Many of us like to explore and sample wines which are not found everyday. We also enjoy the delights of eating the food and savouring the exotic flavours of Middle Eastern and North African countries. Over the next 4 wine reviews, I want to open up a small door for you to go through and explore the rich and varied wines found across the region.
Wine merchants and supermarkets do offer a limited supply. Also, when you do venture into a restaurant specialising in the cuisine from a country within the region, I hope my reviews help you to choose a “Local” wine to enjoy with your food, rather than the safer known European and New World wines. If you are tempted to try some of the wines but cannot find them locally, there are specialist merchants online who will be only to pleased to send their wines to you.
We have the Phoenicians to thank for bringing vines to the region and then cultivating them around the Eastern and Northern edges of the Mediterranean Sea. The consumption and enjoyment of wine became a major part of the culture and daily life within the region. As time evolved and Phoenician culture gave way to other cultures with contrasting views on wine, its importance diminished along with the vineyards. However, some hotspots remained and are thriving in the 21st Century, along with a few heritage vineyards still active in those countries not normally thought of as wine producing.
Part 3: Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia
