The winery is located near the town of Zahlé in the north of the Bekaa Plain in Lebanon. There has been a winery on this site for centuries. The origin of the wine cellar goes back to a grotto that had already been used by the Romans. The estate was acquired by the Jesuit order in 1857 and named after the nearby former Crusader fortress of Ksara. During the First World War (1914-1918), the vaulted cellar was converted into a two-kilometre-long tunnel system. Today, vintages dating back to 1918 are stored here. In 1973, following a decision by the Vatican, the winery was privatised as a public limited company, but the vineyards are still cultivated by Jesuits from the Tanail agricultural estate.
The vineyards, comprising the Ksara Estate, Mansoura, Tanail and Kanafar vineyards, cover 300 hectares, part of which is secured by long-term leases. The wide range of varieties includes the red wine varieties Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan Noir (Mazuelo), Cinsaut, Gamay, Grenache Noir (Garnacha Tinta), Merlot, Mourvèdre (Monastrell), Petit Verdot, Syrah and Tempranillo, as well as the white wine varieties Chardonnay, Clairette, Moscatel, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano). The winery was completely renovated in 1991 and equipped with state-of-the-art technical facilities. The cellar master is the Frenchman James Palgé, who previously worked at the Margaux vineyard Château Prieuré-Lichine.
The house's top product is the Bordeaux-style red wine cuvée "Château Ksara" made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, which is matured for 18 months in French barriques. Other premium wines include "Cuvée 3eme Millenaire" (Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot), "Blanc de l'Observatoire" (Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Clairette) and "Blanc de Blancs" (Sémillon, Chardonnay). Fine spirits such as arrack "Ksarak" (which is marketed in France under "Saibada" by Pernod Ricard ), a brandy and a walnut liqueur are also produced. A total of 1.8 million bottles of wine are produced each year, around 40% of which is exported to France.
