Best Wines In Kenya and Their Prices
We all love wines, however, there are so many types of wines in Kenya which leads to our topic today; which are the best wines in Kenya and their prices? Wines are among the popular alcoholic drinks in Nairobi because wine prices in Kenya cut across the financial capabilities of different people. Wines are also made in different styles and from different types of grapes hence they have everyone covered in terms of taste and preferences. Unlike cognacs and champagnes that are only produced in France, other types of wines can be produced from any part of the world. This leads to so many wine brands in Kenya hence a confusion on how to choose a good wine according to a particular occasion. In this article, we try to explore the best wines in Kenya and their prices.
Which is the best wine in Kenya?
This is a very hard question to answer because it all depends on someone’s taste, preferences and the occasion. It is not strange to see someone prefer a particular wine brand on a particular occasion and also find the same person preferring a different wine brand in another different occasion. Different types of wines are meant for different occasions as shown below;
- Red wines – these wines are made from dark grapes. They are divided into red sweet wine brands in Kenya and red dry wine brands in Kenya. Red wines have a high concentration of tannins and in most cases a higher alcohol concentration hence they feel heavier on the palate than the white wines. These wines are mostly used to pair with meals or during romantic dates.
- White wines – these wines are made from white grapes, however, they can also be made from dark grapes if the skin is removed before crushing and fermentation. White wines are divided into white sweet wines in Kenya and white dry wines in Kenya. Both types of white wines have low alcohol concentration and feel lighter on the palate when sipped in comparison with the red wines. Though they pair well with light meals, white wines are primarily meant for refreshments.
- Rose wines – these wines are made from the same dark grapes that make the red wines hence they share most of the characteristics with red wines. However, to acquire their pinkish colour which makes them popular, the skin the dark grapes is removed after crushing before fermentation. Removing the skin before fermentation causes the rose wines to have a lower concentration of tannins than red wines. These wines could either be sweet rose wines or dry rose wines although most of them are sweet wines. Rose wines are great for romantic dates, camping and nature walk.
- Sparkling wines – these are bubbly wines that are made from double fermentation processes. The second fermentation process is meant to introduce carbon in the wine which makes it fizz and pop when shaken during a celebration. There are three methods of making sparkling wines; traditional method, bulk chamat and bottle transfer method. Sparkling wines are meant for celebrations though they can be enjoyed even on normal times due to their sweet feel when the bubbles burst on the tongue.
- Champagnes – there is a confusion between sparkling wines and champagnes. All champagnes are sparkling wines but not all sparkling wines are champagnes. The production of champagnes is very strict because they must be produced in the Champagne region in France through the traditional method and the grapes utilized are only Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Champagnes are used for celebrations because they making events memorable.
- Fortified wines – these are wines that have a small quantity of spirit, mostly brandy, added to them to enhance their alcohol concentration and their flavours. They are sometimes aged for some years to let the spirit marry well with the wine. The two popularly known fortified wines in Kenya are port wines and vermouth wines. These wines can be paired with food though they are better enjoyed alone as strong wines or used in the preparation of cocktails.
- Port wines – these are fortified wines from Portugal that are known for their great taste and flavours. Unlike other fortified wines that are used in cocktails, port wines are mostly enjoyed alone. Most of the port wines are aged or produced as vintages making them special reserve.
- Vermouth wines – these are fortified wines that are produced in Italy and are known for the preparation of cocktails though they may be enjoyed alone.
- Non-alcoholic wines – people always confuse grape juice with non-alcoholic wines. In the real sense, these are two different products. Grape juices are produced by pressing fresh grapes while non-alcoholic wines are produced like other types of wines only that they have alcohol content removed at the last process. They undergo crushing, fermentation and ageing but the alcohol content is removed before bottling.
Which are the best wines in Kenya for a romantic dinner?
Love is attributed to the red colour, therefore, red wine types are the best in case you are planning to gift that special person in your life or take them out for a special dinner. The following are the wines that will spice your love.
Wines in Kenya: 15 wines for a romantic dinner.
- Lamothe Parrot 750ml @ Ksh 2,000
- Pierre Marcel 750ml @ Ksh 2,000
- Asconi Kiss Me Now 750ml @ Ksh 1,800
- Asconi Kagor Lux 750ml @ Ksh 1,800
- Asconi Pastoral 750ml @ Ksh 1,800
- Ama La Vida 750ml @ Ksh 1,800
- Versus Red Sweet 750ml @ Ksh 1,800
- Tilia Malbec 750ml @ Ksh 2,300
- Rosso Nobile Cioccolata 750ml @ Ksh 2,000
- Luis Monfort Red 750ml @ Ksh 1,800
- Luis Monfort Summer Red 750ml @ Ksh 1,800
- Bird & Bees Sweet Malbec 750ml @ Ksh 1,800
- Robertson Winery 1.5 litres @ Ksh 2,000
- Four Cousins Strawberry Cream 750ml @ Ksh 2,500
- Carlo Rossi Red Sweet 750ml @ 1,500
Which are the best sweet red wine in Kenya?
Red wines are among the most popular wines in Kenya. This is due to their compatibility with so many types of food and their red colour which is associated with love. There are several categorizations of red wines as follows;
- Red wine blends and red wine varietals
- red sweet wines and red dry wines
- light-bodied wines, medium-bodied wines and full-bodied wines
When it comes to the classification of wine according to its sweetness, you will get some categories like red sweet wines, red medium-sweet wines or red dry wines. This sweetness is not only affected by the sugars in the wine but also the levels of alcohol, the amount of tannins in the wine and the acidity of the wine. There are three ways of ensuring the wine is sweet;
- adding sucrose sugars or table sugar to the wine
- stopping the fermentation process before the yeast converts all the sugars to alcohol
- adding concentrated grape juice after fermentation.
On the other hand, the wine body is determined by the alcohol content of the wine and the grape variety. The fullness of the wine is determined by how you feel it in the mouth when you sip it. The mouthfeel of wine is directly affected by the alcohol concentration which increases the viscosity of the wine. The higher the viscosity, the weightier the wine feels. Full-bodied wines are powerful and big in comparison with light bodied wines that are lean and delicate. When it comes to grapes, some grapes are known to produce full-bodied wines while others are known to produce light bodied wines. However, grapes that are grown in warm regions tend to be riper which results in more sugars hence more alcohol. The following is the categorization of wine in terms of the body depending on their alcohol concentration.
- Full-bodied wines: wines with an alcohol concentration of above 13.5%
- Medium-bodied wines: wines with an alcohol concentration between 12.5 % and 13.5%
- Light-bodied wines: wines with an alcohol concentration below 12.5%
Red wine blends and red wine varietal are brought by the types of grapes used in the production of the wine. Some grapes are superior while others are inferior. Varietal wines are those wines that are made from one or two superior grapes which are even indicated on the bottle. Wine blends are those wines that are made from a combination of several inferior grapes in order to improve the taste and enhance the flavours of the wine. Most of the South African wines in Kenya are wine blends.
Which are the most popular red wines in Kenya?
Wine blends have been the most popular wines in Kenya, however, of late there have been increased demand for the varietal wines. The following are the popular red varietal wines in Kenya.
Red Wine Types In Kenya
In most cases, varietal wines are more expensive than wine blends. This is because most of these grapes are hard to grow and they sometimes cost a lot of money to grow them up to maturity. However, two different wines made the same grape but from different countries will taste different due to climatic conditions of that particular area, soil conditions and the altitude levels of the area. Another factor that determines the quality of a wine is the experience and skills of the producing company.
Which are the most popular white wines in Kenya?
White wines are known for refreshment and pairing with light meals. It is common for people who are trying wines for the first time to start with white wines because of their light mouthfeel, low alcohol percentage and low concentration of tannins in comparison with red wines. White wines are better enjoyed while chilled. The following are the most popular white wines in Kenya.
White Wines In Kenya
White grapes are very popular when it comes to the production of champagnes. This because champagnes utilise three superior white grapes; Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Meunier.
Why are some wines so expensive?
This is a common question mostly when it comes to a wine novice. Wine prices in Kenya will largely depend on the country where the wine is produced, the production method and the grapes used in production. There are other wines like vermouth wines and port wines that undergoes fortification and ageing making them more expensive than the other wines. Suppose we take champagne wines as our case study.
Why are champagnes expensive?
- The method used to produce champagne is tedious, time-consuming and requires an expert.
- The grapes used to produce champagnes are three expensive superior grapes; Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
- Some champagnes are aged for about 10 years or more making the whole process of producing champagne time-consuming.
- Champagnes have finer mousse than other sparkling wines which means they are of better quality
The above factors answer the question; which are the most expensive wines in Kenya? Champagnes have always been related to kings and queens. Actually, there is a saying that goes, “champagne; in victory, you deserve it. In defeat, you need it”.
Are expensive wines better?
Expensive wines are better than cheap wines, however, the quality of a wine is not directly related to the price of the wine. Some wines are just expensive due to the marketing strategy of making them look premium. At the same time, some grapes are expensive to grow resulting in the wines made from them also expensive. The quality of a wine is directly related to the quality of the grape but not directly related to the cost of grapes.
Can cheap wine make you sick?
Yes, a cheap wine will give you the worst hangover you have ever experienced. The fact that those wines are cheap means their quality is low. Therefore, the main issue here is not the price but the quality of the wine. High-quality wines are smooth and will never give you hangover at any time.
Can you get sick from a bad bottle of wine?
There are a few things I would like to make straight; there is no bad bottle of wine and only cheap wines will give you hangover but nothing more. Regardless of the number of years a bottle of wine has been aged, it will never get bad. Some wines like red wines get better with age. White wines turn to vinegar when stored for too long, however, they are just unpleasant to drinks and losses their quality but they not harmful to our body.
Conclusion
It is difficult to talk about the the best wines in Kenya and their prices because there are so many types of wines in Kenya and at the same time, taste and preferences differ with different people. However, we can rejoice at the fact that you can dial a wine delivery Nairobi from the comfort of your house and have it delivered directly to your house or office at the most discounted wine prices in Kenya. I don’t want be biased but I would recommend everyone to buy wine online from Nairobi Drinks to enjoy huge varieties, free drinks delivery Kenya and the fastest alcohol delivery services in the city.
