Wine consumption in Muslim Morocco

We have touched on wine consumption in Muslim countries in this month's Wine Focus. I have found this interesting article in Decanter which shows that Morocco seems largely to ignore Muslim teaching on alcoholic drink and even local law forbidding it. To avoid deepening thread drift in the WF, I am posting the link in this separate thread http://www.decanter.com/people-and-plac ... nd-muslims .

I also give a link to an article in French which gives some statistics for alcohol consumption which are impressive for a country of 32 million inhabitants, particularly beer http://www.adressemaroc.com/2009/08/ven ... maroc.html . This article also highlights the contradiction between official encouragement of production and promotion and the legal banning of consumption.

Re wine quality, i am very impressed by the Syrah which Alain Graillot is making there. Bernard Magrez is also producing in Morocco but I will not be rushing out to look for these wines due to my reservations about the "prestige" style and prices of his wines from France.

[David M. Bueker]

So my French is a little rusty since I have not been traveling. The second article is quite a doozy if I read/scan it right. The idea of officially saying "yes, make the stuff, but please don't drink it" made me want to laugh out loud. But then I would have had to explain to my office mates that I was laughing about Morocco's stance on alcohol production and consumption which would have led to lots of blank stares and shaking heads.

Seems they like Champagne and vodka too! Wonder if they mix it.

The second article is quite a doozy if I read/scan it right. The idea of officially saying "yes, make the stuff, but please don't drink it" made me want to laugh out loud.

Just so. They even allow advertising in the French language press but don't ("en principe")allow people to drink it .

Don't ask don't tell!