Mersel
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Country of Origin: Lebanon
Location: Dimane, Wadi Qannoubine
People: Eddie Chami, Owner & Winemaker
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
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Eddie Chami is an Australian-born Lebanese vigneron and trailblazer making incredibly delicious natural wines from high-altitude vineyards and indigenous grape varieties.
Eddie was born and raised in Australia, studied Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, and moved to Lebanon in 2007 to make wine. By 2011, he had begun restoring vineyards once farmed by his grandparents, working with old indigenous varieties that connected him to Lebanon's agricultural history. As he became more immersed in the country's wine industry, Eddie saw Lebanese wines increasingly modeled on French varieties and styles. He wanted to make something that spoke more directly to Lebanon itself. Mersel was born from that idea.
At the heart of Mersel are indigenous Levantine grapes such as Merwah, Marini, Daw Al Amar, and Jouzani. For Eddie, these varieties represent far more than an alternative to international grapes. They are part of Lebanon's identity, having endured generations of political upheaval, cultural change, and challenging growing conditions. Many of the vines he works with are more than 70 years old, dry-farmed, and remarkably well adapted to their environment. Eddie farms them with a light hand, pruning carefully and rarely tilling the fragile soils around their established root systems.
Mersel takes its name from Maksar Mersel, a high-altitude growing area near Mount Makmal in northern Lebanon, between the Cedars and Ainata El Arz, that Eddie helped develop for viticulture. Formerly used primarily for growing potatoes and cherries, the area now has vineyards extending from approximately 1,900 to 2,650 meters above sea level. Eddie's move into these elevations was driven in part by climate change. As the Bekaa Valley, where the majority of Lebanese wine is produced, grows increasingly warm, he sees the mountains as an important frontier for the future of Lebanese viticulture.
Mersel also works throughout northern Lebanon, including Wadi Qannoubine, the dramatic UNESCO-protected valley where Eddie's family originates. The valley descends through steep cliffs toward the Mediterranean, creating a distinctive climate shaped by snowy winters, warm summer days, and cool nighttime fog rolling inland from the sea. Old indigenous vines remain scattered among the villages surrounding the valley, providing Mersel with both a link to Lebanon's past and material for exploring its future. The dry climate allows Eddie to farm his plots without herbicides, pesticides, or other synthetic chemicals.
The philosophy at Mersel is simple: allow healthy fruit and fermentation to do the work. The wines are made using organic farming practices, fermented naturally, left unfined and unfiltered, and bottled with little or no added sulfites. The winery grows its own fruit while also purchasing grapes from local farmers, providing an economic incentive to preserve old vineyards and indigenous varieties rather than replace them with more commercially familiar grapes. Mersel's work is rooted in sustainability, rural livelihoods, and the belief that wine can play a role in keeping agricultural communities and traditions alive.
Mersel's commitment to the land extends beyond wine. The Nubian ibex, a small, desert-adapted wild goat depicted on the label, once inhabited the region before disappearing due to hunting and habitat loss. Eddie works with NGOs such as Istituto Oikos on conservation efforts to protect the species and its habitat. In collaboration with organizations including Mamlaket El Lezzeb and the Friends of the Cedar Forest Committee, Mersel also supports efforts to restore native cedar and juniper trees.
For Eddie, wine is a way to preserve and reimagine Lebanese identity. From indigenous grapes and old vines to vineyards planted at elevations once considered too cold for viticulture, Mersel looks to Lebanon's past while exploring what the country's wine culture can become.
Media Links
Disgorgeous: Episode 197: The Turtle Crescent (ft. Eddie Chami of Mersel Wine)
SevenFifty: Exploring the World of Lebanese Wine—Beyond Chateau Musar