Winemaker confident of rivaling SA producers

Dodoma. A winemaker is planning to involve more grape growers to increase production.

Central Tanzania Wine Company (Cetawico) managing director Fiorenzo Chesini told The Citizen that due to increasing demand for wines globally it was important to increase output.

“We have contracts with at least 700 grape farmers to buy more produce and expand production. But the grapes must as well be of high quality to enable us to make wines of international standards,” he said.

He is unhappy that a lot of grapes produced locally are of poor quality. “Most farmers don’t harvest grapes at right times.

As a result, the sugar content is not the one required for making best wines.”

However, he said the company would continue educating farmers on produce quality.

The company’s winemaker and quality controller, Mr Eric Schlunz, said the firm was so far doing well and in the coming few years it would be able to compete with best South African alcoholic drink producers.

Cetawico was inaugurated on June 26, 2005 by the then President Benjamin Mkapa.

It has kept on expanding. “We are now among the leading taxpayers in the region as we pay at least Sh100 million every month,” Mr Schlunz said.