Top 100 red wines of The East
Discover the top 100 best red wines of The East as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of The East and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of The East
Morocco, located in Northwestern North Africa, is an ancient kingdom whose history is as diverse as its geography. Influenced over the centuries by Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and various modern European powers, it remains a bridge between Europe and the African continent. The Atlas Mountains, which run through the country, are all that separate the vast Sahara Desert from the cool expanses of the Atlantic. Similarly, the 16 km Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Morocco from Spain, is all that separates Islamic North Africa from Christian Southern Europe.
It was almost inevitable that a former colony of Rome and France would produce wine at some point in its history. Although the earliest evidence of Moroccan viticulture predates the Romans, it is likely that they were the first to produce wine on some scale.
After the fall of Rome, Morocco experienced centuries of Islamic rule, which naturally slowed its production of Alcohol, including wine. But interest was revived when the French increased their influence from the 1830s onwards.
In the early 20th century, Europe was sinking into world war, and Morocco also became a target for Britain and Germany. The French prevailed and established a protectorate in 1912 under the terms of the Treaty of Fez. Spain was also granted areas of interest in the north and south of the country.
Under French influence, Morocco began to make a significant contribution to the world wine industry.
News from the vineyard of The East
Generation Z investors ‘turning to fine wine’
A survey of 2,000 investors in the UK found links between Generation Z, loosely covering those up to 25 years of age, and fine wine investment. While close to half of all survey respondents said they had invested in so-called alternative assets, such as fine wine, whisky, art or crypto, this proportion rose to 62% for the under-25s. Commissioned by merchant Bordeaux Index and conducted by market research agency 3Gem, the survey suggests younger investors ‘are turning to fine wine’ as ...
EU grants member states the right to use resistant hybrid varieties in appellation wines
Following a recent modification of EU rules, member states are now allowed to employ resistant varieties in the production of wines with protected denominations of origin (PDO). The decision, published last week in the Official Journal of the European Union, is part of a wider revision of previous regulations that established common quality schemes, organisation of the market, definitions, descriptions, presentations, and labelling of European agricultural products and foodstuffs. Before the ann ...
Prices rising for top California wines
Prices have been rising on California fine wines, and especially Screaming Eagle, said Liv-ex this week. Its California 50 index, which tracks the price performance of Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Dominus, Opus One and Ridge Monte Bello, has increased by around 32% in the last year. ‘High quality and heightened demand have led to rising prices,’ said Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. Its figures provide more evidence of a strong 12 months for the fine wine market in general, and fol ...