Schiller's Favorite Wines of Madagascar

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiler with Malagasy Wines

It is not well known in the rest of the world that Madagascar produces wine. Typically, it tends to be of good table wine quality, not more. The main grape varieties are traditionally Petit Bouchet, Villardin, Chambourcin and Varousset for vins rouge (reds) and the Couderc Blanc for vins blanc (whites). Little known in the world of fine wine, these so-called French-American hybrid grape varieties have the advantage of being robust, but do not match the Vitis vinifera varieties – like Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir – for elegance and refinement. Vitis vinifera varieties dominate worldwide wine consumption, but there is increasing interest in French-American hybrids in the 'green' movement.

Currently seven producers in Madagascar make wine with French-American hybrid grapes. Each winemaker produces one or more brands, each of which typically comes as vin rouge, vin gris (white wine made from red grapes), vin rosé and vin blanc. In addition, you find vin blanc moelleux, a white wine with noticeable remaining sweetness. All these wines are non-vintage (NV) wines.

Here are my favorites.

Antsirabe Viticulteur-Encaveur Chan Fao Tong, a first-wave Chinese winemaker, currently produces Madagascar's best (and most expensive) wine from hybrid grapes: NV Grand Cru d'Antsirabe. It comes as Rouge Alicante (medium bodied), Rouge Seyve Villard (earthy), Rose Viala (good summer wine), Gris de Gris (goes well with Malagasy food) and Blanc Couderc (medium bodied, dry).

Another interesting wine producer is Lazan'i Betsilio, a large co-operative created in Fianarantsoa in 1971. Supported by Swiss development aid, they used to make the best wine of the country. Quality has suffered since that funding project was terminated, but they are now trying hard to get back on track, with some success. Lazan'i Betsilio offers one wine, NV Haute Matsiatra, which comes as Rouge (medium bodied), Rouge Primeur (lighter), Gris (my favorite Malagasy food wine), Blanc (dry, fruity) and Blanc Moelleux (medium sweet white).

In a new development, there is now one winery that is radically different from the others. Owned and run by Pâquerette and Jean Allimant, Clos Nomena exclusively uses noble Vitis vinifera grapes. From 2001, they set up a five-year experimental vineyard in Ambalavao and the four grape varieties that showed the most promising results were selected to be grown commercially. With the first wines released in 2011, Clos Nomena's portfolio now includes a Blanc Sec (dry, fruity, crisp), a Rose (great aperitif wine), and a Rouge (medium bodied, elegant, lingering finish). They are available in Tana's top restaurants and some special shops but at considerably higher prices than traditional Malagasy wines.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Jean Allimant with Marie Nomena Allimant and their Clos Nomena Wines in Antananarivo

This posting is a revised version of a box which I contributed to the 11th edition of the Bradt Travel Guide “Madagascar”. The 11th edition of the Bradt Travel Guide “Madagascar” (first published in 1988) was published in July 2014. For the first time, the Bradt Travel Guide “Madagascar” contains a box entitled “Choosing Malagasy Wine”, which I was asked to draft by Daniel Austin and Hilary Brandt, the authors of the 11th edition. The box is based on an earlier posting on schiller-wine: The Wines of Madagascar.

Schiller’ Favorites

This posting is part of the Schiller’s favorites series.

Europe

Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, 2013, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

France

Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France 
Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, 2012 France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City) (2012), France

UK, Spain, Austria, Hungary

Schiller's Favorite Winebars in London, UK
Schiller’s Favorite Tapas Bars in Logroño in La Rioja, Spain
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, 2012, UK
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary
Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)

USA

Schiller's Favorite Oyster Bars and Seafood Places in Seattle, USA  
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, 2012, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California

Asia

Schiller s Favorite Winebars in Beijing, 2014, China

Africa

Schiller's Favorite Wines of Madagascar
Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Madagascar)

Choosing Malagasy Wine, in: Bradt Travel Guide Madagascar (Author: Christian G.E. Schiller)

Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

A Comprehensive Guide - in Alphabetical Order - to the Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

A Comprehensive Guide – Ordered by the Number of Stars - to the Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

The Wines of Madagascar

Wining and Dining in Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar – Christian G.E. Schiller’s Private List of Restaurants in Antananarivo

The Wines of Madagascar - Good and Interesting Table Wines

Christian G.E.Schiller’s Private List of Restaurants in Antananarivo That Serve Malagasy Wine

Clos Nomena: Taking the Wine of Madagascar to New Heights

Fine Wine and Fine Oysters in Madagascar: Oysters from Fort Dauphin and Wine from Clos Nomena

Restaurant and Hotel AKOA – An Oasis of Tranquility in the Buzzing Third World City Antananarivo in Madagascar

Tsiky – Charming Restaurant in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Serving Good Food and Malagasy Wines

Sea, Sand, Soul and Sakafo, and Whales and Wine – At Princesse Bora Lodge on Ile Sainte Marie in the Indian Ocean

Foie Gras and Lazan’i Betsileo at Restaurant Villa Vanille in Antananarivo, Madagascar

Foie Gras in Madagascar