Syria is a mid-sized country in the western Middle East (also known as the Near East), situated between the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea and the deserts of Iraq. Together with Lebanon and Israel to the south, and Turkey to the north, Syria lies at the eastern extremity of the Mediterranean winelands.
In its south-western corner, just 40 miles (65km) inland from the coast, the land rises up to form the rocky Golan Heights plateau. This disputed territory has been the subject of military conflict for centuries, but has been under official Israeli rule since the Golan Heights Law was passed in 1981. Since that date the area has entered a new phase of its viticultural history, with several wineries making a name for themselves with remarkably fresh-styled, almost cool-climate wines.
The grape vine holds an important place in Syrian history and symbolism. Traditional Syrian art makes use of the plant's elegant, resilient form, and vines are often found in the courtyards of traditional Syrian houses. The town of As-Suwayda, in southern Syria (near the border with Jordan), is home to an annual vine festival which takes place every September. As-Suwayda was known by the ancient Greeks as Dionysias, after their wine god Dionysus, as it was at the heart of what was then a well-known, well-established wine region.
Syria is located at the very heart of the cradle of civilization, and the deserts and river deltas of the Middle East are home to the very oldest secrets of wine history. Four hundred miles south-west of the Syrian capital Damascus is Alexandria, home of the eponymous Muscat variety, while 1000 miles to the east lies Shiraz, the Iranian town often thought to be the home of the Shiraz (Syrah) grape.
If Syria has a national alcoholic beverage it is arak, a high-alcohol anise spirit. Its name means 'condensation' in Arabic (probably derived from the basic mechanics of distillation) and is not to be confused with the similar-sounding arrack liqueur made in the Far East.
