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Lebanon Trappist

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Wine Project at Kfarnoun

====  Father Joseph FAHD, Responsible  ====

Objective:

Setup & Development Project of a Vineyard and Wine Cellar in the border town of Kfarnoun, northern Lebanon.

The Trappist Order’s mission is to earn their living through manual work which entails that they be committed to the community they are in, wherever it may be, thereby collaborating for a common goal, to support the natives’ wellbeing. Through their earnings, Trappists invest in economic projects aimed at benefiting the area’s residents by providing the largest number of work opportunities to young adults and families especially in times of war and instability as is the case with Lebanon today where a large number of people emigrate in search of a secure future and an honest living.

Wine Cellar
In keeping with the tradition of earning a living through manual work, the Community has had much experience in wine making, producing progressively larger quantities to meet the market need and eventually constructing ample space to hold up to 200,000 liters. Over the past few years, the Community acquired basic manual tools to initiate the process and produced varied amounts that reached up to 14,000 liters.

Following a perfectly good experience in producing and marketing their products which have been very well-received by the market, the Community thought of developing the project further and multiplying the advantages on all levels.

Wine Production Benefits
• Availability of ample space to launch the project
• Possibility of accommodating larger quantities when the need arises
• Presence of a wine expert with extensive experience on an international level
• Community’s 70 hectares (700 000 m2) of land area at the Lebanese-Syrian border (Kfarnoun) that is suitable for wine-growing
• The well-known “Trappist” brand, recognized for its quality products

Beneficiaries of the Project
In the short term, it is estimated that 25 villages will benefit of this project within a 12 kilometer radius but in the long run, the whole of the northern region will benefit, not to mention:
1. More than 100 seasonal laborers
2. More than 20 permanent employees and their families
3. Both “Trappist” Communities whose number reaches up to 30 monks
4. Viticulturists who provide the grapes for the Community’s use
5. Independent wine-growers learning by example
6. Border town & village residents working for the Community and acquiring skill and experience to plant their own vineyards successfully.
(The main reason behind the Community’s acquisition of the land)

Due to the political situation and increasing unemployment rate, this border area has suffered from additional neglect and seclusion, factors that drove many of its residents out over the years, for fear of an uncertain future. Following the Community’s acquisition of the land, however, these people have become hopeful once again and went on to building their homes and settling back in their native areas.

Seeing the impact of its presence in this border village, the Trappist Community was all the more determined to undertake the project and bring about some significant changes to the area and its residents and so decided to partition the land effectively and dedicated 5 hectares two years ago to wine-growing with the intention of developing it further. Subsequently, the Community proposes to use this project as:
• A model for wine-growing in this region
• An incentive for farmers to plant their own vineyards
• A good investment for the subsistence of the people and the Community who will further encourage the farmers by purchasing their annual production

Winery’s Allotted Space
The Community’s projected future plan is to move the operation over to the Kfarnoun site once it reaches the 150,000 to 200,000 liter capacity. Meanwhile, the project is already functional at the Dlebta Convent’s site, and only requires additional industrial machinery in order to expand it further.

Financing the Project
The Community has so far invested more than $35,000 in planting the vineyard and more than $110,000 in the construction of the wine cellar and purchase of barrels, machines and tools necessary to produce a quantity of 18,000 liters of wine.

Winery Project Estimated Costs

The estimated winery project costs for the establishment and development of the first phase will enable the Community to produce 50,000 Bottles of premium White and Red wine and spirits in the year 2008 - 2009 and subsequently a projected 10,000 Bottles of increased production per year over a period of 15 years after the accomplishment of the second phase which entails financing the purchase of the rest of the materials.

First Phase:

Second Phase: Second phase of investment consists of purchasing less urgent but equally important winery equipments over a projected period of 2 -10 years.

The above tables include only equipment costs and the prices are subject to € / $ fluctuation

Through this brief presentation, we hope we have conveyed a most concrete, transparent and realistic picture on the projected economic and social development project of a winery in northern Lebanon. Since the specialists continue to confirm to us how wine-making has had a positive impact on the economic development of border towns and villages, we hope that this project will materialize through your and other non-profit organizations’ support. We are proud to be pioneers in the north Lebanon region to undertake such a project with the help and support of benefactors like you who still would like to give the country and its people, a chance to live with dignity.

===  Father Joseph FAHD, Responsible  ===

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