Meknes Wine Tasting — Morocco's Historic Wine Region

Few travellers realise Morocco has a serious wine industry, and almost all of it is centred on Meknes. The Saïss plain and the slopes below the Zerhoun massif, near the Roman city of Volubilis, enjoy a climate — hot days, cool nights, altitude — well suited to the vine, and Romans were pressing wine here two thousand years ago. Today the region produces the great majority of Morocco's wine.

A wine tasting here takes you to an estate among the vineyards to taste the range Morocco is known for: robust reds from Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet and Cinsault; crisp whites; and the country's signature vin gris — a pale, dry rosé-style "grey" wine that pairs beautifully with spiced Moroccan food. A guide or the estate host explains the grapes, the terroir and the character of Moroccan wine.

The experience is also a cultural one. You learn how a wine industry operates in a Muslim-majority country — its French-colonial roots, its export markets, and the way it coexists with local custom — and how Moroccan wine is matched to the national cuisine, from tagine to grilled meats. The vineyard setting, with Volubilis and the olive-covered hills nearby, is lovely.

It is a distinctive half-day for wine lovers and the simply curious, offering a side of Morocco rarely seen. Tastings are conducted responsibly and are for over-eighteens; the experience pairs well with a visit to Volubilis or an olive-grove tour, making a full cultural day around Meknes.