The story begins with a chance meeting at the Beirut airport. What began as love at first sight quickly turned to marriage and the first years were like a storybook. Georges and Daniel's early childhood was idyllic; filled with love , the pure freedom of youth and afternoons running through olive groves.
Everything changed in the summer of 1973, at the onset of the Lebanese Civil War, when a rocket hit their neighborhood, causing grave injuries to the family and forcing them to flee their beloved home for France. Despite losing everything they had known to the war, Joseph and Marie ensured that love triumphed over circumstance and instilled hope when all seemed lost.
Soul of a Lion, represents a man who was nothing short of a leader. This family patriarch, Joseph Daou exhibited the strength and courage seen in the king of the jungle. Instilling these same traits in his sons, their success and newfound legacy was a sight he had to see before his passing. On his DAOU Mountain visit, he listened to his son’s winemaking dream and gave them his blessing. Soul of a Lion is a testament to that moment, a tribute to the man and fitting to the father.
Mayote is a term of endearment honoring
family matriarch, Marie Daou. During the toughest of
times, Marie was always there for her family. She sensed
passion in Georges and Daniel early on, and always
encouraged their dreams—setting them on a course
that would ultimately lead them to DAOU Mountain.
