Initially, grape growing and wine production were limited to missionaries, but in 1969 the Tanzanian government entered the market with the formation of the Dodoma Wine Company.Īrchard Kato, managing director of Alko Vintages Company Limited, a Tanzanian company that makes several brands of wine, told Xinhua that his company does not grow grapes of its own, but it gets grapes from 15 organized grape farming groups that supply the company good quality grapes. The most common grape varietals in the Dodoma wine region, where the Tanzanian wine industry is entirely based, are Chenin Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a variety named for a Dodoma sub-region, Makutupora.

Tanzania, despite not having an international reputation as a wine producer, is home to the second-largest wine-producing region in sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa. 'The opening of international markets, including the Chinese market, to locally made wines will boost the production of the country's wineries,' he said. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)ĭODOMA, June 27 (Xinhua) - In a 1.5-hectare vineyard 39 kilometers north of the Tanzanian capital of Dodoma, William Swai is checking the grapes under the dazzling sun.īy mid-July, the grapes will be fully ripe and will be picked to make delicious wine, the 67-year-old grape farmer told Xinhua in a recent interview. Archard Kato, managing director of Alko Vintages Company Limited, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in his office in Dodoma, Tanzania, on June 24, 2023.

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