Ethiopian wine

Last updated
Tej, Ethiopian honey wine Tej (Ethiopian honey wine) (27241999346).jpg
Tej, Ethiopian honey wine

The production of wine in Ethiopia can be traced to the early centuries of the first millennium A.D. [1] The historian Richard Pankhurst observed that early references to Axumite wine can be found in one of the stele erected by the 4th century ruler Ezana. Aksumite viticulture is also attested to by carvings on the base of the great 3rd century obelisk at Axum. [2] The traditional honey wine tej has also long been widely popular.

Contemporary viticulture in Ethiopia dates to 1956, to the establishment of the Awash Winery by entrepreneur Mulugeta Tesfakiros and Ras Mesfin Sileshi. As of 2014 the Awash winery had an annual output of 10 million bottles, most of which is consumed locally. [1] In 2014 the French beverage corporation Castel began producing wines of a number of varieties on a 120-hectare estate near Ziway in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. As of 2013 annual production was 3 million bottles, approximately half of which was exported, mainly to China. [2]

Climatic and geographic conditions in the central portion of its Great Rift Valley make Ethiopia well suited to viticulture. Annual rainfall measures about 650 mm, temperatures average 25 degrees Celsius per year and the region enjoys sandy soils, which are ideal conditions for wine production. Furthermore, due to Ethiopia's proximity to the equator, it is possible to make two harvests per year. [1] The western slopes of the Ethiopian Highlands also enjoy an inland Mediterranean climate, also conducive to wine-growing.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napa County, California</span> County in California, United States

Napa County is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county's territory were given to Lake County in 1861.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparkling wine</span> Wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide

Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While it is common to refer to this as champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that word for products exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wine is usually either white or rosé, but there are examples of red sparkling wines such as the Italian Brachetto, Bonarda and Lambrusco, and the Australian sparkling Shiraz. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry brut styles to sweeter doux varieties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German wine</span> Wine making in Germany

German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of German wine is produced in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where 6 of the 13 regions (Anbaugebiete) for quality wine are situated. Germany has about 103,000 hectares of vineyard, which is around one tenth of the vineyard surface in Spain, France or Italy. The total wine production is usually around 10 million hectoliters annually, corresponding to 1.3 billion bottles, which places Germany as the eighth-largest wine-producing country in the world. White wine accounts for almost two thirds of the total production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sémillon</span> Variety of grape

Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, mostly in France and Australia. Its thin skin and susceptibility to botrytis make it dominate the sweet wine region Sauternes AOC and Barsac AOC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awash River</span> Major river in Ethiopia

The Awash is a major river of Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia and empties into a chain of interconnected lakes that begin with Lake Gargori and end with Lake Abbe on the border with Djibouti, some 100 kilometres from the head of the Gulf of Tadjoura. It is the principal stream of an endorheic drainage basin covering parts of the Amhara, Oromia and Somali Regions, as well as the southern half of the Afar Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moldovan wine</span> Wine making in Moldova

Moldova has a well-established wine industry. With a production of around 2 million hectolitres of wine, it is the 11th largest European wine-producing country. Moldova has a vineyard area of 148,500 hectares of which 107,800 hectares are used for commercial production. The remaining 40,700 hectares are vineyards planted in villages around the houses used to make home-made wine. Many families have their own recipes and strands of grapes that have been passed down through the generations. There are 3 historical wine regions: Valul lui Traian, Stefan Voda and Codru (center), destined for the production of wines with protected geographic indication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argentine wine</span> Fifth largest producer of wine in the world

Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighboring regions, and then to other parts of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian wine</span> Wine making in Canada

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand wine</span> Wine making in New Zealand

New Zealand wine is produced in several of its distinct winegrowing regions. As an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand has a largely maritime climate, although its elongated geography produces considerable regional variation from north to south. Like many other New World wines, New Zealand wine is usually produced and labelled as single varietal wines, or if blended, winemakers list the varietal components on the label. New Zealand is best known for its Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and more recently its dense, concentrated Pinot Noir from Marlborough, Martinborough and Central Otago.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American wine</span> Wine making in the United States of America

Wine has been produced in the United States since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84 percent of all US wine. The North American continent is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan wine</span> Wine made from grapes grown in Michigan, United States

Michigan wine refers to any wine that is made in the state of Michigan in the United States. As of 2020, there were 3,375 acres (1,366 ha) under wine-grape cultivation and over 200 commercial wineries in Michigan, producing 3 million US gallons (11,000,000 L) of wine. According to another count there were 112 operating wineries in Michigan in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington wine</span> Wine produced from grape varieties grown in the U.S. state of Washington

Washington wine is a wine produced from grape varieties grown in the U.S. state of Washington. Washington ranks second in the United States in the production of wine. By 2017, the state had over 55,000 acres (220 km2) of vineyards, a harvest of 229,000 short tons (208,000 t) of grapes, and exports going to over 40 countries around the world from the 940+ wineries located in the state. While there are some viticultural activities in the cooler, wetter western half of the state, the majority (99.9%) of wine grape production takes place in the shrub-steppe eastern half. The rain shadow of the Cascade Range leaves the Columbia River Basin with around 8 inches (200 mm) of annual rain fall, making irrigation and water rights of paramount interest to the Washington wine industry. Viticulture in the state is also influenced by long sunlight hours and consistent temperatures.

The state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine, ranking fourth in the country behind California, Washington, and New York. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders that are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the states of Washington and Idaho. Wine making dates back to pioneer times in the 1840s, with commercial production beginning in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanese wine</span> Wine making in Lebanon

Lebanon is among the oldest sites of wine production in the world. The Israelite prophet Hosea is said to have urged his followers to return to God so that "they will blossom as the vine and fame be like the wine of Lebanon, [and] their fragrance will be like that of Lebanon". The Phoenicians of the coastal strip were instrumental in spreading wine and viticulture throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napa Valley AVA</span> Wine region

Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County, California. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier wine regions in the world. Records of commercial wine production in the region date back to the nineteenth century, but premium wine production dates back only to the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey wine</span>

The production of wine in New Jersey has increased significantly in the last thirty years with the opening of new wineries. Beginning in 1981, the state legislature relaxed Prohibition-era restrictions and crafted new laws to facilitate the growth of the industry and provide new opportunities for winery licenses. Today, New Jersey wineries are crafting wines that have earned recognition for their quality from critics, industry leaders, and in national and international competitions. As of 2019, New Jersey currently has 51 licensed and operating wineries with several more prospective wineries in various stages of development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake River Valley AVA</span> Viticultural area in Idaho and Oregon, USA

Snake River Valley is Idaho’s first American Viticultural Area (AVA) that encompasses an area in southwestern Idaho and two counties in eastern Oregon. The area was established on April 9, 2007 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Idahoan vintners of the Snake River Valley, the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission, and the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor, collectively acting as “petitioner” to establish the 8,263 square miles viticultural area named "Snake River Valley." For wines to bear the "Snake River Valley" label, at least 85% of the grapes used for production must be grown in the designated area, which includes the southwestern Idaho counties of Ada, Adams, Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Gooding, Jerome, Owyhee, Payette, Twin Falls, and Washington, and the Eastern Oregon counties of Malheur and Baker. The appellation, when established, was resident to 15 wineries and 46 vineyards with 1,800 acres (728 ha) under vine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California wine</span> Wine made from grapes grown in California, United States

California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of the Father Junípero Serra who planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napa County wine</span> Appelation that designates wine in Napa County, CA

Napa County wine refers to the viticulture and winemaking in Napa County, California, United States. County names in the United States automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine produced from grapes grown in that county and do not require registration with the United States Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). TTB was created in January 2003, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, was extensively reorganized under the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ethiopian Wine: the Revival of an Ancient Tradition". Embassy of Ethiopia to Belgium. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 Dibaba, Solomon (12 May 2016). "Wine-Making in Ethiopia - Cultural, Historical and Economic Significance". The Ethiopian Herald. Retrieved 5 September 2017.