Madagascar is a large island (950 miles/1500km from north to south) off the south-east coast of Africa. Spanning 13 degrees of latitude, from 12 degrees to 25 degrees, it lies almost entirely within the southern tropics; the Tropic of Capricorn bisects the lower third of the island.
Given its location, one would be forgiven for assuming that Madagascar is not a wine-producing country, or is one that produces very little wine indeed. In truth, the island's time under the French (they invaded in 1883 and did not officially relinquish control until 1960), has left a surprisingly strong winemaking legacy. The island produces more than two million gallons of wine each vintage, most of which comes from vineyards located on the central plateau. This Hauts Plateaux region is both the country's rice bowl and its wine cup – surely one of very few places on earth to support these two crops side by side. Here, many thousands of hectares of rice paddies occupy the wetter spots in the valleys, while on the well-drained slopes above them vineyards contour themselves around the hillsides. The latter are planted mainly with hybrid vines that have been specifically selected for the tropical climate.
As the name Hauts Plateaux implies, this area has been lifted up over the millennia by various tectonic movements. Madagascar was once connected to India, as part of the Gondwana supercontinent, but began shifting to its current position around 135 million years ago. The island is now separated from the southern tip of India by 2375 miles (2822km), a distance crossed at its mid-point by the equator. The results of these geological upheavals are visible in both the topography and the geological characteristics of the region. The rusty-red laterite soils that characterize the landscape here are rich in iron, and have earned Madagascar its nickname: 'Red Island'. They bear a striking resemblance to their counterparts in the much drier environs of Australia, the world's other 'Red Island'.
The vineyards on the Madagascan Hauts Plateaux lie between altitudes of 1640ft and 4925ft (500m and 1500m). This elevation provides an escape from the topical heat of the lower-lying coastal areas, and creates greater climatic balance in the growing season, which in turn creates greater balance in the local wines. In hot, humid environments, grapes are highly prone to fungal diseases, and even if these are successfully fended off (typically with chemicals), the heat often causes the berries to reach high levels of potential alcohol before they achieve a good level of phenolic ripeness. It is for this reason that most of the island's vineyards are located at the cooler altitudes of the areas around the towns of Ambalavo (3300ft/1000m) and Fianarantso (3725ft/1135m).
Several hundred small holdings are to be found on the island, each home to just a few hectares of vines. As the global economics of wine production change, the inclination is towards larger vineyards and more efficient management, so the number of independent vignerons is decreasing each year in favor of larger companies with loftier ambitions. To date, very little wine is exported from Madagascar to Europe or the US, leaving rum as the island's key alcoholic export.
