Namibian wines

The history of Namibian wine began with the colonisation of Namibia by Germany in 1884.

The first vineyards in Namibia were planted by German Roman Catholic priests at the end of the 19th century in the mountain valleys of the suburb of Klein Windhoek in the capital city, Windhoek. They produced a white wine and a potent schnapps, accurately named "Katholischer". [http://www.namibian.com.na/2005/July/marketplace/05C4FE10D5.html]

Production was halted in the late 1960s, when the last wine-making priest died and the vineyards made way for building classrooms for the church school, Saint-Paul's.

Small scale winemaking was then pioneered in 1990 by Helmuth Kluge in the town of Omaruru. He grows Colombard and Ruby Cabernet in his plot called Krystall Kellerei.

Then, Allen Walken-Davis established a vineyard with Shiraz vines during the 1990s at his farm Neuras near Maltahoehe, in the south of Namibia.

In 1997, Bertus Boshoff planted his first vines at his farm in the Otavi Mountains near Otavi. He grows Shiraz, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon as well as small patches of Pinotage and Mourvèdre.

In 2003, the families Schulz and Evrard bought a farm 2 km away from Dr. Boshoff, and they planted Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo and Chardonnay in 2004.