Sept began with Maher’s wish to revive his family’s land. In 2010 he left an IT consulting career in France and returned to his father’s home country. After terracing the land, he planted 5,000 vines himself in January 2012.
Following an international master’s programme in wine management with the OIV, he returned to Lebanon and made his first vintage in 2016 in the garage of his mountain home. The first bottles were officially launched at Vinifest in October 2017; production moved into the completed winery in 2018.
Maher follows biodynamic and natural farming principles, seeking to preserve balance in the vineyard with minimal intervention. Soil work follows the lunar calendar and avoids chemical inputs. The original estate profile describes Sept as Lebanon’s first and only biodynamic vineyard at the time of writing.
Alongside grapes from its own biodynamic site at Nehla, Sept sources fruit from other Lebanese regions. Grapes from different regions are kept separate, allowing single-variety wines to express each place individually. This is the meaning of its motto, ‘Un vin de lieu’—a wine of place.
Cellar work relies on wild yeasts and spontaneous fermentation, natural settling and minimal filtration. No additives are used during fermentation; only a little sulphite is added before bottling. Stainless steel replaces oak, with lees ageing and skin contact shaping the wines.
Sept aims to share Lebanon’s wine heritage by reviving forgotten vineyards and native varieties such as Obeideh, Merweh and Zitani. Its original profile presents it as the first Lebanese winery to produce all three. The ambition is to become an ambassador for that heritage and an example of biodynamic farming.
Maher also expresses his passion through cooking. At La Table Sept, fresh, organic and seasonal ingredients inspire new interpretations of traditional mountain recipes. A small open kitchen within the winery makes it a cave à manger: a place where wine inspires food and food complements wine.
Sept Winery shares the vision of Evoluzione Naturale. Come and discover their stories and wines.
SEPT WINERY — Unnamed Road — Nehla, Lebanon
Contact details
Tel.: +961 70 570 170
Email: mh@levinsept.com
Web: levinsept.com
https://www.instagram.com/septwinery/
https://www.instagram.com/evoluzione_naturale/
