Tanzanian wine

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Tanzania’s wine comes mainly from the Dodoma Region, and it is the second-largest wine producer in Sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa. The wine industry here is relatively young, with most production concentrated around Dodoma.

Grapes and styles
- The Dodoma region grows Chenin Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Makutupora, a local dry red grape named after a Dodoma district.
- Makutupora is grown in dry, sandy soil with low humidity and has two harvest seasons each year: March and August/September.

How it started and grew
- 1938: Catholic missionaries introduced vines near Kondoa in the Dodoma area for domestic wine and religious use.
- 1957: Passionist Father Irioneo Maggioni started a small commercial vineyard with three seedlings.
- 1961: After independence, the government invested in a four-acre grape farm at Dodoma Isanga Prison; within three years, farming expanded to five nearby villages around the prison.
- 1963: The Makutupora national service camp joined in, growing grapes and helping create a new grape-growing center.
- 1969: The prison built a winery and became the main purchaser of grapes for wine.
- 1979: The government created the Dodoma Wine Company to buy grapes from farmers and support best practices, and they set up the Makutupora Grapevine Research Centre.
- Early 1990s: International interest grew, especially from South Africa.

Industry players and growth
- 1999: Distell Group Limited of South Africa bought a stake in Tanzania Distilleries Limited and acquired the Dodoma Wine Company and its brand, bringing investment and farming know-how.
- The Dodoma Wine Company became the leading wine producer in the country, with its flagship Dodoma Wine.
- The 2000s also saw the creation of the Central Tanzania Wine Company (established in 2002 by an Italian engineer), which today ranks among the top three producers in Tanzania.
- Exports grew dramatically from 1998 to 2013, rising from 176 kg to 151,221 kg (about 900 times).

Current note
- Makutupora remains a key local grape, thriving in dry soils, with two annual harvests.