by Sophie Kevany

Earlier this month Castel, France’s largest wine producer, become the first French company to start large scale vineyard plantations in Ethiopia, investing about $9m (€5.7m) in the Castel Wynerie Private Limited Company, 200 kilometres south of the capital, Addis Ababa. “We started planting on May 10th and all the 125 hectares should all be done before September,” said Castel’s communications director, Franck Crouzet.

The aim, said Crouzet, is to start supplying both local and East African markets - including Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda - with wines of international quality and style.

Wine is already produced in Ethiopia, but it is not European-style wine, and is generally sweeter. Crouzet says however, consumption, in a country of more than 70m people, can only develop.

The vines being planted by Castel are 40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 10% Chardonnay.

The company says it is building on the experience already gained producing wines in North Africa, particularly Morocco and Tunisia, and the project will be managed by its Moroccan wine team.

Castel’s investment breaks down into about $4.2m in the first phase, for irrigation and planting, and about the same again for building vinification and bottling facilities over the next two years.

Castel’s first Ethiopian vintage is expected to be in 2011, said Crouzet.

The 125 hectares of land was formerly used as a fruit farm by the Ethiopian government, and the project is a joint venture between Castel and the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi.

Castel is already the leading beer maker in Ethiopia, producing 135,000 hectolitres and supplying 60% of the local market.