Which Beqaa Valley winery was founded by Jesuit priests in 1857?

The Beqaa Valley winery founded by Jesuit priests in 1857 is Château Ksara.

Château Ksara is located near Zahle in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. Jesuit priests established the winery in 1857, making it one of Lebanon’s oldest and best-known wine producers. Its vineyards benefit from the valley’s high elevation, dry summers, and water supplied partly by snowmelt from the surrounding mountain ranges.

A major chapter in Ksara’s history began in 1898, when an ancient Roman-era grotto was discovered on the property. The underground passages, extending for roughly two kilometers, provide naturally cool and humid conditions for aging and storing wine.

The winery was later sold after the Vatican encouraged religious orders to divest commercial assets; a local consortium took over in the early 1970s. Château Ksara now produces red, white, rosé, sweet, and fortified wines, along with arak. It is distinct from Château Kefraya, Domaine Wardy, and Château Musar, which are separate Lebanese wine producers.