Major French wine producer will soon market Tunisian wine

TUNISIAONLINENEWS- According to the Tunisian business site “African Manager”, the number one French wine making group “Castel”, will soon commercialize Tunisian wine.

As of December 2009, the group will launch the commercialisation of its “Shadrapa Domain”, a high quality red wine produced in Testour , north of Tunisia, where the French company bought 234 hectares of vineyards in 2006. With an initial yield of some 15,000 hectolitres, Castel will commercialize Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Chardonnay and Tempranillo grape varieties and will produce a whole range of products which include “Phenicia- Coteaux de Medjerda” and “Shadrapa”.

The French oenologist, Olivier Spillebout from the “Mekness Cellars” also owned by Castel in Morocco, has been working for three years on the new products.

According to “AfricanManager” bottling will be carried out in Tunisia by the Tunisian Brewery company SFBT and the product will be exported and marketed in France through well established French distribution networks.

So far Tunisian wine was mostly exported in bulk to France and Italy.However Tunisian wine brands are increasingly being sold in the United States, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.