, very very smooth. Non acidic at all.

0:39:52.161,0:39:52.651
Wow.

0:39:53.195,0:39:57.284
With all pride, it is Lebanese, and it is not[br]like any other wine in the world.

0:39:58.242,0:39:59.132
My tour continues.

0:40:00.091,0:40:01.601
I let them all go out and I am going alone.

0:40:17.802,0:40:21.194
Good morning. I am Elia,[br]a local guide in the area.

0:40:21.871,0:40:27.098
Now we reached Haidara mountain. We will see Roman remains. We'll climb the stairs. Welcome.

0:41:18.830,0:41:25.529
We reached Haidara here. They say that this was a cemetery for a prestigious person in the Roman era.

0:41:26.842,0:41:28.452
But they didn't finish building it.

0:41:30.425,0:41:32.825
It's height is 10 meters[br]and its width is 13 meters.

0:41:34.108,0:41:37.188
According to local legend, this was a[br]sun temple.

0:41:38.295,0:41:42.295
Because Qob Elias is known as[br]the city of sun.

0:41:42.568,0:41:47.638
The sun rises from the east[br]and reflects on Haidara mountain.

0:41:48.330,0:41:49.690
It reflects sunlight down into the village.

0:41:50.042,0:41:54.402
Anthony, Qob Elias extends from here[br]to the other village which we can see, El Marej.

0:41:55.026,0:41:59.346
And on the other side is Taanayel and Cascada Mall. Actually, Cascada Mall is a part of Qob Elias.[br]

0:42:00.140,0:42:03.408
Where we were in St Thomas, it is also[br]for Qob Elias.

0:42:03.936,0:42:07.856
Even behind that, for almost 3 kilometers,[br]it is still Qob Elias.

0:42:09.526,0:42:10.166
Huge.

0:42:12.019,0:42:13.299
70,000 people.

0:42:24.040,0:42:27.880
This is the third time we distribute diesel.[br]We have distributed about 400 diesel barrels.

0:42:28.085,0:42:32.679
In here, so now we will show you[br]how do we give diesel to a family.[br]

0:42:41.402,0:42:46.214
This diesel which is distributed is an initiative from Qob Elias expatriates to Qob Elias residents.

0:42:46.376,0:42:51.489
I am distributing since October[br]with Canadian help.

0:42:51.706,0:42:55.434
Again, from Qob Elias families to Qob Elias families.[br]Due to the situation in the country,

0:42:56.038,0:42:59.859
we should help Qob Elias families,[br]and Lebanese people in general, as much as we can.

0:43:00.082,0:43:04.082
I consider