For a region that is rarely out of the news for all the wrong reasons, it is refreshing to report that this small range of wines has fantastic support from Tanners customers, and for the right reasons: excellent quality and delicious flavours!

They fit seamlessly into our list and are not simply ‘curios’. You would probably struggle to guess the country of origin correctly, not because you might never have tasted, for example, an Israeli wine before, but because these are wines drawing the skill and expertise from techniques developed all over the world.

None is more exemplary than the Tanners favourite, Massaya, which draws on guidance from the Brunier brothers from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, know-how from Dominique Hébrard of Bordeaux and the hands-on Lebanese brothers Sami and Ramzi Ghosn who drive the project. Production just manages to keep up with demand, but there is a seasonal parcel of rosé to augment the quite Rhône-style reds. The Bekaa Valley is a tremendous site for vine-growing, provided that local hostilities don’t get in the way! Pioneer Serge Hochar created memorable headlines back in the 1980s as he struggled to get the grapes for Château Musar to his winery near Beirut. Musar is almost a cult wine now, particularly if you like a big, cedary wine with good structure behind it. Over the disputed border is a new winery recently recruited to the list. Clos de Gat is situated in the foothills of the Judean mountains, with the winery located on the site of an ancient, pre-Roman ‘Gat’, hebrew for wine-press. Eyal Rotem has planted 35 hectares of noble varieties and uses good quality French oak barrels. Eyal is as passionate as any other winemaker in our portfolio, and you will be mightily impressed by his age-worthy Syrah and Chardonnay wines.

Greece is the cradle of winemaking, and indeed boasts fascinating varieties that make many styles. If you are not partial to Retsina then you may argue that it hasn’t come on much since its inception! However, we would steer you towards the delightful white from Santorini.

Robert Boutflower