Coming in from the freez

This month will see the launch of Château Ka, the latest recruit to the steadily growing roster of local wineries. Ka is the brainchild of Akram Kassatly, chairman of Kassatly Chtaura, the company that at various stages in its life has brought concentrated syrups, preserves and fruit juices to generations of Lebanese. His first wines will include 15,000 bottles of Blanc de Blancs, 15,000 rosés and 60,000 reds – called Source de Rouge. There are also plans for a “Château” level wine. Six years of innovation The wine initiative is the culmination of six dizzying years of successful innovation for Kassatly. In 2000, the company spotted the commercial potential in alcoholic ready-to-drink-beverages (RTDs) and within a year launched the multi-flavored Buzz, Lebanon’s own vodka-based RTD to rival Smirnoff Ice. Buzz was followed up a year later by Freez, a non-alcoholic RTD, which has become so successful in the GCC that