Discovery of wine and vineyards in the Betsileo

Malagasy vineyards are mainly located in the High Matsiatra region around Fianarantsoa and Ambalavao. There they do enjoy ideal climate conditions. The French and Swiss were the first ever ones who planted the first vineyards there during the 19th century with varieties of white and red grapes with fruity flavor. A Chinese migrant named Chan Foul imitated them, and created one of the oldest wine cellars of the country.
The Lazan’i Betsileo’s fields regained its former glory having had to deal with multiple leadership changes. The Lazan’i Betsileo is famed for the offered variety of wines, red, white, gray, with different textures including soft and fluffy. Its aperitif wine is slowly finding its way into local habits.
The Clos Malaza is the second major manufacturer in the country. In Fianarantsoa , the Monastery of Maromby keeps on with the monks’ tradition of monks of turning wine out. The domain has its own personal vineyard. The monastery happens to be an essential step on the road of wine. A stopover there is often included by tour operators into their services, more especially a visit of the Soavita Cellar
Malagasy wine varietals actually happen to far more noble than those found in bottles imported from South Africa and abounding on the local market. Still, production capacity remains limited. A large wine company like Lazan’i Betsileo produced merely 800 tons of grapes per year, turned into 500,000 liters of wine. Manufacturing process strictly stick to traditions of trampling grapes.
Lazan’i Betsileo has been operating its commercial breakthrough over the latest fifteen years . In 2003, the company was awarded with the Golden Europe Award for Quality and the New Millenium Award in Paris . Its vineyards located 1200 m up in the hills, enjoys very sunny and so ideal humidity conditions that even interested Chinese investors are in for renting vineyard plots.
The wine industry in general is still facing difficulties of its own. The Malagasy wineries are blamed for arguably being out of diversity. The bottle is a recurring issue as well due to the lack of glassworks in the producing regions. At the least, the reality of recycling in the industry remains a significant ecologic asset.
An increasing number of geeks also complains about too quick degradation of certain products they bring back to France, most likely due to the lack of conservative components like sulfur dioxide. Necessary enhancements and corresponding legislations are expected to be entailed by the creation of a lab approved by the International Wine Office. The advantage granted by the local varieties’ high quality are not yet exploited to the full by a winemaking and bottling processes still found wanting. Anyway , the areas of Betsileo region remain worth the tour.