Tanzanian wine industry is based entirely in Dodoma Region and is the second largest producer of wine in Sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa. Compared to the rest of the world, the history of wine in Tanzania is very recent and dates back to just a few years before independence. Tanzania only has one major grape growing region and it is based around the legislative capital city Dodoma. The most common grape varietals in the Dodoma wine region are Chenin Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and a variety named for a Dodoma sub-region, Makutupora. Initially wine production and grape growing was limited to missionaries, however, in 1969 the government entered the market with the formation of the Dodoma Wine company.
Vines were first introduced in the country by members of the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Holy Ghost in 1938. The missionaries from the Hombolo Catholic mission planted their first vines near the Kondoa District in Dodoma Region. [1] Initially the vines grown were used for domestically making wine for religious practises and domestic consumption. In 1957 Passionist Father Irioneo Maggioni, of the Bihawana Mission started his own commercial farm from three vine seedlings out of curiosity and the farm grew rapidly to a commercial scale. [2]
After independence the local government took interest in the industry and made their first investment into a four-acre grape farm at Dodoma Isanga Prison 1961. The program was very successful and in just three years expanded to 5 of the nearby villages centered around the prison. In 1963, the national service camp in Makutupora also joined the scheme and began growing grapes in the village that created a new center for grape growing around the village. [3] In 1969 the prison built a winery plant and was Tanzania's sole purchaser of grapes for wine production in the country. [4]
In 1979, in a plan to add value for the local farmers the central government invested in a new company and created the Dodoma Wine Company, which directly procured grapes from the farmers for wine production. The company assisted farmers in grape growing practises and set up a research center called the Makutupora Grapevine Research Centre. [5]
International investors mainly from South Africa began to take interest in the industry in the early 1990s. In 1999 South Africa's Distell Group Limited acquired a stake in the local Tanzania Breweries Limited subsidiary Tanzania Distilleries Limited (TDL). TDL acquired the Dodoma Wine Company and bought the brand of the government. [6] The company brought in investment and skill to the farmers to help manage their farms at a low cost. The company currently holds the highest market share of wine in country with their flag ship brand "Dodoma Wine". [7] As the company continued to invest in the production capacity, the company also began importing South African wine into the country to help develop the market. [8]
Simultaneously, in 2002 an Italian engineer started the Central Tanzania Wine company, which today is part of the top three company producing wine in the country. [9] Between 1998 and 2013, wine exports in the country skyrocketed and grew by 900 times. In 1998 the country exported 176 kg worth of wine and in 2013 exported 151,221 kg. [1] [4]
Makutupora is a local grape varietal named after a district in the Dodoma Region where it is grown. The Makutupora is a local dry red grape that grows in dry earth, sandy soil with low humidity. There are two harvests seasons a year, in March and August/September. [10]
Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness," combined with its earlier ripening, make Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being used in blends and produced as a varietal in Canada and the United States, it is sometimes made into ice wine in those regions.
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in South West France, though the grape is grown worldwide. It is also available as an Argentine varietal.
Chile has a long history in the production of wine, with roots dating back to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors introduced Vitis vinifera vines to the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, and Franc were introduced. During the early 1980s, the Chilean wine industry underwent a renaissance with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. This led to a rapid growth in exports as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries in Chile rose from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005.
The Carménère grape is a wine grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used to produce deep red wines and occasionally used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot.
New World wines are those wines produced outside the traditional winegrowing areas of Europe and the Middle East, in particular from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. The phrase connotes a distinction between these "New World" wines and those wines produced in "Old World" countries with a long-established history of wine production, essentially in Europe, most notably: France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal.
Dodoma Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The regional capital is the city of Dodoma. Dodoma is located in central Tanzania, bordered by Singida region to the west, Manyara region to the north, Iringa region to the south, and Morogoro region to the east. Dodoma region hosts the nation's capital city, where the legislative assembly of Bunge is based. Dodoma region also hosts one of the largest universities in Tanzania: University of Dodoma. The region is the home of the Tanzanian wine industry, which is the second largest wine industry on the continent after South Africa. According to the 2022 national census, the region had a population of 3,085,625; in the 2012 national census, the population was 2,083,588.
Canadian wine is wine produced in Canada. Ontario and British Columbia are the two largest wine-producing provinces in Canada, with two-thirds of Canada's vineyard acreage situated in Ontario. However, wine producing regions are also present in other provinces, including Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659 with the first bottle being produced in Cape Town by its founder and governor Jan van Riebeeck. Access to international markets led to new investment in the South African wine market. Production is concentrated around Cape Town and almost exclusively located within the Western Cape province, with major vineyard and production centres at Constantia, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Worcester.
Carmel Winery is a vineyard and winery in Israel. Founded in 1882 by Edmond James de Rothschild, its products are exported to over 40 countries. It is the largest winery in Israel, with a local market share of almost 50%.
Turkey Flat is an Australian winery located in Tanunda, in the middle of South Australia's Barossa Valley wine-growing region. It is described by wine expert Oz Clarke as one of the "cult wines" of Australia. With more than 40% of its production dedicated to rosés, Turkey Flat has been considered a leader in the recent "rosé revival" trend of the early 21st century.
Ontario wine is Canadian wine produced in the province of Ontario. The province has three official wine-growing regions, the Niagara Peninsula, the north shore of Lake Erie, and Prince Edward County, although wineries also exist in other regions in Ontario. Approximately two-thirds of Canada's vineyard acreage is situated in Ontario, with over 150 vineyards spread across 6,900 hectares. As a result, the province is the country's largest producer of wine, accounting for 62 per cent of Canadian wine production, and 68 per cent of all Canadian wine exports.
The Cypriot wine industry ranks 50th in the world in terms of total production quantity, and much higher on a per-capita basis. The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Cypriot economy through cultivation, production, employment, export and tourism.
New Mexico has a long history of wine production, within American wine, especially along the Rio Grande, from its capital Santa Fe, the city of Albuquerque with its surrounding metropolitan area, and in valleys like the Mesilla and the Mimbres River valleys. In 1629, Franciscan friar García de Zúñiga and a Capuchín friar named Antonio de Arteaga planted the first wine grapes in Santa Fe de Nuevo México, in what would become the modern Middle Rio Grande Valley AVA. Today, wineries exist in the aforementioned Middle Rio Grande Valley, as well as the Mesilla Valley AVA and the Mimbres Valley AVA.
Virginia wine refers to wine made primarily from grapes grown in the commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia has hot humid summers that can be challenging to viticulture, and only within the last twenty years has the industry developed beyond novelty status. By tonnage, Vitis vinifera varieties represents 75% of total production. French hybrids varieties account for nearly 20% of total wine grape production in the commonwealth, while American varietals make up only about 5% of the total. As of 2012, the top 5 varietals produced are Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Vidal blanc and Viognier.
Mexican wine and wine making began with the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, when they brought vines from Europe to modern day Mexico, the oldest wine-growing region in the Americas. Although there were indigenous grapes before the Spanish conquest, the Spaniards found that Spanish grapevines also did very well in the colony of New Spain (Mexico) and by the 17th century wine exports from Spain to the New World fell. In 1699, Charles II of Spain prohibited wine making in Mexico, with the exception of wine for Church purposes. From then until Mexico’s Independence, wine was produced in Mexico only on a small scale.
Inniskillin is a Canadian winery located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Inniskillin, which is mainly noted for its icewine production, has played an important pioneering role in the modern Canadian wine industry. Since 1994, Inniskillin also operates a winery in Okanagan, British Columbia in addition to its original location.
Croatian wine has a history dating back to the Ancient Greek settlers, and their wine production on the southern Dalmatian islands of Vis, Hvar and Korčula some 2,500 years ago. Like other old world wine producers, many traditional grape varieties still survive in Croatia, perfectly suited to their local wine hills. Modern wine-production methods have taken over in the larger wineries and EU-style wine regulations have been adopted, guaranteeing the quality of the wine.
Nova Scotia wine is Canadian wine produced in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia's wineries are primarily organized under the Wine Association of Nova Scotia, though not all wineries are members. The industry began in the late 1970s with the original Grand Pré Winery in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia.
Abacela is an American winery estate owned by Earl and Hilda Jones that is located in the Umpqua Valley AVA. It was the first winery to commercially grow and produce wine from Spain's Noble Tempranillo grape in America's Pacific Northwest.
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