The Lebanese civil war did indeed cost the country great minds, but as the saying goes, Lebanese always stand on their feet. This was the case with Daniel Daou, who left the country with his family during the war and founded years later one of the fastest growing wineries in the US, Daou Vineyards .
In 1973, when the civil war started, Daniel’s parents’ house was bombed, leaving the family wounded physically and emotionally. Trying to pick up the pieces and start a new life, the family moved to France a year later.
At 18 and after nine years of living in France, Daniel’s brother Georges moved to San Diego to study Electrical Engineering then Daniel followed him a year later to study Computer Engineering. Daniel started a company that computerises networks and with a capital from his father, he grew it and eventually sold it. He was ready to retire at 31 when his passion for winemaking started kicking in.
Image via Daou Vineyards.
Daniel spent 8 years making wine at his garage, visiting wineries and studying the soil before launching Daou Vineyards with his brother. The family business is now operating in 50 states in the US and in 32 countries worldwide.
In the video below taken from his talk during LebNet’s Virtual Holiday event held on December 15, Daniel reminisces the small details of his journey as a kid and a young entrepreneur passionate about wine and family bonds, explains what makes a viral excellent wine and shares the inspiring story behind the name behind their best wine: ‘Soul of the Lion’.
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