by Joseph Mounayer
Joseph Mounayer is a leading figure in Lebanese sommellerie and a driving force behind the Sommeliers Academy Lebanon. Through education and mentorship, he is helping develop a new generation of internationally certified Lebanese wine professionals.
I believe there is a moment every educator lives for. For me, it is the moment when a student stops simply receiving information and begins to truly understand it. During the inaugural programme of the Sommeliers Academy Lebanon, that moment happened again and again.
I am proud to report that twelve men and women from across Lebanon came together with a shared goal: to begin a formal journey toward becoming sommeliers. What followed was more than exam preparation. It was a transformation for those who accepted the challenge, and for me as their mentor and a witness to the evolution of sommellerie in Lebanon.
Lebanon has produced wine for millennia. Its vineyards, winemakers and wine culture are celebrated internationally. Yet one piece had long been missing: a structured, internationally recognised educational pathway for the professionals who serve and champion Lebanese wine every day.
The Association des Sommeliers du Liban (ASLIB) was founded to help change that. With the launch of the Sommeliers Academy Lebanon, the association built an education programme from the ground up. Anchored in the rigorous standards of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI), it was designed to develop wine professionals capable of representing Lebanon confidently at home and on the international stage.
The twelve participants were not beginners. They were professionals already embedded in Lebanon’s wine industry. Among them were winemakers, including one from Skarya; an agricultural engineer from Muse du Liban; and a bartender. Ixsir alone was represented by its winery director, two sales managers and a specialist in tastings and guided tours. They were joined by several passionate wine enthusiasts determined to formalise their knowledge.
This diversity of experience led to richer discussions, sharper debates and a learning environment that always felt genuinely alive.
The programme was delivered in a hybrid format. I led the sessions in Beirut, while Jean-Vincent Ridon joined each class live via Zoom from South Africa. Remarkably, Jean-Vincent donated his time and expertise out of a deep affection for Lebanon and its wine culture. It was a gesture of extraordinary generosity, a testament to the passion this project inspires and an expression of the global spirit of sommellerie.
“This is the best experience ever,” said graduate Larissa Youssef, expressing a feeling shared by many of her classmates.
All twelve participants successfully passed the ASI Prep exam. A 100 per cent pass rate for a new programme in a country navigating extraordinary challenges is nothing short of remarkable.
None of this happened in isolation. I would like to thank the Gérard Basset Foundation, established in honour of the late Gérard Basset OBE MS MW, ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2010. Under the stewardship of his wife, Nina, and son, Romané, the Foundation immediately recognised the potential of the Sommeliers Academy Lebanon. Its financial support made it possible for the participants to undertake the programme, while the Academy’s connection with ASI gave the initiative an important international framework.
Muse du Liban lent the Academy cultural prestige and a strong sense of purpose, while Annahar Media Group helped give the development of sommellerie in Lebanon a public voice. Special thanks must go to Madame Nayla Tueni, whose personal commitment and generous support proved invaluable throughout. Umami, a Lebanese winery with a deep belief in the future of the country’s wine industry, was also a natural and enthusiastic partner from the beginning.
What comes next? We believe the Sommeliers Academy Lebanon is an institution in the making. Future programmes will open pathways toward higher levels of ASI certification, supporting our ambition to establish Lebanon as a recognised centre for sommelier education in the Middle East.
I am also very proud to say that Albin Mounayer (yes, he is my son) will carry that ambition onto the international stage when he represents Lebanon at the ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World in Lisbon, Portugal, from 11 to 17 October 2026.
