Driving through Namibia's vineyards

I spent an hour or two posting and sorting out photos before the others got back from their canoeing trip. The sun did appear briefly, so we were able to get some shots of this beautiful site. We then took down our partially dry tents and packed away before lunch. Henry cooked us chicken drumsticks, spicy rice, and salad – all very good.

After lunch, we were back on the truck for our drive to our next stop at Fish River Canyon. As we drove further into Namibia, the landscape became even drier, although we did pass miles of vineyards. This is a recent development in Namibia. The Namibian wine industry is still in its infancy, with wine being produced in small quantities by just a few wineries. Most of the grapes grown in Namibia are destined for use as table grapes for export to Europe rather than for wine. One of the challenges of viticulture in Namibia is that the country is quite dry, which means that irrigation is usually necessary. It is also situated closer to the equator than its neighbour, South Africa, so it is outside of the traditional (but now challenged) ’20 to 50 degrees latitude’ rule of thumb for areas suitable for wine production.

Having said this, Namibia does have a long history of wine production, beginning when the country was colonised by Germany in 1884. The first vineyards were planted by German Roman Catholic priests in mountain valleys near the capital, Windhoek. They produced a white wine and a potent schnapps called ‘Katholischer’. Production stopped in the late 1960s when the last wine-making priest died and classrooms were built where the vineyards had been.

Since Namibia’s independence in 1990, several small-scale winemaking businesses have developed along the orange River. We saw the accommodation where vineyard workers are housed. These are basic huts made of wooden canes and corrugated metal. They are small and have no running water. Ablution blocks are shared.Read more