North African wines have been attracting the attention of the wine industry. It is always looking for something new and a number of buyers and winemakers have been in the region sourcing interesting styles. One of the first off the blocks has been Sainsbury which is set to launch wines from Morocco and Tunisia at the end of this month. Buyers Rachel Hibbert and Jane Hughes have sourced four wines for a new Moroccan range. These come from the Castel business in the Meknes region. Hibbert said the wines they were making were miles from the local style. She chose a Cabernet and a Syrah for the multiple’s own label and Bakara Private Reserve Cabernet Merlot as an exclusive flagship wine. The two own labels retail at £3.99 and the Bakara at £4.99. In Tunisia the buyers went to the Calatrasi operation in Khanguet. This has the help of Australian winemaker Linda Domas and the Sainsbury team chose an exclusive parcel of Carignan from the 2000 vintage. Hibbert said: “A combination of substantial investment in infrastructure, modern winemaking techniques and microclimate make North Africa an area to watch. “The region can now offer the right wine style and value for money. “There is no doubt that the days of trying to export old fashioned local market wine styles are definitely on their way out.” North Africa is also being considered as a source of organic wines as many vineyards have never been introduced to modern high tech viticultural methods. {{DRINKS }}

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