Terra Sancta represents the culture and history of the Middle East and the Ancient World wine region from Morocco to Lebanon to Armenia.
Our products are a reflection of the land and people who make them, and we are honored to share them with the world.
SHARE THE REVIVAL OF THE ANCIENT WINE, BEER AND SPIRIT MAKING TRADITIONS OF THE HOLY LAND WITH THE U.S. MARKET. THIS BY WAY OF A DIVERSE, UNIQUE AND QUALITY-FOCUSED SUPPLY OF PRODUCTS ORIGINATING FROM THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN IN GENERAL, AND THE HOLY LAND IN PARTICULAR. – SAHA! (GOOD HEALTH)
No-doubt everyone has their own perception of the Middle East; but politics aside, through Terra Sancta I not only want to introduce the products to the U.S., but also help people understand the importance of the Levant [Eastern Mediterranean] today. Not a lot of people realize this is where wine originally came from. It’s where beer came from. The role this part of the world has played in shaping the beverage industry as we know it today is grossly underestimated.” – Jason Bajalia
Jason Bajalia is a co-founder and managing partner of Terra Sancta. A veteran of the hospitality industry, Jason began focusing on the beverage side of the business early in his career. He focused on connecting importers and producers with distributors to get the products he wanted to sell. After seeing how it all workers and following the growth of some of the products as they became national brands, Jason Launched Terra Sancta in 2013 with just one brand from his family’s hometown: Golden Arak Ramallah.
Miriam Zouzounis is the West Coast Partner in Terra Sancta Trading Company. Miriam is heavily involved with small business diaspora communities and comes from a family business background. She has also worked in public policy and international trade, holding positions at the local and federal government levels. It is her passion to share ancient world wine and spirit cultures and build a community within the industry.
Frank Faverzani is a product and business development manager for Terra Sancta. He has spent extensive time in Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan. He completed a Master’s in Arab Studies from Georgetown University and is current pursuing a PhD at Brown University on the history of food and alcohol in the modern Eastern Mediterranean. He speaks Arabic and Italian and is WSET II certified
““My parents were born in Ramallah, 9 miles North of Jerusalem, so my connection with the Levant of is a little stronger than most. One of the first products I picked-up for Terra Sancta was Arak Ramallah, our national beverage…but Ramallah is so much more than just a drink in this part of the world. When I was young, my mother would rub it on our gums to relieve toothache…rub it on our bellys for stomach ache. In Palestine there’s literally a bottle of Ramallah in every house. It has deep roots in Palestinian culture. This is just one of the many products I saw a huge opportunity to introduce to the U.S. market…and I know we have only just started to scratch the surface.” – Jason Bajalia
