Top 5 wine making and exporting countries in Africa Africa is probably the last thing that comes to mind when you think of a wine destination, but the truth is, some African countries like Algeria and Morocco have produced wine for hundreds of years. It is difficult to imagine that these African countries produced a third of the worlds wine output in the 1950s. Here are the Top 5 wine producing countries in Africa 5. ETHIOPIA The history of wine making in Ethiopia is as old as the history of the nation. The country is home to an ancient wine producing culture, and has two wineries producing together 11 million bottles and has been producing wine since the beginning of the 20th century. Ethiopia has been making local wine, made by one of the two wine producers in the country, called tejj, which is a type of honey-wine flavored with leaves from gesho tree. It has an alcohol content generally ranging from 7 to 11%. It is often home processed and consists of three main ingredients; honey, water and a medicinal shrub. Ethiopia has also been growing some of the best white and red grapes from Bordeaux thanks to the help of The French beverage giant Castel winery, one of the world's biggest producers of wines and beers. 4. TUNISIA Wine production started in Tunisia when the Phoenicians founded Carthage, about 800 BC. Nowadays, the wine industry still has a strong French flavor, a natural conclusion after the Tunisia’s years as a French protectorate. Most of wine production is in the hands of the state which is slow in introducing modern methods. There is no much investment, either. Grape varieties to be found in Tunisia are Carignan, Grenache, Clairette and Alicante. Most of the production today is centered in light rosé wines, but there are very promising full-bodied red wines and, probably, in those lies the future. 3. MOROCCO Among the countries of North Africa, Morocco is considered to have the best natural potential for producing quality wines, due to its high mountains and cooling influence of the Atlantic, as these factors offset the risk of having too hot vineyards. An important exporter of wine in the colonial era before 1956, the Moroccan wine industry is experiencing a revival and expansion since the 1990s due to influx of foreign investments Red wine dominates greatly, with over 75% of production. Rosé wines and vin gris account for almost 20%, and white wines for only around 3% as of 2005. Moroccan wines are predominantly red and dominated by Carignan grapes. Some varieties like Merlot and Syrah have been introduced, being responsible for some of the country’s best wines. 2. ALGERIA Algeria was once one of the largest exporters of wine to Europe. But production almost stopped during a decade-long war in the 1990s, when many vineyards found themselves in Islamist-controlled areas. Now growers in the west of the country are trying to revive production. Large crates with juicy red and green grapes are filled and later fermented into wine at a nearby factory. Algeria has a wine industry surprisingly large for an Islamic country, But in these days, much of its wine is geared for table consumption. Nevertheless, the country is still a wine exporting country. 1. SOUTH AFRICA As the world's eighth largest wine producer, South Africa's wine trade contributed $2.4 billion to the country's economy in 2013. The first vines were planted in South Africa around 1655 and it has been established as a wine growing country since the late 17th century. Most of the vineyards are located around the Cape area, the South-western tip of the country, and very much has reigned on them since their history started. Stellenbosch is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in South Africa that is known for its quality of white wine. There are plenty of vineyards to choose from including, Clos Malverne, Spier, Delheim, and many others. Although many consider African wines part of the New World wines, South African wines can be classified as Old World in the way they are produced. These are some of Africa’s biggest wine producing regions. Africa's wine industry is growing, with some of the countries garnering world wide demand.

• published: 13 Oct 2021
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