Wine destination
Morocco has grown grapes since antiquity, but its modern wine industry took shape in the French colonial era and is concentrated inland around Meknès, which alone accounts for roughly half the country's vineyards.
Morocco has grown grapes since antiquity, but its modern wine industry took shape in the French colonial era and is concentrated inland around Meknès, which alone accounts for roughly half the country's vineyards. Sometimes called the "Bordeaux of Morocco," the area sits at altitude, where the heights of the Atlas Mountains temper an otherwise hot climate and help the vines hold their acidity.
The grapes are largely Mediterranean and Rhône reds — Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault — grown for deep reds and, above all, for vin gris, the pale, barely-pink "gray wine" that is Morocco's signature style and a natural fit for the latitude. Quality is formalized through an appellation system: Guerrouane, near Meknès, was the first AOG, and Coteaux de l'Atlas is the country's single AOC.
For visitors, Casablanca and Fez are the main gateways, with Meknès the wine hub and a handful of estates open for tastings. As a Muslim country, Morocco makes most of its wine for export and for travelers; the heat brings an early harvest, often in August, well ahead of Europe's.
A handful of estates — mostly around Meknès — run tasting rooms open to visitors, usually by advance reservation:
Wine tourism is legal and established; guided tours run mainly from Fez and Marrakech: