DOMAINE DES TOURELLES GOES FULLY SOLAR

Domaine des Tourelles, the winery in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon founded in 1868, has switched totally to solar power in time for the 2024 harvest.

This is among several other environmentally friendly and sustainable practices used by the winery for many years, but represents the most significant investment made by the winery.

Co-owner and winemaker Faouzi Issa says: “We have always tried to limit our impact on the environment with the way we work in the winery.  We farm without any chemicals, we use only indigenous yeasts in the winery and we take care to conserve our water and reuse what we can.  Our old concrete tanks mean that we don’t have to refrigerate as much as we would if we were using only stainless steel tanks.”

The switch to solar power is particularly significant because Lebanon does not have access to 24-hour electricity, meaning that generators fill the gaps in the supply.  During harvest this means a particularly high demand for fuel, which over recent years has often been in short supply in the country.

Solar panels in the vineyards

“I was so happy when we completed our first full day of harvest, with the presses running and the power on 24/7, and everything worked perfectly.  We have 300 days of sunshine here, which makes it a winemaker’s dream from a climate point of view, but also now because we can fully rely in the sun to power the winery.  Our altitude is not only good for grape growing, but also because the solar energy is more efficient at higher altitudes, due to more direct radiation”, continues Faouzi.

The winery has also switched to lighter weight bottles (410g instead of 560g) throughout its range to reduce its carbon footprint when it comes to shipping.

Other sustainable protocols used by the winery include:

• Minimal intervention in the winery
• Usage of locally grown bamboo sticks and sugar cane for new plantations
• Waste water management via a modern pond to collect the winery’s used water and cleaning it for safe release back into nature
• Re-use of glass bottles collected from local customers
• Using grape and aniseed (from arak production) pomace for compost to fertilise the vineyards or given to local shepherds
• Use of dried thistles harvested from the mountains for the first filtration from the tanks
• Use of only local produce served during tours and tastings
• Providing employment opportunities for people from the villages surrounding the winery who would otherwise have to emigrate to the city or abroad to find jobs.

Faouzi Issa with thistles harvested from the mountains

Bamboo sticks and sugar cane for new plantations

It’s amazing to see Faouzi and the Team at Domaine des Tourelles overcoming so many challenges whilst still producing incredible wines. If you need more info on Domaine des Tourelles please check out the wines below or speak to your Boutinot account manager.