WINE CLUB

Every day we’re asked, “Is there anywhere I can buy these wines?” And the honest answer is usually somewhere between “maybe” and “doubtful.” What we do with our wine program at Galit is truly unique.

We’re proud of the wines we curate, of the growers, winemakers and importers we work with, and of the stories they carry. Most of all, we’re proud to share them with guests who remind us daily how much they appreciate what we pour and why we pour it.

Our program highlights winemakers who are pushing boundaries — in Lebanon, Israel, Armenia, Turkey, Cyprus, Palestine, and beyond. Many of these bottles don’t make it to retail shelves, and some are produced in such small quantities that they rarely leave their home countries. This club is the only way to regularly access them outside the restaurant.

Each month, we’ll send you a curated selection from the winemakers we work with most closely — bottles rarely seen outside the restaurant, with the stories that make them matter.

It’s the same Galit wine program you know, now available to take home.

A little background on October’s picks…

“Hey guys, lots of love, we are a big fan of your restaurant and the work Zach does”

“And thanks for having our petnat lebnat on the menu, it just needs to be modified from Couvent rouge to Mersel wine”

That was it. On December 18, 2021, the first chat with Eddie Chami started with a simple Instagram DM. Eddie was one of the winemakers at Couvent Rouge, where his LebNat first appeared. Right around the time Galit opened, he struck out on his own and launched Mersel Wine. The new vintage we just picked up was the first release under his own label.

Looking back, it’s funny to think about, because today Mersel is undeniably the most important winery in Lebanon. The partnership Galit and Mersel have formed has been invaluable — and most of all, Eddie has become a dear friend.

The next time we crossed paths was just a few months later, in March of 2022. Less than two weeks out from Chicago’s natural wine fair, Third Coast Soif, Jason Bajaliah, Mersel’s importer, reached out: would we be interested in having Eddie stop by during service? Why not? We didn’t have space or time to plan a full winemaker dinner, but a hangout felt right. We added a handful of Mersel specials by the glass and bottle, and Eddie personally introduced each one to guests who ordered. We started with five different Mersel wines; the first sold out in under an hour, then the second, then the third. By the end of the night we had just one bottle left, and the final table of the evening claimed it. Perfect.

Eddie moved through the dining room table by table, charming everyone, trading stories, sharing photos of his children, making friends with every guest he met. That’s what he does. There was no talk of war, hardship, or corruption — only the proud history of Lebanese wine, a story Eddie is carrying forward today.

So when we launched a wine club, it had to begin with Mersel. We wouldn’t be who we are without our friend Eddie.