Competitiveness of Lebanese wine: new shoots from ancient roots

Since the Phoenicians inhabited the land of Canaan (the modern Lebanon), wine earned historical, cultural, social and economic dimensions in the life of its population. Through their trade network, evidence shows that the Phoenicians distributed wine, wine grapes and the winemaking technology that they had acquired from the east, throughout the Mediterranean region. However, the Lebanese wine sector did not take the required attention of the scientific community. Thus, this study gathers agri-food trade data, from national and international sources to analyse the Lebanese wine sector and evaluate its competitiveness in the international market using the revealed trade advantage and the revealed competitiveness indicators. Both indicators show that Lebanese wine has average competitiveness in the world market. This level of competitiveness can fluctuate depending on the political situation and the trade region and is highest for America and Asia. Finally, the study urges a long-term, general political framework that involves all stakeholders and policy-makers to work towards a sustainable Lebanese wine.