The French beverage giant Castel has begun producing an Ethiopian wine.
Some 1.2 million bottles of Rift Valley wines have been produced using Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Of these, half will be consumed domestically and half will be exported.
The former president of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, urged Castel to begin winemaking in the country in order to add a certain sophistication to its image.
Castel hopes that in coming years, South Africa, the premier wine-producing nation in Africa, will be rivalled by Ethiopia, which is, of course, renowned for its coffee-bean growth.
"It's not that difficult because the climate is good and it's not too hot," Castel's Ethiopia site manager, Olivier Spillebout, told Agence France-Presse. "Exports are small now, but year after year, they will grow."
It is understood that much of Ethiopia's terrain – high plateaux and verdant valleys – is conducive to quality viticulture.
© 2014 European Supermarket Magazine by Peter Donnelly
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