The Lebanese tourism industry may have been hit by the recent economic downturn, but not its wine industry. A wine-tasting festival in the heart of Beirut's downtown area last week brought together hundreds of fans eager to try Lebanese wine samplings, which have grown to include various brands and types. It reinvigorated the hope this industry may grow despite slow economic growth and regional instability.

Wine making in Lebanon reportedly dates back 7,000 years, and many of its wineries today trace back to the 1800s. However, its recent commercial growth started last decade, and has since 2005 grown to include over 30 companies. The most famous wineries, Chateau Kefraya, Ksara and Karam, are now facing competition by the most recent newcomer, Ixsir, among others . According to Lebanese wine expert and award-winning author of several books on Lebanese wine Michael Karam, Ixsir is a $12 million project featuring a state-of-the-art winery built into one of Lebanon's most scenic hills.

The growth of wine production has been accompanied by a parallel boom in the wine tourism industry, as more wineries open up their doors for tourists and visitors seeking to experience the various production stages,  try different selections and learn the history of wine-making in Lebanon. The vineyards, for the most part, are centered in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, but they also extend southward to Jezzine, which houses one of Lebanon's biggest vineyards.

However, south of Jezzine, religious conservatives are implementing bans on alcohol consumption. Earlier this year, bans on alcohol sales the southern towns of Tyre and Nabatieh caused rage among residents of the towns and many Lebanese circles. Many Lebanese claim that there has been a campaign to ban alcohol entirely in some conservative areas in the country; liberals hold that it is a threat to people's personal freedom and Lebanon's open and liberal character. Lebanese wine lovers hope that the odd cases of alcohol ban do not spread across the country and hamper the growth of the industry.

To this date, Lebanese production still cannot compete with well-established production by its Mediterranean neighbors. It remains a family-owned or private-sector-led activity. The attempt to raise the quality of wine to international standards, rather than expand quantity, however, sets a new bar for the industry - one that promises to place Lebanon on the international wine scene and offers to boost to its slowing economy.