Moroccan wine facts for kids
Morocco in North Africa is known for making great wine. This is because of its tall mountains and the cool air from the Atlantic Ocean. These natural features help keep the vineyards from getting too hot. Morocco used to be a big wine exporter before 1956. Since the 1990s, its wine industry has grown a lot, thanks to money from other countries.
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History of Moroccan Wine
People believe that growing grapes for wine started in Morocco a long time ago, with settlers from Phoenicia. It was definitely happening during the time of Ancient Rome.
Later, French colonists brought large-scale grape growing to Morocco, just like they did in Algeria. However, Morocco never made as much wine as Algeria did. When Morocco became independent in 1956, there were about 55,000 hectares (about 136,000 acres) of vineyards.
After independence, many French experts left. But wine trade was still important in the 1960s. Then, in 1967, the European Economic Community (a group of European countries) set new rules for how much wine could be sold to them. This greatly reduced Morocco's wine exports.
Because it was harder to sell wine and there was a lot of competition, many vineyards in Morocco were removed. Farmers started growing other crops instead. From 1973 to 1984, the Moroccan government took control of most vineyards. The government set fixed prices for grapes, no matter how good they were. This made it hard for the wine industry to become competitive again.
In the early 1990s, Morocco had about 40,000 hectares (about 99,000 acres) of vineyards. Only about 13,000 hectares (about 32,000 acres) were used for wine grapes. More than half of these vines were old or sick and didn't produce much.
Moroccan Wine Revival
In the 1990s, during the rule of King Hassan II of Morocco, Moroccan wine production started to get much better. This happened because foreign companies, mostly French, invested money and shared their knowledge. They could lease vineyards from the state farming company, SODEA, for a long time.
Several big wine companies from Bordeaux, France, like Groupe Castel, joined these partnerships. These efforts helped the Moroccan wine industry come back to life. For example, by 2005, Castel's Boulaouane wine was the best-selling foreign wine in France. The area of vineyards grew to 50,000 hectares (about 123,000 acres) in the early 2000s. Later, some smaller investors also started focusing on making higher quality wines.
Wine Production and Use
Wine production in Morocco was highest during the French occupation, making over 3 million hectoliters (about 79 million gallons) in the 1950s. After Morocco became independent, production dropped a lot. However, interest and production started to grow again. By 2013, Morocco was producing about 400,000 hectoliters (about 10.5 million gallons) of wine. This made Morocco the second-largest wine producer in the Arab world, after Algeria.
The wine industry provides jobs for up to 20,000 people. Most of the wine made in Morocco is used within the country. However, the better quality wines are also sent to other countries, especially France.
Moroccan law allows the making and selling of wine. Wine can be bought in supermarkets and some restaurants, especially those that serve tourists.
Wine Types and Grapes
Red wine is by far the most common type made in Morocco, making up over 75% of all wine produced. Rosé wines and vin gris (a very light rosé) make up almost 20%. White wine is much less common, only about 3% as of 2005.
Red Grapes
The traditional red grapes grown in Morocco include Carignan, Cinsaut, Alicante, and Grenache. Cinsaut was once the most common, making up almost 40% of grapes in 2005.
Newer grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah have been planted much more quickly. Together, these newer grapes now make up about 15% of the total.
White Grapes
Traditional white grape varieties include Clairette blanche and Muscat. Some winemakers have also tried growing Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, and Sauvignon blanc. For white wines, grapes need to be picked early to make sure the wine tastes fresh.
Taferielt is a special type of grape that comes from Morocco. It is used for wine, eating, and making raisins.
Moroccan Wine Regions
Morocco has five main wine regions. Within these regions, there are 14 areas that have a special status called Appellation d'Origine Garantie (AOG). This means the wine from these areas meets certain quality rules.
In 2001, an even higher status was created called Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC). The first area to get this status was Côteaux de l'Atlas 1er cru, which means "Atlas hills first growth." In 2009, the first wine estate to be called a Château (like a famous French wine estate) was approved: Château Roslane.
Here are the five wine regions and some of their special areas:
- The East
- Beni Sadden AOG
- Berkane AOG
- Angad AOG
- Meknès/Fès region:
- Guerrouane AOG
- Beni M'tir AOG
- Saiss AOG
- Zerhoune AOG
- Coteaux de l’Atlas 1er Cru
- The Northern Plain
- Gharb AOG
- Rabat/Casablanca Region
- Chellah AOG
- Zemmour AOG
- Zaër AOG
- Zenatta AOG
- Sahel AOG
- El-Jadida Region
- Doukkala AOG
