The Best Wine & Food Tasting Tours in Morocco

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Why Visit Morocco?

Morocco is known globally as a leading cultural destination but much less so as a destination for a wine tasting holiday. Yet Morocco's wine story dates back many years and its vineyards produce a surprising amount of wine for a ‘dry’ country. Much of the production is consumed within the country and can be sampled by international guests staying in the country's many luxury riads (traditional Moroccan homes with a courtyard garden). Morocco’s geography stretching from the cooling Atlantic Ocean inland to warmer mountains including the Middle Atlas Mountains, make this is a truly diverse country for wine production. Morocco is a hidden gem when it comes to wine tourism and that is part of its appeal.

WINE TASTING HOLIDAYS IN MOROCCO
Morocco's main wine producing region, home to a variety of vineyards, is the Meknes region. The vineyards here are built around the stunning sunny slopes of the Middle Atlas Mountains. A wonderful option is to combine a foodie stay in nearby Fez (Morocco's second largest city) with a wine tasting tour to Meknes. Towards the cooler Atlantic Ocean in south west Morocco, close to the coastal town of Essaouira, is the Val d’Argan region. The Winerist team recommend combining time in the port town of Essaouira, with its gorgeous beach and cosmopolitan atmosphere, with a day trip exploring the land of the Argan.

FOOD TASTING EXPERIENCES IN MOROCCO
The tagine is probably the first Moroccan dish that springs to mind and whilst this is certainly a popular dish across the country, Morocco offers much more to the foodie traveller. Spices prevail in Moroccan cuisine from the rich golden yellow of turmeric to the deep red of the bell pepper. B’ssara is a widely served soup made of broad beans and served with olive oil and bread typically for breakfast; couscous traditionally rolled by hand will appear on almost every menu as an accompaniment to many dishes. To start or end a day, mint tea is a must and the social drink of choice across Morocco. The best way to understand Morocco’s rich food traditions is to embark on a foodie tour and cookery class.

OTHER REASONS TO VISIT MOROCCO
Morocco combines beach, history and culture like nowhere else in north Africa. Beach destinations in southern Morocco include the buzzy and popular Agadir but Winerist’s choice is the quieter, unspoilt and lesser known arty vibe found in Essaouira. Culture prevails across the country and Marrakech with its glamour attracts the highest number of visitors to stay in some of the world's finest hotels. The Atlas Mountains provide walking breaks and escapes from it all while destinations including Fez and Casablanca, two of the country’s largest cities, offer plenty for the tourist to explore. Speak to the Winerist team about creating a bespoke holiday in Morocco.

Plan Your Visit

Best Known Grapes

Red wines dominate in Morocco and many familiar grape varieties can be found across the vineyards including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. The Carignan grape is widely used along with Cinsaut. Increasingly popular is Vin Gris or Grey Wine, a light style of rosé and an alternative celebrated for its fresh fruit taste, which is made using red grapes. Morocco’s wine story dates back many years with starts and stops in production but is today embarking on an exciting journey in a country with a great geography and ideal climate for a variety of grape types.

Best time to visit

Morocco is a year-round destination and popular for winter sun when Europe and North America hit near zero temperatures. Autumn and Spring are glorious and perfect to explore the country before it gets hot. Summer can be extreme in places like Marrakech but just right on the coast with the sea breeze or inland by the Atlas Mountains. In short, Morocco is perfect throughout the year for visitors from across the world.

How long to stay

With so many cities and towns of interest, visitors could combine a longer stay to visit several destinations. This has become easier recently with both high speed rail and a large internal network of flights. The coach system is also very reliable, particularly the service linking Marrakech and Essaouira. Driving is also a joy outside of main cities with quieter motorways. Riads can also organise a driver and car for quicker transfers. With all this in mind, anything from a week to a month long break is totally doable entering via one city and departing from another.

How to get there

Morocco is very well served by a wide range of airlines. From Europe, several budget airlines serve less popular destinations. This means travellers from Belgium, France and the UK can land directly into Essaouira and be in their hotel around 30 minutes after landing. Fez is home to a new hub airport for two budget airlines with connections across all of Europe. Marrakech is also connected to most European capital cities and several internal flights operate from here to destinations including Fez in under an hour. Casablanca is the main intercontinental entry airport with flights to the USA, Canada and Brazil and a wide range of African destinations.

Morocco wine tasting tours and winery visits