Decanter Magazine Article April 2012:

..."Bargylus is a part of an enterprise started in 2003 by the Lebanese-Syrian Saadé family, which bought land in Syria, and also in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, in order to make wine ‘which has everything to do with the land’

...

In Syria the vines are planted at an elevation of 900m on limestone and clay soils. The climate is maritime, with considerable variation between day and nighttime temperatures.

As for the current political situation in Syria, with the Assad regime regularly shelling anti-government protesters in and around the town of Homs, some 200km to the south east, ‘Production is not affected,’ Johnny Modawar, head of communications told Decanter.com.

‘Day to day operations are not affected by the situation. It is not risky, as all the conflict is taking place close to Homs and Damascus.’

The wines are vinified at Bargylus; at present the technical team is unable to travel between Syria and Lebanon but is in contact with headquarters via daily conference calls, a spokesman said.

Bargylus wines will retail in the UK for around £33, available from London importers Philglas & Swiggot, and in high-end restaurants such as Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing. They are not sold in Syria.

The Saadé family also has a winery in Lebanon, Chateau Marsyas, in the town of Kefraya in the Bekaa Valley.