Moroccan wine

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 the 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 between 1912 and 1956, the Moroccan wine industry has experienced a revival and expansion since the 1990s due to an influx of foreign investment.Moroccan wine and muslims , Decanter 6 June 2008

History

Viticulture in the region of today's Morocco is believed to have been introduced by Phoenician settlers, and was definitely established in the era of Ancient Rome. Large-scale viticulture was introduced into Morocco by French colonists, just as it was to the neighboring country of Algeria. However, the quantities of Moroccan wine produced was never nearly as high as that of Algerian wine. At the time of the country's independence in 1956, there were of vineyards.

Although much of the French expertise left when Morocco became independent, the wine trade continued to be significant into the 1960s. After independence, access to the French market was increasingly restricted by tariffs. In 1967, France abolished Morocco's duty-free quota of one million hectolitres; Moroccan wine exports fell from 1.7 million hectolitres in 1959 to 700,000 hectolitres in 1968.

Under a combination of restricted access to the traditional market, and competition from overproduction in other Mediterranean countries, much of the wine production became uneconomical, and a significant portion of Morocco's vineyards were grubbed up and replaced with other crops. The state takeover of vineyards was gradual. The state agricultural company SODEA was established in 1972, and a major recovery of agricultural land still held by foreigners took place in 1973, with transferred vineyards placed under SODEA's management.

The state introduced measures such as fixed prices for grapes, irrespective of quality, which were not compatible with regaining competitiveness, and generally handled its vineyard very poorly.

In the early 1990s, there were of vineyards in Morocco, of which were planted with vines for wine production (rather than for table grape or raisin production), and of these vineyards, more than half had old or diseased vines of low productivity.

In the 1990s, during the rule of Hassan II of Morocco, the Moroccan wine production started to improve due to foreign (primarily French) investment and know-how. This was achieved by offering foreign wine companies the possibility for long-term lease of vineyards from SODEA. Several large Bordeaux-based wine companies, including Groupe Castel, William Pitters and Taillan, entered into such partnerships, which have been successful in reviving the Moroccan wine industry.

As an example, the Castel brand Boulaouane was the best-selling foreign wine in France as of 2005,Castel has not yet exhausted all the potential of North Africa , Drinks Media Wire, 9 February 2006 and the total vineyard area, including vines grown for table grapes and raisins, had expanded to in the early 2000s. A 2005 sector report estimated that were devoted specifically to wine-grape production. Some smaller investors, more oriented toward higher quality wines than the high-volume market, have later followed.

Production and consumption Wine production reached its peak under the French occupation with an output of more than 3 million hectoliters in the 1950s. After a major decline in the aftermath of the majority-Muslim nation's independence, interest and production began to revive and increase again, standing at about 400,000 hectolitres in 2013. Thus, Morocco had become the second biggest producer of wine in the Arab world, after Algeria, by 2013.

Most of the wine is consumed within the country, but better wines are exported as well, primarily to France. According to a 2013 report, Moroccan law did not prohibit the production of beer and alcohol, but restricted their sale to Muslim customers. Wine can be purchased in supermarkets and some restaurants, often those that cater to tourists and visitors. Alcohol is not generally available during Islamic holidays including Ramadan, except in some outlets aimed primarily at non-Muslims.

Wine styles and grape varieties Red wine dominates greatly, with over 75 per cent of production. Rosé wines and vin gris account for almost 20 per cent, and white wine for only around 3 per cent as of 2005.

The traditional red grapes planted in Morocco are Carignan (which once dominated), Cinsaut (almost 40 per cent in 2005), Alicante, and Grenache. Plantations of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah had increased rapidly and together made up around 15 per cent as of 2005. Traditional white grape varieties include Clairette blanche and Muscat.

There has also been smaller experimentation with Chardonnay, Chenin blanc and Sauvignon blanc, where there is a need to pick early to produce white wines with sufficient freshness.

Taferielt is an indigenous Moroccan wine, table, and raisin grape.

Wine regions

Morocco is divided into five wine regions. Within these wine regions are a total of 14 areas with Appellation d'origine garantie (AOG) status. The system of wine appellations was regulated in 1977. Regulations listed by Morocco's National Office of Food Safety document three Appellations d'origine contrôlée (AOCs): Coteaux de l'Atlas, established by an order of 8 October 1998; Crémant de l'Atlas, established by an order of 12 February 2009; and Côtes de Rommani, established by an order of 4 February 2014. The use of the Château designation is governed by a separate order of 14 October 2004.

The five wine regions, and their associated AOGs, are: The Eastern Region: Beni Sadden AOG Berkane AOG Angad AOG Meknès/Fès Region: Guerrouane AOG Beni M'tir AOG Saiss AOG Zerhoune AOG The Northern Plain Gharb AOG Rabat/Casablanca Region Chellah AOG Zemmour AOG Zaër AOG Zenatta AOG Sahel AOG El-Jadida Region Doukkala AOG

Moroccan wine

Bron en licentie