Discover African Wine in Los Angeles

Ndubs is the easygoing range from Aslina Wines, the label of Ntsiki Biyela. She grew up in rural KwaZulu-Natal and won a scholarship to study winemaking at Stellenbosch University. She became South Africa's first Black woman winemaker and named Aslina after her late grandmother.

Kumusha means “your home, your origin, your roots” in Shona, the language of Zimbabwe. Founder Tinashe Nyamudoka moved from Harare to Cape Town in 2008. He rose from polishing cutlery in a restaurant to award-winning sommelier before starting his own label.

Terre Blanche is one of the two cornerstone wines of La Ferme Rouge, an estate in Morocco's Zaër region about 45 km from the Atlantic. The estate was laid out in 1908 and made its first vintage in 1933. Bordeaux winemaker Jacques Poulain helped relaunch it in 2009.

Ferme Blanc comes from Morocco's Zaër region, where steady breezes off the Atlantic temper the heat. It blends Sauvignon Blanc with Vermentino, a Mediterranean grape at home in warm coastal vineyards.

This pét-nat is made the ancestral way, the oldest method for making sparkling wine. It is bottled while still fermenting, so the bubbles come from the wine itself. The grapes grow in Los Alamos, in California's Santa Barbara County.

Palm wine is one of West Africa's oldest drinks and a centerpiece of Nigerian celebrations; at Igbo weddings, the bride carries a cup of it through the crowd to find her groom. Ikenga's Nigerian winemaker, scientist and artist Onye Ahanotu, crafts it in small batches in Berkeley, California, as an homage to fresh morning palm wine.

Le Gris is the rosé of La Ferme Rouge, made from Cinsault, one of the estate's old-vine grapes. The vineyards are farmed organically and the grapes are picked by hand.

Pinotage is South Africa's own grape, created at Stellenbosch University in 1925 by crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsault. This one comes from the Ndubs range of Ntsiki Biyela's Aslina Wines.

Kumusha wines are made with winemaker Atti Louw at Opstal Estate in the Breedekloof Valley. Tinashe Nyamudoka started the label in part to bring more Black ownership and representation into South African wine.

Terre Rouge is the red half of La Ferme Rouge's cornerstone pair, the wines the estate says represent its origins. It comes from vineyards near Morocco's Atlantic coast, where steady ocean winds temper the heat.

Ferme Rouge comes from Morocco's Zaër region. It leads with Cabernet Sauvignon, rounded out with Carignan, one of Morocco's old-vine grapes, and Marselan.

Tej is Ethiopia's ancient honey wine, poured at weddings, holidays and in traditional tej houses. It is flavored with gesho, a native shrub often called Ethiopian hops, and is traditionally sipped from a round, long-necked flask called a berele. Saba Tej comes from Saba Tej Co., an American maker of Ethiopian-style tej.

Axum Tej is named for Aksum, the ancient Ethiopian kingdom and holy city. It is made for Saba Tej Co. in the traditional style, with gesho balancing the honey's sweetness.

Casa is billed as “the original beer from Casablanca,” brewed and bottled in Morocco by Brasseries du Maroc. Beer came to Morocco with the French in the 20th century, and a cold lager is now a classic partner for grilled meats and spice.

Bissap is steeped from dried hibiscus flowers, and every West African family has its own recipe, often brightened with ginger, mint or fruit. Sold by street vendors from Dakar to Lagos, it is the cold drink of celebrations and hot afternoons.

Across North Africa, fresh lemonade is the go-to refresher on hot afternoons, often brightened with fresh mint or a splash of orange blossom water.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Legend says a goatherd named Kaldi noticed his goats dancing after eating the red cherries of a wild shrub. In Ethiopian homes, coffee is still roasted, brewed and shared in a ceremony that can last for hours.

Shaah, Somali for tea, is at the center of Somali hospitality, poured for guests and shared every afternoon. It is traditionally brewed with warm spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, a legacy of Somalia's place on the Indian Ocean spice routes.

Kenya is one of the world's leading tea producers, and its highland gardens grow bold, bright black tea. At home, Kenyans drink chai, tea boiled together with milk, morning and afternoon.

In Morocco, mint tea is the gesture of welcome: green tea brewed with fresh spearmint, poured from high above the glass to raise a light foam. Guests are traditionally offered three glasses.