In the sun-drenched hills of Lebanon, where terraced vineyards stretch across valleys like living tapestries, wine is more than a crop; it is culture, heritage and identity. For Rita El Khoury, it is both vocation and responsibility. With over two decades of experience as a wine expert and entrepreneur, she has dedicated her life to preserving Lebanon’s winemaking traditions while forging new paths for sustainability and innovation. Through the Lebanon’s Women in Wine collective, she is championing not only quality wines but also the voices of women whose expertise has long been overlooked in an industry rooted in history.
Lebanon’s winemaking tradition stretches back over 6,000 years, placing it among the oldest in the world. Today, the country’s vineyards produce wines that carry distinctive character and authenticity, reflecting both the soil and the communities that nurture it. Roughly 50–60% of Lebanese wine is exported internationally, contributing vital income and recognition while sustaining farmers, producers and rural economies. In a landscape where wine has always been a symbol of resilience, these bottles are tangible proof that heritage and modernity can thrive side by side.
Yet this heritage faces mounting pressures. Rising energy costs, expensive materials like bottles and corks and fluctuating export expenses weigh heavily on producers. Climate instability has made harvests less predictable, forcing farmers to contend with shifting temperatures and irregular growing cycles. Despite Lebanon’s long-standing resilience in viticulture, these structural and financial challenges now constrain profitability and threaten the sector’s future growth.
It is in this context that Lebanon’s Women in Wine (LWW) was founded. El Khoury envisioned a platform that would bring women across the wine industry together: not just to support one another, but to amplify their collective impact. LWW provides mentorship, networking opportunities and visibility for female winemakers, ensuring that their work is recognized on the global stage. The collective demonstrates that when women unite, they do not merely grow individually; they strengthen the industry as a whole. Behind every great Lebanese wine, there is a story and many of these stories belong to women who deserve to be seen and heard.
Supporting the industry requires collaboration at every level. LWW encourages shared initiatives: representing Lebanon at fairs, exporting collectively, optimizing procurement through joint imports, sharing facilities and exchanging knowledge especially in sustainable practices. By operating under one umbrella, women in wine can reduce costs, elevate the profile of Lebanese wines and build a stronger, more resilient industry. Their growth is inseparable from the growth of Lebanese viticulture itself.
For El Khoury, recognition and awards are not the ultimate goal. Her mission is continuity: to preserve heritage, empower women and ensure that the value created by Lebanon’s vineyards benefits the communities who cultivate them. In Lebanon, wine is identity, resilience and legacy distilled in every bottle. And for those who choose to seek it out, to ask where it comes from, and to share its story, it becomes something more: a gesture of solidarity with the land and the people whose roots run as deep as the vines they tend.
If you liked reading this, check out our article on the olive oil of Darmmess.
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