Wine and Ethiopia’s Muslims

Where the hills of Addis Ababa begin their climb upward towards towering pines, sits the Awash Winery complex. Yes, I too was surprised that Ethiopia had a winery. But then if every one of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, can support one, why not an entire country. We got a pass from the under-worked, overly-important guard.

Rezene Hailu, the smooth-faced general manager, invited us to sit down in his spacious windowed corner office.
“Yes, we get two crops every year,” he explained. “We export 5% of our wine to the United States, Sweden and Djibouti.”
“Djibouti?”
“Djibouti has a large US and European military presence.” The Awash Winery sells at a favorable price point.
The remaining 95% of his product is consumed locally.
“What happens if the Muslims take over Ethiopia?” I jested, knowing that the country has a Christian history dating back to the earliest followers and the Ethiopian army had just chased out the Islamist fundamentalists in Somalia.
“Our Muslims aren’t so fanatical,” he replied with a business eye towards keeping the companies 15% per year growth into the future.

I know what you mean. My first interpreter in Senegal claimed to a serious Muslim. But when the Bedik tribal men started drinking freshly fermented palm wine, my interpreter was at the front of the line to try it. Later, when we reached his home in Casamance, he searched for days for some local who made palm wine.