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Interview 1985 / 09-00
Dialogue - P. 12
Interview of Mr. Michel De Bustros ON THE ESTATE OF KEFRAYA
1) Q. We would like first
of all to have a general aperçu of the history of wine of
Kefraya domain, in its geographical and climate
contexts.
A. Kefraya is a family
business which was entrusted in the old days to local peasants
who would cultivate the soil from which they would earn
living. Two thirds of the income would accrue to them leaving
one-third to the owners. The harvest was restricted to wheat
and Barley; water in summer was in short supply.
The
estate was more or less left on its own until 1950 when I took
over and started a whole planning for the future. My first job
consisted in gradually turning up the earth and getting rid of
the rocks which infested it, simultaneously constructing six
artesian wells with an irrigation capacity of some 150
hectares at a flow of 1200m³ per hour.
The domain of
Kefraya (850hectares) is situated on a slope in the West Bekaa
Valley, 100 meters above sea level.
It faces the East
and is therefore well exposed to the sun. Its high altitude
and surrounding forest (about 300 hectares) give the vineyards
a rainy temperate climate ideal for the production of grapes.
The soil is of clay and calcareous nature.
About
200 HECTARES ARE PLANTED WITH GRAPES AND 150 hectares
lavishly irrigated by the artesian wells _ apple, cherry,
raisin de table, peach, quince, khaki and pear trees benefit
from the water supply. In the remaining 200 hectares, olive,
fig, pistachio and almond trees grow naturally without water
irrigation.
2) Q. What differentiates the
quality of Kefraya wine from its
competitors.
A. As you probably know,
the quality of a good wine is chiefly determined by the actual
" Vinification sur place ". We are the only people in Lebanon
to produce our own grapes, and our wine is made solely from
our vineyards. We disallow any " mixtures " of grapes. Besides
it is vital that no more than 30 minutes should elapse between
harvesting time and the input in tubs. It is a well-known fact
that during transportation the long exposure of grapes to the
air and sun causes an oxidation of juices, which in turn
results in a poor quality of wine. Our equipment is most
modern and includes tubs made of inox, which provides an
excellent system of controlling temperature thus avoiding a
further risk of oxidation. As a general rule an oxidized wine
turns somewhat yellowish. Kefraya wine is therefore made and
bottled in the Estate under the aegis of our
Oenologist.
3) Q. How do you compare Kefraya
with French wines.
A. Our Kefraya wine
resembles most to wines produced in the South of France, such
as the white and rosé in the Provence area, and the red in the
Côtes du Rhône area. A noticeable phenomenon worth mentioning
is that vine-plant imported from the South of France and
planted in Lebanon gave an even better quality of wine than
that obtained in France. This is largely attributed to the
soil and a larger exposure to the sun.
4) Q.
What would be the essential characteristics of vineyards which
you consider as important for the production of a good wine in
general.
A. The soil climate,
vine-plant, production equipment and " Vinificateur
".
5) Q. How is Kefraya's business developing
and what are your future plans?
A. Our
objectives were twofold; One to develop the production of wine
thus offering the best quality of Kefraya wine to our
customers, secondly to develop the fruit sector into a canned
food industry. The execution of the former was executed in
1978, while the latter remains in abeyance pending an
improvement in the unsettled situation of the
country.
6) Q. What are your plans for
exporting Kefraya wine Overseas?
A.
Our prime objective was to consolidate our business in
Lebanon. With the advent of war substantial decline in local
sales and consumption largely due to the drop in purchasing
power, we are now seriously thinking of exporting Kefraya
wine. We are therefore exploring avenues in Western Europe,
France and U.K., North and South America where there is a
large Lebanese community, as well as in the Middle East
through Midexport a sister company of Khalil Fattal and Fils.
The devaluation of the Lebanese currency should enable us to
export our wines at competitive prices.
7) Q.
Are you envisaging any diversification in your business - say
by extending the present range of your wines or by adding any
new spirits such as brandy, sparkling wine, etc … or by
producing new lines such as canned
food.
A. Diversification is in our
mind and there are a few projects under consideration. Their
execution largely depends on the local situation as they
entail investments. For example, we are thinking of producing
a Kefraya sparkling wine (vin mousseux) as well as Kefraya
Brandy. In the latter case, trials are well advanced and we
think we are going to have a first-class product
. As
indicated elsewhere we also plan the production of fruit
canned food, but do not embark on this project until things
improve in Lebanon. In the interim, I can tell you that 1982
production of wine which is not yet on the market is going to
be excellent from every angle; so is 1983. We are also
planning to re-launch imminently the " Kefraya Nouveau ",
probably by mid November next, a highly fruity red wine which
must be taken chilled.
8) Q. We presume
Kefraya wine is available almost everywhere in Lebanon. Given
the taste of insecurity and difficult communications between
areas how did you manage to ensure distribution of your wine
both in Beirut and other areas in the
country.
A. Kefraya is distributed by
Khalil Fattal and Fils through their specialized Food and
Beverage Division. As you know K.F.F. have branches in the
South, North and Bekaa Valley in addition to their Head
Quarters in Beirut; thus distribution is secured to all the
Lebanese territory irrespective of the frequent disturbances.
The Kefraya range of wines is found in all types of outlets _
i.e. wholesalers, supermarkets, groceries, restaurants,
hotels, etc …
9) Q. We assume you have
technical assistance from France to control the various stages
in the production of wine. Can you tell us how this functions
?
A. We do have a first-class team of
experts headed by a first-class French Oenologist. To simplify
my answer here I may use the old English adage: " The proof of
the pudding is in the eating ". In this case it is in the
drinking! …
10) Q. There are certain technical
drinking terms about which we hear and such as: connoisseurs,
taste-vins, couleur de la robe, etc … Could you give us some
explanations to enrich our vocabulary in this
field?
A. Since we talk of old
proverbs I would now use: " C'est en forgeant que l'on devient
forgeron " or else " practice makes perfect ". There are in
fact several phases in the tasting of wines by
Connoisseurs.
1) The eye which examines the color,
limpidity and "la robe",
2) The nose which smells the
aroma or the bouquet,
3) The mouth which determines
the taste.
After going through these stages the
connoisseur persistently analyses the traces left by the wine
after tasting it, and from which he draws his own conclusions.
The vocabulary of wine tasters is very vast and vivid, and
contains some 100 words. Everyone is capable of saying whether
a wine is good or bad, but a connoisseur should be able to
explain why the wine is good quality or the contrary. A wine
taster is an instrument for "degustation" reserved to
specialists and used by them in wine caves and ceremonies. A
glass of wine must have the shape of a balloon and be
uncolored. One cannot taste wines unless it is half-empty. Any
sculptures on the glass disrupt the judgment of wine
tasters.
11) Q. You recently launched Kefraya
Arak on the Lebanese market. What is in your view the future
for Arak compared with the growing consumption of
wine?
A. There are two distinct
categories of Arak : one which is manufactured by wine
producers and its alcohol content is made of grapes, as is the
case of Kefraya Arak. The other type of Arak is made of
industrial alcohol, which becomes less expensive and of poor
quality. Demand for Arak considerably increased of late our
sales more than trebled in 1985. We see encouraging future
sales prospects for Arak in Lebanon, and if local production
warrants its exportation we shall do so in due
course.
12) Q. Do you think that once peace is
restored in Lebanon, you would be instituting Vintage
festivities like in France and Greece?
A. How
many times have we planned Vintage festivities and the project
unfortunately went by the board on account of the state of
insecurity. South festivities are very much on the cards but
are totally linked to the improvement in local
conditions.
Interview done by Michel Zakhia
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