To be honest, prior to planning a trip to Morocco, I figured it was going to be mostly a “dry” trip. I prepared myself to be sober for a few weeks. Yikes! I naively thought that the North African country seriously frowned upon all drinking. Well, all things except Moroccan Whiskey aka Mint Tea. Ya’ll I was so wrong. Everywhere we went (except La Sqala), I was able to get a cocktail or a glass of wine. My first taste of wine in Morocco was actually a French Sancerre in Casablanca during our lunch by the Atlantic Ocean. As my friends say, wow that’s a humble brag! HA!!

Did you know that they grow grapes and actually make wine in Morocco? Yup! There are 5 wine regions: The East, Meknes/Fes, The Northern Plain, Rabat/Casablanca and El-Jadida. The top grapes are Carignan, Grenache, Cinsault and Muscat. After Algeria, Morocco is the second largest Arab producer of wine. It’s really hard to get wine from Morocco in the US due to import issues. But Morocco and France drink it all. So if you were worried, don’t be!

I was really excited when our bus pulled up to Chateau Roslane. Not only is it the first North African Chateau but this beautiful property also has a Boutique Hotel and Spa. Hammam anyone? The winemaking facilities located on the property is called Celliers de Meknes. Celliers de Meknes is located in the Meknes/Fes Region and is an Appellation d’Origine Garantie (AOG). Moroccan wine is heavily influenced by the French due to French colonization from 1912-1956. This particular winery receives 80% of its vines/grapes from France and the rest from Spain, Australia and Chile. It produces 9 million bottles per year. Again, mostly consumed by Morocco and France.

After our tour of the wine facilities, we were led to an elegant room with big comfy couches to finally taste wine. Our guide first poured Guerrouane Blanc made with Sauvignon Blanc, Ugni Blanc and Clairette. From what I remember it was crisp, bright and would be easy sipping on a hot day. The second pour was Guerrouane Rose made with Cinsault and Grenache. Of course Rose is ALWAYS a crowd favorite, it was bright and juicy. Our final sip was Guerrouane Rouge made with a blend of Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault and Alicante. The Rouge was definitely made to be paired with food. I really enjoyed it!

As if the day couldn’t get any better, we were escorted through the hotel to have lunch outside near the pool and vineyards. Even though it was a hot day, there was a delicious breeze blowing. With our yummy 3-course lunch, I decided to switch up and order Bubbles. I made an excellent choice! They were made in the Method Traditionnelle de Champagne and went perfectly with the quinoa, duck and chocolate dessert.

The only unfortunate part of this great day, I wanted to purchase the bubbles but they were all sold out. Matter of fact, they were sold out of a lot of their wine. That was truly disappointing. But once we made it to Marrakech, I was able to find most of their wine at the grocery store. So, I wrapped my bubbles around some pants and gently nestled it in my suitcase between clothes.

I am happy to say my Moroccan Bubbles made it safely. I now wish I purchased two bottles. Oh well, that means I have to go back to Morocco soon!