Italian wine in Tanzania - 08.02

The drive to Hombolo (north of Dodoma), our destination for the day, takes about one hour, which is why we had to leave at 7:30 a.m. that day. Well shaken, we finally arrived in Hombolo, where we wanted to have a look at a winery. We were accompanied by a local winemaker and Father Edmund, a Jesuit from Uganda (also from St. Peter Claver), also joined us.

The first stop was a large reservoir where traditional fishing takes place. We continued to the wine fields, where we were able to taste the grapes.

Finally, we arrived at the large winery.

The owner of the winery is of Italian origin and his wine even bears the title of “Presidential Wine”, which distinguishes it as one of the best wines in Tanzania. Approximately 800,000 - 1 million litres are produced there every year. The company does not have its own wine-growing areas, but rather buys the grapes from surrounding farmers who cultivate smaller fields and do not process their own wine. The finished wine is loaded into large trucks and transported to larger cities, mostly Dar es Salaam, where it is bottled. This wine is exported to China, among other countries. We were allowed to ask as many questions as we had and even taste a little.

On the way home, our teachers spontaneously decided to stop by the large mosque in Dodoma, which was sponsored by Gaddafi. Contrary to our expectations, it was actually possible for us to visit, but only if we behaved according to Muslim rules. It was extremely impressive to walk on the soft carpets. I think it is no exaggeration to say that we will all now have a differentiated view of Islam.

Afterwards, we went back to school to watch the house competitions again and cheer on our friends. After a few rounds of volleyball we returned to the Jesuit accommodation, ate, watched a film and finally went to sleep :)