# Jaffa Crush Merwah & Muscat Orange Wine (2025)

- **Producer:** Mersel Wine
- **Colour:** orange
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Merwah, Muscat
- **Region:** North Lebanon, Lebanon
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €24
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blossom, orange, apricot, rose, herbaceous

## About this wine

Mersel Wine was founded by Australian-Lebanese winemaker Eddie Chami, a UC Davis graduate dedicated to working with indigenous Lebanese grape varieties, high-altitude terroirs, and low-intervention methods. The wine is sourced from two distinct high-elevation regions: 150-year-old Merwah vines in Dimane at 1,600 meters in North Lebanon, and young Muscat vines in Deir El Ahmar at 1,200 meters in the Bekaa Valley. Named Jaffa Crush, this cuvée pays tribute to the historic citrus heritage and agricultural traditions of the Mediterranean basin.

## Interesting facts

- The Merwah grapes are harvested from ancient goblet-trained vines over 150 years old at 1,600 meters elevation.
- Combines skin-contact maceration on indigenous Merwah with whole-berry carbonic maceration on Muscat.
- Aged in traditional clay amphorae to preserve pure aromatic expression and Mediterranean identity.

## Food pairing

The fresh acidity and subtle skin-contact tannic texture make this orange wine exceptionally versatile with Levantine cuisine. Bright acidity cuts through rich olive oil and eggplant dips like baba ghanoush, while the vibrant floral and herbal aromatics harmonize with za'atar and Mediterranean spices.

## Wine making process

The winemaking combines two distinct techniques to create balance and texture. Direct-pressed Merwah is macerated on skins for 10 days in stainless steel, while whole-berry Muscat undergoes 10 days of carbonic maceration. The components are blended, complete natural malolactic fermentation, and age in traditional clay amphorae. The finished wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.