The Story
Our wine project saw the light of day in 2003 with a gift of a few hundred vines from our dear friend, Naji Boutros of Chateau BelleVue. The idea was to preserve the heritage of generations past, through whose labour of love these terraced vineyards have passed on to our custody; so, when we began resurrecting our family vineyards we did it with one clear mission in mind: to create an unpretentious vineyard, growing high quality grapes for a Lebanese "vin de terroir" of premium caliber. Interest in this passionate endeavour is growing, and we have become gratefully immersed in a community of discerning wine enthusiasts.
IRIS DOMAIN is named after the rare & endangered Iris Sofarana, which is endemic to Mount Lebanon. To pay tribute to this land that affords us such magnificent wines, a portion of the sale of each bottle of IRIS DOMAIN is applied towards reestablishing our stunning mascot in its natural habitat on Mount Lebanon.
The Wine
IRIS DOMAIN is a wine of passion: an all-estate organic producer of limited quantity, micro-cuvée wines. Carefully tended at an elevation between 1,000 and 1,200 meters, our vineyard covers just under 5 hectares of clay loam and limestone terraces near the villages of Btalloun & Bhamdoun.
Our Philosophy
It’s simple really: Resist the urge to do too much; minimal handling; subtle coaxing; and, oak as a seasoning rather than the main dish! These are the hallmarks of our wine. Honest, accurate, true to its roots and to the wonderful subtleties of vintage variation.
With a single minded focus on quality, IRIS DOMAIN endeavors to push the sustainability envelope to ensure we tread as lightly on the land as possible while producing great fruit and wine. As such, we do not use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. We apply only cattle and green manure to nourish the vines & maintain healthy soil microflora. And, when absolutely necessary we use Bordeaux Mixture to control the inevitable mildew. In the cellar we employ precision, state of the art equipment to gently sort and handle the grapes to safeguard the purity of fruit. The wine is then blended and aged primarily in French oak barriques for about 12 months before resting in bottle for a further year prior to release for your enjoyment as well as ours.
Our primary objective is “elevating” premium, small production wines using techniques that showcase the very best from the fruit we grow.
The Property
At IRIS DOMAIN, we approach wine as appreciators first, explorers second and creators third, and, we try to always remember that balance. Drawing inspiration from the climate and landscape around us, we craft the kind of organic wines we hope to drink at the end of the day: pure, honest and delicious. We approach each vintage with the same goals: to create complex, genuine wines true to their origins and to the distinct flavors of our terroir.
Our Venue
Nestled among ancient oaks, and equipped to serve up delicious surprises, our intimate wine tasting room is located in the midst of our Btalloun vineyard, a scant 40 minute drive from the heart of Beirut. The tasting area opens onto an undisturbed rural garden where you could charm your friends around an open fire, or enjoy a night of music under the stars. For updates Re concerts, food-paring events & special tastings, please follow our Facebook or Instagram pages.
A secluded events & wedding area available in Summers. For enquiries about hiring this venue, please drop us a line well ahead of time.
