Fianarantsoa vineyard
in Madagascar
(photo by
Fanomezantsoa Andria)
Off the eastern
coast of Africa, Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian
Ocean.
Madagascar
is the 4th largest island in the world, and one of its poorest.
Long known for vanilla beans, rice, teas and peppers, the Swiss introduced
grape vines in the 1970s.
Today, the main wine region is located in the terraced mountains
near Fianarantsoa with about 700 wineries located in Fianarantsoa and Ambalavao producing some 3 million gallons of wine a year in the central Hauts Plateaux area.
Given the tropical climate and primitive methods of wine production (almost all by hand) Madagascar may be forgiven for its less than world-class reputation for the quality of its wine.
Rather, many travelers to the island are surprised to find themselves enjoying a fairly good table wine produced locally amid the spectacularly scenic Madagascan countryside.
More about the wines of Madagascar around the Web:
Wines of Madagascar - Check out this wine blogger's take on the Madagascar wine industry including photos and some personal recommendations.