Namibian wine is produced in small quantities by a few wineries.[1] Although the production ofwine is expanding inNamibia, thegrapes grown in the country are mostly destined for use astable grapes for export toEurope[2] rather than for wine. One of the challenges ofviticulture inNamibia is that the country is quite dry, which means thatirrigation is usually necessary. Unlike its southern neighbour,South Africa, it is also situated closer to the equator than the traditional (but now challenged) "30 to 50 degrees latitude" rule of thumb of areas suitable for wine production.
Local population such as the Northern Himba tribe maintain an ancestral production ofpalm wine, which they call 'Otusu'.[3]
The history of Namibian wine production began with the colonisation of Namibia byGermany in 1884. The first vineyards in Namibia were planted by GermanRoman Catholic priests at the end of the 19th century in the mountain valleys of the suburb of Klein Windhoek in the capital city,Windhoek. They produced awhite wine and a potentschnapps named "Katholischer".Production was halted in the late 1960s, when the last wine-making priest died and the vineyards made way for building classrooms for the church school, Saint-Paul's.[2]
Several developments have taken place following Namibia's independence in 1990. Plantations for table grapes took place alongOrange River in the southern part of the country.[2] Small scale winemaking was pioneered in 1990 by Helmuth Kluge in the town ofOmaruru. He grewColombard andRuby Cabernet in his plot called Kristall Kellerei,[4] which now concentrates on brandy and fruit wines. A nearby winery Erongo Mountain Winery produces a variety of wines from European-style grapes.
Then, Allen Walken-Davis established a vineyard withShiraz vines during the 1990s at his farm Neuras nearMaltahöhe, in the south of Namibia.
In 1997, Bertus Boshoff planted his first vines at his farm, Thonninggii, in the Otavi Mountains nearOtavi. He grows Shiraz,Viognier,Cabernet Sauvignon as well as small patches ofPinotage andMourvèdre.
In 2003, the families Schulz and Evrard bought a farm 2 km away from Dr. Boshoff, and they planted Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier,Mourvèdre,Tempranillo andChardonnay in 2004.
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