DUNE’s unique history dates back to the 1920’s with founder Brahim Zniber. Having strong connections to Morocco’s fight for independence, Brahim realized that Morocco’s rich history of winemaking was in jeopardy of being lost when that independence finally arrived. Knowing such, he took it upon himself to take charge of the abandoned vineyards the French left behind, helping to not only re-establish Morocco’s forgotten wine industry, but completely re-ignite it, taking it to heights not seen since
the days of Antiquity over 3,000 years ago.
In the process, Brahim brought about a much-welcomed renaissance of Moroccan winemaking that is just now starting to gain its well-deserved recognition throughout the industry.
Today Morocco has the unique distinction of being the only AOG certified and Chateau label region outside of France, and DUNE wine has taken the lead in representing that distinction through it’s impressive offering of award-winning, high quality wines that have come to epitomize the taste and spirit of Morocco.
Enchanting, exotic, mysterious, and let’s not forget spicy. These are the words that come to mind when speaking of Morocco.
A mix of both Arabic and Berber ethnicities weaved in with strong French and Spanish influences, the North African country is widely known for its warm hospitality and friendly, adventurous nature. But what most people don’t know is that the country also has a rich history of winemaking going all the way back to the Age of Antiquity almost 3,000 years ago.
Morocco is the largest producer of wine in the Arab world, producing a staggering
bottles of high-quality, award-winning wines a year. And DUNE is proud to be one of the leading wineries among them.
Morocco’s unique Mediterranean location—on the Northwestern edge of Africa just 9 miles from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar—is the only point where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. It’s this unique location and climate that provides the country with some of the best natural winemaking potential in the world. Something French wine growers discovered for themselves over 100 years ago.
At the end of the 19th century, when most of Europe’s vineyards were damaged by phylloxera (a vine-killing insect pest), French growers began immigrating to Morocco, bringing their extensive winemaking knowledge and expertise to the country. In the process, they uncovered Morocco’s unique soil diversity and temperate climate, which combined made for an ideal location for grape growing and maturation.
Unfortunately, many of the wines produced during this time went unnoticed. That is, until around 1990, when French winemakers were invited to the country to help revive the kingdom’s famous, ancient winemaking industry.
Healthy, sustainable living is the future, and while that future is often difficult to achieve in certain parts of the world, we’re proud to be rapidly moving towards it. Just this past year, DUNE received an official organic certification for over 740 acres of our Moroccon vineyards and wineries. And we’re not stopping there. We’re diligently at work ensuring all of our wines, vineyards, and facilities meet the highest standards of production. If you’d like to learn more about our efforts, please feel free to email us at hello@dunewines.com.
DUNE prides itself on being committed to equality for all. A commitment that started back in the early 1970s, when founder Brahim Zniber was instrumental in establishing the very first minimum wage laws for agricultural workers in Morocco. Since then, DUNE has continued to push for equal rights and pay for all agricultural workers throughout Morocco and beyond, no matter their personal or religious beliefs or affiliation.
