Heya Winery

Heya Winery, known as Heya Wines, is a pioneering Lebanese producer specializing in natural, low-intervention wines made by women, emphasizing co-ferments and organic practices that set it apart in Lebanon’s evolving wine scene. Founded by two friends and mothers, Michelle Chami and Claudine Lteif, the name “Heya” means “She” in Arabic, symbolizing a celebration of women in the male-dominated wine industry, including collaborations with female harvesters, winery workers, and even Syrian refugees to promote gender equity and empowerment.

The winery sources grapes from regions like the Bekaa Valley and Mount Lebanon in northwest Lebanon, where hand-harvested varieties thrive in the country’s diverse terroir. This setting allows for unique expressions influenced by Lebanon’s ancient winemaking heritage.

Heya’s philosophy revolves around minimal intervention: organic cultivation, native indigenous yeasts, no additives, and techniques like carbonic maceration, skin contact, and aging in Lebanese amphorae to capture the land’s authentic essence and create complex, pure wines. They produce small-batch wines that honor sustainability, empathy, and the stories of the people involved.