French wine producers open vineyards in Ethiopia

(2 Mar 2008) SHOTLIST
AP Television
Ethiopia, recent
1. Various Zeway Grape Farm and workers
2. Various St George Brewery (belonging to Castel) in Addis Ababa
3. Various Zeway State Wine Farm and workers
4. Various Fitsum Birhan, General Manager of Zeway Farm
5. SOUNDBITE: (Amharic) Fitsum Birhan, General Manager of Zeway Farm:
“Ethiopia’s climatic conditions, the soil, the weather – they’re all very favourable for growing grape vines. The country’s just ideal because here we can harvest the grapes twice a year – that means two crops from one plot.”
6. Various Awash Winery, exterior and interior
7. Various Zerihun Bedasso, Production and Technical Manager, Awash Wine Share Company
8. SOUNDBITE: (Amharic) Zerihun Bedasso, Production and Technical Manager, Awash Wine Share Company:
“The Ethiopian wine industry has been growing over the last seven years at a rate of 5-7% per annum – due to demand both locally and abroad. The quality of the grapes and their distinctiveness contributes to this growth and that’s why the industry has to expand.”
9. Various Tadesse Haile, Ethiopian State Minister for Trade and Industry
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Tadesse Haile, Ethiopian State Minister for Trade and Industry:
“We have the potential for the production of grapes in the country and based on that BGI, or Castel group, (is now) has shown its interest and we’re extremely happy and we have gone out of our way to support this investment.”
11. Exterior of Addis Ababa Restaurant and inside various shots of people drinking tej-wine
LEAD IN:
A glass of wine is probably one of the last things most of us would associate with Ethiopia.
But there’s enormous potential in this poor African nation to produce wine where, uniquely, farmers can harvest vines twice a year.
Until now would-be wine producers in Ethiopia have been held back due to lack of knowledge.
But that could be about to change with the news that one of the world’s largest wine producers is taking over one of the country’s state-run grape farms.
STORYLINE:
It’s perhaps surprising to learn that Ethiopia’s wine industry reportedly dates back to the mid 16th century when Portuguese and Italian missionaries arrived in the country and used grapes for the ceremony of Holy Communion at church.
There’s been little progression in wine-making since then and Ethiopia’s wine-trade pales in comparison to other countries on the continent – like South Africa.
That’s despite Ethiopia having a near-perfect climate for grape-growing – plenty of sunshine and rain.
But the nation’s wine industry is about to get a much needed boost. “Castel”, France’s largest wine producer, and the third biggest producer and trader in the world, is about to develop its own wine business in Ethiopia.
Castel subsidiary ‘BGI’ already brews three types of beer in Ethiopia (‘Castel’, ‘St George’ and ‘Bati’) and following talks with the Ethiopian Prime Minister last year the company has decided to make a move into the wine industry.
After almost a year of negotiations, the Ethiopian government has given Castel 500 hectares of rent-free land south of the capital Addis Ababa. The company plans to plant French vines this year and in three years time will produce its first bottle.
According to Castel, the success of the beer industry in the country led to the company’s plans to invest in the wine industry there too.
Castel will take over this state owned farm in the town of Zeway, 170 kilometres from the capital.
The farm, one of just two state-owned, was established in 1980 and produces 250 tonnes of grapes per year.

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systems
yes
foreign
foreign
we have the potential for the production
of crepes in the country
and
based on that
bgi or the castel
group is now has shown its interest
and we are extremely happy
and we have gone
out of our way
to support this investment
um
it is fantastic
really