Top 100 white wines of The East
Discover the top 100 best white wines of The East as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the white 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
Andrew Jefford: ‘A wine’s visual cues shout, stamp, whistle and roar’
Disconcerting: I couldn’t forget this bottle for days afterwards. Still can’t. Back in August, wine critic Lin Liu MW (together with her partner Philippe Lejeune of Château de Chambert in Cahors) came to dinner, en route to a short holiday in Provence. One of the bottles Lin brought for us to try together was the 2018 Les Rocheuses, Parcelles No 5 et 6, from Château Le Rey in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. It came in a slope-shouldered bottle, not a classic Bordeaux bottle. We tried it with some R ...
OIV welcomes back Ukraine as a member state
Having left the ranks of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) in 2008, Ukraine has again joined the leading intergovernmental institution. This brings the total number of member countries up to 49. The renewed membership is effective from 30 October and was formalised on Friday 4 November at the OIV’s General Assembly in Baja California, Mexico. The plenary session, which closed the institution’s 43rd annual congress, had its most symbolic and heartfelt moment when the Ukrainian ...
Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year 2022 winner revealed
After a two-year hiatus due to Covid, the UK Sommelier of the Year competition was back with a bang and saw Arnese bag the highly-respected title on Monday 18th July 2022. He pipped this year’s runner-up Agnieszka Swiecka (The Five Fields Restaurant) and 2019 runner-up Gareth Ferreira (Core by Clare Smyth) to the post. The competition is organised by The Caterer in partnership with the UK Sommelier Academy (UKSA) – a new non-profit organisation, officially launched yesterday – which provid ...